List of "Features" that actually will sell a game to you

aozgolo

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Mar 15, 2011
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The following game features:

100+ hours of gameplay
Dynamic interactive environments
HD 1080p VR-supported 3D Enabled Graphics
Dolby 7.1 Surround Sound Audio
Branching Non-linear Storylines
Huge 30 Square Mile Map
Infinite Character Customization (no really...)
10 Weapon types with 200+ different... you know what I just got bored.

So I was just thinking about this, you often see games reduced down to numbers as a simple marketing strategy, and I'm not one to criticize this practice outright because I've probably bought tons of games sold to me on the list of features it had that I actually really ended up enjoying quite a bit. After all it's probably the most effective way to attempt to market a game just off the back of the box.

Now obviously I wouldn't expect a List of Features alone to sell most games, but a lot of times it can be the tipping point in deciding. If you go into a game store (sadly becoming an obsolete trend) with enough money for 1 game, you want the one that gives you the most bang for your buck, what's it gonna be?

So I wanted to ask the community, what Features really grab your eye when you look at the back of that box? What are the guilty pleasures that will at least make your wallet go "This one is a contender"?
 

Jmp_man

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Apr 24, 2011
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Level Editor/Sharing. Got to love what the community can come up with sometimes.
 

Bob_McMillan

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Archery. Few games have scratched that particular itch since Far Cry 3.

Other than, nothing. I like to buy games based on whether they were an improvement over previous games in the series.
 

Worgen

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Whatever, just wash your hands.
I can think of more things that will cause me to not get a game rather than ones that make me want to get a game. Mostly uplay or origin.
 

chadachada123

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Jan 17, 2011
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Destruction physics. For how very awesome they are, it's depressing that so few games with explosions make use of destruction. One of the biggest reasons I prefer Bad Company 2 to Battlefield 3 is the ability to blow holes in basically everything in order to get a better vantage point or to smoke out the enemy.

Customization, particularly where street racing games are concerned. Primary reason I can't play Most Wanted (Remake) or Hot Pursuit (Remake): Zero worthwhile customization whatsoever.

"Action Commands", though I have never seen an RPG advertised that way. You know, shit like Paper Mario and South Park: Stick of Truth have.

Dual-Audio is a massive plus, and "not localized by NISA or Treehouse or 8-4" is another.
 

Nazulu

They will not take our Fluids
Jun 5, 2008
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I know this will be hard to believe, but I don't have any guilty pleasures or can be sold on just some features. I know exactly why I like what I like.

However, if the game seems clever in one way or another, I'll look into it more. Whether it has a unique style, stand-out designs, the game play looks very fluent, the writing seems interesting or fun, etc. You get the idea.
 

Spider RedNight

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Oct 8, 2011
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I'm a sucker for voice actors I like so I will probably get a game no matter how shitty it is if it has voice actors I like in it.

Other than that, single player, single player, single player. No forced online bull crap, no heavy emphasis on multiplayer. Gimme a big world all for myself so I can brood alone and hoard my treasures. Also, surprisingly, I'm a fan of parkour like... I wouldn't have enjoyed Prototype or Assassin's Creed nearly as much if it didn't feel so fluid to climb around everywhere.

Also, anything with horror because I'm desperate for my adrenaline horror fix and I'll do anything short of killing family members (hah) to play a good horror game.
 

Arnoxthe1

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Dec 25, 2010
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In order of weight these carry for me:

Modding Support (HUGE one for me, but customization is very close behind, snapping at its heels.)

Customization (And I DON'T mean appearance customization at all. I mean game customization, i.e. Halo 3's Custom Games or Unreal Tournament with mutators. Basically it boils down to, how many ways can I play this game differently.)

3D World (As in, not 2 or 2.5D. First or third person doesn't matter. I'm reallllyyy not a fan of 2D games outside of the mobile space with rare exceptions.)
 

Joccaren

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Mar 29, 2011
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Modding Tools: I will mod the shit out of it and make it great, even if the game sucks.

Robust Single Player: I don't much care about campaigns, though sometimes they can be good, but whatever multiplayer allows you to do, I should be able to do too, offline, with bots. If I can't... Fix your damn game.

Otherwise... Not much. As an alternative to robust single player I would play a multiplayer-only title, but only if it was fucking phenomenal and had a lot of depth to the game, and a lot of freedom in how to play. Things like Minecraft, Warcraft III with its custom maps, Starcraft II for the same reasons, space engineers - things that provide a lot of freedom in exactly what game you're playing and how to play it. Things where creativity is rewarded, like back in BF3 where we'd come up with a ton of strategies that would, I guess abuse bits of equipment for our own game. Run into underground bunkers and place spawning beacons so you could stealth spawn behind enemy lines, rather than parachuting down from above. Using C4 on friendly tanks to help them dodge shots or repel attackers, or to throw them from one end of the map to another, and a secondary detonation to land them safely. And then they patched that and it become boring.

Honestly, the more creativity based the game is, the more likely I am to play it. I prefer mental exercises to reflex ones, so the more advantage thought will give to me playing the game, the more likely I am to play it.
 

aozgolo

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I think personally there's always a few things that grab my attention, they aren't insta-buy features by any means but they definitely help me decide:

-Game Length: I like getting the most bang for my buck, even with the rise of online storefronts I use sites like howlongtobeat.com to figure out how many hours I can expect out of a game. If a RPG boasts 100+ hours, it's very tempting for me.

-Sandbox Features: Basically anything that lets you build something or interact with the world in fun ways. I love games that let you make the playspace your own and really toy around with it.

-Turn-based/Tactical Battle Systems: I don't mind realtime or action but for me the fun of a strategy or RPG game is in mastering my battle strategies and I like it to feel more like Chess where you have to come up with the best moves to outmaneuver your opponent, not sports where you have to be quick and precise.

-Large Game World/Open World: I enjoy freedom, and narrow cramped corridors really aren't fun for me in most games, I like to feel like there's secrets to discover off the beaten path, alternate routes to places, and like I can really forge my own route to an objective without being railroaded there. This doesn't have to be open world, but each area should feel large and spacious with more than just a single route to get to the end.

-Large variety of items: Only going through maybe 2 - 4 upgrades throughout a game is a little dull, I prefer lots of options and to really sink my teeth into the inventory and figuring out what items are best for any given situation and what upgrades best compliment my character and playstyle.

-Enemy variety: 'nuff said.
 

MythicMatt

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Feb 4, 2015
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It's gotta be able to stand on single player, but if it has multiplayer, it's gotta let me play with/against friends on the rare occasion they're over.

If I feel like digging around in the game files a bit, while not expected of everything ever, at least most of the PC games I play should let me do alterations and modding.

And, all games should be actually interesting. I enjoyed Halo 1 through 4 because they were interesting. H5 failed on so many levels it's unbelievable.

Finally, if by some chance I'm interested enough in a free MMO, leave some solo play features in. Warframe does it right. Spiral Knights sorta had me interested until it became a grind to get new equipment so I can continue doing missions.
 

Imperioratorex Caprae

Henchgoat Emperor
May 15, 2010
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Pretty simple: Honesty. Don't sell me on your game being the next best thing, or innovative, or ground-breaking. Don't give me rigamarole, buzzwords or any meaningless term. Tell me if your game is short, tell me why in your own words, not the fucking industry buzzwords, why I should buy your game. Why its worth the price you sell it at. Tell me what YOU, Mr. Publisher and developer, love about your game. And have your fucking marketing department put the time in necessary to complete it so they too can honestly state why the game is worth the asking price. If you think your game isn't a 10/10, tell us its not. Tell us its only a 6/10, or a solid 7. Tell us you didn't get to finish some of the features you originally intended but cut them to focus on the ones you could get to fit without breaking the game.
BE HONEST and I'll probably buy it. So long as its a game I'm actually interested in. I swear if publishers could be honest about their products, there'd be a lot better customer goodwill, even if the game isn't perfect.
 

Ryallen

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Feb 25, 2014
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None of these things. A list will do absolutely nothing for me. So many things can be listed and not mean a damn thing to me. The only time when advertisement alone had sold me on a game was Xenoblade Chronicles X. They didn't tell us jack shit. They SHOWED us everything that the game had to offer. And it worked. On me, at least. I decided, when they were releasing those monthly videos showcasing the features in the game, that even if the game was shit I was gonna get it, if only because everything that the game had demonstrated seemed like so much fun that the only way they could mess it up is if they didn't include it from what I saw.

What I'm trying to say is that I've reached the point in my life where I take things at face value and consider them as just that: face value. I don't give it any more thought and not only accept it as something that someone told me, but I only claim it as such. I never say that something is something, I only say that I have been lead to believe something, as I have been wrong so many times in my life that no one's word of mouth can be trusted. Which is ironic, because I still read reviews for games that I'm interested in to push my purchase decision one way or another.
 

Elijin

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Coop!
If I can play with my friends the game gets a lot more slack. Alone everything has to be better quality to retain engagement. But with friends so long as the coop is fun I'm way more forgiving to flaws.
 

M0rp43vs

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Jul 4, 2008
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Customisation, both player character avatar, playstyle and levelling and any other neat stuff that adds to the game like vehicles, combos, magic the like. GOOD MUSIC, especially used cleverly in game so it is better than just loading up a youtube playlist, like leitmotifs or gameplay variable music or synchronisation. Actually good 4-player Coop, nice to break out when you have guests over. For some reason, being a rogue-like is good way to get me to buy your game.
 

Mister K

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Apr 25, 2011
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slo said:
Cyberpunk - if it's actual cyberpunk. Not just a game about some girl called "Faith", "Hope", "Love", "AndTeddyBears" fighting some Evil Corporation to discover her inner somethings and her true love which is her sister.
Just out of curiosity, is it a specific game you are refering to? Because I have NEVER seen or heard cyberpunk description like this.

OT: Jeez, I don't really know. Wait, now that I think about it:

- Single-player focused. Yes, multiplayer games are fun, but I'd rather not rely on other people to help me be engaged with a game.

- Ability to have a non-lethal playthrough. If I can, I'd rather not kill people, but rather convince them, or scare them away. No, Fallout 4, letting your companions do all the dirty work for you is NOT a pacifist playthrough.

- Flexible, maybe clasless, character creation. I always liked making mixed characters.

- Good story and characters. The definition of good story and characters may be different for people, but at its core, I'd like to feel that I want to see this story to the end and I actually care about characters.

- Turn-based combat in party-based games and in RPG's in general.