"A BROADER appeal???"

This word is one I've come to more or less hate in the last few years.

A lot of companies, not the least of which is EA, are designing games to hold a "Broader appeal" Under the belief that this will rake in more "Casual gamers" and thus more sales and more money for them, and everybody happy right?

So...a question.

Just what the hell is a "casual gamer"?

Is it a guy that plays Call of duty multiplayer?

Is it a guy that'll buy games, play em once and sell em back?

Is it a guy that plays all the games he can get his hands on?

Because if this is what defines a "casual gamer" then I really have to wonder about the intelligence of the people deciding to draw people with a "broader appeal" game.

If its a guy who loves Call of Duty MP then he'll love call of duty MP no matter what and nothing but another pure shooter will never compare in his eyes. A half in half out title that's half RPG half shooter, half third person, half tactics ect ect ect. wont draw him in.

If its the guy that buys games, plays em once and sells em back, then this isn't the guy that buys DLC. The hardcore gamers who would like the game are the ones that would buy DLC. Furthermore if he's a guy that's gonna buy random games play em and sell em back he's most likely the person that buys used copies, not new ones. So if your aiming for this guy's appeal, its for a quick money shot, rather than pleasing the group of people who would like to see something MORE something UNIQUE than just a game with a "broader appeal" and would be more inclined to buy DLC if they see something more than the "broader appeal" game, which has a tendency to be everything but unique at this point.

And if its the guy that plays all the games he can get his hands on he wont care if its an RPG, he wont care if its an RTS, a Sims dating game, a third person shooter, a first person shooter or anything else for that matter. He'll just get any goddamn game.

So who exactly are they targeting with a game that is supposed to have a "Broader appeal"

What are the games we can say have been REALLY successful the last year or so?

Not any that were ever said to hold a "Broader appeal"

Skyrim- Hardcore RPG

Portal 2 - Its fucking Portal

Dark Souls -Also Hardcore RPG

The witcher 2 -Again, hardcore RPG

Battlefield 3- pure shooter

Deadspace- action horror

Dragon's dogma- RPG

Again, not games that you'd say hold a "broader appeal."
Because when people get a unique experience in a game they freakin talk about it, to their friends, who in turn BUY the game.

But if I look at a friend and he asks me if he should get this random game, one that's meant to hold a "broader appeal" I'll most likely just say "Meh, its ok but you can live without it." Rather than "Dude you need to try Dark Souls. Gwyn will fucking own you lol!!!"

See the difference?

Someone really needs to slap these developers upside the head and knock them loose of this "Broader appeal" crap because all they're making is mediocre games, not making enough revenue so they'll try to make even more games with a "Broader appeal" to make up for it, and those wont be getting any revenue either because, again, people want something UNIQUE. Which "Broader appeal" games, simply do not provide.