Shooter, platformer, slasher, adventure, metroidvania, roguelike, simulators… The modern gaming industry has come a long way in the field of digital entertainment, becoming truly a colossal layer of the cultural heritage of all humanity from all corners of our vast planet. And this brings a sense of pride to most people who identify themselves with this movement: pride in the fact that they are part of something larger than themselves; pride that after so many years spent with a controller/keyboard mouse in their hands, they can call themselves.. experts. As for the feelings I experience, it will most likely be fear and anxiety for the bright future of our entire community. And one of the cornerstones of the stumbling block in this matter is genre affiliation.
Hello readers, you are on StopGame.Ru, I have prepared a bucket of refreshing water for you with love Mikhail Smertnov, Well, the topic for today’s holivar will be the above-mentioned term of the video game industry. Let’s go.
The first was the word, and the word was… Classification
From time immemorial, even before the appearance of the first digital products of human activity, society strived for two things that are interesting to us today: systematization of knowledge for greater ease of use and simplification of complex elements and the creation of simpler categories for them. Why? Yes, because our species is lazy enough to strain a little now for the sake of simply satisfying needs in the future. A simple example: is there at least one person among you who has never written “xs”, “t” in his life?.To.", "SPS", "PC"? Of course not. Why? Well, it’s so lazy to write “Personal Computer”, and it also takes a long time. My time isn’t worth it in this life, so PC, period! In other words, this very “PC” is designed to simplify our lives, making it more convenient and simpler. Is it bad? Yes, by and large, not at all. Main – everyone speaks the same language. Everyone understands each other. And I ask you to remember this thesis until the end of the article, we will return to it and a couple more.
These truisms are, of course, good. But what kind of “classification” is this that is derived within the title of this section of the article?? In fact, everything is quite transparent and, I would even say, simple. Classification is the result of the process of systematizing information, within which we as a result receive several key groups, including elements with some common features. And here I want to step aside a little from our beloved industry, linking my experience of working with one biologist to the article. Why – you will understand a little later. I personally think this is a very important element of our narrative.
So, cool story: we worked at the ornithological base as part of our scientific work, collecting information and observing Mockingbirds (such birds). I, as usual in such stories, did the dirty work. My supervisor, in turn, was involved in identifying birds and systematizing data. And what is noteworthy is that we could not identify one of the specimens confidently and accurately. To do this, we had to attract colleagues from big science. You can say that I had the honor of attending this closed internal consultation, in a decrepit shack on the territory of a Russian national park. The argument between the doctors of science lasted for almost an hour, as a result of which we came to the conclusion: my supervisor said that he would describe the species in his article as the Green Mockingbird. His colleague, in turn, said that he would describe her in the article as Polyphonic. And on this the great scientists parted ways.
What is remarkable about this story for us?? The fact is that it doesn’t matter what your status is and what the general laws and norms prescribe within the same classification among biologists – the scientist will write as he sees fit. Even if the object for his research is the same. And we are talking about the work experience of professionals and respected scientists with many scientific works. Believe it or not, but, as the leader later told me, there were quite a few such stories in his lifetime.
Translating history into the mainstream of our current topic and subject of conversation – how can it even have a place here?? Well, it’s actually very easy. Tell me the genre of The Binding of Isaac and only at this stage will we start arguing in the comments about Rogue-like and Rogue-lite. And everyone will leave, similar to the example described above, with their own answer. Why? The classification of video games is a system of these same genres that we have built over many years of the existence of this area of human expression. But who is to blame and who is right in the end?? Well…
Gamers are the culprits of all troubles!
Another interesting feature of a person is his inner desire to find the culprit for all sins against others, who will play the role of a kind of “scapegoat” for all inconsistencies or problems at this celebration of life. Often game journalists take the hit, as those people who are called upon to be the “voice of truth”, incorruptible and objective judges who will point us to the truth. But… Who is a gaming journalist really??
Igrozhur – This Human, who is well versed in video games and is able to interestingly tell the mass consumer about them.
In other words, a person, IMHO, who is intended to convey the key points of a particular project for the masses. I would like, and I think all gamers, that this was true and they could really broadcast exclusively their IMHO to the masses. A gamer who undertakes to write about video games, and especially to do it seriously, must be a very competent person in his topic, who well understands the needs of other people and writes based on what the majority needs. What does this mean for us?
This means that first of all, the majority is at the forefront. And they are satisfied with all the words of those who speak to them from the screens of various video devices on YouTube. And only after, when a person begins to dig into this topic unknown to him, he realizes one simple thing: the bad guy in his review didn’t say this, that, the fifth and the tenth, but the genre of the game was completely out of whack… Not what others think it is?
So what defines a genre??
Since you and I remembered this wonderful word, let’s continue. It’s not just that I mentioned fellow gaming journalists. But first, let’s have a little laugh. Did you even know that games were classified back in 1988 by Doctor of Psychological Sciences and Emeritus Professor of Moscow State University – A. G. Shmelev? Or that in 2006 he tried to do the same P. G. Sibiryakov? Yes, I bet that this is even the first time you’ve heard these names. Why? Because if we want to highlight a new genre, you won’t listen to a scientist-psychologist with many years of experience, but just ask your grandfather not to choke and pick up the opinion, for example, Ivan Loeva from his review of a recent project. And will it be right?? The question is controversial, but as for me – more than.
If we are talking about the gaming industry and genre formation within its framework, we are overwhelmingly not talking about the work of some unknown psychologists from Moscow State University, who are unlikely to have studied the history of the Final Fantasy series in the same way as the conventional Daur Avidzba(where ISKA?). We are talking about what is accepted in the reality of the majority. And the representation of this very majority is formed by who? That’s right – those who are his voice within the masses. And later, if there are several options, only the one that has become will survive convenient for many. We don’t say Souls-Borne-Like for the most part? No. Why? Because PC. Well, while it comes to that..
Let’s take this exact example – Souls-like. This is a new genre for the industry, which has its own right to such a name, given to it by gaming journalists over the hill and here, when they talked about games in the spirit of the DS series, all as one, something like the following:
The glory of Dark and Demon Souls haunts many, and finally the first clones began to appear.
(With) Vasily Galperov, Lord’s of the Fallen review
If you look at the video review of the game from the ruler of Galperia, I think it will immediately become clear to you that at the very first moment we compare the game with Dark Souls. Dark Souls clone, similar to Dark Souls, or Souls-like. And since Vasya was not alone among those who emphasized this similarity, games of this kind began to be called for convenience as we are accustomed to call the genre/subgenre today.
I think you already understand what line I will ask you to remember as the final chord of this section until our finale: the genre was created in order to create a comfortable environment for players in which we can reach an understanding of each other. I hope that you will not forget this and the first line until the end of our journey, because it is not over yet.
The crowd is hungry for beer, swearing and spectacle!
Well, now it’s time for the most unpleasant part of this material… We discussed why we like to systematize information and why we give it some meaningful definitions. However, we still haven’t decided on the main thing: how to use the genre? This is where we start talking about what I call genre intolerance. What do I mean by this?
Genre intolerance – this is a manifestation of intolerance, similar to any other (racism, for example), the task of which is to prove the superiority of one specific genre/group of genres for a project/group of projects. At the same time, the presence of any other genre elements other than those chosen by the user of genre intolerance is unacceptable.
Translating into adequate language: the genre has become a tool for creating toxic situations and disputes. And this, it seems to me, is the main problem of genres today. They are like some kind of isolated camp in the eyes of so many people, existing in isolation from the entire industry. And the slightest encroachment on its modifications or changes is a sign of the insolvency of the person who wants to express his opinion.
And it is here that we remember again about our fellow gamers. We found out that they are gamers just like you and me. However, they form the names of entire genres using their digital pens and recording certain gaming materials. And since they are people like you and me, why are we worse?? I will remind you that the world is a relative thing. This might be Metroidvania for you, but Metroid-like for me. But is that bad?? I think not.
A genre is a conventional classical set of certain elements of video games, designed to make it more convenient for you and me to navigate through a catalog of hundreds of thousands of projects, and not a set of clear laws, the boundaries of which no one is allowed to cross. Don’t take these things too seriously – they’re not worth fighting that huge windmill for.
Take a gamepad/keyboard mouse, open your favorite grand-hotel-casino.uk project and before diving into it, remember the last line and finish reading this material – recommendation is not a requirement.
So what are the conclusions, Mishan?
Well, first of all, I would like to finally answer the question from the very title of the article. Obviously – no, the genre is not evil. This is a necessary element, which we will live with throughout the history of the video game industry. However, this does not mean that this is an entirely positive phenomenon.
Secondly, let’s highlight the main aspects that we must remember when talking about the “genre” of a particular game. This will help everyone to refresh their memory of the content of the material and finally visualize the image of the answer to the question “what is a genre and why is it needed?”?"in my head.
-The main characteristic of the genre should serve as a marker for the majority of players, and micro-moments and secondary details will be described for hardened fans of this group of games in their “subgenres”
-Genres are created primarily for convenience. For this reason, if talking about them makes you feel uncomfortable, change the topic out of harm’s way. Don’t start pointless arguments between doctors of science.
And thirdly, I thank you for reading this short text on the topic! I hope that it was useful and interesting for you, and also allowed you to look at something familiar and ordinary from a different angle. I am always happy to discuss any points of interest to you in the comments, or keep up the conversation on an interesting topic. However, if you want to try to prove something to me with foam at the mouth and eyes burning with the flames of hell, it’s better to find another interlocutor, we are clearly not on the same path.
At this point, perhaps, I’ll say goodbye to you. I wish you good luck in navigating the video games around you. I also advise you to evaluate my past materials about the slasher genre and analysis of the Bayonetta duology. And while you decide where to direct your path next, I’ll go get ready for our imminent meeting in the vast expanses of the wonderful Stop Game Ru!
Best comments
Why is the conversation about “genre” carried out exclusively in the context of video games, as if the genre of a game is a more complex and complex issue than, for example, the genre of a song, film or book??
But what’s more important is that there is no normal, tangible definition of what a “genre” is. Because “genre” is not something independent and extraneous, imposed on the game from the outside. This is simply one of its inherent characteristics, like a person’s height, weight or skin color.
So right off the bat it’s completely incomprehensible how a genre can be “evil” if it is an integral characteristic of the game. But they ignored common, painful and controversial questions in the spirit of “Soulslice is a genre or subgenre? Indie is a genre? Cyberpunk is a genre? What is the SPECIFIC difference between roguelike and roguelight??»
Some kind of clickbait title of the article, a lot of water, as if I was reading my mother’s course on cultural studies, and the absence of a clear conclusion. Why even write this??
I would understand if the article examined in detail examples of games that suffered due to their adherence to the genre or, on the contrary, attempts to go beyond.
No negativity, just really the article is ultimately about nothing
So we’re talking about genre or semantics in general? What is the conflict? The fact that people argue about whether a game belongs to one genre or another? Or talking about terminology (shooters/shooters)?
It still doesn’t make much sense though, since I’ve never seen a hard-fought genre debate that hurt anyone. But hey, maybe I don’t see this shadow world of gamers..
And what, exactly, is wrong in the absence of a conversation about genres within the film industry, literature and similar examples, if these are all the same classification analogues that we talked about in a slightly abstract example? I don’t think that in the context of this particular conversation it made very much sense. But it may be so, of course – it’s hard to judge to be honest.
I refused to give a definition on purpose, so that the reader could decide for himself how he would best characterize it based on the theses of the conclusion. We know that a genre is a set of features and elements characteristic of a certain category of games. But why talk about it 100500 times if the main goal of this work is to push people to look at this issue a little differently. Do not assume that they have a rigid and harsh framework, but give free rein and space for your imagination, your vision.
I just want to say that many great and famous franchises today began precisely with the way their authors sought to go beyond the generally accepted boundaries. Create a game that won’t be like others. And the absence of any specific genre clearly did not push them away along the way. There’s a similar situation here, but from the player’s perspective: why should I put myself within the framework of created genres if they are quite conventional? Why do I keep shitting in the comments because I preach my idea of the genre of the DS series?? Here I am glad that you mentioned this notorious skin color in the characteristics. After all, akin to hostility towards it, many people create a situation of atmosphere of this very hostility for others.
As for questions, I like the word “hesitant”. Why? Yes, because that’s pretty much how I see them. Okay, let me call S-L a subgenre. In a week we will change to genre and so on one by one. And something like this will radically change in the gaming industry? The order of the universe will be shaken and the entire system will collapse? As for me – no. A genre or subgenre is, in one way or another, a group of games with a set of specific elements. This set will change depending on her position in this hierarchy.
Rogue-liKe and Rogue-liTe – yes, the games are distinguished by the presence of a more player-friendly system of gradual progression, but against the general background – is it so important to make holivars on this topic over and over again?? Don’t get me wrong: it’s good that we’re talking about the development of games and their mechanics, but when 3 years ago a man came up to me foaming at the mouth and began, as if threateningly, to prove that one game is liTe, and the other is liKe, I just felt uneasy. Not because we divide one group of games into different categories. And from the fact that they are ready to kill me, like a Jew during the Holocaust, simply because I am not adherents of a particular race.
The material initially did not carry the idea of answering such questions – it carried the meaning of talking about whether genre affiliation can be evil in the hands of a gamer and show why we created these same genres in the first place – for general convenience. But if a thing created for convenience begins to bring this kind of discomfort as described above, this, it seems to me, is a problem.
Perhaps few people have encountered this in their practice, or for most it is the norm, but I cannot watch how people who are sincerely passionate about the same thing start shitting literally on the spot where it is… It makes no sense in the global sense.
On the subject: Ivan Kudryashov has, in my opinion, a comprehensive article on genre classification in video games.
All the material initially had the meaning of talking about whether genre affiliation can be evil in the hands of a gamer and to show why we created these same genres in the first place – for general convenience. But if a thing created for convenience begins to bring this kind of discomfort as described above, this, it seems to me, is a problem.
It is not the games themselves or the developers who suffer from this fact. We, gamers, suffer when we see another fight similar to console warriors, but on the basis of genre identity. After all, if you just change the name of the genre a little, without losing the meaning, they will bully you. Is it normal for you to call a shooter a shooter?? For me – quite. The essence does not suffer. But I know people who are ready to put me on sausage for something like this. And this was precisely the “evil” to which I appealed. Yes, the genre originally does not carry anything bad and this is a necessary and useful thing. But in the hands of an individual, this can become a double-edged sword..
To a greater extent, we are talking about semantics around the various names of the genres of our industry and their framework. The conflict is that for people both belonging and the specific name of the genre are something inviolable. A thing that cannot be modified or changed in any way without losing the main meaning. But if you do this, you will become something of a scapegoat in the eyes of the people around you.
If we talk about manifestations of this kind of thing, I very often observe this both in communication with my various comrades, and simply in conditional comments on various platforms. Apparently, I’m sitting in a very toxic environment, since I come across something like this.
It’s strange that searching the site didn’t give me this result. Well, or it was somewhere in another section and I didn’t notice traditionally… Thank you!
Please. In general, I think that everyone who undertakes to write an essay on the topic of genres in video games should display this article in an unclosable advertising window in order to immediately discourage the desire to delve into this topic. I once threw my draft into the trash after her xD
This is Mrs. Krasnopolskaya)
As a person says when he did something after another and didn’t know about it – the industry is large, so there are many similarities
As a person says, when something similar was done after him – plagiarism!1! XD
if we want to highlight a new genre, you won’t listen to a scientist-psychologist with many years of experience, but just ask your grandfather not to choke and pick up the opinion of, say, Ivan Loev from his review of a recent project.
But seriously, don’t exaggerate the problem. There are very few people who will try to prove that Binding of Isaac is a roguelike and not a rogue-lite. And in general, I have not seen people who would claim that genre classification is a “rigid set of laws” that cannot be violated.
The only serious debate on the genre topic that I know of is the attributes of RPG. Quite a few copies have actually been broken on this topic, and a lot of articles have been written, including on SG.
Well, let’s put it this way – I can quite understand the logic of such headlines and do not feel too much hostility towards them, even if they feel painfully foreign to me personally.
But there are people for whom it is simply vital to create completely Russified terms, without the use of Anglicisms (which is impossible). Why, it’s hard for me to understand, but let’s just say I wouldn’t drop any material on a topic that interests me because of this.
the genre has become a tool for creating toxic situations and disputes. And this, it seems to me, is the main problem of genres today.
And ratings, ratings more. People get burned much more by ratings (including me) than by the wrong genres. Here are the assessments: this is the cancer of all industries. I kind of understand why they are used, but I don’t accept it.
Because if we want to highlight a new genre, you won’t listen to a psychologist with many years of experience, but just ask your grandfather not to choke and pick up the opinion of, say, Ivan Loev from his review of a recent project.
No need to invent, all genres are invented by Kojima.
I’ve met… I constantly meet people who prove to me not only foaming at the mouth that RPGs are exclusively isometric games built on D&D mechanics and interspersed with tons of text in the dialogues. At the same time, during an argument that they themselves start, the most affectionate thing they call me is “stupid complete imbecile”.
I’m sure they were just mocking you .
The fact that you deny one extreme is quite normal. But the reasoning in the article for the most part sounds like you have no complaints about this title. And this is already a nasty extreme.
