I just read this quotable piece from an interview with Roberta Williams, mis-quoted on badgames 2, and dug around to
find the source. If it was accurate of 1999, it's absolutely prescient about the games market today. I think it applies to a lot more than just Adventure games as well.
Roberta Williams from her 1999 interview with Gamer's Depot said:
GD: Why do you think that the Adventure game genre has kind of died out?
Roberta: Well, since I've not been in touch with the gaming industry as much as I'd like to, my answer might seem kind of off. Back when I got started, which sounds like ancient history, back then the demographics of people who were into computer games, was totally different, in my opinion, then they are today. Back then, computers were more expensive, which made them more exclusive to people who were maybe at a certain income level, or education level. So the people that played computer games 15 years ago were that type of person. They probably didn't watch television as much, and the instant gratification era hadn't quite grown the way it has lately. I think in the last 5 or 6 years, the demographics have really changed, now this is my opinion, because computers are less expensive so more people can afford them. More "average" people now feel they should own one. There's also the influence of the game consoles as well. So most of these people have gotten used to shoot-em' up kind of games on the consoles. Now they want to get that kind of experience on their computers.
MRY Pyke Vault Dweller Whalenought_Joe whalenought_hannah Marat Sar dcfedor TimCain I thank you all, because each of you, in your own way, are pushing back against a massive cultural shift towards simplification, instant gratification and the degeneration of gameplay. There was nothing special about the 80s, 90s and early 00s when some of the best games were made, other than the people making them. It takes courage to go against market forces and create new games that harken back to a previous era. You are using lessons of the past to improve, innovate and create something new on those (now archaic) foundations, all without the expectation of massive financial gain.