Thursday, July 30, 2009

What is "M for Mature" and what is "E for Everyone"?

I enjoy all sorts of games, ranging from RPG's, to shooters, to platforming, to simulations. I also am not particularly prudish, which means I see the brilliance of the Grand Theft Auto ("GTA") series for what it is, even if I think the some of its content is almost prurient in nature (really, a stripping simulation?). But I've noticed when I talk with some non-gamers that they seem puzzled that I play games like GTA, since I have a young daughter. But why wouldn't I? I do 99% of my gaming when my daughter is asleep or having a nap, so its not like she's watching me have a shoot-out with the Liberty City cops, or steal a car from an elderly woman. I feel no less appropriate about playing GTA than I would about owning a copy of "Fight Club" or some other film which would be totally inappropriate for my daughter to watch - its okay, because its not for her.

But I guess my friend's confusion is justified, because sometimes I think publishers seem equally confused about who is playing their games. I've noticed that a game like Viva Pinata is obviously marketed to a young audience, with fluffy and adorable little characters who would charm any youngster. Heck, they even cross-marketed it with a licensed Saturday morning cartoon! But did anyone at Rare (the developer) ever watch a kid play this game? Its as complicated as a strategy game like Civilization or SimCity, and therefore totally inappropriate for a little kid. Basically, you have to micromanage a mini-farm, ensuring that every "pinata" has the type of things it wants, eats the type of food it likes, stays away from its other pinata enemies, all the while trying to add onto your zoo to encourage new pinata animals to take up residence. Plus, some of the "secrets" to finding pinatas can only be discovered by massive wastes of time through trial and error, or if you are computer savvy through a search of a FAQ. Its fun, its addictive, but its simply not really a suitable game for the age ranges that its characters would likely appeal to most.

I think developers sometimes forget that sometimes their games, although entertaining for the veteran gamer, can be REALLY hard to play! One of the reasons the Wii was such a hit games like Wii sports are among the very few games that a young kid can play, and therefore true "family gaming" becomes possible. If you are a game developer targeting the younger crowd, having cutesy-ootsie characters isn't enough - you need to have game play that fits their capabilities as well.

1 comment:

  1. I think that parents have to use the game critic media as a resource. I would agree most parents might fall into the trap that the ESRB rating indicates the audience for a particular game, rather than being a guideline for how appropriate the content is for children. Most chess game programs have an Everyone rating, but I doubt many 5 year olds would find it appropriate. Parents might have to hit a few websites to get a review before buying.

    I think this is becoming a larger problem for developers. The audience is diversifying and splitting between casual players and hard core players. I think Spore was a great example. For most of the game it was kid friendly and I found it very simple to play. It wasn't until the endgame I found things challenging. Likely the kid playing that found the game engaging and interesting until the end where it got too hard.

    Getting a game just right for everyone's tastes is a pretty difficult task. I agree with you though, if a game is family-oriented, make sure it is something the family can play together.

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