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[Omar Ismail]

Here's my thoughts on the issue. Oh, and for people that just want to reply to the topic title, at least read the "high level factors" listed below.

High level factors
* Cinematic feel and presentation
* Fresh experience
* Social
* Life improvement
* Brand
* Timing


Cinematic Feel and Presentation
This criteria is difficult to describe because it can be confused with cutscene-heavy or story-heavy, when that’s not what I’m referring to. Instead, what I mean by Cinematic Feel and Presentation is that the very act of PLAYING the game results in an experience that FEELS cinematic. Meaning, it’s almost as fun to watch the person playing the game, as it is to play itself.

Aspects that go into Cinematic Feel are: lush environments, great character animation, little to no HUD, minimal “gamey” aspects (such as points, loading screens, etc), and high level of interaction.

Ubisoft is actually very good at making cinematic games with titles such as Assassin’s Creed, and the to-be-released AC2 and Splinter Cell: Conviction.


Fresh Experience
Players seem to be demanding a higher level of NEW experiences. We’ve seen this with depressed sales of games like MotorStorm 1->2 and Resistance 1->2 where the arguably better sequels sold substantially less. Obviously, there are a lot of factors going into that, but my theory is that a major factor is the NEWNESS of the experience. Different gametypes, gameplay, game-feel, settings, etc.

What successful sequels like Halo, Street Fighter, etc demonstrate is that people like familiarity but there is a minimum acceptable delta when it comes to the experience itself compared to previous offerings.


Social
This one is pretty self-explanatory. Though some people limit social gaming to party-games and having a bunch of people hanging out in a person’s house playing some Wii. I look at social in a broader context that includes online multiplayer gaming, and even single player games that have things like broader competitive interactions such as leaderboards. I even consider Wii Fit as a somewhat social game, not because people play it together, but because it's a shared cultural experience. You lose weight and get fit for personal and social reasons, so inherently there's a social aspect to it that is not obvious.


Life Improvement
This criteria is pretty new in the mainstream and has come to the forefront through Nintendo and the Wii. For a long time “Life Improvement” games were strictly under the label of “edutainment” and were more about education than games. With Wii Fit and Brain Age, Nintendo was able to strike an almost perfect balance between bettering your life, and having fun. The next key is that physical and mental fitness aren’t the only ways that your life can be improved, and Nintendo will prove that in a very profound way with the Wii Vitality Sensor. The interesting thing, is that there are quite a few untapped areas of Life Improvement that are open season:

Mental Health – Brain Age
Fitness – Wii Fit, EA Sports Active, etc
Relaxation – Wii Vitality Sensor (most likely)
Cooking – Kind of with Cooking Mama, and some other DS games
Spiritual – ?
Love – ?
Relationships – ?
Creativity – ?
Sex – ?
Making money – ?
Have a successful career – ?
Parenting – ?
Learning languages – ?
Learning a music instrument

Obviously some of these categories are not as interesting as “mental” or “physical” fitness, but if you could make a compelling game that helped you with your social life… that would be amazing. This is an entirely new class of interactive software that we’re just now scratching the surface of.


Brand
It goes without saying that there are big franchises and not-so-big franchises. Any game that has the words “Mario”, “Halo”, “Final Fantasy” or “Madden” will instantly get a lot of attention. The size of the brand will determine the center-point so to speak on where its sales will lie that is determined by how much the previous game sold. For example of Halo 3 sells 9 million, then it’s reasonable to use 9 million as a starting point for Halo 4, and then adjust from there and incorporate the other criteria to move up and down.

Sometimes an entry in a franchise will be able to break out and bring the brand to the next level like with Call of Duty 4, or bring it down many levels, as what happened with Tony Hawk (though that may have been more gradual).

Note that brand isn’t limited to just game franchises, but extends to all kinds of brands. NFL, UFC, Mario Lopez, musicians, movies, etc. It’s the reason why licensed games continue to be made despite their lower quality.


Timing
I was hesitant to put timing in here as a criteria since it is somewhat ambiguous and there is some overlap with “Freshness” but timing comes into play mostly as a negative factor. Even if a game is solid on all the other points, if it’s released in a period where there are some huge titles coming out then it can be completely looked over and squashed in the marketplace. I see this time and time again when it comes to the holidays. Publishers seem to be wisening up to this Q4 crush and have wiseley started to space out their releases, though from this E3 it looks like there’s going to be a Spring-crush.

If your game is huge then obviously the holidays can act as an amplifier, but for most games they need to be very wary about when they’re coming out.

 

[Ranger X]

HD is probably the last factor actually.

.

 

[Aegus]

Violence.

 

[Yes Boss!]

HD is probably the last factor actually.

.

Quoted. The bulk of consumers probably don't even use HDTVs.

And "cinematic feel and presentation" is a disgusting trend.

 

[WTFing]

Mental Health – Brain Age

You can't be serious. My answer has nothing to do with the game you choosed? Seriously?
Mental health???

 

[bigcheese]

And "cinematic feel and presentation" is a disgusting trend.

Why? What would you prefer?

 

[DoomGyver]

I would say a new experience.

 

[Fimbulvetr]

High level factors
* Cinematic feel and presentation
* Fresh experience
* Social
* Life improvement
* Brand
* Timing

You forgot:

*Entertainment Value
and
*Fun

 

[gutter_trash]

modern games?
they are all almost the same as last gen games but just in HD with a few more phisics and enemies on the screen.
There hasn't been more anything ''revolutionary'' during this HD era of gaming as far as ''game'' is concerned that last gen did not already do

 

[Eccocid]

hype?mass media? brainwashing? web communities?

 

[Tiktaalik]

I think the social experience is a huge part of why games sell right now. Look to every major game and you'll find them including coop and multiplayer segments regardless if they fit or not. The reason for this is that it's free marketing. When your friend buys Resident Evil 5 or Gears of War 2 they'll be talking your ear off about how fabulous the coop is and how much that you should buy a copy so you can play together. Similarly the fact that Call of Duty and Street Fighter lingers in the public consciousness for months and months after release is due to the powerful online component. It's like a free marketing campaign that never ends.

 

[Wario64]

Social acceptance of video games

 

[GodofWine]

Branded cereal and soda.

 

[AstroLad]

was gonna say HD even before i finished reading the thread title

 

[gerg]

HD is probably the last factor actually.

.

Seconded.

Only a select band of gamers ever value graphics in and of themselves.

I think you missed out marketing, which is quite an obvious factor.

Another incredibly important aspect is the interaction between the player and the console, which is the drive behind the success of motion controls, and will only become more and more important as Microsoft and Sony (try to) adopt (some of) the same philosophies as Nintendo has done in the past.

Otherwise you seem pretty much on the money. Although I don't want to suggest that I could do better, some of what you say could be tightened and neatened.

For example, the "social" aspect of gaming can be explored and detailed further. On the one hand, some demographics seem to value gaming as a social experience in and of itself. Here, interaction between multiple players is key, which is why motion-controlled mini-games can be so successful.

On the other hand, those who value online gaming (and especially multiplayer) may value other aspects of the social experience. I think that a desire to play competitively and collaboratively lies here, something that can be seen in the success of and positive response to online leaderboards and Gamercards. Perhaps we could say that these gamers value less the interaction between multiple players, but the different experiences offered by social gaming? What say you, online multiplayers of GAF?

Edit: Regarding your inclusion of "timing", I certainly think that this is a factor in game sales. Although some people will be willing to buy a game regardless of the time of year, consumer spending definately increases around Christmas.

 

[Cdammen]

• Bullet
• Points

 

[pvpness]

In the states? Largely the same things that sell most things; Sex and violence.

 

[MikeE21286]

In the states? Largely the same things that sell most things; Sex and violence.

we must be excluding the Wii from this conversation then....?

 

[MvmntInGrn]

And "cinematic feel and presentation" is a disgusting trend.

Why? I don't think it needs to be in every game nor do I want it in every game but I can't see why anyone would be bothered by it.

 

[More Fun To Compute]

High level factors
* Cinematic feel and presentation

I wonder when I see something like that. Do films do well because of their cinematic feel and presentation? Were the ancient Greeks influenced by the ancient Greeks?

 

[gerg]

we must be excluding the Wii from this conversation then....?

We must be excluding puzzle games, racing games, platformers, strategy games, point-and-click, management sims, rhythm games and music games from this conversation...

Why? I don't think it needs to be in every game nor do I want it in every game but I can't see why anyone would be bothered by it.

It certainly eggs on the trend of improving graphics, which, due to its unsustainable nature, people may dislike for the effects it will have on the industry.

 

[Vinci]

What makes modern games sell? Is it the HD?

Yes. Unequivocally.

FWIW, I read the whole OP.

 

[KingFire]

People love to blow shit up. Something most of us can't do in real life.
This is why games like GTA and CoD4 are so popular.

 

[Leckan]

Bald space marines?

Yes that was bad I'm sorry.

 

[Amir0x]

modern games?
they are all almost the same as last gen games but just in HD with a few more phisics and enemies on the screen.
There hasn't been more anything ''revolutionary'' during this HD era of gaming as far as ''game'' is concerned that last gen did not already do

*e-punch in the face*

Here's a copy of Red Faction: Guerrilla. Just kidding, go buy yourself a copy you factually incorrect poster you.

 

[Asmodai]

• Bullet
• Points

This guy gets it.

Bald space marines?

Yes that was bad I'm sorry.

You should be.

The OP is going the wrong way about this. People buy modern games because they like them. Most people probably couldn't even explain why they like games very well.

Personally I buy "modern" games (does that refer to games that have come out in the last few centuries? :lol What a stupid term to use) the same reason I've always bought games: they let you do stuff that you can't do in real life, also without consequences.

It's like any other escapist entertainment, except its interactive.

 

[sprocket]

hype

 

[SolarPowered]

People these days are becoming more, and more succeptible to the marketing hype. I know many of my friends also succumb to peer pressure as well, and while it did help gems like COD4 it doesn't always boost the sales of the true quality titles(LKS, Red faction).

 

[Asmodai]

People these days are becoming more, and more succeptible to the marketing hype. I know many of my friends also succumb to peer pressure as well, and while it did help gems like COD4 it doesn't always boost the sales of the true quality titles(LKS, Red faction).

Word of mouth probably does more to sell any popular game than a marketing campaign. If people like it a lot, they'll tell their friends, and it goes viral. Hell, Halo 3 had that massive marketing blitz, COD4 had way less marketing, but within months COD4 was more popular on Xbox Live, because people really liked it and told each other about it.

Hell, look at novels like the Lord of the Rings series. They aren't advertised on TV or billboards or anything, but word of mouth alone sells millions of copies with them throughout the world.

Also, what is "LKS"? And you talking about Red Faction Guerilla? Because we have different ideas of what a quality is if thats the case.

 

[Vinci]

Yes. Unequivocally.

FWIW, I read the whole OP.

Also, I should add: The word 'Nintendo' somewhere on the box tends to help.

 

[MrPing1000]

Hype.

 

[Okin]

Why do people confuse HD and graphics?

Lots of people care about graphics.

Very few people care about resolution.

Motion, interaction, and art style (presentation) is another large factor for 'graphics' as the consumer sees it. Physics plays a huge roll in this, as does the ability of a console to handle lighting and shaders.

That, plus gameplay refinement, is what makes modern games sell.

 

[gerg]

*e-punch in the face*

Here's a copy of Red Faction: Guerrilla. Just kidding, go buy yourself a copy you factually incorrect poster you.

There are differences, but I think that to a lot of posters (and gamers, in general) these differences are becoming less and less significant as time goes on.

 

[truly101]

Commercials, hype, publicity, word of mouth, same as any generation before.

 

[-PXG-]

HD is probably the last factor actually.

.

This

HD gaming, so far at least, isn't selling as quickly as previous generations.

 

[SolarPowered]

Word of mouth probably does more to sell any popular game than a marketing campaign. If people like it a lot, they'll tell their friends, and it goes viral. Hell, Halo 3 had that massive marketing blitz, COD4 had way less marketing, but within months COD4 was more popular on Xbox Live, because people really liked it and told each other about it.

Hell, look at novels like the Lord of the Rings series. They aren't advertised on TV or billboards or anything, but word of mouth alone sells millions of copies with them throughout the world.

Also, what is "LKS"? And you talking about Red Faction Guerilla? Because we have different ideas of what a quality is if thats the case.

I was actually having a talk with some friends, about word of mouth vs marketing, and we got to talking about Halo. That game never would have moved as many units without microsoft. They would have made Halo underwear if they'd had the chance. I also say this as someone with over 10000 games throughout the series. I do kind of agree with you about the word of mouth, but gaming history is strewn with the corpses of greats like Okami.

LKS stands for Little King's story that was released on the Wii just a few days ago. The red faction comment is understandable seeing as this is gaf. Your opinion isn't any less/more valid than mine right?

 

[Vinci]

Why do people confuse HD and graphics?

Lots of people care about graphics.

Very few people care about resolution.

Then why do we often get dozen-page threads specifically about any big game that won't be a certain resolution?

 

[More Fun To Compute]

Here is the pragmatic guide to what makes a game sell by system.

Xbox 360: Does it have a picture of an angry man with a gun on the cover?
Wii: Does it have Mario or Link on the box?
PS3: Does it look like something I bought for the PS1 or PS2? I don't know, stop bothering me, I'm tired. Is it time to go to bed yet nurse?
PC: Can I pirate it? No? Suppose I might as well buy it. I am a millionaire after all.

 

[Monroeski]

You forgot:

*Entertainment Value
and
*Fun

There it is.

Then why do we often get dozen-page threads specifically about any big game that won't be a certain resolution?

Because GAF is not representative of the market at large.

 

[TheDarkKnight774]

Same criteria as last gen. And the gen before that. And the gen before that, etc

 

[Anso]

The title of this thread did NOT prepare me for the first post.

Also, on a serious note, for me it's niche-factor, how much people will hate it for being super Japanese and if it has sexual innuendos/turn-based combat systems/giant robots.

 

[Vinci]

Because GAF is not representative of the market at large.

That's true. It's still pretty sad.

 

[dallow_bg]

There it is.

Because GAF is not representative of the market at large.

So true.

 

[-viper-]

graphics

 

[Firestorm]

Marketing. What makes anything sell?

 

[Pocket]

The words Mario or Wii in the title of the game.

 

[Evlar]

Then why do we often get dozen-page threads specifically about any big game that won't be a certain resolution?

Because there is an atypical concentration of gamers who obsess over statistical measures of graphical prowess among regular GAF posters.

 

[Stoney Mason]

As usual it depends on the genre and in certain cases the game.

Some games are marketed well. Some games have a monopoly on a niche. Some games spread somewhat virally and through word of mouth, etc

If your looking for common traits among the popular games, the most noticeable trend in games in general is an increase in the action and faster pacing for most games this gen combined with sort of cinematic or film like storytelling (Action movies I'm talking about. Not arthouse films). That means action games have continued to crowd out some of the more niche genres of last gen.

This trend existed last gen but is even more present this gen. Also RPG lite features spreading across all games is now very popular.


As far as the Wii, you have a completely different dynamic at work.

 

[blu]

Violence.

are you american?

sex and violence.

 

[Bluth54]

Seeing as how the best selling games of this generation aren't in HD I would have to say it's not a factor.