Downloadable games and game content have been a core part of PC gaming for decades now, but have only recently come to console gaming platforms in large numbers. The advent of online markets for the 360 and PS3, the Xbox Live Arcade and the PlayStation Network respectively, marked a new era for console gaming where non-PC platforms would be able to download games from both the indie developers and larger companies.
The Nintendo Wii as a whole is known for its casual gaming appeal, and has dominated the gaming sales market with such titles and peripherals. The Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3 have broadened their online markets since their launch dates, the former now having over three hundred Arcade titles, to tap into a somewhat different demographic in addition to the regular full-priced retail games.
The Xbox Live Arcade (XBLA) and the PlayStation Network (PSN) are no longer their respective companies’ main push into the casual gaming demographic. And, the upcoming release of both Playstation’s Move and Xbox 360’s Kinect will shift both companies’ focuses further towards the casual gaming market.
But the advantages of the XBLA and PSN are found in the lower pricing of downloadable titles and the variety of game types found online. These games have lowered prices which are, on average, marked between five to fifteen dollars as opposed to the market price of a full retail game up at sixty dollars for this generation of game consoles.
The XBLA hosts an annual summer package sale, called the “Summer of Arcade”, where a large discount is offered when a consumer purchases the listed five big titles released during the summer. Such deals are only the beginning of the appeal for gamers interested in the downloadable games market.
Downloadable games give game developers and indie studios chances to not only create smaller games to sell, but also to bring back older games from previous generations.
Retro and retro style games appeal to both the more ‘hardcore’ and ‘casual/non-gamer’ demographics. Old games from early console generations have been remade and up for sale once more, and newly developed games are often built with a more retro look and feel as a throwback to old classics as well as appeal to older gamers’ nostalgia and play style.
Some retro styled games that use vintage games as inspiration include “Castle Crashers”, a 2-Dimensional side-scrolling ‘beat-em-up’ title the vein of classics such as the old “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” and “Golden Axe” series, and “Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: The Game”, which draws heavily from the “Streets of Rage” series and has many in-game references or jokes to other classic games most notable the “Mario” and “Kirby” games.
Eric San, a senior in biological sciences, finds the downloadable games with throwbacks to classic games to be more appealing than the typical modern hardcore titles.
“For me, I just never really played much video games,” san said, “with the exception of games like ‘Super Puzzle Fighter II Turbo’ and mastering ‘Super Mario World’.”
“Games today like Halo just have too much going on for me to enjoy,” San continued. “However, I will more often play downloadable Xbox 360 games because they are often based on video games from the 90s when I was a child growing up.”
“Something like that Scott Pilgrim game uses 2 or 3 simple buttons, which makes games much simpler to play and easy to pick up,” San said. “I guess that’s why I enjoy those more.”
While many downloadable titles are casual-oriented 2-D puzzle or tower defense games, such as “Peggle” or “Plants Versus Zombies,” some titles are made with the ‘hardcore’ demographic in mind. This is not unusual as older games are often notoriously more difficult than many modern games.
A downloadable title called “Shadow Complex” boasted of sharp graphics that challenged many retail titles, and the game play was heavily reminiscent of the “Metroid” series.
Whether a title is hardcore or casual, however, much of the appeal of downloadable titles also lies in the group-oriented titles revolving around the multiplayer component.
Jennifer Jung, a sophomore in paper science engineering, enjoys the more casual atmosphere and especially appreciates the games with a multiplayer focus.
“I enjoy a good story and good-looking animations [cut scenes] in a game, which is why I enjoy the Final Fantasy series,” Jung said.
“I don’t really have fun playing games like ‘Halo’ or ‘Call of Duty’ because I just get killed a lot,” Jung said, pointing out the difficulty for more casual gamers to delve into the deep waters of hardcore gaming.
“Games like ‘Castle Crashers’ are more fun for me because it’s colorful and easier to navigate, and I don’t feel as bored,” Jung said. “I am very interested in playing more [downloadable] games like that because it is a fun way to spend time with your friends and de-stress yourself from school.”
