Hardcore Casual: Game Culture Return(s) to Ravenhearst Mia Consalvo, Ph.D. Ohio University 9 South College Street Athens, Ohio 45701 USA 740.597.1521 [email protected]

ABSTRACT , but also as players proudly announced they had beaten Scholarly attention to game culture has mostly focused on games the game. In the next few days and weeks they also posted their that cater to that the literature has deemed ‘hardcore,’ own reviews, helped forum administrators create walkthroughs, ‘heavy’ or at least ‘mainstream,’ games. Researchers doing so video guides and interactive maps, and generally debated how have explored how those who put in large amounts of time well the game fit into its series. Mac users grumbled about when playing such games are also productive of the culture surrounding the game would be ported for them to play, and latecomers to the the game. Yet in relation to casual games and their players, we release continued to add new things to conversations. The game have seen a curious omission. Are elements of game culture such continues to hold the #1 place at its publisher’s site, even with the as game capital and the creation and avid use of paratexts specific appearance of new games released on the site daily. to traditional gamers? And if not, do casual players differ in Yet this group of players, and this game are not the norm when specific or important ways from those norms? This paper uses a game studies scholars write about gamers as fans. Most of these case study approach to investigate those questions, as well as to devoted and passionate players are adult women, and the game is draw attention to a neglected group—devoted fans of casual a casual title: Mystery Case Files: Return to Ravenhearst. When games. women gamers are discussed, it’s usually in relation to their difference from a perceived norm—male gamers—rather than showing how they may be fans or productive of game culture in Categories and Subject Descriptors their own right. And the literature describing and analyzing game Human Factors; Theory. culture as a type of fan culture has often focused on those that have seemed most stereotypically fanatical or ‘obsessive’ in their interests. This is the case because scholarly attention to game General Terms culture has mostly focused on games that cater to gamers that the Human Factors, Theory literature has deemed ‘hardcore,’ ‘heavy’ or at least ‘mainstream,’ even if we don’t all agree on or approve of those identifying Keywords terms. In practice, that means studying those who play MMOGs, Casual games, casual game players, game culture, fan culture, First Person Shooters, and big-budget RPGs. Researchers doing so videogames have explored how those who put in large amounts of time playing such games are also productive of the culture surrounding the game—through the creation of items such as walkthroughs and quest help [1], machinima [2], game-related fiction and 1. INTRODUCTION stories [3], and quitting videos and texts for when the commitment On November 26, 2008, a hotly anticipated sequel to a highly becomes too much [4]. rated videogame was released online. Players had been discussing the game in forums for months prior to the event, wondering Yet in relation to casual games and their players, we have seen a whether the game would be faithful to the original, what new curious omission. The industry and popular press have focused on features it would incorporate, and just how good it would be. the business of casual games, touting their impressive sales Once available, fans started eagerly purchasing and playing the figures as well as ability to reach new player demographics [5]. game, posting numerous threads in forums across the internet Most academic attention to this area has focused on about the game, mainly as they encountered difficult aspects of [6], gameplay considerations [7], and the definition of the genre itself [8] There have likewise been small forays into exploring

Permission to make digital or hard copies of all or part of this work for player interests and attitudes concerning casual games [9], but so personal or classroom use is granted without fee provided that copies are far, no one has yet approached casual games from the standpoint not made or distributed for profit or commercial advantage and that of game culture. copies bear this notice and the full citation on the first page. To copy otherwise, or republish, to post on servers or to redistribute to lists, At first blush, it would seem that casual games have no culture, if requires prior specific permission and/or a fee. we understand such games as being about short bursts of ICFDG 2009, April 26–30, 2009, Orlando, FL, USA. gameplay, completed either alone or via semi-anonymous ‘game Copyright 2009 ACM 978-1-60558-437-9…$5.00.

50 rooms,’ with games that are easy to pick up and complete, and just them meaning. Originally ascribed to books and literature, the as easily discarded. If that were the case, why would players term has evolved and been used to describe the apparatus possibly care about communicating their interests or problems surrounding videogames, such as the box art, walkthroughs, with games, or expectations for future games? Alternately, if there previews and reviews of games, and anything else that helps set a were culture or community to be found, it might be present on game in context and helps players understand it [1]. Likewise, sites where multiplayer games are available, but not single player gaming capital is the form of cultural capital accrued to gamers in games. Finally, if there were some sort of game/player community part as they gain knowledge about games and game culture, but relative to casual games, how would it look compared to hardcore more importantly, as they share that knowledge with others. Thus or heavy players of more traditional games? Could it measure up, players can develop gaming capital by playing a game a great deal would it be a pale imitation, or perhaps something entirely and gaining deep knowledge of the game, which is then shared different? with fellow gamers. Likewise, certain players may be the first to share hints or tips about games, or the first to post reviews or Game studies scholars have recognized how terms such as news about upcoming or current releases. All such activities help hardcore and casual are inadequate for understanding different players accrue and display gaming capital, constituting them as a types of games. However, we have not yet questioned the valued part of a particular gaming culture. Thus this paper looks assumption that the concept of game culture applies mainly to closely at two inter-related areas—what players are doing and those who play certain types of games. That assumption comes saying relative to Return to Ravenhearst; and how two major through in our choices of games and gamers for study, and more portals afford or constrain their abilities to create paratexts, and importantly, through those we don’t choose—games and gamers accrue gaming capital. outside those norms. Yet should that implied division stand? Are elements of game culture such as game capital and the creation and avid use of paratexts specific to traditional gamers [1]? And if 2.1 Casual meets hardcore: Paratexts and not, do casual players differ in specific or important ways from gaming capital those norms? This paper uses a case study approach to investigate What we know about videogames is shaped by what we learn those questions, as well as to draw attention to a neglected about them before they are ever released. For example, game group—devoted fans of casual games. companies release screenshots and news about upcoming games, to give players a sense of what to expect, as well as to generate interest and excitement. Sequels have an easier job because if the 2. MYSTERY CASE FILES first game was a hit, players are often eager to experience (and are The Mystery Case File series is developed and published by Big familiar with) a continuation of a particular story or type of Fish Games, a Seattle-based company that also runs a major portal gameplay. The original title Mystery Case Files: Ravenhearst was for casual games, releasing a downloadable game every day of the released in 2006, and for the week in November ending in Black year. The company currently works with more than 600 Friday, it was the third best selling PC game in the US, developers for the titles it publishes (in addition to those it guaranteeing not only the continuation of the larger MCF series, develops on its own), and it recently received over $80 million in but also spawning a sequel— Return to Ravenhearst —to its own funding from venture capitalists [10]. Big Fish Game’s Mystery particular storyline: the tale of a ghostly presence in a British Case Files franchise falls into the “hidden object” (or “seek and manor house [11]. find”) genre of casual games. Typically such games feature visually rich scenes stocked with a number of particular objects encouraged that interest, starting an official (such as hats, magnifying glasses, and pinecones) that the player discussion thread for the sequel on its forums a month before its must find (either in timed or untimed mode), and which official release. The thread is still active, with 62 pages holding players must solve to access further elements of the game’s story. 1,235 comments that have (at the time of this writing) generated The MCF series has seven games, the majority for PCs and Macs: 69,520 views. Agent X (mobile only), Huntsville, Madame Fate, MillionHeir ( DS only), Prime Suspects, Ravenhearst, and Return to Initial posters to the thread quickly expressed their excitement Ravenhearst. The franchise has sold more than 2.5 million units to about the pending release, discussing how much they liked the date [11] and as of December 17, Return to Ravenhearst was still original game and speculating about what would happen in the #1 in sales at Big Fish Games’ site since its launch on November sequel. Alert posters began scrutinizing the two screenshots that 26, 2008. The game is sold exclusively at Big Fish Games’ portal, were also released at that time, such as eleanor1183 who where non-members can pay up to $19.99 for the game, and club speculates about one screenshot: members pay as low as $6.99 depending on their particular On the far wall, there are two more portraits. The one on contract. the right, slightly lower on the wall, is of a woman. The one on the left, slightly higher on the wall, is of two More importantly though I want to investigate how players of children, apparently of about the same age - a boy and a Return to Ravenhearst have talked about the game, and how they girl. Think these might be our twins?1 helped generate excitement and interest in the series, both prior to and after the game’s release. Relatedly it’s important to investigate how sites such as Big Fish Games’ forum as well as other casual site forums enable and constrain player actions. One way to do so is to examine player activities relative to two 1 Post taken from thread at URL: concepts previously mentioned—paratext and gaming capital. http://forums.bigfishgames.com/posts/list/20/9425.page. Briefly, paratexts are the texts that surround texts, helping to give Accessed 18 December 2008.

51 Likewise, others discuss unresolved aspects of the plotline from of the game. There have been about 1000 responses to that Ravenhearst as well as the other Mystery Case Files games question, and more than 62,000 viewings of the thread, indicating (which loosely tie together), as well as possibly relevant hints or very high forum interest in the game and other players’ opinions clues found during hidden object hunts in Ravenhearst—such as a of it. In that thread players expressed their passion for the game picture of a wedding couple with the bride’s face crossed out, series as well as for this particular title, their frustration with some faces on planters outside of the house, and references to times and game elements, technical glitches, and asked when the Mac dates found on various calendars, tickets, and letters. Ddugo version would be forthcoming. Posters also raised questions about expressed her excitement with the pending release, but also the storyline the game advances for the MCF series, and what a frustration with it being the day before Thanksgiving, as she potential sequel to this game would reveal. won’t be able to sit and play all day due to holiday preparations, but at least “I will miss all the downloading glitches that More generally, players also posted when they had finished the sometimes happen.” As the release drew closer still, posters talked game, some mere hours after the game’s initial release. Likewise, of getting up “at 2 am” to get the game, and just as the time turned others reported playing all day or all night, downloading the trial to midnight (making the game available), “pigqueen” posted version “at 1 AM” and getting Thanksgiving preparations done so “Brace yourselves, BFG… here we come!” with scores of others that one player could “stay up waaaay too late tonight playing.” immediately posting their status in downloading the game. Clearly, excitement about the game, found through both joy and frustration involved in playing, was evident across the site. While Once the game was released, a deluge of discussion hit the Big most players didn’t brag about quickly finishing the game Fish Games forums, as players began to download and explore the (preferring instead to take their time and enjoy the game they had game. As of mid-December 2008, the game had generated more eagerly awaited), there were definitely posters who took joy in than 49 pages of threads, which comprise varying numbers of quickly finishing the game, and reporting their experiences to posts and page views. As a comparison, another popular sequel, others. Azada: Ancient Magic, generated only 15 pages of threads following its release in summer 2008. Some of the most popular Another way that players could be a part of this community was Return to Ravenhearst threads are dedicated to helping players through posting their own more formal reviews, as well as solve particular puzzles in the game. Return to Ravenhearst contributing to walkthroughs and maps for the game world. More evolves the genre for the series, giving players more of an formal reviews could be found on the casual games dedicated adventure style game with a greater number of and more Gamezebo.com site, which does not sell games, functioning complicated puzzles to in comparison to the series’ hidden object instead as more of a support site for interested players with game play origins, resulting in quite a bit of confusion among players news, previews, reviews, forums, and other game-related features about how to successfully play the game. However, players and information. Walkthroughs created by site administrators quickly started helping each other along, offering specific advice appeared here, alongside player-created maps and numerous for particular puzzles as well as general encouragement. For player reviews of the game. For example, Jeff Zahn created a example, LizzyK offered detailed advice for many frustrated series of hyperlinked maps of all locations in the game, indicating players trying to get a telephone working: where various areas connected, as well as what type of locations they were—marked as puzzles to solve, hidden objects to find, To get the phone number you have to go to the required tasks, and the like. The maps Zahn created filled a 26- Gingerbread house, through the doll’s tea party room, page document, posted for free on the Gamezebo site only a few through the bedroom with the crib and twin beds and weeks following the release of the game. through the door that is missing the doorknob (you have to have found the doorknob so you can go in). This is Likewise, gamers at Gamezebo have written 48 reviews of the the storage room with a gramophone and the hole in the game, giving it on average 5/5 stars. Most reviews are only 2-3 wall under the poster. On the floor beside the sentences long, but reviewers easily delineate what they like or gramophone is a white paper with the phone number. dislike about the game into typical review elements—for example, Go back to the Toy Store. players praise the music and sound/score in the game, as well as the highly polished graphics. Those who enjoy the storyline Go to the basement of the Toy Store and connect the mention that, calling it amazing, wonderful, and “the best.” telephone wires so that the phone will work. This wire Perhaps the biggest divergence among reviewers is in discussion connection has a SKIP available or you can look of the gameplay style or genre of the game, as Return to at the solution in my Photobucket. The Tips and Tricks Ravenhearst is billed as a hybrid of Hidden Object and Adventure topic for this game has instructions on how to find my games. Players who prefer the HO style reported having more Photobucket.2 trouble with the puzzles and the lack of clear directions, but overall many of them still felt that new generic elements were Such an example was not unusual—players helped each other well done. Fans of adventure style games were delighted with the throughout the day of release and beyond. Most responses to help game’s evolution, comparing the game favorably to other requests were posted only minutes after the question first series such as Nancy Drew. Finally, many appeared. Likewise, other threads started such as the very popular reviewers expressed delight at the integration of so many such “What did you think?” thread which asked players their opinions successful elements into an overall package of a ‘great game.’ While some players found glitches and bugs that detracted from their play and others found the genre shift too radical for their 2 Post taken from thread at: tastes, most players wrote reviews that identified disparate http://forums.bigfishgames.com/posts/list/20/12814.page.

52 elements of the game, and remarked favorably on their design and limitations gamers at Big Fish Games still manage to create execution. personas as helpful, cheerful, or knowledgeable players.

Another way that players can generate gaming capital is through Gamezebo allows users greater options in creating a profile, the creation of paratexts beyond general game discussion, which consists of an avatar icon, options for listing your real walkthroughs and reviews of games. In relation to mainstream name, sex, location, astrological sign, hobbies, favorite games, gamers, game studies research has focused on artifacts such as your friends from the forum, and an “about me” section. machinima, game-inspired artwork, and fan fiction. While not as Additionally, central space is given to listing your recent well developed in this area, here too players of Mystery Case Files activities, friends’ activities, and “kudos collections.” When Return to Ravenhearst have begun to create a larger game culture. someone makes a post that other players appreciate, the option is For example, upon her completion of Return to Ravenhearst, given to “send a kudo” which offers options such as “cool tip” “juliamadeane” posted a work of fan fiction to the Big Fish “great review” “cute profile” and the like. The number and type of Games forums, taking the participant into another mystery to kudos a player has received are then listed on their profile page, solve: indicating if someone has been a particularly good reviewer, or has perhaps contributed valuable comments or tips to discussion Standing at the edge of the void that had once been of a certain game. Gamezebo also has a list of “Top members” (all Ravenhearst, the chill that ran through me had less to do time, this month, this week), which are based on points received. with the rain and wind and more to do with the events of Points come from contributions such as reviewing games and the previous hours. After what seemed endless receiving kudos. Thus, posters who contribute to the site in ways struggling through cavern after cavern, I had finally deemed valuable by the site itself (reviews) as well as other come face to face with the evil that was Charles posters (kudos) are accorded a certain amount of status within the Dalimar. I still struggled to accept all that had happened forum community. Gamezebo’s system is more refined than Big the day before and into the night. Even as I watched Fish Games’ simple post accumulation, offering greater Ravenhearst—The House That Love Built --succumb to personalization and more opportunities for players to weigh in on the flames that pierced its core, the acceptance of what others’ contributions (rather than being simply about over- it all was, is and, unfortunately, will be eluded me. posting), suggesting that it offers a more sophisticated way to make visible certain types of gaming capital. Although Return to Ravenhearst -related fan fiction isn’t as common found as fan fiction for games in other genres such as MMOGs, the presence of fan fiction in any form speaks to the 3. CONCLUSIONS great interest that players have in these games, and the great Clearly, many players of casual games are not at all casual in how attachments they have made to the stories in them. they play or think about such games. At least some players are heavily invested in anticipating new titles, discussing various 2.2 Enabling and limiting gaming capital: aspects of past and future games, and solving the mysteries that Casual Game Sites some games provide. They likewise form a community of sorts, In the process of discussing gameplay minutiae as well as game helping other players with rough patches in various games, tips and strategies for successful play, gamers also generate creating valuable sites for support and advice. They can also take gaming capital but how it materializes is in part reliant on the extra steps, creating interactive downloadable maps for others to tools available at various forums. Affordances for building use, thoughtfully reviewing or discussing aspects of various gaming capital are structured into sites such as BIG FISH games, and creating game-related artifacts such as fan fiction to GAMES’s and Gamezebo’s forums, albeit in different ways and extend theirs and other players’ enjoyment. And in the process to varying degrees. In BIG FISH GAMES, posters must first they accrue and disseminate gaming capital (as much as a register for an account and are then given the starting rank of “sea particular site allows), as some individuals become respected for anemone.” Based on posting frequency, posters can move up their history and knowledge of certain series or genres, for their through 26 ranks to “narwhal.” All forum pages display a list on willingness to help other players, and their general contributions the right side of the page of the “Biggest fish in the forums,” to the success of a particular game community. listing the current top ten individuals based on their number of posts. The current top poster has made more than 14,000 posts, None of these actions are new, and they have been studied and is listed as a “shark,” which is three ranks below narwhal, extensively at other sites. Yet, until now no one has thought that suggesting that the forum operators are allowing for growth in such actions might be generated by players of casual games. their rankings. Those who are in the top rankings are often the Clearly such players are devoted to the games they play, and the most responsive to other posters’ questions, either quickly groups of which they are a part. While we may see some casual answering their questions or pointing them to other sources for games as forgettable or “one off” pleasures, others obviously tie more information. However, although posters have their own in to deeper structures of game culture, encouraging the same ‘profile page’ for other users to view, there is little there, other sorts of behaviors we have investigated relative to mainstream than the number of posts and discussions created, and an option gamers. Of course, it is easy to say that this is only a small subset either to send a Private Message to the person, or to add their of casual game players that is described here. However, the same name to your address book. No options for seeing actual name or could be said of studies involving mainstream game players. Most other personal information is offered, although Big Fish Games research focuses on forum posts, online reviews, and other game only recently started its forums, and more options may be related artifacts. Just as the habits of regular forum posters for available as the site becomes more popular. Yet, despite such World of Warcraft cannot be taken as representative of all WoW players, so too there are many players of Mystery Case Files:

53 Return to Ravenhearst who do not post to the forums, write [6] Juul, J. 2007 "Swap Adjacent Gems to Make Sets of Three: reviews, or perhaps even read them. Yet, this is still a valuable A History of Matching Tile Games". Artifact journal. slice of the community to investigate, and its close relationship to Volume 2, 2007. London: Routledge. mainstream activities should cause game studies DOI=http://www.jesperjuul.net/text/swapadjacent researchers to ask how we conceptualize casual games and those [7] Rao, V 2008. Facebook applications and playful mood: The who play them. Or perhaps it is time to rethink those labels construction of Facebook as a “third place”, Mindtrek 08, entirely—because as I hope to have shown, although Return to Tampere, Finland. Ravenhearst may be classified as a casual game, for many of [8] Bogost, I. 2007 Casual as in Sex, not Casual as in Friday those who play it, it is far from a casual experience, and they are http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/1937/persuasive far from being casual gamers. _games_casual_as_in_.php?print=1 [9] French, M. 2008 That Big Fish/NPD research in full. DOI= 4. REFERENCES http://www.casualgaming.biz/news/27643/That-Big- [1] Consalvo, M. 2007 Cheating: Gaining advantage in FishNPD videogames. The MIT Press. [10] Cook, J. 2008 Venture capital: Big Fish hauls in deal. Seattle Post-Intelligencer. DOI= [2] Lowood, H. 2006 "Storyline, Dance/Music, or PvP? Game http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/venture/378859_vc12.html Movies and Community Players in World of Warcraft," [11] Hillis, S. 2007 Hidden object series hit for holidays. Reuters. Games & Culture 1 (Oct. 2006): 362-82. DOI= [3] Taylor, T.L. 2006 Play between worlds. The MIT Press. http://www.reuters.com/article/sphereNews/idUSN18511796 [4] Dutton, N. 2007 Participatory Quitting and World of 20 Warcraft Player Culture. Unpublished master's thesis. Ohio University, Athens, OH. [5] Edge Staff. March 5, 2008 New Stats Show Casual Explosion. Edge Online DOI= http://www.edge- online.com/features/new-stats-show-casual-explosion

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