The genre or type of a computer game is very important as it necessary to categorise computer games. This is because today’s computer games have to make sense and appeal to a specified market in order to be successful in the gaming marketing industry.
Genre is defined as the French word for type. (Oxland, 2004) Like everything in life, computer games are also categorised in different types. Sometimes there are overlaps of genres such as a game is both action and adventure, and these are usually called sub-genres. (Oxland, 2004) Another example of a sub genre is a racing game which is not a core genre in itself, rather a sub-genre of sports.
“A singular core genre is a collective type of game from all games that exists in the marketplace, that have the same narrow definition of its contents.� (Oxland, 2004) This means that at the basis of each game is a genre that has itss own components and can usually be described using one word.
Examples of core genres are: Sports, Adventure, Simluation, Strategy, Puzzle, Role-play, Management and Uncategorised which is left open to future genre discoveries. (Oxland, 2004)
A brief description of some of the genres is as follows: Sports games are characterised by competition, performance challenges and quick reflexes. The challenge in any sports games is to win, by performance and skill. Adventure games involve puzzle solving challenges, a multi-threaded plot, a central protagonist and an interactive story. (Oxland, 2004)
The components of an action game include: action, little thought process required, pick up and play, no steep learning curve and quick reflex movements. It also comprises of racing, fighting, flying and arcade games. Simulations on the other hand use real physics, real vehicles and a steep learning curve. These include aircraft and steam train simulations. (Oxland, 2004)
Finally, puzzle games, management games and uncategorized games are designed to challenge the player. A puzzle game will always have a solution, management games contain a strategy such as constructing a city such as in 'Sim City', and uncategorized games include the likes of 'Tetris' as they do not fit into any of the above genres.
Another approach is taken in the book 'Videogames', by James Newman where games are categorised into four distinct forms: Agon where competition is dominant, Alea where chance and randomness are prominent, Illinx in which pleasure is derived from movement and Mimicry in which games are orienated around simulation. (Newman, 2004)
A genre can also be defined by looking at a number of elements of a computer game. While examining a game’s graphical theme, aesthetics and structure may at first glance appear to be the way to define the genre, it is actually the game mechanics that determine what genre a computer game really is. (Oxland, 2004) This is because the mechanics define the types of challenges in the game and determine how the player interacts and controls the challenge.
Defining genres can be a quite difficult task as many people have different opinions on the meaning of a genre or various ways of stereotyping them. Without a doubt, games clearly fall into many categories. However, knowing what type of genre a computer game is, particularly for a game maker, will increase sales of the the product to a wider market. (Oxland, 2004) Moreover, game makers must be careful not to copy other genres and learn what works and what doesn’t work in any particular genre from past games.
Jodie Gummow 13:26, 25 Oct 2004 (EST)
Bibliography:
Go to my Annotated Bibliography for a complete list of references
