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What makes a game ‘adult’?
Is it a massive amount of blood and gore? Is it the ability to shoot or run down everything in sight? Whilst your perception of ‘adult’ games may fit that profile, I don’t think that it is. Whilst the content may certainly be adult in that it is not suitable for children, I think that even a child can point a control stick in a certain direction and press a button to shoot someone. You think you have to be an adult, or have a certain intellect and intelligence to do that? Think again.
I myself can’t give you an exact definition of what makes a game ‘adult’. I think it may have something to do with ‘feel’ (stop giggling at the back), and what you perceive to be ‘adult’. One thing I am pretty sure of though is that it has absolutely nothing to do with the amount of blood, guts, guns, puke, crap, swearing or naked flesh involved. You know what I think are two games are prime examples of ‘adult’ games?
Mario and Zelda.
You’re probably laughing at me now, thinking ‘but they’re kiddies games’ but hear me out. If you examine the demographics of Mario sales against a game like Soldier of Fortune, you’ll probably find that 18 rated games sell best amongst youngsters (who can show off to their mates about their latest game where you can shoot individual limbs off etc.) whereas games like Mario sell in both. When your’re an adult, you want a little more than just mindless killing. I think that Nintendo more than anyone, and especially though their two flagship titles, understand how to treat a proper gamer They seem to be the only ones who understand what makes a game great, treating players with a healthy respect, and rewarding intelligent, thoughtful play with intelligent (and often ingenious) set pieces. You are required to think – both literally and laterally – and use a large portion of your brain to work out the taxing problems that always seem achievable despite their difficulty.
Don’t get me wrong, I am not criticising FPS of games like GTA3, because they have their own merits and their own particular uses, I just don’t see them as adult games. In the right context, a splash of claret and the chance to fire off a few rounds is fine, but increasingly developers are hiding behind mindless violence and controversial topics as a smokescreen for the fact that, behind the blood and the press outrage, the game isn’t actually that good, its just included in a pitiful attempt to boost sales. Games like Carmageddon have always been unmitigated rubbish, but have always sold stacks of copies off of being controversial. It’s a shame really – games like Ico will probably be undeservedly outsold by trash like that Hooligan game.
With the next generation of games upon us there is a real opportunity to move gameplay forward, but it seems that few developers are content to do that. With skill, dark content can be dealt with effectively, as shown by Metal Gear Solid 2 and Perfect Dark. But to me ‘adult’ games are not ones with blood and guts but contain proper puzzle and gameplay more befitting of an adult.
Thanks for reading
Russell
Is it a massive amount of blood and gore? Is it the ability to shoot or run down everything in sight? Whilst your perception of ‘adult’ games may fit that profile, I don’t think that it is. Whilst the content may certainly be adult in that it is not suitable for children, I think that even a child can point a control stick in a certain direction and press a button to shoot someone. You think you have to be an adult, or have a certain intellect and intelligence to do that? Think again.
I myself can’t give you an exact definition of what makes a game ‘adult’. I think it may have something to do with ‘feel’ (stop giggling at the back), and what you perceive to be ‘adult’. One thing I am pretty sure of though is that it has absolutely nothing to do with the amount of blood, guts, guns, puke, crap, swearing or naked flesh involved. You know what I think are two games are prime examples of ‘adult’ games?
Mario and Zelda.
You’re probably laughing at me now, thinking ‘but they’re kiddies games’ but hear me out. If you examine the demographics of Mario sales against a game like Soldier of Fortune, you’ll probably find that 18 rated games sell best amongst youngsters (who can show off to their mates about their latest game where you can shoot individual limbs off etc.) whereas games like Mario sell in both. When your’re an adult, you want a little more than just mindless killing. I think that Nintendo more than anyone, and especially though their two flagship titles, understand how to treat a proper gamer They seem to be the only ones who understand what makes a game great, treating players with a healthy respect, and rewarding intelligent, thoughtful play with intelligent (and often ingenious) set pieces. You are required to think – both literally and laterally – and use a large portion of your brain to work out the taxing problems that always seem achievable despite their difficulty.
Don’t get me wrong, I am not criticising FPS of games like GTA3, because they have their own merits and their own particular uses, I just don’t see them as adult games. In the right context, a splash of claret and the chance to fire off a few rounds is fine, but increasingly developers are hiding behind mindless violence and controversial topics as a smokescreen for the fact that, behind the blood and the press outrage, the game isn’t actually that good, its just included in a pitiful attempt to boost sales. Games like Carmageddon have always been unmitigated rubbish, but have always sold stacks of copies off of being controversial. It’s a shame really – games like Ico will probably be undeservedly outsold by trash like that Hooligan game.
With the next generation of games upon us there is a real opportunity to move gameplay forward, but it seems that few developers are content to do that. With skill, dark content can be dealt with effectively, as shown by Metal Gear Solid 2 and Perfect Dark. But to me ‘adult’ games are not ones with blood and guts but contain proper puzzle and gameplay more befitting of an adult.
Thanks for reading
Russell
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Well not really seeing as most kids from the ages of 6 or 7 have already seen that kind of thing in films.
>but games like goldeneye and even MGS2
>shudn't be classed as adult
MGS 2 has blood, shooting, killing
is that not adult then?
>shudn't be classed as adult
MGS 2 has blood, shooting, killing
is that not adult then?
Hmm... i think an adult game should be soley classed due to difficulty and not so much to content unless very explicit. but games like goldeneye and even MGS2 shudn't be classed as adult
But adult games tend to be the best ones!!! And so they should be
What did you think of the post though?
G®åpô²ºº² wrote:
> AFX wrote:
> i think everything i said was taken the wrong way.
its like
> that on here
it sure is. it's really hard to express ureself in the proper way, as it can be taken that ure being sarcastic. But anyway I think adult gaming entirely depends on ure gaming ability and not mental agility. But i spose in some adult games things can be hard to understand.
> AFX wrote:
> i think everything i said was taken the wrong way.
its like
> that on here
it sure is. it's really hard to express ureself in the proper way, as it can be taken that ure being sarcastic. But anyway I think adult gaming entirely depends on ure gaming ability and not mental agility. But i spose in some adult games things can be hard to understand.
AFX wrote:
> i think everything i said was taken the wrong way.
its like that on here
> i think everything i said was taken the wrong way.
its like that on here
i think everything i said was taken the wrong way.
I think its getting out of hand in here...
anyway back to the topic at hand, I have a selection of games and various people like different types of games, and it is true that the term 'Adult Gaming' is mislead sometimes.
A couple of my games include Crash Bandicoot and MGS 2, I must admit I like both games for what they are, the objectives and the Graphics and Gameplay.
For instance I like the emphasis on insanely amount of small detail in MGS 2 but I like the variety of play in Crash Bandicoot.
Kids may like Crash bandicoot better because its 'easier to play and you generally know the objectives' but I like it when the secret levels can be found and in MGS 2 'its easy to kill' but I like it because of the "Freeze", "Shooting Segulls", "Important objectives", "Strategic Playing" Moments in the game.
anyway back to the topic at hand, I have a selection of games and various people like different types of games, and it is true that the term 'Adult Gaming' is mislead sometimes.
A couple of my games include Crash Bandicoot and MGS 2, I must admit I like both games for what they are, the objectives and the Graphics and Gameplay.
For instance I like the emphasis on insanely amount of small detail in MGS 2 but I like the variety of play in Crash Bandicoot.
Kids may like Crash bandicoot better because its 'easier to play and you generally know the objectives' but I like it when the secret levels can be found and in MGS 2 'its easy to kill' but I like it because of the "Freeze", "Shooting Segulls", "Important objectives", "Strategic Playing" Moments in the game.
G®åpô²ºº² wrote:
> AFX you sound a bit of a hypocrit. So your a mature gamer - maybe your being
> immature saying your a mature gamer, as a mature gamer would try and see all
> games for what they are. ie. mario games good clean fun, gta3 mindsless
> violence.
What??? HOw dare you call GTA3 mindless violence?It is strategic destruction of a twisted city. Jeez, get it right.
> AFX you sound a bit of a hypocrit. So your a mature gamer - maybe your being
> immature saying your a mature gamer, as a mature gamer would try and see all
> games for what they are. ie. mario games good clean fun, gta3 mindsless
> violence.
What??? HOw dare you call GTA3 mindless violence?It is strategic destruction of a twisted city. Jeez, get it right.
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