Sidekicking
by Shiraz · in Game Design and Creative Issues · 04/18/2007 (1:05 am) · 7 replies
I've been watching my nieces and nephews play video games for some time now and it finally occurred to me that there maybe be a gaming niche that needs to be filled. One kid enjoys a video game and a younger kid may or may not enjoy the game or even understand it, but wants to play with their big brother or sister. My nephew was playing Gears of War and hates to play alone. So when grown ups aren't available his little sister fills in. She has no idea really of what's going on but picked up aiming and firing. She can't move and look around at the same time though. (Aside: give her a niche and a sniper rifle and she can kick some major butt though.) In another scenario big sister is playing her Bratz game and little sister loves Bratz but can't read and so can't really follow the game.
So, and this is probably aimed at older siblings and parents, is there a market for games where younger players can sidekick. Example 1: in an RPG the main player kills the bad guys but his sidekick has to run around picking up items and ammo and bring them to him. The sidekick can't die but without the ammo the main character is in big trouble. Example 2: in an RPG the sidekick is happily running through a field gather flowers, minerals and cute animals while hearing neato sound effects and seeing cool particle effects when the right amount of each is obtained. Of course the only reason this is possible is because the main character is fending off a horde of creatures that the sidekick may or may not be aware of. If any of those creatures gets to the sidekick he, at worst, dies and, at best, loses items, but the main character needs those items for quests and spells.
Now, I'm not saying that the games can only be played this way. You can player single or multiplayer with no sidekick, but if a game like this existed, would you be more inclined to pick it up over your typical game of the same genre?
So, and this is probably aimed at older siblings and parents, is there a market for games where younger players can sidekick. Example 1: in an RPG the main player kills the bad guys but his sidekick has to run around picking up items and ammo and bring them to him. The sidekick can't die but without the ammo the main character is in big trouble. Example 2: in an RPG the sidekick is happily running through a field gather flowers, minerals and cute animals while hearing neato sound effects and seeing cool particle effects when the right amount of each is obtained. Of course the only reason this is possible is because the main character is fending off a horde of creatures that the sidekick may or may not be aware of. If any of those creatures gets to the sidekick he, at worst, dies and, at best, loses items, but the main character needs those items for quests and spells.
Now, I'm not saying that the games can only be played this way. You can player single or multiplayer with no sidekick, but if a game like this existed, would you be more inclined to pick it up over your typical game of the same genre?
#2
04/18/2007 (9:42 am)
I realize that many games can be played that way but they still gives younger players controls and options that only confuse them. You have a good point about increasing the LOD along the way, though.
#3
04/18/2007 (10:21 am)
On N64.. the game Jet Force Gemini had a sidekick-ish type thing that would suit younger kids. Basically, a second player could take control of this little flying bot that was always near the main player.. All it could do was look in different directions and shoot. If a player wasn't playing, the AI took care of it and it was like having someone play with you sorta.. so it would appeal to both types of gamers. On the otherhand, my friend and I hated it cause we are both hardcore gamers and thought it was gimped co-op compared to Perfect Dark (64) :P
#5
04/22/2007 (1:20 pm)
You probably are on to a good niche market, I remember my old roommate has an 8 year old who whenever she came over wanted to play games with me, normally I'd be on my computer playing WoW and she'd want to play so I'd move my character to an area where all the monsters were way below my level and could be 1-3 hit killed. She didn't like to use the mouse and keyboard at the same time so I'd move the view around with the mouse and click on the things she wanted to attack and she'd run at them and hit the attack key, seemed to be insanely fun for her even if it was the most boring thing in the world for me
#6
I think the problem will be making the game to fit the younger gamer, because as the kids advance in skill or interest, they will like specific functions. For example, because Tails can't die, this can be a good thing for lower skill side kicks, but they might *not* like that they can't die, because there's no risk. The younger the kid, the more kid-friendly the game will need to be, which can turn off older gamers. The complexity of puzzles or controls, the difficulty of enemy AI, a lot of factors come into play, and kids preferences can change quickly, as they mature or get better with practice. If you put a limit on their use or ability, they can't advance further than it, but if you don't give them a foundation, they can't get better fast enough.. so it's a pickle.
Maybe, here's an idea. What if, at least for enemy skill, they had a difficulty slider. I believe Oblivion (?) uses the system, where the enemies are scaled to your skill level. This would be most practical for RPGs, but maybe a series of dynamic systems like that could provide a changing game scape for the side kicks to play that would cater to their preferences or skills.
04/22/2007 (9:27 pm)
I too have memories of this. I recently bought one of the Sonic the Hedgehog collection games. In Sonic 3, my little sister loves being able to control Tails, and beat up the bad guys. Because normally Tails is the secondary character, she can't die [I, playing Sonic, have to stay alive] if Tails gets hit, he can always come back. If she falls off the screen, she can just let go of the controller, and Tails will automatically fly in from above. That way, she can help me beat the bosses, or get items, or most fun, fly Sonic up to higher areas he can't normally reach. I think the problem will be making the game to fit the younger gamer, because as the kids advance in skill or interest, they will like specific functions. For example, because Tails can't die, this can be a good thing for lower skill side kicks, but they might *not* like that they can't die, because there's no risk. The younger the kid, the more kid-friendly the game will need to be, which can turn off older gamers. The complexity of puzzles or controls, the difficulty of enemy AI, a lot of factors come into play, and kids preferences can change quickly, as they mature or get better with practice. If you put a limit on their use or ability, they can't advance further than it, but if you don't give them a foundation, they can't get better fast enough.. so it's a pickle.
Maybe, here's an idea. What if, at least for enemy skill, they had a difficulty slider. I believe Oblivion (?) uses the system, where the enemies are scaled to your skill level. This would be most practical for RPGs, but maybe a series of dynamic systems like that could provide a changing game scape for the side kicks to play that would cater to their preferences or skills.
#7
One time while playing Dark Age of Camelot I put my son on team speak so he could tell everyone in the group where to go. This didn't work so well since we had to climb every ladder or staircase we went past and his affinity for the blue castles was dangerous.
04/23/2007 (11:11 am)
I play guantlet II on the xbox with my son. He's a treasure and key specialist who decides which direction we go.One time while playing Dark Age of Camelot I put my son on team speak so he could tell everyone in the group where to go. This didn't work so well since we had to climb every ladder or staircase we went past and his affinity for the blue castles was dangerous.
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Secret of Mana for the Super NES was a really good sidekicker game. In Viva Pinata on the Xbox 360, another player can connect a second controller and help the first player with their garden (I do this with my Girlfriends 8-year old daughter a lot).
I would be inclined to pick up certain titles that have the ability for cooperative multiplayer such as what you are mentioning - however, I think it would be important to me that as the second player grew in skill and ability that the challenge would rise to match, until at some point it would be a completely equal multiplayer co-op game. Otherwise I think you would run the risk of either the second player losing interest, or having the game completely relegated to just being a "for kids" type of game.