Your opinion about some board games, questions

[Claire]

Hello,

I'm a french student in my fourth year after the baccalaurét and I make a file about board games. I need the opinion of several "specialists" to answer the following questions.

I wait your answers

Bye

Claire

QUESTIONS

1. Are there some things which make a game always play?
Can we really measure the gaming or is it more a personal evaluation?

2. Why are these following products really play?
 Monopoly

 Trivial Pursuit

 Clue

 Risk
3. What are the weaknesses and the strengths of these games?

4. Why do only boys play on Risk game?

5. According to you, who are these games made for?

6. Which reasons could explain the fact that people have played these games for such a long time?

7. How could you explain the fact that parents buy their children the games they used to play when they were children?

8. Why can’t adults bear some games they loved when they were children (such as Monopoly…)?

9. Why do the children love playing with their parents or adults?

10. Do you have something else to tell us that could be important?

Thanks for replying.

[Chris Leach]

Dear Claire,
I have tried to improve your English as well - I hope that you don't mind -
but you should get more responses that way.
I hope that I have got the correct interpretation as well.

QUESTIONS

< 1. Are there some things which make a game always play?
1. Are there some things which make a game always playable for you ?
A: I think most gamers will have a veriety of things that interest them
in games - the right mixture of Skill and Luck.
Interesting subject, good presentation, appropriate complexity,
right length, a rewarding experience.
Ability to play with the right number of players, Rule presentation etc.
[You may be better asking the people to rate the above, and maybe
other characteristics individually]

< Can we really measure the gaming or is it more a personal evaluation?
Can we really measure the quality of the gaming experience or is it more of a personal evaluation?
I think that while there may be some general agreements -
Good rules against bad rules, good presentation against bad etc.
the absolute perfect gaming experience for everyone will not exist -
it would be like picking the perfect song etc.


< 2. Why are these following products really play?
2. Why are these following products really played ?
„X Monopoly
A: Because everyone knows the rules - and people get a feeling
of playing with money
„X Trivial Pursuit
A: Because people want to see how clever they and the others are.
See the current interest in the 'Million Shows' in television.
„X Clue / Cluedo
A: Because it's been around long enough.
People can feel that they have tricked their opponents
if they are the first to get the right answer and deny theit opponents.
„X Risk
A: Because it's a very basic 'fight and conquer' game.
The players can feel that they are conquering the world.

3. What are the weaknesses and the strengths of these games?
A : Mainly because they have simple rules, are widely available,
and except for Clue/Cluedo can be played with two or more people.
The weakness is that they are for todays serious gamers too simple.

< 4. Why do only boys play on Risk game?
4. Why do generally only boys play Risk ?
A: Because this involves simulated violence - conquering countries
(German renaming to liberating notwithstanding)
And this is not a characteristic that appeals to most girls.

< 5. According to you, who are these games made for?
5. In your opinion, who are these games made for?
A: Monopoly : The family get together when they don't want to be active,
as everyone basically knows the rules - and they have enough time !
Trivial Pursuit - A get together of friends for the first few time - before
it is clear who are the more generally knowledgeable.
Clue/Cluedo - A get together of people who don't have the time for Monopoly,
or are prepared to think a little more...
Risiko - Teenage boys.

< 6. Which reasons could explain the fact that people have played these games
< for such a long time?
6. Which reasons could explain the fact that these games have been played for such a long time?
A: Simply because they were the right level for then. Many games didn't
remain, but these had the right level of interest back then.
Plus of course they are marketed by one big firm nowadays (Hasbro)
so they can keep on putting them on the shelves, where people will buy them,
because they know the name.

< 7. How could you explain the fact that parents buy their children the games they used to play when they were children?
7. How would you explain the fact that parents buy their children the games
< they used to play when they were children?
If they don't play themselves, then at least they know the game from their
childhood. For some this maybe also a secret wish to be able to play them again !

8. Why can¡¦t adults bear some games they loved when they were children (such as Monopoly¡K)?
A: The same reason that I don't like the same music necessarily.
My demands, level of understanding, willingness to perform monotonous
repeated tasks etc have changed. Also my analytical skills have hopefully
improved !

< 9. Why do the children love playing with their parents or adults?
9. Why do children love playing with their parents or other adults?
A: Not all do, but generally as a form of recognition.
Seeing as they can't always join in with what the adults do, the adults
can join in with what they do.
Later it maybe an attempt to see if they can beat the adults.

< 10. Do you have something else to tell us that could be important?
Not really - I hope that you can understand this, and that you get a
satisfactory number of replies.

Chris Leach

[peer]

Hi,
Claire schrieb:
>>
> 1. Are there some things which make a game always play?
> Can we really measure the gaming or is it more a personal
> evaluation?

There were a lot of discussion about it. Actually a good game is a game that is like by many and not liked by few. But a perfect game will never exist, because the interests are different for everyone.

>
> 2. Why are these following products really play?
>  Monopoly
Easy & Trading. The same reason why everybody is playing the settlers of Catan now

>  Trivial Pursuit
Like Quizshows - you can show how smart you are

>  Clue
Because people like to solve riddles

>  Risk
Because people like to "beat" each other (like in chess), its a powergame...

> 3. What are the weaknesses and the strengths of these games?

The strength: Simple rules, very common games
weakness: In all of them a big dose of luck is needed for winning and controll of the game is nearly impossible (because of the dice), so there is no Tactic or strategy in them.

> 4. Why do only boys play on Risk game?

I guess because of the theme of dominiation and becauseof dependence of the dice

> 5. According to you, who are these games made for?

For people that are rarely play and are not used to play boardgames (although i would suggest them to try the current Spiel des Jahres insetead ;-) )

> 6. Which reasons could explain the fact that people have
> played these games for such a long time?

Like i said - Simple rules and good marketing. Everybody knows them so there is no boundary of learning new rules or buying a new game. You know what you get.
Actually it seems that Siedler is going in this line now as well (at least in germany)

> 7. How could you explain the fact that parents buy their
> children the games they used to play when they were children?

Because they know what they will get. Its difficult for Joe Public to get information, wich games will be suitible for them, so tehy stick to the games they know

> 8. Why can’t adults bear some games they loved when they were
> children (such as Monopoly…)?

Because they loved them because they were simple. But when older its too simple to make fun. The kind of humor that is used, when rolling better then another apeals rarely to adults.

> 9. Why do the children love playing with their parents or
> adults?

Because the love playing with people they know. And of course its a chance to win a contest against older people

> 10. Do you have something else to tell us that could be
> important?
>
> Thanks for replying.

bye
Peer

[Roger]

Hi Claire,
nice questions but hard to answer on a board. Give it an online survey a try.
Both respondents forgot that there are also games with interaction/trading involved. So there are 3 principles of gaming: strategy, luck and interaction which are mixed in every game.

For further reading about games: Try the philosoph Johan Huizinger: Homo Ludens. Vom Ursprung der Kultur im Spiel.

Schöne Grüße
Roger