Zynga and the Rise of the New Gamer

[junkmanuk]

You, sir, had the perfect response to our shared frustration. You introduced them to the better casual games that they would have noticed otherwise...

Thanks for that!

...Ok, sorry I'm reposting on this topic but re-reading the article this part *particularly* infuriated me.

Zynga is simply going after a demographic that's been largely ignored for the past three decades: People who aren't already gamers. This new surge doesn't mean that simple management games with adorable graphics are the wave of the future. It means that years of advertising hardcore games to hardcore gamers in hardcore gaming communities has made the hobby far more insular than it needs to be. The next move should be to see what other kinds of games these people might like to play.

It is SO wrong to suggest the 'non-gamer' demographic has been ignored. In 2000 the eyetoy was produced - with the premise of giving more accesibility to the 'casual gamer'. The introductory video even features a comical 'granny' highlighting the fact that anyone could join in.

Since then we have seen the arrival of the Wii, Eyepet, Buzz!, and soon we'll have Natal and the PS3 motion controller offering. The leader in 'casual gaming' so far (which has prompted responses from MS and sony) has been Nintendo, who surprised everyone by throwing an "underpowered" unit (essentially a repackaged gamecube) into the mix and developing a hugely successful player base around it.

You also can't cite investment as a limiting factor in the adoption of these new gaming methods either, people will always be able to "afford" something if they want it - that's an unfortunate factor of modern life - I know many people who live on the breadline who managed to purchase a 40" plasma TV and all the game consoles, is it right? Probably not, but it's certainly never been a valid reason for not 'getting into gaming'...

Sure, certain people will never understand why slicing zombies is fun, or why sniping someone from a hillside makes your day but stating this is all gaming is about shows a dramatic lack of breadth of knowledge about the industry! Right now everyone can find some enjoyment in winning a quiz, playing a great bowling frame or just simply revelling in the amusement of watching their mum dance around cleaning windows to George Formby!

Zynga's games are not a new outlook on gaming that they have just created, The gamer base you describe has been alive through the genuine innovation of game developers for a decade at least. All this company are doing is pumping a cheap gaming drug in a high availability channel - that's not something I can applaud in the slightest...

 

[John Funk]

That isn't to say we aren't interested in these things intellectually, in the same way we might be interested in new treatments for cancer or the progress of peace in Iraq. However, neither the cultural significance of their development and popularity nor the means by which they achieved them make Zynga a relevant or significant player in video games. In the same way, we could be interested in the explosion of Texas Hold'Em online Casino games and their impact socially or legally, and perhaps how they ruined someones life. Or perhaps the proliferation of video trivia at bars and wings restaurants. We might even be interested in the history of "hit the monkey" banner ads. However, no video gamer would really care about any of these things, because none of these things are what any discerning individual would call a video game.

How can you say that they're irrelevant to the industry when the Zynga VP is giving the keynote at GDC Canada, and the current at GDC Prime was basically "Whoa, look at Zynga?"

You don't feel they're relevant, and that's fine. Developers do.

 

[Susan Arendt]

Valve would be dominating if they pulled the same shit Zynga is. The creators of Steam, Counter Strike: Source and Team Fortress 2 and Left 4 Dead not to mention all their other games amazing games that still all have dedicated communities. If they had a little icon that said: Go vote for us! on those programs, Zynga wouldn't stand a chance.

They put it into the Steam launcher, does that count?

 

[jmoore4ska]

Valve would be dominating if they pulled the same shit Zynga is. The creators of Steam, Counter Strike: Source and Team Fortress 2 and Left 4 Dead not to mention all their other games amazing games that still all have dedicated communities. If they had a little icon that said: Go vote for us! on those programs, Zynga wouldn't stand a chance.

They put it into the Steam launcher, does that count?

Hm, are they offering items to their users [http://img22.imageshack.us/img22/242/facebookqd.png] for getting them a win?

Edit: the source of this image is admittedly not confirmed, as it isnt mine.

 

[Gmano]

I find that the Xbox notations LS (left Stick),RB (right bumper/button), and LT (left trigger) and the drawings that accompany them really easy to figure out, the same cannot be said for the PS3 though, i picked up my ps3 and saw something telling me to press r3 to zoom and i was lost until 20 mins later i figured out they meant stick, i understand r1, r2 enough, it can sometimes get confusing explaining to people which one is which, but 3 is the stick? not exactly intuitive...

 

[jmoore4ska]

How can you say that they're irrelevant to the industry when the Zynga VP is giving the keynote at GDC Canada, and the current at GDC Prime was basically "Whoa, look at Zynga?"

You don't feel they're relevant, and that's fine. Developers do.

Developers only feel they're relevant because Zynga made a ton of money from people who can't use Paint properly. Also, I can understand you editors trying to be neutral everywhere, but really, what do you honestly feel?

Anybody who makes money is relevent to anyone else who wants to make money. That doesn't mean that wanting to make money the way Zynga did is consistent with wanting to make good, engaging games. I hope the escapist staff, despite seeing that Zynga has made a lot of money, also sees that if that everyone copied their business model, we'd have to say goodbye to the style of gaming about which we joined this site to express our shared interest, obsession, or maybe even love.

 

[Jamash]

It isn't even just "casual flash games" this phenomenon can be observed on.

For instance, in germany a game called "Landwirtschaftssimulator 2009" sold 120.000+ copies in its first month and was up there with World of Warcraft, Sims 3 and Modern Warfare 2 and noone can really explain how, I guess it requires a gaming PC and would seem to be amongst the most "hardcore" kind of genres it could be by simulating agriculture...

That looks awesome! [small](for a farming game)[/small].

I love the way it allows you to be a reckless farmer and do things a real farmer would never do, like overtake a car on a bend while towing 2 huge trailers. "Move it or die civilian, I have to get these crops to market!

I'd seriously consider buying that if I saw it on a Steam sale, for about a fiver. I'd just want to see how much chaos I could sow by ripping it around in my tractor, even if just fake chaos in my own head for an hour (I hope there's a muck spreader attachment for your tractor).
It may be farming, but as a game it still looks pretty good and seems like fun.

I still dislike Farmville though, it doesn't give you the freedom to leave your farm or subvert conventions, I bet you can't even directly control your tractor.

 

[Ziadaine_v1legacy]

I think it was a good article.
However I don't like Zynga for a few reasons, the two most common is recruitment via facebook which obviously has a larger fanbase then The Esacpist along with the aid of 4Chan, is just ruining the point of MM. WHICH the reason being is because of all the hatred spam being caused not just by Zynga fans but us also. Itsa like Flamebait vs Flamebait.

The 2nd point I don't like them was their money scam incident a few months/years back where the tried to make you pay to play such things like Farmville.

 

[Dogstile]

But how can you defend them against real gaming devs, with real gamers voting for them?

That slightly bothers me, because you can't define a real gamer. You can define a hardcore gamer, but just a gamer in general? Hell naw

Uh, yes. Someone who plays video games.
Zynga's "games" are in fact, applications, a blatant rip off of another at that.

A "casual" gamer would play video games casualy, or stick to wii titles, the sims, what have you. But that still makes them a gamer, they play video games.

Playing Mafia Wars does not make you a gamer. At all.

Really? Does that mean people who use the Iphone to play their phonegames not gamers? Even though alot of them clearly put in time and effort?

 

[klaynexas3]

though i hate zynga and most social games with a passion, still, it does let those who aren't into gaming have a chance to see a bit of it. i wish it could be in a different way though, like flash games that are somewhat good, like thing thing, or exmortis. what developers need to do is release a browser based 2D version of the game onto social network sites and have it be like the social games, with more average stuff, so if any of these casual gamers try any real games, they aren't disappointed because it wasn't like the social games they played on facebook or myspace. there needs to be an entire column or area on this forum for casual gaming, to try to bring these people in who aren't trolls or flamers. also, considering that the escapist probably just brought zynga in the contest for more traffic, a column would bring in some more traffic, and most of the people would stay, and those that did stay, would most likely not be trolls.

 

[CardiacHero]

Listen, a causal flash game that resides in a social network in a browser is not the same a a game that companies like Valve and BioWare make. Not only that but Zynga does a shoddy job of maintaining that thing that they call a game.
Zynga isn't a game developer and a poor developer of facebook apps.

This, my exact thoughts

 

[DonnaMafia]

I have never played PC games. no console no anything. The very first game that i ever played was Farmville. The reason why I never played it's exactly what you have mentioned in your article. For me starting to play these kind of games is too complicated. Too complicated for a person that never played pc game before. Too much effort. If I ever wanted to put that kind of effort on anything it wouldn't have been pc gaming. It's exactly the same reason for all my 50 friends that started to play FV. I must say many of them stopped after 2 months Because these people simply don't live for pc game, flash game or whatever you call it.

 

[AgentChunk]

I think it's a common idiotic misconception that if more people start playing video games we will become Gods. No that won't happen at all and I really don't think much good can come out of more people playing video games. We will still be considered weird people. But this time it will be worse because the hobby we've cherished for years will shun us. If you don't think it will happen you need not look further than the Wii.

 

[jmoore4ska]

I have never played PC games. no console no anything. The very first game that i ever played was Farmville. The reason why I never played it's exactly what you have mentioned in your article. For me starting to play these kind of games is too complicated. Too complicated for a person that never played pc game before. Too much effort. If I ever wanted to put that kind of effort on anything it wouldn't have been pc gaming. It's exactly the same reason for all my 50 friends that started to play FV. I must say many of them stopped after 2 months Because these people simply don't live for pc game, flash game or whatever you call it.

First of all, welcome to the Escapist!

Second, you illustrate the point of many of the frustrations with the gamers at the Escapist. Though we are sad that you don't share our interest, it's completely understandable. It isn't for everyone. Yet even you recognize that Farmville and regular PC games are in a completely different class from each other. They are definitely not aimed at the same target audience.

Farmville, despite all out other problems with it, simply caters to those who never intend to play a "hardcore" title, so when the developer Zynga is compared in our contest to developers that makes a completely different style of "game," it can be incredibly vexing.

While we consider March Mayhem to be a gaming competition, fans of Zynga, like yourself, profess outright to be non-gamers. That is the problem many people have. If players of Zynga games say they purposefully avoid the hardcore PC games in favor of Zynga, then Zynga should not be compared to the hardcore game developers.

 

[Anne Hulme]

And I quote: "If Farmville isn't that fun, why are so many people playing it?".

Because it requires zilch IQ, no skill, and time, something which these brainless idiots have lots of.

Think that its each to their own. Why is someone a "brainless idiot" with no "IQ, skill and plenty of time" just because they like farmville. I've played on various genres of game and yes i like farmville, but hey at least ive got variety in my life which is more than can be said for someone who brands people brainless idiots.

 

[Snowden's Secret]

VG Cats, anyone? (Yes, it's relevant-ish)
http://www.vgcats.com/comics/?strip_id=282

 

[JEBWrench]

Yet another excellent article, Shamus. Sorry that so few people actually get the point you're trying to make.

I guess people still don't realize that, like them or not, Zynga makes the most popular games in the world. Games portrayed electronically in a audio/video fashion. With a clearly defined reward and advancement structure. Some sort of audio/video game.

They need a term for that.

 

[Susan Arendt]

Valve would be dominating if they pulled the same shit Zynga is. The creators of Steam, Counter Strike: Source and Team Fortress 2 and Left 4 Dead not to mention all their other games amazing games that still all have dedicated communities. If they had a little icon that said: Go vote for us! on those programs, Zynga wouldn't stand a chance.

They put it into the Steam launcher, does that count?

Hm, are they offering items to their users [http://img22.imageshack.us/img22/242/facebookqd.png] for getting them a win?

Edit: the source of this image is admittedly not confirmed, as it isnt mine.

It's fake. Zynga is not offering items in exchange for votes. We checked. And then we checked again.

Offering items for votes is strictly against the rules. If Zynga did that, they would immediately be disqualified. It's pretty clear that they want to win, so they're not going to be so stupid as to break the one rule the developers are given regarding appealing to their audiences.

 

[Mcface]

But how can you defend them against real gaming devs, with real gamers voting for them?

That slightly bothers me, because you can't define a real gamer. You can define a hardcore gamer, but just a gamer in general? Hell naw

Uh, yes. Someone who plays video games.
Zynga's "games" are in fact, applications, a blatant rip off of another at that.

A "casual" gamer would play video games casualy, or stick to wii titles, the sims, what have you. But that still makes them a gamer, they play video games.

Playing Mafia Wars does not make you a gamer. At all.

Really? Does that mean people who use the Iphone to play their phonegames not gamers? Even though alot of them clearly put in time and effort?

If someone sat around and played nothing but Iphone? No I wouldn't consider them to be a gamer. Are there browser based games? Yes. Are there cellphone games? yes.

Zynga is a spreadsheet with some Microsoft paint colors. It is in no way a video game.