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Much has been written about the 'mature gamer', but what exactly is a 'mature gamer'?
Well Jeeves defines mature as something that has completed it's natural growth or development, or belonging to the middle portion of a cycle of erosion, so that's not a great deal of help. But then again, when is Jeeves much use?
I believe that the term 'mature gamer' refers to Sony and Microsofts's target audience - late teens to ealry twenties, and older. So by just being a certain age you can be a 'mature gamer'. Of course you don't have to be of a certain age to enjoy mature games!
Gaming is still seen by many as being the pasttime of children, and the immature, but with gaming becoming more mainstream, this will hopefully become a thing of the past.
Many of the games that could be considered as 'mature', however aren't the sort that should appear to someone you would consider to be a mature adult. Conkers Bad Fur Day is full of toilet humour, and has Nintendo's trademark cute appearance. Would this really appeal to someone that considered themselves as 'mature'? Surely it would appear more to the little kid inside us, the one that still laughs at bodily functions, and thinks swearing is amusing. Hardly mature. Games like Resident Evil and Perfect Dark, supposedly games for a more 'mature' audience appeal just as much to younger gamers, (not littel kids, but early teens.) Surely the term 'mature' doesn't suit the game, maybe the term 'Adult' would be better?
The games that I see as being more 'mature' would be those that don't appeal to our more childish insticts. Simulations and Real Time Strategies seem to me to be more 'mature' than survival horrors.
There are opportunities to make some truely special games on the next generation consoles, and I'm looking forward to some of the titles on the GAMECUBE that have been tarred with the 'mature' stick.
Eternal Darkness looks much like your survival horror. It has zombies in it, and zombies are cool, so I want this game! However, after reading up on it it certainly seems to have some rather different ideas to it. There is a 'sanity meter.' Seeing all of the horrors will slowly drive you insane if you don't manage to overcome them. This sounds like a very impressive feature, and one that could make it a game that requires just as much mind-work as it would gameplay skill. Likewise Silicon Knights other project Too Human has also been labeled a 'psychological thriller.' This game allows you to upgrade yourself with human traits, so you could improve your intelligence or your strength. The game changes depending upon the choices you have made. You have the choice as to whether you should play the game building on your strengths and eliminating all of your enemies, or build on your intelligence, and work other ways around each problem.
I'm sure that the PS2 and the Xbox will also deliver many games that add features that make the game one that deserves the label 'mature' rather than games that are labelled as being 'mature' for simply being nothing more than gore-fests.
Well Jeeves defines mature as something that has completed it's natural growth or development, or belonging to the middle portion of a cycle of erosion, so that's not a great deal of help. But then again, when is Jeeves much use?
I believe that the term 'mature gamer' refers to Sony and Microsofts's target audience - late teens to ealry twenties, and older. So by just being a certain age you can be a 'mature gamer'. Of course you don't have to be of a certain age to enjoy mature games!
Gaming is still seen by many as being the pasttime of children, and the immature, but with gaming becoming more mainstream, this will hopefully become a thing of the past.
Many of the games that could be considered as 'mature', however aren't the sort that should appear to someone you would consider to be a mature adult. Conkers Bad Fur Day is full of toilet humour, and has Nintendo's trademark cute appearance. Would this really appeal to someone that considered themselves as 'mature'? Surely it would appear more to the little kid inside us, the one that still laughs at bodily functions, and thinks swearing is amusing. Hardly mature. Games like Resident Evil and Perfect Dark, supposedly games for a more 'mature' audience appeal just as much to younger gamers, (not littel kids, but early teens.) Surely the term 'mature' doesn't suit the game, maybe the term 'Adult' would be better?
The games that I see as being more 'mature' would be those that don't appeal to our more childish insticts. Simulations and Real Time Strategies seem to me to be more 'mature' than survival horrors.
There are opportunities to make some truely special games on the next generation consoles, and I'm looking forward to some of the titles on the GAMECUBE that have been tarred with the 'mature' stick.
Eternal Darkness looks much like your survival horror. It has zombies in it, and zombies are cool, so I want this game! However, after reading up on it it certainly seems to have some rather different ideas to it. There is a 'sanity meter.' Seeing all of the horrors will slowly drive you insane if you don't manage to overcome them. This sounds like a very impressive feature, and one that could make it a game that requires just as much mind-work as it would gameplay skill. Likewise Silicon Knights other project Too Human has also been labeled a 'psychological thriller.' This game allows you to upgrade yourself with human traits, so you could improve your intelligence or your strength. The game changes depending upon the choices you have made. You have the choice as to whether you should play the game building on your strengths and eliminating all of your enemies, or build on your intelligence, and work other ways around each problem.
I'm sure that the PS2 and the Xbox will also deliver many games that add features that make the game one that deserves the label 'mature' rather than games that are labelled as being 'mature' for simply being nothing more than gore-fests.
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Armitage Shanks wrote:
> Goatboy wrote:
> Where?
lol... Everywhere...
Oh.
I misunderstood.
Damn
> Goatboy wrote:
> Where?
lol... Everywhere...
Oh.
I misunderstood.
Damn
So the word 'mature' is maybe not the most suitable, as the gore involved in Resident Evil (which is all that makes it 'mature') and the bad language in Conkers Bad Fur Day are hardly things that will appeal to those that consider themselves as being 'mature'.
However, there are games out there that younger gamers simply won't want to play because they don't appeal, they appeal to the more 'mature' gamer because they don't have toilet humour and loads of gore....
Much like the analogy that Shanks made between those movies that are suitable for kids, but kids would have no interest in.
It seems that some of the games in development for the 'next generation' consoles are mature in both senses of the word. They involve the gore that makes them unsuitable for younger gamers, as well as gameplay aspects that kids will have little or no interest in.
However, there are games out there that younger gamers simply won't want to play because they don't appeal, they appeal to the more 'mature' gamer because they don't have toilet humour and loads of gore....
Much like the analogy that Shanks made between those movies that are suitable for kids, but kids would have no interest in.
It seems that some of the games in development for the 'next generation' consoles are mature in both senses of the word. They involve the gore that makes them unsuitable for younger gamers, as well as gameplay aspects that kids will have little or no interest in.
Goatboy wrote:
> Where?
lol... Everywhere...
Good bye Mr.Chips : U
Dead Men Dont Wear Plaid : PG
the Sting : PG
Remains of the Day : U
Hudsucker Proxy : PG
Shampoo : PG
Maltease Falcon : PG
...
All films of little to no interest to younger audiences... all below 12 :)
> Where?
lol... Everywhere...
Good bye Mr.Chips : U
Dead Men Dont Wear Plaid : PG
the Sting : PG
Remains of the Day : U
Hudsucker Proxy : PG
Shampoo : PG
Maltease Falcon : PG
...
All films of little to no interest to younger audiences... all below 12 :)
Where?
I would have though Mature, (with regard to classification), refferred to direct content (audio/visual) rather than content...
There are, for example, quite a lot of movies, that whilst adult themed, due to their lack of swearing, nudity, etc.. get a PG rating...
There are, for example, quite a lot of movies, that whilst adult themed, due to their lack of swearing, nudity, etc.. get a PG rating...
You've got two classifications in that post Meka I think.
Mature games are aimed at a 'mature in age' audience as they generally contain adult themes or content, and generally therefore have the higher ELSPA age rating.
To differentiate that from game complexity, you could then also have:
Beginner/Intermediate/Advanced Game, like the Dungeons and Dragons genre, so that gamers can see how easy a game is to get into.
For example:
I'd have MicroMachines V3 as a Beginner Game, Gran Turismo as an Intermediate Game (given the complex lengths you can go to to get your car setup just right), and something like Record of Lodoss War (a classic RPG in terms of hit points, armour classes etc...) would have an Advanced Game rating.
Mature games are aimed at a 'mature in age' audience as they generally contain adult themes or content, and generally therefore have the higher ELSPA age rating.
To differentiate that from game complexity, you could then also have:
Beginner/Intermediate/Advanced Game, like the Dungeons and Dragons genre, so that gamers can see how easy a game is to get into.
For example:
I'd have MicroMachines V3 as a Beginner Game, Gran Turismo as an Intermediate Game (given the complex lengths you can go to to get your car setup just right), and something like Record of Lodoss War (a classic RPG in terms of hit points, armour classes etc...) would have an Advanced Game rating.
Much has been written about the 'mature gamer', but what exactly is a 'mature gamer'?
Well Jeeves defines mature as something that has completed it's natural growth or development, or belonging to the middle portion of a cycle of erosion, so that's not a great deal of help. But then again, when is Jeeves much use?
I believe that the term 'mature gamer' refers to Sony and Microsofts's target audience - late teens to ealry twenties, and older. So by just being a certain age you can be a 'mature gamer'. Of course you don't have to be of a certain age to enjoy mature games!
Gaming is still seen by many as being the pasttime of children, and the immature, but with gaming becoming more mainstream, this will hopefully become a thing of the past.
Many of the games that could be considered as 'mature', however aren't the sort that should appear to someone you would consider to be a mature adult. Conkers Bad Fur Day is full of toilet humour, and has Nintendo's trademark cute appearance. Would this really appeal to someone that considered themselves as 'mature'? Surely it would appear more to the little kid inside us, the one that still laughs at bodily functions, and thinks swearing is amusing. Hardly mature. Games like Resident Evil and Perfect Dark, supposedly games for a more 'mature' audience appeal just as much to younger gamers, (not littel kids, but early teens.) Surely the term 'mature' doesn't suit the game, maybe the term 'Adult' would be better?
The games that I see as being more 'mature' would be those that don't appeal to our more childish insticts. Simulations and Real Time Strategies seem to me to be more 'mature' than survival horrors.
There are opportunities to make some truely special games on the next generation consoles, and I'm looking forward to some of the titles on the GAMECUBE that have been tarred with the 'mature' stick.
Eternal Darkness looks much like your survival horror. It has zombies in it, and zombies are cool, so I want this game! However, after reading up on it it certainly seems to have some rather different ideas to it. There is a 'sanity meter.' Seeing all of the horrors will slowly drive you insane if you don't manage to overcome them. This sounds like a very impressive feature, and one that could make it a game that requires just as much mind-work as it would gameplay skill. Likewise Silicon Knights other project Too Human has also been labeled a 'psychological thriller.' This game allows you to upgrade yourself with human traits, so you could improve your intelligence or your strength. The game changes depending upon the choices you have made. You have the choice as to whether you should play the game building on your strengths and eliminating all of your enemies, or build on your intelligence, and work other ways around each problem.
I'm sure that the PS2 and the Xbox will also deliver many games that add features that make the game one that deserves the label 'mature' rather than games that are labelled as being 'mature' for simply being nothing more than gore-fests.
Well Jeeves defines mature as something that has completed it's natural growth or development, or belonging to the middle portion of a cycle of erosion, so that's not a great deal of help. But then again, when is Jeeves much use?
I believe that the term 'mature gamer' refers to Sony and Microsofts's target audience - late teens to ealry twenties, and older. So by just being a certain age you can be a 'mature gamer'. Of course you don't have to be of a certain age to enjoy mature games!
Gaming is still seen by many as being the pasttime of children, and the immature, but with gaming becoming more mainstream, this will hopefully become a thing of the past.
Many of the games that could be considered as 'mature', however aren't the sort that should appear to someone you would consider to be a mature adult. Conkers Bad Fur Day is full of toilet humour, and has Nintendo's trademark cute appearance. Would this really appeal to someone that considered themselves as 'mature'? Surely it would appear more to the little kid inside us, the one that still laughs at bodily functions, and thinks swearing is amusing. Hardly mature. Games like Resident Evil and Perfect Dark, supposedly games for a more 'mature' audience appeal just as much to younger gamers, (not littel kids, but early teens.) Surely the term 'mature' doesn't suit the game, maybe the term 'Adult' would be better?
The games that I see as being more 'mature' would be those that don't appeal to our more childish insticts. Simulations and Real Time Strategies seem to me to be more 'mature' than survival horrors.
There are opportunities to make some truely special games on the next generation consoles, and I'm looking forward to some of the titles on the GAMECUBE that have been tarred with the 'mature' stick.
Eternal Darkness looks much like your survival horror. It has zombies in it, and zombies are cool, so I want this game! However, after reading up on it it certainly seems to have some rather different ideas to it. There is a 'sanity meter.' Seeing all of the horrors will slowly drive you insane if you don't manage to overcome them. This sounds like a very impressive feature, and one that could make it a game that requires just as much mind-work as it would gameplay skill. Likewise Silicon Knights other project Too Human has also been labeled a 'psychological thriller.' This game allows you to upgrade yourself with human traits, so you could improve your intelligence or your strength. The game changes depending upon the choices you have made. You have the choice as to whether you should play the game building on your strengths and eliminating all of your enemies, or build on your intelligence, and work other ways around each problem.
I'm sure that the PS2 and the Xbox will also deliver many games that add features that make the game one that deserves the label 'mature' rather than games that are labelled as being 'mature' for simply being nothing more than gore-fests.
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