Hey all,

Am I just imagining this? I am coming to believe that we are in the middle of not just a revival of, but a cultural shift towards adventure.

Here's the apparent evidence. In the UK, one of the most popular shows right now is 'Doctor Who'. It was dead for decades and it used to be plain SciFi till the new writers got hold of it - now it's all about running about and solving problems and everybody loves it.

And a new TV show has just started here called 'Bonekickers' - they use the word 'adventure' frequently in the trailers, so they must think it's key.

In film, Indiana Jones is back, even though he's a wrinkly, which suggests the producers may believe that Indy's no longer just for the young. Then there's National Treasure 2, where the cast uses the word 'puzzles' so often it gets noticeable. Isn't there a shift in genre popularity - where once were SciFi blockbusters like the Matrix and Independence Day, now we have Stardust, the Golden Compass, Lord of the Rings and Narnia.

Then of course there is the relatively recent ubiquity of the computer-literate middle-aged, who want to exercise their wisdom and need their computers to do more than just store pictures of their grandkids :-)

Your thoughts on the Big Picture, chaps?

Cheers,

Noel

I think you could be right Noel. I can't speak for the middle-aged as I've passes thro' that stage in life, I like adventure games as they stretch my mind. My partner ( same age as me ) plays Civilisation for the same reason. My children and grandchildren don't have the spare time that I have and seem to prefer RPG's.
I am loking foward to Rhiannon very much as it sounds my type of game.
I'm sorry if I'm repeating myself but I do feel that until adventure games are advertised more and reviewed in magazines newspapers etc would be players will not know they exist.

Hi noelbruton

Maybe we are seeing that shift .... and how wonderful would that be ??

[Not that I need a push in that direction. Been an "Adventure Acolyte" since Day One ]

Cheers.

Mad

I was about 40 when I started playing adventure games and love them .Now it isnt me telling the kids .You are on that computor far to much its the other way round

I've been hooked on Adventure games for ages. Always had trouble finding them so learnt to buy every one I could find.
Now I find there are a huge number of games available and I still buy them all in case suddenly they are no more.

Recently started on DS adventure games. What a blast
Playing Trace Memory right now. So interactive with the DS, imagine having to blow into the speakers to clear dust off a painting and many more physical interactions. Give me more

Yes I like my DS Just finished Apollo Justice .I realy liked this game

Thank you, Noelbruton. I have been tagged with many labels -- not all complimentary, but ubiquitous is new. When my colleagues mock my penchant for gamebooming, I will draw their attention to my omnipresence. (BTW, I have no family pictures on either my pc or my mac, and I applaud the Rhem Series as the best games ever). With respect.

Hi all,

Apologies - I seem to have misdirected some respondents. While the middle-aged being adept with computers may be part of the picture, they're not the only type of adventure player; and while I'm grateful for the input, it's not really what I'm driving at.

The question on which I'm really keen for your views is whether society as a whole is shifting toward adventure as a preferred form of entertainment and away from the recently dominant genres of SciFi and violence.

Cheers

Noel

Hi noel --

These trends are hard to quantify (well, most things are as they are happening -- it's easier to see trends looking back on them after a few years).

I'm not sure there's a trend toward adventure per se, as much as there's a trend toward complexity in popular entertainment, which (I agree) will fit adventure well. I read Everything Bad is Good for You awhile back, and it attempted to document this trend toward difficulty and complexity in modern entertainment -- it might fit in with what you are seeing.

I don't think there's a shift away from SciFi and violence necessarily. I think we may be seeing a shift toward more depth in all genres/venues. We may be seeing a shift toward entertainment based more often on literary works or graphic novels, which would include more story and more dialog and (perhaps) more thoughtfulness/challenge in general.

Thanks Becky

I hadn't heard of Stephen Johnson - I've stuck it on my wish list for reading after we've delivered the gold code :-)

It's a fun read.

Is there many DS adventure games made?
Where can i get a list....Ron

Some DS adventure games are:
Nancy Drews--at least two
Professor Layton--several
Phoenix Wright--several
Trace Memory
Hotel Dusk
Myst(bad reviews)
Broken Sword(some glitches)

Don't know how to add a link, but I just looked on the Nintendo site.

Playing Trace Memory and loving it.

There is a posting on DS games on page 5 of this forum.

Hi Noel , I sorted see what your saying too . People are wanting to live an adventure, a fanasty in there life to get them out of the humdrum , same old thing, boring life they live . So they are going to these movies that takes them into that exciting on the edge adventure . The puzzles and the mysteries you have to solve only make it all the more intriging. I love those types of movies, books, and most of all adventure games. In an adventure game they can feel like they are really living that adventure. Maybe if the trend towards more adventure movies and books will bring more people towards adventure games.But most don't relize adventure games exist or what they are. There is not enough advertistment out there.

I feel really happy when I see middle-age people playing adventure games. Moreover I think that this genre of games are suitable for these people. The sad thing is that lot of people will not even approach or learn about them.

Hi Noel, been thinking about this. I love reading crime novels and have noticed a shift away from the little gray cells being used and a far more scientific approch being used as with Patricia Cornwall and Kathy Rieches(? spelling) We also have writers like Val McDermid and Minnetta Waters who explore the motives behind the crime and how the crime was committed in far more depth than dear old Agatha Christe or Dorothy Sayers.
Maybe in these days of "sound bites" and "rolling News" we want games and books that we can take time over and explore and use our sense of logic.
If this appeals more to older people this may be because we have more time.

@old lady

I like Ellis Peter's novels by the way!

Old Lady, that's an interesting observation and I agree with you. Thinking back a few years ago, the murder mysteries on the telly here in the UK were in the style of 'Inspector Morse' and 'Midsomer Murders', which were entertaining but ultimately stage-based performance - it happened on the screen, before and separate from the viewer. Now when I think of more recent stuff like 'CSI' and 'Waking the Dead' and their fondness for the intricacies of forensic science, it seems somehow a more involving experience for the viewer. It seems to me that screenwriters make more use of detail and are more inclined to feed our brains rather than just our eyes these days.