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Why is Temple Run so popular?

Rakehellion

Rakehellion

Lifer
At one point it was the top grossing item in the App Store. It spawned the spinoffs Temple Run: Brave, Temple Run: Oz, and even a Temple Run arcade game.

Now there's definitely a runner craze with major game developers releasing titles in that genre, but Temple Run wasn't even the first runner game to be release for mobile. It doesn't have much depth, and it doesn't even have good graphics. Why does everyone love it so much?
 
The latest game like this is Minion Rush (ala Despicable Me), it's pretty good. I certainly wouldn't waste money buying the extras though.
 
It's the perfect phone game. Imo playing it on a tablet is unwieldy.

I still play from time to time, hoping to break that 10,000,000 mark one day.
 
The real question is, does touch gaming appeal to anyone who grew up playing with a controller? I don't think I will ever like touch screen gaming.

The best game I have every played was a tower defense game for Android but you are just placing turrets and it isn't like most typical touch screen games.
 
Welcome to the casual mainstream.

These are people who would not have bought a NES in the 80s.

Normally I'd say they are irrelevant but they are responsible for devs mutilating real games, our games, to appeal to these casuals to take their $1, and ruining our beloved franchises in the process.
 
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Rakehellion said:
At one point it was the top grossing item in the App Store. It spawned the spinoffs Temple Run: Brave, Temple Run: Oz, and even a Temple Run arcade game.

Now there's definitely a runner craze with major game developers releasing titles in that genre, but Temple Run wasn't even the first runner game to be release for mobile. It doesn't have much depth, and it doesn't even have good graphics. Why does everyone love it so much?
Click to expand...

The same could be said of most of American pop society.

People are just vacuous and enjoy wasting time.
 
DaveSimmons said:
Why do people play Angry Birds? They must be having fun.
Click to expand...

The human psychy (spelling?) enjoys games that use parabolic paths. If you make a game with wierd physics, people don't like it.

1) Parabolic physics.
2) Gaming sessions can last 30 second or 30 minutes (think bathroom)
3) There is a puzzle solving aspect to it (granted very simple)
4) good production value
5) new levels come out periodically

It's not hard to understand the why.
 
Staples said:
The real question is, does touch gaming appeal to anyone who grew up playing with a controller? I don't think I will ever like touch screen gaming.

The best game I have every played was a tower defense game for Android but you are just placing turrets and it isn't like most typical touch screen games.
Click to expand...

I think so, but games have to be envisioned differently. Look at Bejeweled Blitz. Yes, it isn't exactly an in depth "hardcore" game, but it uses the touch screen perfectly.

It is not the players who grew up using controllers that are the problem; it is the developers who grew up using them that is. Emulating a controller on a touch screen is bad. It will never be intuitive or work (same with Motion IMO). You have to make something without using that limitation. You don't want to just do something a controller can do. They need to abandon the "alternative to pressing up on the joystick" and "alternative to pressing a or b".

The first person that comes up with that should patent that idea and license it; because it will be huge.
 
smackababy said:
I think so, but games have to be envisioned differently. Look at Bejeweled Blitz. Yes, it isn't exactly an in depth "hardcore" game, but it uses the touch screen perfectly.

It is not the players who grew up using controllers that are the problem; it is the developers who grew up using them that is. Emulating a controller on a touch screen is bad. It will never be intuitive or work (same with Motion IMO). You have to make something without using that limitation. You don't want to just do something a controller can do. They need to abandon the "alternative to pressing up on the joystick" and "alternative to pressing a or b".

The first person that comes up with that should patent that idea and license it; because it will be huge.
Click to expand...

This.

Zelda Phantom Hourglass is a perfect example of a traditional controller game done perfect exclusively via touch screen.

Granted a stylus is far more forgiving than fingers.
 
IHateMyJob2004 said:
The human psychy (spelling?) enjoys games that use parabolic paths. If you make a game with wierd physics, people don't like it.

1) Parabolic physics.
2) Gaming sessions can last 30 second or 30 minutes (think bathroom)
3) There is a puzzle solving aspect to it (granted very simple)
4) good production value
5) new levels come out periodically

It's not hard to understand the why.
Click to expand...

Psyche.

WRT 1) the parabolic bit is the only part where Angry Birds engages its tenuous link to reality.
 
I've only played temple run for about 4 minutes and absolutely hated every second of it.

On the other hand in the last month I've probably sunk 40 hours into Hayday. Am I proud of myself? No. But damn seriously that is a catchy game.
 
Pheran said:
The latest game like this is Minion Rush (ala Despicable Me), it's pretty good. I certainly wouldn't waste money buying the extras though.
Click to expand...

Even though that's a higher quality game with a bigger budget, it'll still never achieve Temple Run's success. Personally, I can't see how Temple Run was an innovator.
 
Angry Birds was one of the first major phone games, so there wasn't much competition.
It has good artwork. (Temple Run doesn't have that)
You can blow things up, which provides short-term accessibility.
There are hundreds of levels to provide long-term enjoyment. (Temple Run doesn't have that)

They're both accessible, but I don't see how Temple Run was such a hit.
 
Temple Run is popular because it's a game you can play on the can. It's really that simple. People like mindless entertainment.
 
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