"Real" games?
I work as a game planner for a game developement company.My team and I works on a RPG app game. Often, when people ask about my occupation I would say that I work in game development, and they will say, "Oh! So you make like those console games?". And I would say, "No. Our company develops console, PC, browser, mobile/app games. My current project is an app game."
And more often than not, the response I get is pretty lukewarm once they hear it is an app game.
I've heard such claims before more than my fingers can count.
・App games are not real games.
・App games are not as good as console/PC games.
・Casual/Puzzle games are not real games.
・People who play games like candy crush are not gamers.
・Only console games are real games.
・Only old console games like XXX and YYY are real games.
・If you've never played ZZZ before you cannot be considered a "real" gamer.
Seriously?
⇒They are all games, designed with different target groups, with different genre for different markets. Some are for casual players, some to play on the go. Some to be played in the comfort of your room, on your sofa. Go wiki the definition of games.
⇒If you must insist that only old console games from a certain gen are real "purist" games, I suggest you try not table-top RPG games that are the predecessors to console games. And even older, chess and Tabula and other board games.
⇒Just because you love that particular game and think the world of it doesnt mean that everyone must live in your world.
⇒mobile/app game revenue >console game revenue>PC game revenue
While I accept that app/mobile games have their limitations in terms of contents because of the device's limitation, I do not that think console/PC games are necessary better, or "real games". There are AAA console/PC games. There are AAA app/casual games.
From a development pov, mobile/app market is huge because almost everyone today owns at least one mobile device, while not everyone owns a PC/console device. (Consoles and PCs arent exactly cheap and are rather a privilege/luxury, esp for consoles in my POV.) On-the-go and casual games also mean that people who previously did not have the opporunity to have games are now able to join the gaming world.
Thus, who is to claim what games are "real" and what is not, and what is better than the other?
Disclaimer: These are purely my own midnight thoughts and is not representative of my company or the game development industry.