Last week, Geoff came over to play PS3. PS3 laughed at Geoff. So, we played Pixeljunk Monsters. This got Geoff thinking, this got me thinking.
What is it about a game that defines it as a casual game? Price? Distribution platform? Graphics? Budget? It seems like the current trend is to use a combination of these metrics to brand a games “casual”.
- Geometry Wars 2 – $10 – CASUAL!
- Lost Winds – Wii Ware – CASUAL!
- Castle Crashers – Flash Graphics – CASUAL!
- PixelJunk Monsters – Small Budget – CASUAL!
These methods of determining a games casual appeal are all bullshit. In actuality, none of these games are casual:
- Geometry Wars 2 – Only twitch shooters need apply.
- Lost Winds – Puzzle solvers and platforming gurus only.
- Castle Crashers – Serious brawlers w/RPG love required.
- PixelJunk Monsters – Intense strategy dancers wanted.
I’m proposing a new test for measuring a game’s casual appeal. It’s the readily available non-gamer girlfriend/fiance/wife test. After you’ve convinced said female to touch the controller you’ll know within five minutes whether your game is casual or not.
- Geometry Wars 2 – Fuck no.
- Lost Winds – Um, bwah?.
- Castle Crashers – What? Where? When? Why? Bye.
- PixelJunk Monsters – What’s on TV?
Geometry Wars 2 - It's like solitaire
Related Links:
Castle Crashers and Pixel Junk Monsters: The Future of Gaming Oh and Geometry Wars