via Twitter
W. Eric Martin is an editor for BoardGameGeek and posts pretty regularly from the site’s official Twitter account. This morning, he shared some observations about the game industry and this year’s new games, prompted by the trends–or lack thereof–he noticed at this week’s New York Toy Fair industry trade show.
I drew a blank on Toy Fair trends because the market seems fairly diverse in terms of game styles, themes, mechanisms, etc. —WEM
— BoardGameGeek (@BoardGameGeek) February 19, 2015
Thinking more, I realized the Toy Fair trends are simply what's always been out: licensed games, memory, real-time speed recognition. —WEM
— BoardGameGeek (@BoardGameGeek) February 19, 2015
"New games are for new gamers." I said this some years ago & a friend reminds me of this from time to time when we survey the market. —WEM
— BoardGameGeek (@BoardGameGeek) February 19, 2015
We're often looking at upcoming game releases and feeling that everything is similar to what's come before. That's because it's true. —WEM
— BoardGameGeek (@BoardGameGeek) February 19, 2015
Most people who play games don't play as many as hardcore BGG users; they buy a couple of games each year, then play them to death. —WEM
— BoardGameGeek (@BoardGameGeek) February 19, 2015
Most gamers don't notice the constant wave of real-time pattern recognition games as they don't survey the 100s of games out each year. —WEM
— BoardGameGeek (@BoardGameGeek) February 19, 2015
"New games are for new gamers." Those designs we dismiss as "same ol' same ol'" will be new and exciting to thousands of players. —WEM
— BoardGameGeek (@BoardGameGeek) February 19, 2015
Spiel features nearly 1,000 new games each year, and the majority of those games will be akin to other games. Twas ever thus. —WEM
— BoardGameGeek (@BoardGameGeek) February 19, 2015
(“Spiel” refers to the Spiel des Jahres, a prestigious German Game of the Year award for board games.)
What's new & fresh for you as a gamer often depends on when you discovered modern games. Five years from that point, everything blurs. —WEM
— BoardGameGeek (@BoardGameGeek) February 19, 2015
Which is why when people ask me about which games were exciting at Spiel or NY Toy Fair or Spielwarenmesse, I can often only shrug. —WEM
— BoardGameGeek (@BoardGameGeek) February 19, 2015
(Spielwarenmesse is the German version of New York Toy Fair.)
Not that the new games at Spiel/NY Toy Fair/Spielwarenmesse aren't exciting or fun—only that I've seen so many & played so few of them. —WEM
— BoardGameGeek (@BoardGameGeek) February 19, 2015
When I actually *play* these games, they're almost always enjoyable. They're good solid designs, just not in-your-face newness. —WEM
— BoardGameGeek (@BoardGameGeek) February 19, 2015
Looking at designs on a historical basis can make new games less appealing. Looking at them on their own can highlight their strengths. —WEM
— BoardGameGeek (@BoardGameGeek) February 19, 2015
I try to keep this dichotomy in mind when writing from conventions. Every game is new to someone; try to view it from that perspective. —WEM
— BoardGameGeek (@BoardGameGeek) February 19, 2015
The same perspective seems more prevalent for books, movies & songs. View them from a historical perspective; view them on their own. —WEM
— BoardGameGeek (@BoardGameGeek) February 19, 2015
Everyone has new ideas that aren't actually new. Sometimes you know that, sometimes you don't. It depends on your frame of reference. —WEM
— BoardGameGeek (@BoardGameGeek) February 19, 2015
Some people complain about things like Love Letter: Batman because it's not new, but it will be new for thousands of players. —WEM
— BoardGameGeek (@BoardGameGeek) February 19, 2015
I waved the Love Letter: Batman logo bag before my son and my exchange student & they jumped to attention to learn more about the game. —WEM
— BoardGameGeek (@BoardGameGeek) February 19, 2015
The response to a license seems Pavlovian & you might view the game publisher using one as cynical, but it's an introductory tool. —WEM
— BoardGameGeek (@BoardGameGeek) February 19, 2015
Ideally every element of a game serves a purpose. Sometimes it's simply to get someone to pick the game up off the shelf. —WEM
— BoardGameGeek (@BoardGameGeek) February 19, 2015
Since what attracts me doesn't necessarily attract you, sometimes we'll differ on whether a game is appealing. Neither of us is wrong. —WEM
— BoardGameGeek (@BoardGameGeek) February 19, 2015
I try to keep that thought in mind when checking out games at cons. I'm not looking for what I want to play, but trying to help others. —WEM
— BoardGameGeek (@BoardGameGeek) February 19, 2015
My goal for BGG News is helping others find games that they want to play, which naturally entails showcasing games that you won't like. —WEM
— BoardGameGeek (@BoardGameGeek) February 19, 2015
Ideally we can pan the annual game releases for gold while recognizing that fool's gold isn't worthless; it's just not to our taste. —WEM
— BoardGameGeek (@BoardGameGeek) February 19, 2015
Which brings me back to conventions, with all their newness & "newness". Everything is new for someone. "New games are for new gamers." —WEM
— BoardGameGeek (@BoardGameGeek) February 19, 2015
While Martin is clearly focused on the more product-driven board game industry, his observations are equally relevant for roleplaying games. With the advent of Kickstarter and sites like DriveThruRPG lowering the barrier of entry for indie designers and publishers, there are more RPGs in circulation today than every before. While some are truly innovative, there are a lot of recycled and rebranded design elements.
As Martin suggests, that’s not a bad thing.