PS3 Lacking "Casual" Games?

[DrRipley]

I've been trying to pinpoint what it was with the current library that seemed a little off to me, and I think I might have finally found it. I think with the current graphic standards, PS games have shifted significantly towards what I would consider "hardcore" gaming which really requires you to get into it for long periods of time and get used to 500 buttons of controls. It's kind of hard to explain, but ultimately, games just suddenly feel a lot less "casual" to me lately. Granted, I'm not really complaining, but I'd just like to ask you guys if you agree, or have games always been kind of "hardcore" but just in a different form? I personally would consider a lot of games from the earlier versions as casual games - Crash Bandicoot, Crazy Taxi, Marvel Nemesis, etc. to name a few. Basically, games you can pick up and leave without having to adapt to epic storylines and gameplay first. What is your opinion on this?

 

[Gamer_Fries]

Well while I would say the PS3 definitely seems to have more games in the way of "hardcore" but it still has games that you can play easy. I wouldn't really call them casual games because you still have to know a little bit about what you're doing but yeah those games could fit and you could even add something like LBP. I would say the PS3 has a large enough selection of easier games that while you might have to try other games every so often you shouldn't be able to play through them all in a day.

 

[Mudgee]

ps4 looks definitely more set to aid and assist the indie/casual gaming style. I'm not a big fan of easy-going, platform basic games so i've always enjoyed the more hardcore styling.

 

[Medza]

I think that there are plenty of casual games, e.g. Little Big Planet , the Lego series and so on. They are all fairly intuitive and are driven by the gameplay rather than the storyline so you can get into it at any point, you don't necessarily even need to be able to read for most part. I think that there could be more casual games, but I wouldn't say that we are facing a shortage of any kind.

 

[asianboi2252]

There are a lot of casual games, it's just that people are not really into it and prefer hardcore games like COD and Battlefield. There could be more casual games, and I think the game developers need to advertise more well so other players would want to buy the game.

 

[mareebaybay]

I agree, that there are plenty of casual games on the PS3. I mean you never hear about a casual game like you hear about action and adventure games, because people are less likely to purchase them.

 

[Derri]

Well I agree with you that PS3 does have a lot more 'hardcore' games but I'd advise you look on the PS store and look for some cool Indi games because those in my mind are quite casual and not time consuming.

 

[onison]

Now that you mention it, it does seem that way and you made me want to get one. My wife says thanks alot.

 

[courageoflions]

As a long-time crash bandicoot fan and overall casual gamer I have to agree, the casual market seemed to have been drowned by the "Blood, guts and chainsaw-glory" side of video games. While cinematic brutality is fun in moderation, I feel like video games have become a steak appetizer with a steak salad and steak dinner followed by a steak dessert.

 

[Tomba]

There are some casual games on the PS3, but the console itself leans more to the hardcore, big production, intense, blood, bullets, and "chainsaw vasectomy" (to use a Yahtzee term for Gears of War) titles than casual, easy-going, colorful, platform oriented titles. Plus those more hardcore titles tend to get commercials and all of that, so you'd have to look for those casual games. You won't have to look too hard, it's not like they're hidden, they just don't get as much advertising unless news counts.

 

[SpaceTiger]

I wouldn't say it's lacking casual games so much that they're not put in the spotlight or given time to shine regularly. They're on PS3, Vita, and will be on PS4 in due time.

 

[Mikey Paine]

Do the Ratchet and Clank games count as "casual" games? If not, the previously mentioned Little Big Planet is. I've never really thought about this honestly, it's a pretty good point.

 

[Titan]

I agree to an extent that casual games are lacking on PS3. Maybe I just never notice it because I fall into the core category. I only really play games that involve skill and know-how on how to play and games that take an investment of my time to play. So maybe because casual games are not something I play on the regular basis, I don't notice casual games. I do have some that I mindlessly play from time to time (Little Big Planet, Castle Crashers, Plant's vs. Zombies). I have noticed games at GameStop too that I think are casual games, though I know nothing about them because I never heard of them and don't know what they are about (could also be B list games).

What I tend not to agree on is the fact that games like Crash Bandicoot and Ratchet and Clank are casual. Just think of how games used to be. The technology back then weren't able to facilitate complex gameplay that we see today. Now with the processing power of modern games, they can have more advanced physics, different controls, etc. Also, the developers have gotten more creative evolving the medium way beyond what it used to be. What I do agree on is that older games may feel more casual today, but I emphasize feel. Just my two cents

 

[The Unlosing Ranger]

There's a million casual games this generation, what is truly lacking is REAL hardcore games like Vanquish, Dark Souls and Spelunky.

 

[courageoflions]

Hey, hey, woah, woah! Back up that truck! PS3 has plenty of casual games! Just google it up!

 

[daimashin]

Casual games seem lacking is because there is the lack of hype like those hardcore games such as Battlefield, Assassin's Creed, and CoD. A lot of them are also indie games that are only available on the PS Store so people don't really know about them except the few really good ones that get covered by gaming media.

 

[sidd230]

Little Big Planet? This game doesn't get enough love. Its literally one of the best games available for the console.

 

[Rocketman]

It seems that the PS3 is marketed as the most "hardcore" of the console generation. Just look at the avatars. The Playstation has realistic looking ones, the Wii has those cartoony Miis, and the Xbox has something in between. Xbox also pandered to the casual crowd with the Kinect a lot more than Playstation did with their thingy.

 

[novasparker]

I miss the days of Tetris, Dr. Mario, Frogger, Pacman...those games that you could just sit down a play for a few minutes when you had some time to fill. Zelda ruined it all, LOL. Anyway, yes, there are a glut of storyline games that take a ton of commitment to play and very few casual games. Maybe we can lobby the game makers to bring a small portion of these back for those of us who don't game as a way of life.

 

[nealbo]

I think it's always the same with consoles. The reason casual games are so popular and abundant on devices like iPhone and iPads are that you can just pick it up and it's ready to play in seconds. Of course that's not the case with consoles. There's also the fact that generally people play casual games to kill a bit of time when not in their own home. Casual games are more suited to when you're commuting, waiting around for someone etc. At least that's my perspective.