Casual games - what's going on?

[mike_intellivision]

There is a difference between "enjoyment" and "art."

Very few blockbusters get nominated for the US's "Best Picture" Academy Award (Oscar). However, some of the Oscar nominations come from films that were well-received but not necessarily well-viewed.

Meanwhile, teen slasher films and crash chase films often do well at the box office but not with critics.

The same disconnnect is occuring with video games. And it is more pronounced on the Wii since the user base is so diverse.

The biggest example is Carnival Games (Carnival Games Funfair in UK/Europe). It has gotten medicore reviews but is still often sold out and in demand in the US. It has a fun factor for many people that reviewers can't capture/don't get/won't acknowledge. (For me, even at $40 it is a lot cheaper than playing all 25 of those games at carnivals. And the sometimes wonky controls make it feel "realistic.").

Similarly, Midway's Game Party is almost shovelware. But it sold so well that Gamestop now charges $25 for it (MSRP is $20). [Cruisn which is poorly done and more expensive is shovelware.]

Also, as has been stated here, reviewers over-value graphics and sound. Many casual players are used to playing Flash games, so the Wii is a step up for them (while it is a step down for reviewers who were playing the 360 or PS3).

This audience is generally NOT going to buy AAA titles. So the reviews don't matter to them. Fun does.

Of course, there is also sometimes no accounting for bad taste. That would explain some things as well.

Mike from Morgantown

PS -- If I could find Chicken Shoot cheap, I'd probably buy it.