Are games with puzzles a dying breed?
The Brainy Gamer has an interesting op/ed piece, in which the author states that youths of today aren't interested in the puzzles that come along with adventure games. While crotchety old veterans like ourselves (who were actually alive when games like Monkey Island flooded shelves) still enjoy the genre, younger gamers don't have the patience and just don't see the point.We're inclined to agree a bit, as adventure gaming has become a lot more niche than it was in the past. We would argue, however, that the DS has been doing a good job of reviving such puzzlers, even for younger fans craving more action. With the touchscreen making point-and-click (or point-and-touch, if you will) much more accessible, not to mention the added bonus of portability, we think adventure games reach more than just a veteran gamer demographic. Maybe that's just wishful thinking on our part, but we wouldn't be surprised to see young teens popping in a copy of Phoenix Wright or Professor Layton.
What do you think, though? Are we just too oldschool and stubborn to let the genre lay to rest? Maybe those of you with younger siblings might have more insight when it comes to the patience of the younger set of gamers.
[Via DCEmu]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Red @ Jul 29th 2008 8:05PM
I...can't entirely agree. I mean, the guy's basing his point over a handful of negative reactions, which in turn somehow speak for an entire demographic with all the force of a papal edict. That's a flawed assumption right there. I liked Monkey Island and its ilk, but Phoenix Wright vaguely annoyed me. Maybe...maybe he just suggested the wrong game to the wrong person? When I was eleven, I liked the Hobbit and was bored by the main trilogy, now my opinion's the opposite.
I dunno. If he were offering the suggestion that most adventure puzzle games appeal to teenagers and older, maybe I could agree. (The youngest I personally know of who likes Phoenix Wright was...15, 16ish? And like my Tolkien example, some things you just grow into.) As it stands, it just feels like the guy's taking a handful of incidents and using them to come to some...thus far...unfounded conclusions.
Kimiko @ Jul 29th 2008 8:24PM
Adventure games are great. It's a shame there aren't more of them these days.
Puzzle games the DS has quite a lot though, isn't it?
Mr. G @ Jul 29th 2008 8:27PM
Don't take away my DS point and click adventures!!!! I LOVE THEM!!!
Am I disqualified because I've played monkey Island, and Police Quest, and King's Quest games back on the PC way back when? probably.
Kimiko @ Jul 29th 2008 8:38PM
Why would we be disqualified for playing awesome games? King's Quest III was one of my first games ever.
Dartholomeo @ Jul 29th 2008 10:12PM
And you can play them again!
I just bought an R4 10 days ago to load ScummVM for DS and replay all those old Lucas Arts and Sierra games everywhere I go.
Mike97 @ Jul 29th 2008 10:23PM
I think I must have missed the original era of this type of adventure game. I was an enthusiastic arcade and Apple IIe gamer as a kid but didn't return to it until several years into adulthood. The games I like are the ones that remind me of the fun I had as a kid playing Pac-Man, Donkey Kong, Gauntlet, Space Invaders, Gyruss, Conan the Barbarian (Apple IIe game), and the Bard's Tale series. I've tried the Phoenix Wright games and after being initially charmed I found that the formula had worn itself out by the time I reached the last case on the first game - and not the extra case, either! I'm renting Hotel Dusk right now and I find it very absorbing while I'm playing it but when I have a choice between playing Hotel Dusk or something like Castlevania or Izuna I'll pick the latter every time. From the games I've mentioned you can probably figure out I'm not one of these young 'uns they're worried about, but I don't think adventure games are for everyone. FPS games aren't for everyone either - in fact, I hate them!
aj @ Jul 29th 2008 11:52PM
I swear I just read about this on Slashdot the other day.
I don't agree at all with the guy, though. These sorts of games are probably just as popular now as they were then, which is to say not terrifically popular to begin with.
But let's talk about the DS - you have a lot of roguelikes and games like Etrian Odyssey, and of course all the adventure games coming out for it.
Just because the youth of today aren't interested in a thing doesn't make it valid. The youth don't vote, but the governments of the world grind on. If the youth really were important in the grand scheme of things, and their likes and dislikes, this world would be a depressing, noisy place.
Loren @ Jul 30th 2008 5:28AM
I think adventure games are perfectly alive and well, and might even experience a further renaissance in popularity on the DS. I can't count the number of people I know, including very casual gamers, who were convinced to buy a DS *just* because of Phoenix Wright and love it to death.
nirniva @ Jul 30th 2008 8:48AM
I am a teenager. Professor Layton FTW.
jfreshineffect @ Jul 30th 2008 9:49AM
Puzzle Quest was aight... I thought it was over rated...I feel we have too many puzzle games especially on the ds. And not enough quality adventure titles.
IMHO
Ethan @ Jul 30th 2008 1:57PM
I think puzzles just have to make logical sense now rather then just being an arbitrary barrier to progress while you try to combine every item in your inventory.
chibi_wings @ Jul 30th 2008 5:13PM
Depends what you mean by "young". Sure children won't appreciate these games because they ask for a level of intellect that most children have not yet properly developed. My little brother tried Hotel Dusk, but found it pretty hard, and I'm not surprised, but give him two-three years and I know he will enjoy it. Now if by young you mean older children (10+) and teens, then adventure games are like all genres, there are some people who will love them, some who will feel lukewarm towards them, and some who will simply stay as far away from them as possible.
I also find that these types of games are ideal for people who don't want to play video games that focus on reactionary button mashing. I have a friend who also bought a DS because she tried Phoenix Wright on my DS and liked it. She used to play pokemon when she was in elementary school, but hasn't touched a video game since the original pokemon games, yet she was drawn to adventure games because they don't ask of gamers what most games ask for: thoughtless, reactionary button mashing.
I'm part of the older crowd, but I haven't played the older PC adventure games, most likely due to the fact that my parents refused to buy me a computer until I was 13. But I still love point and click titles on the DS. In fact, I believe point and click games will probably appeal to younger gamers that appreciate the story telling and puzzle solving, so I don't think the genre is dead yet. I think the DS has just revived it, and its going to stay (well at least I hope so ^^)
Christopher @ Jul 30th 2008 9:44PM
"Are games with puzzles a dying breed?"
That's ridiculous. I suppose that's why Zelda and the like are doing so horrible, huh? Actually, I think it's quite the opposite. The days of the shallow 8 bit hack and slash are done. If you don't have at least 40 hours of game play, then you're a light weight. RPG's are massive puzzle games in their own way.
Of course you get the occasional exception like God of War or racing games. People are tired for instance of getting the same Madden game year after year. EA needs to look for a new business model and I think they have, hence the reason they had one of the coolest games out on the floor at E3 with Mirrors Edge.
yeeh @ Aug 4th 2008 6:52PM
OBJECTION! indeed
puzzles will still be here till the next millenium. As long as we have brains i think.. How did brain age, puzzle quest, and ace attorney enjoy much attention if it weren't for their mind-bending exercises. I do not even agree that the new gamers do not appreciate these puzzles in adventure games according to my personal experience. I introduced the ace-attorney games to my younger brother who was about 12 and he enjoyed it! the same with zelda. Its just probably because of the hype of the new games with great graphics on genres such as rts, 1st person which rely on intensively on their graphics which have gained popularity. Ultimately I think its just the genre preference of the person playing.