Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
The goal is to slingshot different types of birds at pigs hiding in crude struc-
tures they have built to keep the birds out. The birds are angry because the pigs
stole their eggs. This is a casual game because the gameplay is lighthearted and
can be enjoyed in short chunks of time.
hardcore and Core Games
Hardcore games tend to be extremely large and complex and can take months, if
not years, to play through. Hardcore games are often dark, violent, multifaceted,
and made up of elaborate storylines and intricate characters with a wide array of
talents/skills.
Examples of hardcore games are
Halo
(developed by Bungie Game and pub-
lished by Microsoft Game Studios) and
Gears of War
(developed by Epic Games
and published by Microsoft Game Studios)
.
Like hardcore games, core games immerse gamers for hours at a time. Core
games are less dark and intense. The violence in core games tends to be more
cartoon-based than in hardcore games.
Both hardcore and core games are favored by gamers who like to compete not
only with the elements of the game but also with each other. These types of games
can garner fans who create intricate websites devoted to their character or charac-
ters, guilds, in-game achievements, stats, and so on. These fan sites are filled with
tips on how to master the game, screenshots showing in-game accomplishments,
and blogs.
Figure 2.8 shows avid gamers queuing up to try
Cataclysm,
the 2011 release
of the game
World of Warcraft,
from Blizzard Entertainment.
World of Warcraft
(WoW)
is considered by many to be a core game; but because it has such a huge
following, and gamers have admitted to playing for hours, sometimes days, at a
time, some critics think it belongs in the hardcore category. However, even with its
massive number of fans, as evidenced by this image, WoW lacks the dark, violent
elements that are the benchmark for hardcore games.
WoW boasts fantasy characters such as dragons, orcs, and trolls, but it also
has time travel and modern components like motorcycles and cars.
World of
Warcraft
is the reigning champ of subscribed-to multiplayer online games.
According to Satoru
Iwata, CEO of
nintendo, the Wii U
(successor to the Wii)
was designed for the
core (also known as
midcore) gamer.
Because there are
so many players,
World of Warcraft is
grouped into realms
(individual servers)
that can hold up to
20,000 gamers.
multiplayer Games
Massively multiplayer online games (MMOG) and massively multiplayer online
role-playing games (MMORPG) have grown substantially in popularity as more
and more people have gained high-speed access to the Internet.
