Why Casual? What Direction?

I haven't posted in a while because I've been busy with school and life. I also just haven't seen anything that has compelled me to right a response to. I finally read a feature on Gamasutra to that was an interview with one of the developers of Twisted Metal and God of War, David Jaffe. Twisted Metal was one of my favorite games on the Playstation and I was really excited to read the interview. The interview went through the normal steps and asked what he was working on and what he had done in the past but at some point Jaffe started talking about where he thought the industry was going. He kind of started talking about it when he was asked what he was working on now.

He mentioned that he was one of the youngest people working at the new development studio he just started at age 36. To me at age 20 that seems really old and although I know it is not that old I still have the perception from society that at some point I should stop playing video games. When I think about myself I hope to be playing games all my life but society says otherwise. He then mentions that at age 36 he no longer has as much time to play games anymore and that the mainstream titles are just not in his realm anymore. That is not to say that at his age he doesn't enjoy them anymore he just no longer has the time and can't devote the time needed to really enjoy the game. (Examples: Bioshock, Mass Effect, Call of Duty 4) Because he can no longer play these kind of AAA titles anymore he doesn't really want to make that type of game anymore. What does this say of the direction of the video game industry?

This is why there is this sudden boom in casual games. The developers that used to be making the hardcore games are now older and making casual games. The casual market is not a new thing, just no one wanted to create games for it. This is also probably why a lot of the great recent titles have come from smaller studios that are still taking in new and young talent. Studios that are older and have an older age employees are starting to move into the casual market. This is not to say that all studios are falling into this just that it is a trend that I have noticed. I think the industry will survive but for a while the focus will be on casual games until the gap that is being created in the hardcore market is filled again.


Cyaz