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What Kids Want...

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questccg
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Talking from some experience a few years ago, I was demo-ing "Quest Adventure Cards(tm)" at a conference in Hamilton, Ontario. It was called the HammerCon. At that con, I was hoping to introduce "Quest" to as many kids as possible - since the game was a simple "Set Collection" game with some "Take-That" cards. Pretty basic in design.

On two different occasions, different Kids sat down at the table to PLAY the game. And oddly enough, the Kids had a good time playing the game ... but one asked me an interesting comment:

"So when do you do battle?"

And that's when everything suddenly made sense - about what it is Kids are looking from in a GAME. And I don't think it's much different in Adult players either.

It's pretty simple: Gamers want "confrontation".

They want Combos, Take-That - but also good gamesmanship too! Playing a simple "Card Game" is not enough for most Gamers these days.

Anyways I figured I'd share this experience - because it has stuck with me until this very day...

X3M
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There are more of those

I had the question:
"Why should I not battle?"

Players often don't see the rewards of not battling.
They are focussed on confrontation.
So, the rewards should be made very clear.

I have this in the form of spending Action Points on resource management.

Nooteboom
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Just because they assume

Just because they assume games should have battle, does not mean that is what they actually want. Public perception of what games are generally does not match what hobbyists actually engage in.

questccg
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What about Pokemon and Yu-Gi-Oh!???

Nooteboom wrote:
Just because they assume games should have battle, does not mean that is what they actually want. Public perception of what games are generally does not match what hobbyists actually engage in.

Well fair enough, let me ask you one question:

Why do kids like Pokemon or Yu-Gi-Oh!???

Have you ever watched the TV series of either of these shows?? If you have not, I'll just tell you that episodes "Climax" in a Battle or Showdown between two or more opponents.

This is especially true for Yu-Gi-Oh! Pokemon may have more subtle episodes about hunting some Rare Pokemon, etc. And so the dueling might be a little more subtle in Pokemon episodes (as compared to Yu-Gi-Oh!).

Nooteboom
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Why do people play a crappy

Why do people play a crappy game like monopoly? Because its mainstream and thats all they know about "gaming". After playing those games for long enough, thats what they come to expect of other games.

questccg
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So what you are saying

Is that "Battling" are the sorts of game they are used to?! And so being familiar with Pokemon and Yu-Gi-Oh! means that they have come to expect that a game be about "Battling"...?

And I don't think Monopoly is "crappy". Personally if I had the choice of playing other games, I would. But in the "Roll & Move" category - I think Monopoly is probably a better game than "Snakes & Ladders" or "Sorry!" But still I agree nothing very innovative or interesting in that category.

But I hear what you mean... I never took it that way. I understood it as: "I want to play a battling game..." Which could be an incorrect assumption on my part. Like you say, maybe several Card Games are all about "Battling" and experience with the TV series or the game itself could bring about the understanding that most Card Games are about "battling"...

X3M
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The first game is often the

The first game is often the basis for what people think they can expect after.

FrankM
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Quite a spectrum of experiences

X3M wrote:
The first game is often the basis for what people think they can expect after.

Then we've seen a really broad spectrum of experiences from Candyland! :-)

X3M
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Candyland > Monopoly??? :)

Candyland > Monopoly???

:)

questccg
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Tell me

X3M wrote:
Candyland > Monopoly???

This is a joke, right??? Because IMHO there is no way Candyland is better than Monopoly. Monopoly, even for it's mechanics, is interesting and novel.

How? How many Roll & Move games go "Around" the same board? Or let you "own" or buy up the tiles on the board. I can't say that Monopoly is not without some originality. I think Payday allows you to go "Around" too (not sure).

In my book Monopoly > Candyland... LOL

X3M
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Well, only asking which of

Well, only asking which of the two has the most copies around :)

harmon89
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You're right, kids really are

You're right, kids really are no different than adults. Kids don't all want the same thing out of a game. I will say though, growing up I never really cared for games with a lot of "confrontation." I liked games that allowed me to build, be creative, think critically, solve puzzles, etc. A lot of similar characteristics that I enjoy in games today.

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