As with books, genres exist. Some may prove more popular but it doesn't mean they all can't co-exist and make money. People need variety. That's why genres exist. Depending on who you ask, adventure games are making a comeback or is simply a niche genre. I want to know if someone can get industry figures to enlighten us all.
I am optimistic that adventure games can be profitable and most gaming companies know that there is more potential for profit in "casual-gaming" that are more accessible to more people... I mean people other than the testosterone-fueled 13-35 age bracket [Think Guitar Hero (social aspect), The Sims (simulation), etc.]. Beyond the PC for adventure gaming, I think the Nintendo DS is a great device for it. I've enjoyed quite a few commercial titles. The one that stood out for me is "Hotel Dusk" and "Another Code" which are very familiar to adventure gamers because the stylus mimics a mouse but also make use of the system's unique hardware like the mic and dual screen for some more varied game play. The Capcom series "Ace Detective" are popular aren't they?
But the one that outshines them all is "Golden Sun" published by Capcom which is a fantastic RPG with an expansive world and story and puzzle solving is the main mechanism of advancement.
And finally, as some other posters have commented, it's clear that Telltale is thriving. Instead of making one huge adventure game, they're serializing the series like a comic or TV series.... And they're priced right too for each episode. Or a consumer can just buy "an entire season/box set" and save a couple of dollars.
It's kind of addicting. It's like a subscription to cheap Harlequin romance novels. You devour one after another. Kind of like a cheap thrill bc you likely won't necessarily read er play the same work again.
Disclaimer: I am not saying that either Telltale and Harlequin's works are "cheap" in and of themselves. Telltale Games is a great production studio and I'm proud of Harlequin because it's Canadian and is a well known publishing house the world over. Wish Drawn & Quarterly is as successful.
I am optimistic that adventure games can be profitable and most gaming companies know that there is more potential for profit in "casual-gaming" that are more accessible to more people... I mean people other than the testosterone-fueled 13-35 age bracket [Think Guitar Hero (social aspect), The Sims (simulation), etc.]. Beyond the PC for adventure gaming, I think the Nintendo DS is a great device for it. I've enjoyed quite a few commercial titles. The one that stood out for me is "Hotel Dusk" and "Another Code" which are very familiar to adventure gamers because the stylus mimics a mouse but also make use of the system's unique hardware like the mic and dual screen for some more varied game play. The Capcom series "Ace Detective" are popular aren't they?
But the one that outshines them all is "Golden Sun" published by Capcom which is a fantastic RPG with an expansive world and story and puzzle solving is the main mechanism of advancement.
And finally, as some other posters have commented, it's clear that Telltale is thriving. Instead of making one huge adventure game, they're serializing the series like a comic or TV series.... And they're priced right too for each episode. Or a consumer can just buy "an entire season/box set" and save a couple of dollars.
It's kind of addicting. It's like a subscription to cheap Harlequin romance novels. You devour one after another. Kind of like a cheap thrill bc you likely won't necessarily read er play the same work again.
Disclaimer: I am not saying that either Telltale and Harlequin's works are "cheap" in and of themselves. Telltale Games is a great production studio and I'm proud of Harlequin because it's Canadian and is a well known publishing house the world over. Wish Drawn & Quarterly is as successful.