Poll: Are walking simulators games?

[Stringjam]

I enjoy them. It's an experience but you can call it whatever you want because whether you consider it a game or not really is that irrelevant. The genre seems to have slowed down a bit though but Everyone's Gone To The Rapture is probably my favorite. That said there are other genre's you can turn into walking sim, such as GTA 5..just walk around and observe, there ya go.

Yeah - not concerned with their classification as games or not, but I do enjoy a lot of them and I'm glad devs put them together. Sometimes its nice just to participate in a story without constantly needing to shoot someone.

 

[DigDog]

I agree with OP but i have to point out that according to the rules, The Secret Of Monkey Island is not a game.

The real problem with walking simulators is that they are bad.

 

[KeithP]

…
Can a game exist without gameplay? No, because gameplay is inherent to the definition of a game.

…
Walking around reading notes is not significant gameplay. That’s like turning the pages of a digital book.

• Walking around using the same “multi-tool” (or generic keys) over and over to unlock doors is not significant gameplay.
• Walking around and occasionally interacting with a digital control panel (or other fixture) is not significant gameplay.
• Walking around and occasionally talking to a random entity is not significant gameplay.
• Walking around and occasionally hiding from a random monster is not significant gameplay.

It seems to me by your own definition and statements, you are admitting that walking sims do have gameplay, although not a large amount of it, so they are games by your own standards.

If you don't consider them games that is fine, to each his own.

From my standpoint, such a piece of software is a simulation, not a game. While an individual may find such software entertaining, I don't think that makes it a game. While games can be simulators, simulators are not necessarily games.

-KeithP

 

[Red Storm]

Instead of a not so clear definition of what a "walking simulator" is, why not just us examples of actual games?

 

[FreshBross]

This got me thinking, in the future, when VR systems are going to be used to control robots out and about doing tasks, will games be used as a way to mask real work? Doubt it, the costs of failure would be high. But it may be presented in such a way, that it becomes fun to control a robot mining on the surface of a far away planet or asteroid. On second thought, it might also be just as or even more stressful to handle expensive hardware remotely, imagine a lag latency issue... haha

 

[BFG10K]

As was I. I then attempted to give you some reasons to reconsider that opinion. Words do need to have some common accepted understanding for them to be useful, they can't be pure subjective opinion. I can give you an opinion that anything that uses the color blue is not a game, but that would not be a useful definition for anyone but me, so what is the point?

What are you babbling about?

And why do you feel the need to try to get random people on the internet to change their opinion?

You asked the question, so one assumes you wanted debate. If you just wanted people to agree with you then you probably don't want to be on the internet.

I'm afraid you have that completely backwards. I'm not trying to get anyone to agree with me because I really don't give a crap, I'm just stating my opinion (with reasoning why) and letting others do the same.

You're the one who's experiencing a personal affront because somebody "dares" not to change their mind based on your comments. Perhaps it's you who shouldn't be on the internet.

 

[BFG10K]

I agree with OP but i have to point out that according to the rules, The Secret Of Monkey Island is not a game.

Sure it's a game because it has problem solving.

 

[SMOGZINN]

What are you babbling about?

And why do you feel the need to try to get random people on the internet to change their opinion?



I'm afraid you have that completely backwards. I'm not trying to get anyone to agree with me because I really don't give a crap, I'm just stating my opinion (with reasoning why) and letting others do the same.

You're the one who's experiencing a personal affront because somebody "dares" not to change their mind based on your comments. Perhaps it's you who shouldn't be on the internet.

Do you understand the weirdness of this reply? Am I to believe that you are just typing your opinions to exercise your fingers? Or is it that after telling us how you don't give a crap about our opinions you still somehow think we give a crap about yours?

 

[DigDog]

Sure it's a game because it has problem solving.

Well most walking simula... most games derisivly called "walking simulators" have some sort of gameplay in them, be it puzzles, gathering information, platforming, it's just that it's *not that good*.

Im ok with the idea of interactive fiction. ICO was a game where combat and platforming were mostly trivial, and so is Journey, but they are both great games. Rather than challenge you, they *amaze*.

Mind you, thats not my kind of game. And to me most console games, or anything thats casual, challenges me just about as much as a walking simulator. I dont speedrun quake2 just yet but im headed that way.

The problem, as said before, is that these games are not good. That famous whatsthename, Catherine?? The whole plot is "there was a girl, she was lesbian (shock & horror)".

Thats it. That is the whole plot.

Journey is a tearjerking tale of discovery and sacrifice, and there isnt a single spoken word in the whole game. Catherine is a rancid bowel movement.

The problem isnt the format.