background...
I first thought this thread could be somewhere else, but then again - I think it's a big marketing question to know what people want to play.

Here is one thread you should take a look at:
http://www.blitzbasic.com/Community/posts.php?topic=26785
It's a forum of game makers & players and I think there is very nice comments there.

If you like to add your comments, feel free to write it here (or there)

Basically what I want from games:
-that kind of games which I can play for 30 min sessions
-no need for 6 billion hour playing (like you have to play 7000 hours to get your character into level 51 and then you have two hundred levels more to catch)
-team work
-nice 3D view won't hurt ;)

Hehe, well this is really personal, and varies from people to people.
I like almost all kind of games, but if I must choose the one I like most, I notice that they need:
-not exceptional graphics, but clear and functional. no 3d is really needed.
-long replayability (civilization rules ;))
-lot of options, but still with a user-friendly interface
-lot of things and secrets to discover

dont get me wrong, but didn't we had a topic jus tlike this one a couple weeks ago ?

It may be helpful to think of what people want in terms of benefits instead of features. For instance, people don't really want 30 minutes of gameplay. They want a fun and relaxing break from work, an immersive experience in a new world, a physical and mental challenge, etc. Those needs are what tend to drive the feature requirements. A game like solitaire, for instance, is very popular with office workers, since it's a good game to play during short breaks. Dweep tends to be used as evening entertainment in lieu of TV; I know because players keep telling me about the all-nighters they have with it.

Knowing what kind of players will be attracted to your game can help you decide what kind of features to design. Your game doesn't have to be playable in very brief chunks of time, for instance, unless you're targeting the audience that likes to play games during breaks or in short bursts. When I play an RPG, for instance, I expect to be at it for at least an hour per session.

When I play an RPG, for instance, I expect to be at it for at least an hour per session.
Yes definitely. Even more than 1 hour (if you have spare time of course :p)

Yes, definitely. When was a teenager I used to think of RPG sessions in terms of days rather than hours, especially the Ultima games. :)

One thing I've discovered that makes a huge difference in a game is whether I can sit down and play it right away. I'm not talking about learning the game; I'm talking about how long it takes for the game to load.

In particular, I *hate* games with CD checks. If I have to find the CD, wait for it to spin up, wait through four splash screens, and load a game, I'm liable to play freecell instead. Lately, I've been playing lots of older DOS games that don't have CD checks.

The other pet peeve is games that have a lot of menu screens before you can get to playing. I've noticed that Master of Magic has a cool feature...the first menu you see has an option "Continue", which loads the last turn of the last game you played. One click and I'm back in the game.

Ah the Ultima series! was great... :p

About the "Continue" button... I think every good strategy/simulation game should have it (when finally I'll release my first RPG I'll put it for sure! :))

Originally posted by milieu
One thing I've discovered that makes a huge difference in a game is whether I can sit down and play it right away. I'm not talking about learning the game; I'm talking about how long it takes for the game to load.

In particular, I *hate* games with CD checks. If I have to find the CD, wait for it to spin up, wait through four splash screens, and load a game, I'm liable to play freecell instead. Lately, I've been playing lots of older DOS games that don't have CD checks.

The other pet peeve is games that have a lot of menu screens before you can get to playing. I've noticed that Master of Magic has a cool feature...the first menu you see has an option "Continue", which loads the last turn of the last game you played. One click and I'm back in the game.

I play console games for reasons like these. It's so much more convenient. No installing, no incompatibility, no driver updates, no cd checks (one game took about a minute just for that...); just put the disk in and it runs. I think internet distribution had even greater potential. Clicking a button and it runs that minute is even better than running to a store.


Jack

Originally posted by Dexterity
It may be helpful to think of what people want in terms of benefits instead of features. For instance, people don't really want 30 minutes of gameplay. They want a fun and relaxing break from work, an immersive experience in a new world, a physical and mental challenge, etc.

I really want 30 minutes of gameplay. :)

Yes, I don't actually want fun & relaxing break from work, nor immersive experience or mental challenge.

I just want fun & relaxing 30 mins to fill a gap in my scheducle. It's not that I look for BREAKS, I look for something fun - something TO DO - when I got little spare time or when I have to wait for something

Okay, I get your point - it would be wise to re-phrase these comments to benefits, but we must be careful how we rephrase them.

Originally posted by Morphecy
I really want 30 minutes of gameplay. :)


Very good then. I'll send you a copy of Tic Tac Toe. :)

LOL :D
(hopefully it contains all the other elements besides this ;))