Arcade Berg aka. "Learning Game Design with Arcade Berg"

Identifiable games

Is "identifiable" even a word, I think it is.

I was just looking out my window in the bedroom, stretching my back and muttering about all that is bad. While muttering and being overall bitter, I accidently (or whatever) looked in through the window to the people living in another building, where I saw Guitar Hero being played on the television.

What struck me then was the advantage of having a game being easily recognized instantaneously. By having, I mean as a developer.

I might be shooting myself in the foot right now, as they might just as well have been playing Rock Band, since I don't know how to seperate the two. This in itself creating a contradiction within my text. But let's overlook that silly little fact.

My point is that I, from afar, at once saw that it was Guitar Hero being played. I think this helps sell copies of the game. Advertising like crazy is of course a must, but for people like me (the kind that looks in other peoples windows) to actually see games being played is a seller as well.

If you expose generic shooter no. 37 to a gamer, he's just going to think, "Oh, it's one of them shootin' games. Maybe I'll go get a burger.".

But if you manage to create a game easily recognized, like Guitar Hero, Madworld or Patapon I think it sticks to some area right in between the eyes and the brain of the gamer. "Oh, it's Patapon! If he's playing it, maybe it's worth buying.".

Some kind of free advertisement or something.

Guitar Hero! ... or Rock Band