What is a Genre - Gaming Development

What is a Genre?

A genre is the type of category that a game comes under. They are categorized into genres based on their game play interaction. Every game has a genre has a massive effect on the way the player plays the game, there might be a character that the player needs to control or a vehicle, or there may be a puzzle to solve. Video games have evolved into multiple genres, to cater for every gamer's needs. It is important that this is done so that games are not boring and dull. There are several different types of games genres as listed below.
Different Genres

Arcade Games

Arcade games are fairly easy to play; they are very widely used type of game on either the internet and on mobile phones. Reaction speeds are very important for these kind of games, they are simple and have a very straight forward aim to complete the games. Examples of these games are Pacman and pong. These types of games can be from shooting to maze games and are easy to develop in relation to other genres. They are made in 2D which means they have very poor graphics. They are generally played on big machines in arcades, but you can now get them on many games consoles and even mobile phones.

Puzzle Games

Puzzle games are very self explanatory, the player would usually have to solve a puzzle in order to either win the game or proceed to the next level. Since puzzle games are very simple, the developer would usually make the game look more graphically, appealing and have sound inputted onto it. Generally puzzle games are mostly seen or played on mobile phones, the internet or on PC's. Puzzles are mostly based upon solving puzzles rather than your reaction time for example shooting or racing etc. They are games which you have to think more deep into rather than just playing the game at your own free will. An example of a puzzle games is chess, which could be either played as a board game, a hand held console or a mobile phone. Puzzle games are normally 2D which means they are very simple and relatively easy to make.

Role Playing Games

Role playing games are usually made in a 3D environment where the player plays as a character that is customizable and upgradable for example the user could upgrade weapons or armor.  These types of games you control a character though a virtual world, such as the game Diablo. These games have a lot more depth as you are developing the game at a more personal level and are learning much more new skills. Role playing games are either be made in 3D or 2D, which means they are a lot harder to make as the developer needs to make it so the player can have more than one option at certain points of the game. These games need a good level of design or the player will get bored very easily.

Strategy Games

Strategy games are real-time and usually give the player long-term or short-term decisions to make that determine whether the player has won or not. Players do not have full control of the characters as it's the strategy that's important, these kinds of games could be such things as Warcraft or Age of Empires. These games take a lot of time to develop and make as there are many objects in the game, each with unique and animated images and behavior. Develops usually focus more on the graphics in this genre because the game play is so simple. Strategy games can be played on all formats mobile phones, internet, consoles and computers.

First-Person Shooters

First person shooters put the player right in action in the form of the character they are playing as. Graphics and audio are very important in this genre because they are supposed to give a real impression of what the game would be like in real life. These games are quite difficult to create because of their models; they are also usually created in 3D. Emphasis is on the fast paced action and reaction speed, not on cleverness and puzzle solving. An example of first shooter games could be such games as Doom.

Adventure Games

 Adventure games are all about exploring and usually have a good story line to keep the user interested in the games. They give the player control over a character that the player uses in a 3D world. The graphics are very important in this genre to give the player the experience of the story and the game play. The background music on the game needs to be relevant to the game as it would be no good having scary music a happy game.  These games are usually played on games consoles.

Third-Person Action

Third person action is similar to first person shooter, except the player can actually see the character while playing instead of being in the characters position. The player directly controls a game character through a hostile world; an example of this is the game Tomb Raider. Often there is not much emphasis on the character development, therefore third person action games can sometimes be created quite easily. These games can either be 2D or 3D and are usually played on games consoles.
 

Sports Games

In sports games the player competes in an event such as football, rugby and boxing to win the game. The game developer makes the sport as real life as possible so that it virtual and like playing the real thing. Developers usually concentrate on the experience of the game on game play to satisfy the player. These kind of games can be very cancelling for the user and can be quite difficult to play. Sports games are found on all formats PC, games consoles, internet and mobile phones.

Racing Games

Racing games are very self explanatory, the player takes control of the vehicle and they race in tournaments and rallies with other vehicles or they can just drive at their own leisure. Racing games generally have very impressive graphics because the vehicles need to be visually appealing to the player so that they will want to play the game. These kind of games can be both 2 or 3D but are usually a lot better in 3D, an example of a racing game is something such as Formula 1. They are usually played on games consoles for a maximum racing experience.

Simulators

Simulators put the player in the position of a real person in a 3D environment in real time. The plays live the life of someone or something with a massive amount of choices to make and endless game play. Example of simulations could be SimCity or SimEarth. These kind if games are very difficult to make, as it often takes a lot of time to get the details right. The graphics are quite important in these games because the player is playing as if they were in the game simulating these choices as in real life. Simulators can be played on either PC's, consoles or on mobile phones.

Party Games

There are a variety of different types of party games; these could be such things as Mario Party, DDR or karaoke. They involve the whole family to take part in and allow multi player games that allow several people to compete against one another. Party games allow for separate abilities, beginners and experts can both have fun. They are usually very colourful and easy to play and have some sort of catchy music to keep the player interested. Party games can be played on games consoles such as the Nintendo Wii.

Educational Games

Educational games are great at teaching people new skills such as spelling or learning another language. They are designed to teach players knowledge or skills that is valuable outside the game. Educational games are usually quite colourful and fun to make it more interesting for the player to learn. These types of games can be played on games consoles, PC's, mobile phones or on the internet.