In Defence of ''Gimmicks'' in Games

[SagaP]

I've seen a lot opinions about the push for ''gimmicks'' and ''casual pandering'' in games. i know every one have their opinion i just wanna to express mine analyze the situation and have a civilized discussion.

Let me start by saying that i Know there are actual gimmicks in games, poorly implemented ideas and control schemes that take a toll on the experience.

With that said i enjoy when a game does something out of the ordinary something new, different, to keep me engaged o when the hardware itself facilitates other gameplay possibilities.

Some Examples of this are:

Arcades with it's ability to control hardware and software to create unique experiences.
Motion Controllers like the Wii.
The DS with it's dual screens.
The Steam Controller, even thought i haven't tried it i does seems interesting.
And Currently the launch of the Switch and the many possibilities it brings to the table.

I know that some of these kind of platforms tend to get a lot of bloatware mainly mobile and Nintendo, companies use the easy of use and the novelty of things like motion controls and touchscreen to sell poor quality content, and i think it is a problem that has more to do with poor quality checks and people buying into this things in the first place than the hardware itself, an none of this have to detract companies from trying new ideas.

I also know there are a lot of people that doesn't care about this stuff and just want a device capable of ruining games with a control scheme their are accustomed with, and i get that, it's just there are a lot places already were you can find these mainstream experiences, two out of the tree mayor gaming companies focus on these, and even Nintendo products, famous for being gimmicky, you can still find games that stick to traditional control scheme, even on the Wii, where developers constantly force motion controls, there were titles that didn't use unnecessary inputs, or at the very least provide alternatives, something that have been improved on the Switch.

I feel that a lot of this rejection towards new concepts come from the fear that core experiences are being undermined, but i just feel that that is not the case seeing the amount of traditional games there are now in the market and the ones that are coming out.

I known there is a lot of innovation that can be done just with traditional hardware, i just want to see what can be done to push the boundaries in gaming, and thinking of a future where the three mayor companies in gaming are just making the same product, it just makes me sad.

 

[TotalInsanity4]

The Steam controller is not nearly as good as you seem to think it is, but otherwise I agree with everything else

 

[Reploid]

Problem with gimmicks is that it's useless most of the time and getting abandoned quickly. Like sixaxis motion on PS3. It was barely used in early titles, and comletely forgotten in a coupe of years. Like in Army of Two 1 you could reload with it, but in 2 and 3 its just unused.

It can attract some casual customers at first, that can bite this primitive bait, but in a long run it only keeps manufacturing costs a bit higher than it needs to be.

 

[TotalInsanity4]

Problem with gimmicks is that it's useless most of the time and getting abandoned quickly. Like sixaxis motion on PS3. It was barely used in early titles, and comletely forgotten in a coupe of years. Like in Army of Two 1 you could reload with it, but in 2 and 3 its just unused.

It can attract some casual customers at first, that can bite this primitive bait, but in a long run it only keeps manufacturing costs a bit higher than it needs to be.

And yet on the Switch it's commonly used for aiming and it works great

Just because someone executes it poorly doesn't necessarily mean that the gimmick is a bad concept

 

[x65943]

I like novel control schemes when they are executed well. Like Warioware smooth moves or LoZ:SS - but too often they are shoehorned into games they have no business being in -Twilight princess comes to mind.

Ninty usually does a good job at utilizing their own unique controls, but 3rd parties don't have much incentive to learn how to work with them for one or two games.

Now in an arcade where the controls are built for the game itself - a custom/quirky layout is usually a big plus.

Over all though I would say the weird junk ninty adds to consoles - motion controls, touch screen, ir - they lose their charm pretty quickly and don't affect most games significantly. It's just a marketing ploy.

 

[Sakitoshi]

And yet on the Switch it's commonly used for aiming and it works great

Just because someone executes it poorly doesn't necessarily mean that the gimmick is a bad concept

you can't really compare the switch (or wii motion plus) with the ps3 sixaxis.
the ps3 sixaxis is just an accelerometer (and a 2 axis one, not 3 axis like the wiimote) while the switch and wmp have a gyro on top of the accelerometer, the precision of the gyro is much better and can be used in any angle while an accelerometer is limited.

but the biggest pitfall was still the lack of interest, uncharted used it to aim grenades and worked great for that but it was clunky to use in gta iv.

 

[Taleweaver]

Erm...'gimmick' is a label people stick on experiences they don't like. It's always a risk when doing things: of you follow a standard, it won't get noticed, but if you do things different there will always be people calling it a gimmick.

Seeing how this is mostly about hardware, I'll go with that: it's great. Yes, I've just ridiculed a"gaming smartphone" for having a one hands joystick. But at least they're trying.

Right now, my favorite gaming machine is rather strange: my nvidia tablet. While traditional game are still complaining how mobile games aren't games, I started realising that buttons are only really need for reflex based games. For tactical games, having a touchscreen is plain better (developers just needed to learn how to work out the quirks).

As much as i hate it, the steam controller simply isn't gaining the traction it needs. I'm sure that those trackballs could have good use, but as a traditional gamepad, it's under the standard.

 

[SagaP]

Over all though I would say the weird junk ninty adds to consoles - motion controls, touch screen, ir - they lose their charm pretty quickly and don't affect most games significantly. It's just a marketing ploy.

I mean everything is designed to lure you into buying and that's not generally a bad thing, for example 4K is marketing device that doesn't really change games in a meaningful way, but it's not a bad thing is nice and looks cool and i would like to try a game in 8k or more some time when i have the chance.

Problem with gimmicks is that it's useless most of the time and getting abandoned quickly. Like sixaxis motion on PS3. It was barely used in early titles, and comletely forgotten in a coupe of years. Like in Army of Two 1 you could reload with it, but in 2 and 3 its just unused.

It can attract some casual customers at first, that can bite this primitive bait, but in a long run it only keeps manufacturing costs a bit higher than it needs to be.

Not all get abandoned, Motion games are still being made, touch screens have becomes standard in portable gaming, Hight fidelity graphics also rise development cost and are being use to attract customers as well.

I also relive choice is important, every one have the right to play the way they want, an nobody want to being force to play in a way that just doesn't make sense or it's just there for the sake of it. but sales always decides what stays and what get abandoned.

Remember that thing like Internet connection, dual sticks, wireless controls were once considered just something novel, sometimes ideas thrive and sometimes fail, and some times they come back just like VR and 3D had done multiple times, It's always worth trying new things even if they flop, if not, the media just becomes stale.

 

[Deleted User]

Erm...'gimmick' is a label people stick on experiences they don't like. It's always a risk when doing things: of you follow a standard, it won't get noticed, but if you do things different there will always be people calling it a gimmick.

People seem to forget that a lot of things on gaming were considered gimmicks at one point. The entire medium itself was, at one point, considered a failing gimmick, and it took the NES to get the industry out of that rut.

Ideas fail, but that's normal; not all of them can be winners. But without any new ideas at all, games would stagnate, and people would start complaining about that.

Right now, my favorite gaming machine is rather strange: my nvidia tablet. While traditional game are still complaining how mobile games aren't games, I started realising that buttons are only really need for reflex based games. For tactical games, having a touchscreen is plain better (developers just needed to learn how to work out the quirks).

While I honestly believe that a capable controller or keyboard beats a touch screen any day of the week, I'm actually able to play a number of GBA Games on my phone fairly comfortably (mostly turn-based RPGs), and even adapted my portrait orientation setup to play these games one-handed, which is handy if I'm on the train and I've got a coffee in the other hand.

And besides, it seems like a lot of mobile strategy games like Fire Emblem Heroes seem to have taken advantage of this, and made their controls more intuitive for playing on phones.

 

[HaloEliteLegend]

If no one tried anything new, we'd still be stuck with one D-pad and two buttons on all of our controllers. To innovate and push the envelope, you need to take risks. Sure, many ideas will fall by the wayside, like the Kinect, but many might stick and become staples, like joysticks and triggers. Let's look at VR -- do you consider it a gimmick or a budding hardware category that'll be popular in the future? Sure, it still hasn't fully caught on, so maybe it'll be remembered as a gimmick like the 3D TV and peter off. Or maybe it's time will come sometime in the future and it'll be remembered as an innovative new technology that pushed the medium forward, or at least created a new, viable category of gaming. So bring on the innovation. If someone thinks something is a meaningful addition to a game or the medium at large, let it take its shot.