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Over three billion people worldwide now play video games, study reports

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Re: Over three billion people worldwide now play video games, study reports

#361

Post by luckylion »

wgerard wrote: post #343
luckylion wrote: post #201

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> On the subway, it's not uncommon to see people playing games like candy crush on their commute to and from work. It may have to do with the difference in "I will play this game instead of staring into the void" vs "I will buy that game and set aside time to play it". Would people on the subway play candy crush if they didn't have to commute? There's a fine line, I believe. And then there's another fine line with re…

> It may have to do with the difference in "I will play this game instead of staring into the void" vs "I will buy that game and set aside time to play it". Would people on the subway play candy crush if they didn't have to commute? There's a fine line, I believe. That seems like a weird distinction to draw, given the numerous other activities you could be doing with that time (reading a book, for example). Clearly,…

> That seems like a weird distinction to draw, given the numerous other activities you could be doing with that time (reading a book, for example).

I believe it's similar to the difference between running because you're late and need to catch the bus and going for a run because you want to run. One is the end ("I want to play a game"), the other is a means ("I want to kill time on the train and a book is too complicated").

Tetris isn't a video game in my opinion, but it's a computer game. A video game involves video of some kind of world to move in, be that a football field you're running on, a race track you drive on, or a wasteland you crawl through. Maybe you could make the immersion a distinction, but I'm not sure about it.

> I will posit that is largely because of the stigma around being a "gamer", partially warranted (gaming communities can be notoriously toxic) and partially not.

I don't know. I've never been part of any gaming communities, but there has been a time when I played a lot of games and if asked, I would've said that I'm a gamer. I haven't for years, so I don't consider myself a gamer now.

> Again, I think with any other hobby it would be hard for you not to qualify as at least an enthusiast if you spent an appreciable amount of time engaging in it.

I'm not sure. I've watched a lot of movies but I'd never consider myself a movie buff, I just liked cheap entertainment. I believe it's different with books because there has to be intention, reading isn't the path of least resistance, it requires more intention than candy crush, movies, meme scrolling or listening to music or a pod cast.

Similarly, driving a car to work (or using public transportation) isn't really saying anything about you. Biking to work all year, no matter the weather, is different.

I don't think it's about "gate keeping" as much as wanting clear communication. It's not useful to call everyone a gamer that has ever in their life played a game on an electronic device. It's not useful to call everyone a climber that has ever in their life climbed something, be that a mountain, tree or bunk bed.

And my general opinion: don't worry about identifying yourself as a gamer because of some stigma. People who are worth talking to will usually ask and find out what you're talking about. It may be a good litmus test to quickly sort out those that live by factory made opinions. Don't bother trying to be liked by them.

Re: Over three billion people worldwide now play video games, study reports

#362

Post by watwut »

sidlls wrote: post #339
watwut wrote: post #311

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You are using this argument in a thread about whether Candy Crush is a "video game". Not whether it is, shooter, RPG or racing game. Nor whether playing on subway counts as e-sports. The problem here is that the breakdown is completely arbitrary based on "how much I feel related to people who play it". It is not based on hours played, someone who plays on console less of time can count. It is not by effort spent, som…

The origin of the report is a market intelligence publication about gaming. The controversy over "Candy Crush" is almost an irrelevant detail in this context.

But, it is topic of this thread, because this thread is literally about that.

Re: Over three billion people worldwide now play video games, study reports

#363

Post by nottorp »

chillwaves wrote: post #349
nottorp wrote: post #335

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Most people aren't aware there are other types of computer fun than the free crap in their phone's app store. Us HNers are a dying breed, a lot of people don't have computers any more, or when they have them they use them only when absolutely necessary.

Still don't see your point other than "my preference is good, their preference is bad" or am I misunderstanding? Wasting time is sort of the point.

They're not aware of the alternatives.

And there's wasting time going through varied content, and there's wasting time doing the same thing for days.

Re: Over three billion people worldwide now play video games, study reports

#364

Post by mercer »

hnick wrote: post #282
the_duke wrote: post #118

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Since you liked Horizon Zero Dawn: - Witcher 3 brought me back to gaming after a 10+ year hiatus. While not perfect, it's the best/most immersive game I have ever played. Thanks to truly incredible writing, an interesting, engaging world where small side quests are some of the best content, good graphics that still hold up very well (especially with mods on PC, but just fine on console). All built on a foundation of…

Nier Automata is just something else. Not every part of the game is that well executed, but the music alone is worth the price of entry and the emotional payoff in the story makes me forgive the many clunky elements. I'm so glad I gave it a chance, because battle androids in maid costumes was not something that got my attention for the right reasons. Skill Up's review on YouTube is what tipped me over the edge - he e…

Yeah, the game can be a bit uneven at times, but it's definitely on my list of 'must-play' games.

Re: Over three billion people worldwide now play video games, study reports

#365

Post by mercer »

compscistd wrote: post #101
ArtWomb wrote: post #80

Ghosts of Tsushima may be the best Playstation game I have played EVER. It's a testament to how late in the console release cycle, developers are just now mastering internals. It's the ideal video game: open world, 13-century feudal Japan, Age of the Samurai. High contrast "Kurosawa" mode, 4K HDR is cinematically photoreal. I really hope it remains a Major IP for many years to come ;) https://blog.selfshadow.com/publ…

I just finished playing through Horizon Zero Dawn which had been untouched, collecting dust on the shelf for a couple years. Found more time in the pandemic and I'm wondering what else I've missed out on! The only other titles I've played with great acclaim are God of War and Zelda: Breath of the Wild. From a brief wiki search, it seems outside of Nintendo, studios only tend to have one-hit wonders. I never played th…

If you're at all into 'platformers', I highly recommend Celeste, Hollow Knight, and Ori and the Blind Forest. These are some of the best in the genre and pretty cheap to boot.

Re: Over three billion people worldwide now play video games, study reports

#366

Post by disgruntledphd2 »

catsarebetter wrote: post #338
disgruntledphd2 wrote: post #232

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So, back in the day I worked with a lot of gaming companies on their advertising. They would point blank refuse to target women because "women don't play games". Even when we demonstrated that women made up a really sizable proportion of their audience, they wouldn't budge. Really brought it home to me that so much bias is reproduced through the biases of advertisers, rather than the platforms.

They'll pay for it when more startups catch on and grow like mad and compete with them

In my experience, the startups were the worst for it.

Re: Over three billion people worldwide now play video games, study reports

#367

Post by thefounder »

chillwaves wrote: post #30
thefounder wrote: post #20

Looks like an addiction getting out of control.

What is the difference between video game addiction and other screen related addiction?

I believe video game addiction is worse because it requires a higher level of attention unlike scrolling crap on facebook/instagram etc.

Re: Over three billion people worldwide now play video games, study reports

#368

Post by zamadatix »

save_ferris wrote: post #298
abraxas wrote: post #137

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It is so very depressing. Nearly every game released by those companies is an ad riddled garbage fire. It's an affront to what makes gaming fun. They are "games" in the same sense that slot machines are "games". They aren't games in the sense that non-mobile gamers talk about.

> Nearly every game released by those companies is an ad riddled garbage fire. Say what you will about Fortnite, but it's definitely not an "ad riddled garbage fire". They do advertise their store offerings in the lobby, albeit in a pretty unobtrusive way. The game has essentially become a PvP Grand Theft Auto, and it's executed remarkably well. On top of that, it's free to play and has absolutely no play-to-win mech…

I enjoy Fortnite, play it with some old colleagues most weekends. It's simple, cross platform for all of us, been around and not going away, and has several modes to mix things up with. Barrier to entry is $0 allowing any of use to play as casually as we'd like without needing to make an investment. That last point is what should hint the game is going to be pushing sales heavily.

When you launch the game you get full screen ads for newly released skins you have to click past to acknowledge, entire seasons are designed and themed around marketing deals with cinematics of the new stuff and click through walkthroughs about season skins you can by. If you don't have the battle pass there is constant advertising to get it and when you do it provides enough free virtual currency to run you through the virtual store at least a couple times per year so buying the cosmetics feels familiar.

So you have heavy 3rd party ads (as mentioned next season is going to be all Marvel) and heavy first part ads (in game store purchases) every time you launch the game, join a match, participate in a match, finish a match, or leave a party. Just because the ads are integrated doesn't mean it's not an ad riddled garbage fire.

But overall it's a decent enough game that lets me interact with some folks who otherwise wouldn't play something so I like it. I'm just aware I'm being served ads constantly in it.

Re: Over three billion people worldwide now play video games, study reports

#369

Post by wgerard »

luckylion wrote: post #361
wgerard wrote: post #343

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> It may have to do with the difference in "I will play this game instead of staring into the void" vs "I will buy that game and set aside time to play it". Would people on the subway play candy crush if they didn't have to commute? There's a fine line, I believe. That seems like a weird distinction to draw, given the numerous other activities you could be doing with that time (reading a book, for example). Clearly,…

> That seems like a weird distinction to draw, given the numerous other activities you could be doing with that time (reading a book, for example). I believe it's similar to the difference between running because you're late and need to catch the bus and going for a run because you want to run. One is the end ("I want to play a game"), the other is a means ("I want to kill time on the train and a book is too complica…

We're probably unlikely to come to an agreement here, I think because we have fundamentally different opinions on what constitutes a hobbyist (and, I think, also a video game). I really fail to see the difference between someone playing Mario Odyssey on a Switch on the train every day vs. someone playing Candy Crush every day on the train.

If you chose to bike to work every day, I would call you a biker. If you watched a movie every single day, I would say watching movies is a hobby of yours. If you went to a rock climbing gym every day, I would call you a climber.

Driving, and some other fields like cooking, are quite different. You're not choosing to engage in that behavior - it's a requirement for your life. Same with cooking food. You need to get to work, you need to eat. You don't need to play Candy Crush on the train - and obviously, many people don't.

> And my general opinion: don't worry about identifying yourself as a gamer because of some stigma.

I don't mean to be a negative ned, but I'm not talking about the "neckbeard loser" stigma. If you're not sure what I'm talking about, that's probably for the best.

Re: Over three billion people worldwide now play video games, study reports

#370

Post by mycall »

chansiky wrote: post #73
HenryKissinger wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm more skeptical. VR will remain a niche, and future games will feature improved graphics. The new haptic feedback on the PS5 controller will add a minor feature. Other than that, games will remain the same on the fundamentals. Couch co-op may make a comeback.

I'm extremely skeptical as well, but the fact that Facebook, Apple, and Google are all dumping tons of money to develop some form of it makes me convinced that its an upcoming market that has the potential to hit big time. Half the stuff I see people do online goes against any logic I ever thought people would do. I wouldn't be surprised if it takes off for something completely out of left field. Like what is the wei…

Bigscreen VR is exactly what you are talking about.
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