The magic combination of gameplay, graphics and goals
What makes a great online game? Well, that is a debate that rages across the internet. Is it gameplay, graphics or goals? Is it a mixture of all of them? Like a great pop song, bringing these elements together in just the right mix is alchemy. If every game developer and creator could get the balance right every time, there would be no dud games. However, as anyone who has played online games knows, plenty of dud ones are out there.
Surely what you see is what you get?
It could be argued that graphics are the most critical element of a game. After all, that is what people see on the screen, and their interaction is initially through imagery. However, if it was all about graphics, how does anyone explain the phenomenal success of Minecraft, which has a deliberately retro look and low-fi graphics harking back to the earliest video games?
Looking back to the early days
Looking over our shoulders at those early video games, the graphics were basic in the extreme. For example, Atari's Pong featured a barely spherical ball being batted back and forth by 2D paddles on a flickering black-and-white screen. However, it enthralled millions and made headline news back in the day. This game is still available to download and play on Twitch. That seems incredible when you think how basic it is, but it had gameplay and goals to keep players engaged. Similar simple gameplay brought the idea of games to mobile devices when Snake became a massive hit on Nokia devices.
Good looks alone are not enough
While smartphones heralded in the current mobile gaming era with enhanced graphics and lifelike animations, graphic quality alone will not keep a player engaged. Developers learned this lesson early in the evolution of the gaming industry. The early home gaming consoles had very low processing power (8bit), and their limitations were understood. However, the arrival of 16-bit machines meant more detailed graphics got incorporated. However, this was at the expense of gameplay, with constant glitching and unattainable goals. In the early 90s, warehouses full of cartridge games had to be trashed. The nascent gaming review titles found out how bad they were and told gamers to stay clear.
But where is the sweet spot?
Looking at the online gaming world today, most gamers want an exquisite blend of all three elements. So while Minecraft, as mentioned earlier, might have a blocky appearance, this is a deliberate part of the design. It is no longer due to system limitations but a conscious choice. In fact, the very blocky look is what drives the gameplay and the goals. We are no longer prepared to trade graphic quality for gameplay. At first glance, it is almost impossible to tell some gaming titles and movies apart. The CGI and animation are so good that the player appears to be controlling the action of real people.
The narrative is increasingly important
Narrative has also become an essential part of the game. People like to immerse themselves in the world the game creates and know the backstory of the characters. As a result, some games have considerable passive elements, which can relax and reward players. Often the narrative is so compelling that games create film spin-offs. An excellent early example of this was the Lara Croft franchise, with Angelina Jolie taking the explorer from console to movie screen icon. While there have been no more movies or Tomb Raider games, last year, a fully immersive live-action game was opened in Islington, London, UK.
Some people want alternative goals
Some players want more than beating bosses or defeating puzzles as a reward for their online gaming; an opportunity to win real cash is part of what drives them. There is an enormous catalogue of online games that fall into this category. Online gambling software companies have used the graphics, animations and elements of the gameplay from online games and incorporated them into fun-to-play online slots. Visually these video slots are as far a cry from the original one-armed bandits as The Witcher is from Pong. Temples and Tombs featuring Lara Croft is a video slot that draws on its gaming roots in this way. It is by no means an exception to the rule either, and a variety of games are available for people who want the goal to be winning real money on the best slot sites.
Online community
For other people, it is about online community and working together, which makes their online gaming experience rewarding. While mass participation games have been around for a while, the sense of being part of an online community came to the forefront during the pandemic when people found themselves very isolated. The game Among Us became incredibly popular around this time because it allowed genuine interaction. While relatively simple, it had a strong graphic identity, compelling gameplay and easy-to-grasp goals.
Zeitgeist
It could be said that the exact mix to make the perfect online game is not a science but an art. There is also a strong element of luck about what captures the zeitgeist and catapults its way into our collective cultural consciousness.
