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业内人士及玩家眼中的“中度硬核”定义

发布时间:2013-01-07 11:29:24 Tags:,,,,

作者:Kris Graft

社交、AAA、休闲、易用性、免费模式、增值服务、平台、沉浸感、游戏玩法、硬核、独立游戏、技术导向型、开放世界、云技术……

我们对这些热门词真是爱恨交加。一方面,我们认同它们的一般含义;另一方面,它们仍然是未定形的词汇和术语,每个人的解释都会有差,所以无论何时我们使用这些词,总会产生一点儿交流障碍。

几个月以前,“中度硬核”这个词冒出来了。有人说它是手机游戏和社交游戏的“未来时”。大公司招聘“中度硬核”的游戏开发者制作游戏吸引“中度硬核”的玩家。游戏工作室也在开发“中度硬核”的游戏。

angry bird zombies(from popsci.com)

angry bird zombies(from popsci.com)

我们不能随随便便地把“中度硬核”丢在其他常用的含糊术语里,所以我们询问了游戏开发者和大量网站读者,他们所谓的“中度硬核”是什么意思。有很多人认真地思考了这个词的定义,也有人干脆把它当成完全没有意义的热门词。

这个有趣的问题表明,人们对热门词的理解真是丰富多彩,但也许能为你自己定义“中等硬核”游戏提供方向。

开发者眼中的“中度硬核”

“我认为中度硬核就是,把‘硬核’游戏的本质特点过滤掉,同时不降低游戏品质、不更改主题、不减少玩法机制。对我们而言,中度硬核意味着制作一款优秀的、有深度的、更容易玩的游戏——无论是在时间长度上(保持5-20分钟的游戏长度)还是平台上(应该有多个平台而不是一个)。”——Frederic Descamps,Solstice团队总经理 (Solstice Arena),Zynga

“那种游戏学得快,升级也快,但比其他社交和休闲游戏的沉浸感、竞争性和挑战性更强。这种综合特点使中度硬核游戏的受众比硬核游戏更广,更能吸引那些乐于把游戏作为娱乐消遣的群体。”——Janelle Benjamin, SuperData副总裁

“中度硬核是用来形容一大类玩家的词;这类玩家将游戏作为常规活动纳入适用于一般人的时间表。我们公司根据玩家的游戏生命周期的特点来划分玩家类型:

(1)硬核玩家根据游戏安排日程

(2)中度硬核玩家根据日常生活计划安排游戏时间

(3)休闲玩家只在刚好有时间时才以游戏作为消遣

这些定义很实用,因为它使我们明确了玩家所期待的临时性体验。”—-Tony Goodman,Ensemble Studios联合创始人及PeopleFun创始人

“我们认为中度硬核游戏是指具有硬核游戏的主题或类型特点,但更容易上手的游戏。按这个标准,我们自己的游戏《Royal Revolt!》就是一款典型的中度硬核游戏:它节奏轻快、画面精美、容易学习并且主要的游戏循环正好与等公交车的空档一样长——但是它又不是休闲游戏,因为它更有深度,难度更大。”——Klaas Kersting,Flaregames GmbH首席执行官

royal-revolt(from gamerevolution.com)

royal-revolt(from gamerevolution.com)

玩家眼中的“中度硬核”

“有深度的游戏,但缺少传统电子游戏技能的人也可能会玩它。”——Adam Atomic

“是现有游戏的一种变体,既合适暂时消遣,也适合长时间娱乐,但情节性更弱。”——Raphael van Lierop

“这个概念具有一定的欺骗性,主流玩家知道是怎么回事。”——Mr. Kyle A-S

“这就好像,突破了外层防御(外核),进入内部了,但还打不到BOSS(内核)。”——J Sz

“这是游戏设计的中间地带,适合所有玩家,能产生有意义、过瘾的和有趣的体验。”——X?NDΞR D?VIS

“我的定义是,‘是由社交游戏公司编造出来的一个术语,用来形容那些靠玩家的临时性游戏消费来赢利的游戏。”——Brenda Romero

“我的定义是,这是社交游戏开发者用来定义某类游戏的术语,他们认为这类游戏比大多数休闲免费游戏更吸引玩家。”——Tamwreath Baribow

“这类游戏是90年代的硬核游戏为适应当下而进化版——游戏时间更短,更易上手,没有游戏平台。”——Jurie Horneman

“中度硬核游戏缺少明显的软障碍,所以让玩家很容易上手,且不包含要求掌握的复杂机制。”——Brad Kavanagh

“《魔兽世界》就是一款中度硬核的游戏。这种游戏很费时间和精力,但难度其实不大,不需要玩家有多高的操作水平。”——Mac Hart

魔兽世界(from wired.com)

魔兽世界(from wired.com)

“不是休闲游戏,但也没有大量忠实粉丝。”——Diane Mueller

“中度硬核的游戏能吸引大众玩家,但具有极其特别的硬核机制,例如《口袋妖怪》和《Ratchet and Clank》等。”——alexander Hemsley

“所谓中度硬核,就像大多数硬核游戏一样无趣,像大多数休闲游戏一样重复,但仍然对玩家的反应能力有要求。不过,这只是我的猜想。”——ColleenFunnyguts

“一伙人制作了一类能赚钱的游戏,营销人员认为这类游戏是‘硬核的’,但其游戏平台却是浏览器/智能手机/平板电脑。”——Raul Aliaga Diaz

“很难‘定义’,但可以说介于AAA和独立游戏之间。这类游戏的开发者有一些,但没有很多,也不是完全自力更生的。”——Ryan Saul

“如果说游戏业是一个馅饼,那么中度硬核就填充在硬核的馅和休闲的皮之间的空隙。现在我们的游戏馅饼的填料有点儿低档了。”——Connor Fallon

“这类游戏简单到足以吸引休闲玩家和非玩家,虽然不那么吸引硬核玩家,但其深度也足够为他们提供持久的游戏价值。”——Connor Graham

“既像休闲游戏那样容易上手,也可能像硬核游戏那样过瘾。”——Daniel Tack

“在Zynga/休闲游戏之上,在AAA游戏如《耻辱》或《孤岛危机3》之下。”——Becky Taylor

“中度硬核的游戏‘应该’避免手机游戏中的休闲玩法元素,但又不需要玩家投入太多时间。”——Gordon Frederickson

“中度硬核:耗钱,易学,对‘农场’玩家来说太无聊,对MMO玩家来说太繁忙。”——Alejandro Rodriguez

“我认为它本质上还是休闲游戏,但具有‘硬核’的主题—-以硬核玩家为受众的休闲游戏。”——Amanda Lange

“锻炼腹肌的一类游戏。”——Justin Fenico

“空洞的营销说法——我只拿它形容玩电子游戏的人。”——Dits

“就预算而言,是明智的游戏开发选择,不硬套某类被证明成功的样板。”——unacomn

“就是《植物大战僵尸》那样的游戏。”——Winter Wolves games

植物大战僵尸(from cache.gawker)

植物大战僵尸(from cache.gawker)

“我认为我们不需要‘中度硬核’这个词,因为在我看来,所有AAA游戏好像都是中度硬核的,大多数极具游戏性的游戏都不是硬核的吧?”——Andrew Vanden Game

“我更倾向于另一位玩家jaimewoo的解释:‘软核游戏’。”——Jen Harrison

“中度硬核形容的是一类市场,这类市场的玩家是资深休闲玩家,他们期望得到更高一层次的游戏体验。”——CMM

“纯商业开发中度硬核市场的可能性一定是存在的。这对休闲/硬核二元论构成了威胁。”——Tadhg Kelly

到底什么是“中度硬核”?你怎么看?(本文为游戏邦/gamerboom.com编译,拒绝任何不保留版权的转载,如需转载请联系:游戏邦

What the hell does ‘mid-core’ mean anyway?

By Kris Graft

Social. Triple-A. Casual. Accessibility. Freemium. Premium. Platform. Immersion. Emergent. Gameplay. Emergent gameplay. Hardcore. Indie. Disruption. Mid-tier. Skill-based. Open world. The cloud…

We all seem to have a love-hate relationship with buzzwords like these. On one hand, we can agree on what they generally mean. On the other hand, they’re still these amorphous words and terms that mean something a little bit different to everyone, so there’s a slight communication breakdown whenever we use them.

Months ago, we started seeing the emergence of the term “mid-core.” Some say it’s the future of mobile and social games. Big companies are acquiring “mid-core” developers to capture the “mid-core” audience. Game studios are creating games aimed at the “mid-core.”

Instead of just giving “mid-core” a free pass to join other sacred, nebulous terms that we use constantly, we asked you, the game developer and a whole bunch of Gamasutra Twitter followers what “mid-core” means to them. Many have seriously thought about the term, defined it and are creating games according to that definition. Others dismiss it as a totally empty buzzword.

This rather entertaining experiment illustrates how scattershot peoples’ understanding of buzzwords can be. But maybe it will also help you find direction for your own “mid-core” game.

‘Mid-core’ in a few sentences

“When I think about mid-core, it’s really about distilling what you’d consider a ‘hardcore’ game down to its core essence, without making concessions on production quality, themes and gameplay mechanics. To us, mid-core means making a great, deep game more ‘accessible’ – both in terms of time (keeping sessions to 5 to 20 minutes, as opposed to hours) and platform access (it should be on many platforms instead of just one at a time).” – Frederic Descamps, general manager of Team Solstice (Solstice Arena), Zynga

“Games that are easy to learn and allow advancement with short gaming sessions, but are more engaging, more competitive and more challenging than other social and casual games. This combination allows mid-core games to reach a wider audience than a hardcore game like an MMO while also attracting players who identify as gamers and are more willing to spend on gaming entertainment.” – Janelle Benjamin, SuperData vice president of research

“The mid-core is a massive audience of people who play involved games within a schedule that fits the average person. At PeopleFun we segment the gaming audience by lifestyle patterns:

(1) Hardcore arranges their schedules around their gaming.

(2) Mid-core arranges their gaming around their daily schedule.

(3) Casual entertains self with games when time presents itself.

These definitions are useful because it helps define the temporal experience the gamer is looking for.” – Tony Goodman, co-founder, Ensemble Studios, founder, PeopleFun

“We see mid-core as a lighter, more accessible take on a hardcore topic or genre. Our own game Royal Revolt! is an example for this point of view: It’s lighthearted, beautiful and easily learned and the main game loop fits into a bus station break — yet it’s not casual, has some depth and is hard to beat.” – Klaas Kersting, CEO, Flaregames GmbH

How Twitter defines a ‘mid-core’ game

@gamasutra deep games that don’t unnecessarily exclude people who lack traditional video game grammar (e.g. tetris, drop7)

— Adam Atomic (@ADAMATOMIC) December 10, 2012

@gamasutra A core game along existing genre tropes, but with short-form narrative potential and the ability to support short & long sessions

— Raphael van Lierop (@RaphLife) December 10, 2012

@gamasutra Somewhere between the core giving a shit and the mainstream knowing about it.

— Mr. Kyle A-S (@Coyotegrey) December 10, 2012

@gamasutra It’s after breaching the defences (outer core), when you’re inside but not close enough to shoot the boss – that’s the inner core

— J Sz (@MrSketcz) December 10, 2012

@gamasutra the goldilocks zone of game design that is accessible to all and delivers meaningful, engaging, and fun experiences

— X?NDΞR D?VIS (@XanderDavisLive) December 10, 2012

@gamasutra I define it as “a term made up by social game companies to define pay-per-rush games which monetize.”

— Brenda Romero (@br) December 10, 2012

@gamasutra I define it as a term social game devs are giving to games they think appeal more to men than most casual freemium games.

— Tamwreath Baribow (@cuppy) December 10, 2012

@gamasutra What used to be hard-core games in the 90s, adapted for now – short sessions, accessible, non-gaming platforms (FB, iOS).

— Jurie Horneman (@JurieOnGames) December 10, 2012

@gamasutra Games that lack significant soft barriers so they can be easily picked up and played, yet contain complex mechanics to master.

— Brad Kavanagh (@bkavs) December 10, 2012

@gamasutra a game like World of Warcraft. it takes tons of time and effort but its not really that difficult or highly skill based :P

— Mac Hart (@Macattakk) December 10, 2012

@gamasutra Games that aren’t casual, but also don’t have a mass following of swearing teenage dudebros.

— Diane Mueller (@MadameBerry) December 10, 2012

@gamasutra mid-core game. A game the appeals to the masses but has an extremely dedicated hardcore base: see pokemon, ratchet and clank, etc

— alexander Hemsley (@AlexHemsley) December 10, 2012

@gamasutra Mid-core: Just as vapid and repetitive as most hardcore and casual games, but requires decent reflexes. That’s my guess anyway

— ColleenFunnyguts (@funnygut) December 10, 2012

@gamasutra a crowd made of profitable unicorns playing games considered by marketers as “hardcore” but played on browser/smartphone/tablets.

— Raul Aliaga Diaz (@raliaga) December 10, 2012

@gamasutra Hard to “define”, but it occupies a space between AAA and Indie. Handful of developers, not hundreds, but not bootstrapped.

— Ryan Saul (@fullnovazero) December 10, 2012

@gamasutra The sweet, berry filling between the crusts of hardcore and casual. Our gaming pie is a bit low on filling right now.

— Connor Fallon (@ConnorEFallon) December 10, 2012

@gamasutra Simple enough to attract casual- and non-gamers but deep enough to provide lasting value for them and experienced gamers

— Connor Graham (@connor_g) December 10, 2012

@gamasutra Casual accessibility with the potential for hardcore engagement.

— Daniel Tack (@dantack) December 10, 2012

@gamasutra Above Zynga/casual games, but below AAA titles like Dishonored or Crysis 3.

— Becky Taylor (@omglazerkittens) December 10, 2012

@gamasutra A midcore title *should* eschew the casual gameplay elements of mobile titles but not require too much time investment.

— Gordon Frederickson (@Midmotion) December 10, 2012

@gamasutra Midcore: Want max bang for their buck, and aren’t afraid of learning curves. Bored with a ‘Ville, too busy for MMO endgame.

— Alejandro Rodriguez (@LaconicLelex) December 10, 2012

@gamasutra I define it as inherently casual games with ‘hardcore’ themes – casual but targets core audience.

— Amanda Lange (@second_truth) December 10, 2012

@gamasutra One that really works out your abdominal region.

— Justin Fenico (@JustinFenico) December 10, 2012

@gamasutra Crappy marketing speak – I would just call them people who play video games

— Dits (@dits) December 10, 2012

@gamasutra “mid-core game” – noun – one with annoying affinity for only 1 of your multiple OC’d processors despite hours spent trying to fix

— MASQUERAID (@_masqueraid) December 10, 2012

@gamasutra Sensible enough in terms of budget to not require being shoehorned into a certain recipe that has proven success elsewhere.

— unacomn (@unacomn) December 10, 2012

@gamasutra Plant vs Zombies

— Winter Wolves games (@pcmacgames) December 10, 2012

@gamasutra Mid core is not word I think we need but every AAA game seems about midcore to me; most gamer-y games are not hardcore I think?

— Andrew Vanden Game (@MammonMachine) December 10, 2012

@gamasutra I prefer the term @jaimewoo had for it: ‘Softcore Gaming’.

— Jen Harrison (@jennofour) December 10, 2012

@gamasutra midcore defines the market for experienced casual gamers that want to face the next level of gaming.

— CMM (@mauticom) December 10, 2012

Pure biz-dev projection of a market that it believes must exist. This is the hazard of casual/core dualism.

— Tadhg Kelly (@tiedtiger) January 2, 2013

Your turn

So then… how would you define a “mid-core” game? (source:gamasutra)


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