Since the mechanics of a toy and a game can be so similar, there are means for toy players to derive enjoyment out of games, this is a happy coincidence.

Call it a sandbox, toy or Second Life. This is not to criticize these types of things. They are certainly needed and enjoyed.

However the correct targets for this article (and that of the general consensus in the comments) is that software developers are not making enough software toys, and that they are too focused on making games.

For example, I would LOVE if Rock Band had a Toy mode, wherein the player cannot be eliminated, and may strike any drum or key. My son whom is 4 could then play Rock Band with me, instead of being frustrated that he cannot really participate in the spectacle.

All you “hardcore” purists out there can still remain superior to us mere mortals by wasting 25 hours of your life gaming to unlock a pirate costume, while the rest of us will just get it from the beginning.

And b/c I’m an evil capitalist, I’ll post this idea for economic incentive: the developers could add a $5 to $10 price increase to the unlocked version. Just think, you sell 5 million copies of a game that way, you just made an additional $25 to $50 million.

I primarily play console adventure games and RPGs, and I don’t think I’ve ever played a game that I would consider too easy — although I’m willing to admit that what I find challenging in games might be simple for other players.

However, I have played a couple of games where some puzzle or task has been impossible for me to complete, and because I didn’t have the option to skip it, I had to abandon the game entirely. Okami is the most recent example (I wrote about it for Elf Needs Food in February). More than halfway through the game, I got stuck on a stupid fishing mini-game and quit playing.

My goal was to finish the game. I didn’t care about perfecting my virtual fishing skills, I just wanted to see the end of the story. And I wasn’t able to do that, despite the fact that I was good at every other aspect of the game.

If Clover Studios had simply installed a feature that would’ve allowed me to skip the mini-game after failing at it a couple of times, it would’ve made for an entirely different experience.

I’m a woman in my 30s — part of the fastest growing demographic of video game buyers. If companies have any hope of drawing women my age away from online games like Diner Dash, they need to make us feel like we’re getting our money’s worth when we buy console games. Why would I pay $60 for a console game that I might never be able to finish when I could buy Jewel Quest for $20 and get a least a few weeks of enjoyment out of it? As much as hardcore gamers hate to hear stuff like that, it’s part of the business.

Fortunately, there are ways to make both hardcore and casual gamers happy, if only game designers (or the executives who pay them) would broaden their perspective.

For this reason, it is crucial to have items players can put effort into unlocking.

It is extremely difficult to balance a game to providce easy access to all the content while still providing a sense of accomplishment. Sense of accomplishment is the key differentiator between a movie and a video game, so I dont think it is optional.