Video game controls are not hard to learn. Even if you didn't have a tutorial to show you how. I realize another posters said that people were struggling with games, but the struggle is often rewarding once you learn how to use the controls.
They are not hard. But why would I want to waste time to learn another set when the time can be used better?
I am all for standardizing the controls, so i don't have to waste time learning it again.
I've played games where standard controls would have completely screwed up the gameplay. In one case I actually had to really give it my full attention and put in the effort before things became fluid and I didn't have to think about it. Waste of time? Hello no. Ended up being one of the best MMOs (combat wise) that I ever had the pleasure of playing.
Though I have played other games where it's clear that the controls were just poorly thought out, and trying to make things work as intended was very much a waste of time. It really depends on the game, but just having standardized controls for everything is not very wise. In some cases you'd just end up killing the gameplay which would take away anything resembling fun.
"Mr. Rothstein, your people never will understand... the way it works out here. You're all just our guests. But you act like you're at home. Let me tell you something, partner. You ain't home. But that's where we're gonna send you if it harelips the governor." - Pat Webb
This whole line of thinking seems weird to me. I don't really care about being a bad ass or not. I just want the game to be challenging. Part of the challenge is to learn things on your own. If people are capable of being bad ass (your words for it) then they should be able to pick up the controls with no problem even if they are not as intuitive as chess. Video game controls are not hard to learn. Even if you didn't have a tutorial to show you how. I realize another posters said that people were struggling with games, but the struggle is often rewarding once you learn how to use the controls.
Chess has some of the simplest rules possible. Despite that, the path from novice to grandmaster is incredibly long and difficult. Literally the only way you can fail to find enough challenge along that path is to deliberately stop trying to learn and accept mediocrity.
So the notion that complicated game rules are required to create that challenge is outright wrong. A game can provide endless amounts of challenge even if you can learn the basics in a few minutes.
"What is truly revealing is his implication that believing something to be true is the same as it being true. [continue]" -John Oliver
Video game controls are not hard to learn. Even if you didn't have a tutorial to show you how. I realize another posters said that people were struggling with games, but the struggle is often rewarding once you learn how to use the controls.
They are not hard. But why would I want to waste time to learn another set when the time can be used better?
I am all for standardizing the controls, so i don't have to waste time learning it again.
I've played games where standard controls would have completely screwed up the gameplay. In one case I actually had to really give it my full attention and put in the effort before things became fluid and I didn't have to think about it. Waste of time? Hello no. Ended up being one of the best MMOs (combat wise) that I ever had the pleasure of playing.
Though I have played other games where it's clear that the controls were just poorly thought out, and trying to make things work as intended was very much a waste of time. It really depends on the game, but just having standardized controls for everything is not very wise. In some cases you'd just end up killing the gameplay which would take away anything resembling fun.
No disagreement here ... but if a game want me to learn a new set of control, it better be very fun, and start from the beginning.
Because there are plenty of games that are really fun without the need to learn new controls. Just take all Diablo type games .. the controls are the same. Take all the FPS, the controls are similar, even if there is some variation in game play.
and it is not just controls, but gameplay systems too.
I'm too often suprised by comments similar to that of MisterZebub. Why do people consider supporting a game company to me it fails logic. The only one I am supporting with games is myself as in supporting myself with some entertainment. Else there are thousands if not millions of company's with that logic I support purely by buying their products??
Maybe I am misunderstanding what you're saying here, so I'm wondering if you could clarify this. It reads as if you are saying that giving money to a particular person or group for their product/service not a show of support for what they do or deliver.
Can you clarify what you meant there?
Can not make it different then I support my gaming hobby. Sure my money might "support" the the company but to me that doesn't mean I personaly support the way they conduct their business.
I have a theory that game devs don't have to do anything at all, to make a game, as if having their game live up to any standard, AT ALL.
The trick would be to sell games to people that doesn't know any better.
My theory is, that every year, ALOT of kids get into gaming for the first time. And game devs sort of don't have to do anything for the majority of the gamers.
This notion of mine is abit simplistic I will admit , but this notion of companies selling crap to newcomers really fascinates me. Maybe EA is into selling games to newcomers that doesn't know any better, no wonder they might want to think that their games are too difficult.
'They also in their wisdom say: "Every game is an RPG now,".'
That's funny because we have a few round here that insist every game is an MMO. Are we eventually going to reach the absurd point that every game is an MMORPG? Wouldn't shock me.
"Well... in every game, you like... play a role right? -slurp-drool- And like... games have a lot of people playing them... probably -slurp-drool- at the same time even... So... yeah.. -slurp- obviously Super Mario Brothers is a MMORPG. -slurp-drool- Who says MMORPGs need all those people have to be playing together in the same room -slurp-? And maybe they have their iphones on while they play... so they are online... -slurp- It's obvious. Man you guys are dumb... -slurp-drool-"
Silliness aside...
I agree very much with the "easy to learn, difficult to master". I think maybe some people are taking the idea of "games being too hard to learn" as meaning "we have to make the entire game easier". That's not the case at all.
Axehilt gives an excellent example with Chess. The basic gameplay of Chess could hardly be simpler - there's only a handful of rules to learn, really. But, sit down with a master level player... or even just a really good one..and then tell me if being easy to learn makes Chess at all "dumbed down".
One example of a game that's easy to learn would be the Zelda games, I think. It takes mere moments to learn all you need to know to play the game. As additional skills become necessary, the game teaches them to you, and they are, again, simple to pick up. Yet, the challenges the game throws at you remain challenging, and it's how well you are able to apply what you've learned that determines your success with it.
Another example is the original Castlevania. It was very easy to pick up and learn. I was barely a teen when that game came out, and I was able to pick it up very easily. But man was it a difficult game to beat.
So, when I see someone - even from EA - saying "our games are too hard to learn".. I don't get the impression that they mean "we have to make our games easier overall". They're just looking to reduce the learning curve in order to get into and begin playing them.
Comments
I've played games where standard controls would have completely screwed up the gameplay. In one case I actually had to really give it my full attention and put in the effort before things became fluid and I didn't have to think about it. Waste of time? Hello no. Ended up being one of the best MMOs (combat wise) that I ever had the pleasure of playing.
Though I have played other games where it's clear that the controls were just poorly thought out, and trying to make things work as intended was very much a waste of time. It really depends on the game, but just having standardized controls for everything is not very wise. In some cases you'd just end up killing the gameplay which would take away anything resembling fun.
"Mr. Rothstein, your people never will understand... the way it works out here. You're all just our guests. But you act like you're at home. Let me tell you something, partner. You ain't home. But that's where we're gonna send you if it harelips the governor." - Pat Webb
Chess has some of the simplest rules possible. Despite that, the path from novice to grandmaster is incredibly long and difficult. Literally the only way you can fail to find enough challenge along that path is to deliberately stop trying to learn and accept mediocrity.
So the notion that complicated game rules are required to create that challenge is outright wrong. A game can provide endless amounts of challenge even if you can learn the basics in a few minutes.
"What is truly revealing is his implication that believing something to be true is the same as it being true. [continue]" -John Oliver
No disagreement here ... but if a game want me to learn a new set of control, it better be very fun, and start from the beginning.
Because there are plenty of games that are really fun without the need to learn new controls. Just take all Diablo type games .. the controls are the same. Take all the FPS, the controls are similar, even if there is some variation in game play.
and it is not just controls, but gameplay systems too.
Can not make it different then I support my gaming hobby. Sure my money might "support" the the company but to me that doesn't mean I personaly support the way they conduct their business.
Maybe I am taking the word "support" to deep.
I have a theory that game devs don't have to do anything at all, to make a game, as if having their game live up to any standard, AT ALL.
The trick would be to sell games to people that doesn't know any better.
My theory is, that every year, ALOT of kids get into gaming for the first time. And game devs sort of don't have to do anything for the majority of the gamers.
This notion of mine is abit simplistic I will admit , but this notion of companies selling crap to newcomers really fascinates me. Maybe EA is into selling games to newcomers that doesn't know any better, no wonder they might want to think that their games are too difficult.
"Well... in every game, you like... play a role right? -slurp-drool- And like... games have a lot of people playing them... probably -slurp-drool- at the same time even... So... yeah.. -slurp- obviously Super Mario Brothers is a MMORPG. -slurp-drool- Who says MMORPGs need all those people have to be playing together in the same room -slurp-? And maybe they have their iphones on while they play... so they are online... -slurp- It's obvious. Man you guys are dumb... -slurp-drool-"
Silliness aside...
I agree very much with the "easy to learn, difficult to master". I think maybe some people are taking the idea of "games being too hard to learn" as meaning "we have to make the entire game easier". That's not the case at all.
Axehilt gives an excellent example with Chess. The basic gameplay of Chess could hardly be simpler - there's only a handful of rules to learn, really. But, sit down with a master level player... or even just a really good one..and then tell me if being easy to learn makes Chess at all "dumbed down".
One example of a game that's easy to learn would be the Zelda games, I think. It takes mere moments to learn all you need to know to play the game. As additional skills become necessary, the game teaches them to you, and they are, again, simple to pick up. Yet, the challenges the game throws at you remain challenging, and it's how well you are able to apply what you've learned that determines your success with it.
Another example is the original Castlevania. It was very easy to pick up and learn. I was barely a teen when that game came out, and I was able to pick it up very easily. But man was it a difficult game to beat.
So, when I see someone - even from EA - saying "our games are too hard to learn".. I don't get the impression that they mean "we have to make our games easier overall". They're just looking to reduce the learning curve in order to get into and begin playing them.