thoughts about a typical gamer's computer set up

[Magician]

I hope there's enough traffic here for some good feedback! :) Feel free to link to this thread :)

Some weeks ago, whilst reading a thread on an emailing list a thought shot through my mind... I compiled this thought into another thread for the emailing list, which is as follows:

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Hrmn.. I often get the feeling those who play RPG/more violent types of games seem to have access to those upper-end technologies more than a lot of people in the Myst community here... I mean, I hear a lot of people among here who are looking so forward to the new Myst games... trailed by a groan as they realise their current system does not meet the spec! This happened both in Riven and Exile...

...so this begs the question: is there a difference between the player demographics of the adventure game genre, and other game genres? If yes, then how do they differ? Most of the surveys I remember seeing usually just ask gamers in general rather than trying to break down the different groups of gamers. Are RPG gamers naturally richer than adventure gamers? ;)
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Would anyone here have ever heard or seen any stats which differentiates between the 2? Should adventure game makers take into account that their games won't ever be played on as powerful a machine as the RPG/action gamers?

[Warspite]

where is the bit that says"Yes" "no" or "Dont Know"?:D

[Magician]

LOL.. it's not really a poll - it's just a request for a state of opinion... any thought on the matter?

[Nick Shub]

Originally posted by Magician
...so this begs the question: is there a difference between the player demographics of the adventure game genre, and other game genres?

I used to play Adventure

http://www.atariage.com/software_page.html?SoftwareLabelID=1

with Atari 2600

http://www.atariage.com/2600/faq/index.html?SystemID=2600

in the early 80's. The best "adventure" game there is. :yum:

Does it qualify for your genre? :rolleyes:

[Minos]

I doubt if the fact that action games require more expensive hardware means that the players have more money – I suspect that they either buy fewer games or pirate them more. If they've just laid out a couple of hundred quid for a new graphics card that will need upgrading in a year or so they are probably older and on a reasonable income – not many schoolkids or people on the dole can afford that sort of indulgence, or at least not unless they're very single-minded.

Besides, things have changed. As you say, when 3D action games started coming out a few years ago, someone more interested in painted-background adventure games didn't have to worry too much about hardware, but not any more. Riven, Exile, Amerzone, Blade Runner, Dark Earth, Faust, Dracula etc etc probably don't NEED hardware 3D acceleration, but you'd certainly be glad of it; that or have a very fast processor.

Besides, it's mainly in the graphics card rather than pure processor power. I bought a relatively cheap 8MB SDR GeForce 2 MX graphics card for my Dad's computer (a 400MHz AMD) recently – it was just over £50. It may not compare with the £300+ ones you can find, but it's good enough to play most 3D action games, especially if you set a fairly low resolution and colour depth. That's hardly going to break the bank.

(Just completed Exile by the way – good game; nice graphics.)

[Magician]

hrmn... interesting point. Although I do disagree on the matter of younger gamers not purchasing more expensive hardwares. I know plenty of people (both online and offline) who aren't exactly financially well-off, but chose to get some of the later technology just to play games... this point was agreed to by various people in other forums that I have posted the same query to.

And while adventure games have started to take advantage of the later hardwares, the latest of the latest adventure game's recommended spec is still nowhere near the minimum spec of the recent FPS or the average spec of a RPG (latter of which probably isn't as resource intensive as FPS)... RTS are also turning into a resource hog - Blizzard Entertainment's Warcraft 3 is likely to be such a game...