The Adventure Gamer Speaks Out
The Adventure Gamer Speaks Out
When we first posted our adventure gamer survey in March, we knew we it would be a breeze to meet our goal of 1,000 responses. What we never expected was the enormous amount of comments we received. We seem to have tapped into some inner adventure angst, as we received not dozens but hundreds of written comments from a usually benign adventure community.
While the results of the survey, as you will see, speak for themselves, many of our readers’ questions do deserve answers, so we have printed some of your more common concerns below with appropriate (and some not-so-appropriate) responses.
On Games on DVD
For the DVD-related questions, while I would almost always buy the DVD version of games (if they’re readily available, and don’t cost much more), part of the decision would be affected by the content of the DVD (does it have better video or new features, did the CD version come on lots of CDs, thus meaning lots of disc shuffling, etc.).
Your question re would I pay more for DVD over CD is, I think, misguided. As far as I’ve ever heard, the DVD version should be, if anything, cheaper, not more expensive–you can get a four- to five-CD game on one DVD–that should be cheaper!
Actually, I thought the same was true also, but after checking with a few publishers, it seems that, for the moment, the DVD technology for games will be a little bit more expensive due to various technology-related reasons. Once games on DVD become the norm rather than the exception, expect the price of DVD games to drop below CD prices.
On Gaming Magazines’ Attitude Toward the Adventure Genre
I used to subscribe to PC Gamer until around a year and a half ago. I bought it even if there wouldn’t be favorable coverage of any adventure games (if there were any coverage at all), but at least there were advertisements. But with fewer and fewer adventure game advertisements and the violent ads overwhelming my consciousness, I decided it was time to stop buying it. This is in spite of the fact that in general the articles were excellent. Particularly on the hardware side of things …
I stopped buying gaming magazines when I found your web site … I suspect most adventure gamers don’t read the North American Game magazines since they are aimed primarily at the “shooter and arcade lover crowd.” As such, they probably don’t know or particularly care what those magazines have to say about adventure games in general …
Long live the adventure game! Down with CGW!
The truth is that many of the magazine editors still don’t “get it.” All they see is their increased sales figures, but this is only natural since the number of gamers has multiplied. What they either fail to realize or just don’t want to admit are the vast amount of older readers, female readers, and adventure gamer readers they have lost. It is one thing to pay lip service to the genre, like Computer Gaming World does, and another to actually show support for the genre, as PC Gamer editor Rob Smith recently did with his excellent adventure feature article.
On Advertising Adventure Games
Any company that comes out with an adventure game that doesn’t believe adding a promotional link to their supplier or a preview site or themselves etc. on your site has got to be crazy. I wish I could buy 10 copies of each great game I find because of you, though not having endless resources, I just try and plug you whenever I register my games.
Advertise on television and in mystery and puzzle mags. People who do crosswords like adventure games, in my experience …
Today’s game publishers, taking a “common denominator” approach, are focusing on games that appeal to both computer and console gamers, to maximize their sales. These games have turned the adult gamer off, so many adults have turned to web browsing for their entertainment. This has incorrectly led publishers to believe there is little market for adult-oriented adventure games. Make adults aware that a mature game exists (i.e., TV ads), and they will buy.
I get the feeling that the main purpose of this survey is to give weight to Randy’s argument that adventure game producers and publishers should advertise on adventure webzines and in particular on JA. The other information asked for is possibly just padding. Of course, I could be wrong.
And of course you are, wrong that is. What I was actually attempting was to convince publishers to advertise with PC Gamer. Then PC Gamer will be running a survey to convince publishers to advertise with Just Adventure.
On Escape from Monkey Island (And the Funny Thing Is We Never Even Asked Any Specific Questions About Monkey Island!)
Escape from Monkey Island sucks … Ron Gilbert rules.
Ouch! No fair asking your mom to write, Ron.
Much of the bad rap adventures have been getting has been well deserved … mainly because many of the games have been substandard. I think The Longest Journey has shown that good games will get good reviews, no matter which magazine or website reviews them. And many reviewers had the guts to impartially review Escape from Monkey Island and give it a rating it deserved: around a C … despite the enormous amount of advertising dollars spent on the game.
Oh, great, now those Monkey Island maniacs will be flaming me again since they think I’m somehow responsible for all of the bad Monkey Island reviews.
On Violence and Action in Gaming
You’re doing a great job and I really appreciate what you do. I really do not like adventure games with an action component. I prefer to use my brain to solve the game. I am very much against violence in any form and feel that the violence in computer games is not good for children. I don’t believe any child under the age of 16 or 17 is truly able to fully understand that what they are seeing is not reality. Because of this, they could become unable to separate it from real life. They want to act out what they have seen and see people as nothing more than computer characters. This could lead to dire consequences.
I think some of your questions are difficult to answer when you may have limited your gaming to a few genres. For instance, the question on fighting–in some games it is necessary as long as there are adventures/quests built into the plot. However, I do believe fighting for the sake of it such as first-person shooters are too violent and have no redeeming qualities. I answered no to the violence question only because the games I play (and really are aware of) have fighting that seems to have a moral concept involved. In other words, you know why you are fighting and there is a definite “good guy” versus “bad guy” storyline.
Now that’s the type of response that really makes me want to hit someone.
I don’t need a game to get my adrenaline high, I ride NY subway to work every weekday! That is more action than I need in a day!
How can I top that?!
I would love to see developers create more inventory-based, point-and-click adventure games. Enough already with the action-adventure hybrids! I am tired of the industry catering to a bunch of 18-25 year old males with testosterone overload—why not cater instead to a demographic who possess something that these kids do not: namely, platinum cards and well-paying jobs?
Since the number of people over fifty with computer expertise continues to increase, producers of adventure games might benefit from specifically targeting this market segment. Those of us in this age bracket often lack the nimble reflexes required to deal with demanding action elements. Most of us have also achieved a level of maturity that yearns for something more satisfying than perpetrating senseless acts of mayhem. Much research has shown that engaging in challenging mental activity is the best way to sharpen and retain one’s cognitive skills in later life. Good adventure games can entertain, stimulate the imagination, and improve critical thinking skills. What better way to exercise the mind than by playing a thought-provoking adventure game? It would be interesting to see what kind of response adventure game producers would get if they made such a sales pitch to the very people who could gain the most from it.
We keep trying, but how do you get through to dunderheads like the marketing department of Ubi Soft who advertise games like Myst 3 in Next Generation and PC IGN, both of which are geared toward 18-25 year old males?
A lot of your later questions focused on computer violence. I am not bothered about this particularly, it can often help make a good game better. One thing I don’t like and won’t tolerate (or buy) in a game is blatant sexism (positive or negative) or homophobia.
You asked if I would not buy a computer game because of violent content. Not only have I done that but I have actually returned a game for this reason as it contained sickening violence against women (Phantasmagoria). I made it plain to the retailer why I was returning the game and was given my money back. I would not hesitate to do so again if I felt the violence level was unacceptable. I believe more people should do so, as that is the only way we can let the developers know so much violence unacceptable. Thanks for what you do and keep up the great work.
You Love Us, You Really, Really Love Us!
Great site, keep up the good work … although I will say that I think your Stupid Invaders review was a big load of poo … otherwise the site is excellent.
Now if I would have written the Stupid Invaders review, I would be disagreeing with you, but since Jen and Ray wrote the reviews, you are right, they were a big load of poo.
Great web site. I think you guys and gals do a great job on not only the web site, but on your reviews of the games and industry as a whole. Keep up the good work! BTW, does this influence the winner of the contest 😉
No, but that twenty dollars you sent me didn’t hurt.
I often disagree with many game reviews , but the reviews given on Just Adventure are more accurate with regard to my tastes. The games under development feature on Just Adventure is very useful. The bull**** in the print magazines that the genre is dead is contradicted by the number of games under development. The bulletin board is very fun. Where else can you discuss game puzzle types that are fun to you. I recently asked for suggestions of games that have code or cipher puzzles in them and received many good and kind suggestions. Keep up the good work, Randy, and I would be glad to pay a small fee to keep the site up. I do have health problems but would be glad to help in any other way I can. I am very excited about the online Cryonet games and that signing up through your site will give Just Adventure much-needed capital. God bless you, Randy and the rest of the staff. Long live the genre …
Thanks mom. You just guaranteed yourself a Mother’s Day present this year.
Really enjoy Just Adventure, and especially enjoy the reviews of Ray Ivey and Tom Houston! They seem like gentlemen in my general age/educational/professional demographic, and appreciate their style of writing, as well as the actual content of their reviews. Like so many people, I came to computer games through the magic of Myst, and so continue to have a “primary loyalty” to the adventure genre, although I’ve come to also much enjoy RPG and action/adventure games (I thought Baldur’s Gate II and Homeworld were the two best games I’ve ever played)–my point is, I like the fact that you include game reviews for games that are not, strictly speaking, “adventure” games. Anyway, keep up the good work; I appreciate Randy’s “edgy” attitude, and I really, really like to read Cindy KM’s weekly summaries of what can be found on the web.
Okay, this is really out of hand. I can understand one of you asking your parents to write, but all three of you!?
On Just Adventure Charging a Fee
I might be willing to pay a subscription fee to JA+ but I would want to know what “small” was before I answered that question.
We are trying to keep this a family-oriented site, so I won’t even touch this question.
I hope Just Adventure is not considering charging a fee for access. Perhaps an alternative would be to require visitors to click-through a certain number of ad banners to avoid a charge.
We would never submit our readers to Punch-the-Monkey. Punch-the-Action-Gamer, maybe. Seriously, though, if we ever do charge a subscription fee, it would not be without much forethought and planning, and we would do our very best to keep the fee below $20 a year.
Random Questions and Answers
I hope the survey results will be posted somewhere. I hate surveys that don’t post results.
We will be posting the survey results on Gamespot.
Generally enjoy the site and reviews. A little too paranoid, I think. Totally agree with the TLJ review and any nominations, however, I think you guys have given Omikron, Nomad Soul a bum rap. Or was that another site?! … Confused. Naw, maybe it was a bad rap for Black Dahlia. Obsidian was cool, hell I just love adventure games in general, sorta like good novels you can put down and pick up again with little stress and true entertainment value. Well cheerio, then.
Does anyone still wonder why I am paranoid after reading this?
I wish there would be more coverage of Macintosh adventure games. I think a lot of these sites, yours included, treat the Mac the same way the ‘zines treat adventure games, as if they don’t exist.
Serious answer here: we depend on a lot of developers and publishers to contact us. If you know of any companies producing Mac games that you think we should cover, then either ask them to drop us a line or email Darcy.
Hmm, not very many questions here–got any more?
What survey did you take?
I am sick of all these questions but I know they are important to have an idea on what lives among the adventure gamer so I am willing to answer.
Did the reader above put you up to this?
I personally enjoy Randy’s occasional rants. They are off-the-wall, usually off the mark, but always enjoyable and entertaining. The adventure game community needs more “personalities,” and Randy certainly qualifies.
I’m not sure I know what rants you are referring to. I like to think of myself as calm, cool, and collected. Sort of the James Bond of adventure gaming.
None of these questions really deal with the real issues and questions confronting adventure games, e.g., do you prefer to use a mouse rather than a stupid keyboard, joystick, or one of those kiddie consoles? Do you hate the trend in adventure games to use real time so that you can’t think about puzzles? Do you hate the way the gaming industry thinks that only spotty, snotty-nosed boys play games? Do you have problems with hand-eye coordination puzzles? Questions like this might have been more useful to the adventure gaming world!
I’m not clear yet on which form of input you prefer. Could you be more specific next time?
My answers are a little fudged. I don’t actually buy any type of game, I get them all for free because I review games.
Oh, that’s real nice, rub it in. “I get all my games for free, nyah, nyah.” I’ve guessed who wrote this, and I’ll getcha.
I like your operation.
Which one, my Lasik surgery or my gall bladder operation?
I like sandwiches.
Me too! I’m off to Subway for a foot-long BMT with all the trimmings.
