61 Frames Per Second

Kids' Games too Complicated for Kids

Posted by Bob Mackey

Since I try as hard as I can to be a well-rounded gamer, I like to experience as many kinds of games as possible. Take Fallout 3, for example; I was once highly allergic to non-linear, Western RPGs, but in the past two weeks I've invested over 50 hours into Bethesda's little masterpiece. And I had the same intentions when I picked up Viva Pinata: Trouble in Paradise--I had no idea if I would like the game, but the endless amounts of praise it received (from adults, mind you) convinced me to buy it at a budget-friendly price. I'm not averse to kiddie games, but I was initially worried that maybe Pinata was going to be a little too simple for my gaming tastes.

But when I got through the game's all-too-brief tutorial, I could only think one thing: "Children are supposed to understand this?"

As someone who's been a gamer for over 20 years now, I pride myself on being able to figure out even the most complicated of in-game mechanics; but when I'm given no assistance by the game itself, I'm usually not too enthused about playing for long. I ran into this problem when I decided to slip into the Civilization series a few summers ago; after picking up Civ III and realizing that my only tutorial was a 200-page book, most attempts to come up with any sort of strategy were shot down by my lack of knowledge of how the game actually worked--and this was after reading all of thosse pages. Viva Pinata has its own tutorial and isn't nearly as complex as Sid Meier's world sim, but you're only taught the very basics of Pinata-raising, leaving important questions like "What is the goal of the game? How do I get money? Why do murdered Pinatas come back from the dead?" unanswered.

It should be noted that most of this information can be found in the game--albeit in a text-only "help" section that's nearly impossible to read on my large SDTV (thank you, Rare). I am having fun with Viva Pinata, but after playing it for a few hours, and watching my girlfriend tend to her own paper mache critters, I've noticed that some of the most basic elements of the game have still gone unexplained. After playing my share, it's hard to believe that Viva Pinata could ever be appealing to kids naturally attracted to bright and colorful cartoon animals; the game requires as much in-depth micromanagement as your typical SimCity, though the economy is much more abstract.

I'm happy that I find the game entertaining--if a bit messy and confusing--but VP is really an adult's game dressed up in kiddie clothing. This works out fine for all of us, but Rare seems to be a bit confused about their target audience. I'd be interested in knowing if any of you 61FPS readers out there have been privy to a child's experience of playing Viva Pinata; it's possible that I may be underestimating the abilities of our youth.

If you're interested in the subject, you should also check out John's post about the kid-friendliness of VP; our opinions differ greatly.

Related Links:

Of Children and LEGO Games: A Valid Concern
The Impetuousness Of Youth
Children are the Future (Of Cheap Gaming Junk)

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Posted Apr 16 2009, 02:00 PM

Filed under: microsoft, xbox 360, bob mackey, viva piñata, children, kids' games

Comments

Lynx said:

I didn't see any mention of the instruction booklet in the post. Don't know if it's any good though.

April 16, 2009 3:13 PM

Chris Daniel said:

I think this is a problem with Rare in general. Recently I rented Banjo Kazzoo-ie Nuts and Bolts and had a similar experience. While the game actually explains your goals the building mechanic is rather complex. The game never tells you what parts you need to make your vehicle actually move, nor how to tell if they are even attached. what's even more difficult is figuring out how to make a stable vehicle that actually controls well. The physics are really bouncy in Nuts and Bolts and while this may make the world more cartoony it also makes the level of tweaking needed to make a vehicle that can actually make a turn all the more difficult.

Add that to a game with a dictionary's worth of text and constant references to old games and you have a Rare game with kid graphics that no kid could appreciate.

April 16, 2009 9:24 PM

About Bob Mackey

For a brief period of time I was Bull from TV's Night Court, but some of you may know me from the humor column I wrote for Youngstown State University's The Jambar, Kent State University's The Stater, and Youngstown's alternative newspaper, The Walruss. I'm perhaps most well-known for my bi-weekly pieces on Something Awful. I've also blogged for Valley24.com and have written articles for EGM, 1UP, GameSpite and Cracked. For all of my writing over the years, I have made a total of twenty American dollars. It's also said that I draw cartoons, which people have described with words such as "legible." I kidnapped the Lindbergh Baby and am looking to do so again in the future.

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John Constantine, our superhero, was raised by birds and then attended Penn State University. He is currently working on a novel about a fictional city that exists only in his mind. John has an astonishingly extensive knowledge of Scientology. Ultimately he would like to learn how to effectively use his brain. He continues to keep Wu-Tang's secret to himself.

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