When a video
game and/or franchise that was originally designed for the
PC platform and its audience of gamers has been "bastardised" to suit the lowest common denominator.(console gamers)
The term "dumbed down" is also used in reference to this.
Popular aspects of the video games in question are removed, or significantly reduced in order for console gamers to play these games on the much older hardware in consoles.
Consolised games are also simplified a lot mainly to account for the (in most cases inferior) control method, the
game controller. This means that more advanced menu structures that would normally accomodate a mouse and keyboard are stripped out and are usually left very limited as apposed to how the menus and user interfaces would have been if the
game was designed for the PC gamers.
Gameplay also suffers when a
game becomes consolised as non
player characters or
AI characters are usually made easier (reaction times, number of enemies, accuracy ect.) as well as things such as auto aim/aim assist and larger hit boxes around enemies to make the games easier to play with a
game controller.
There are many examples of consolised games, some of which include:
● The Rainbow
Six series was a tactical shooter when the franchises was designed for its
fan base on the
PC, now with the development of the series focusing on console gamers the Rainbow
Six Vegas series is a completely different series of games altogether, pretty much just another arcade shooter with
small and limited elements of tactical gameplay.
● Ghost Recon is a series that has suffered the same fate as the Rainbow
Six series. Compared to its predecesor, it is now just a shooter with simplified tactical gameplay elements.
● Crysis was a much loved franchise on the
PC the series was true to the
PC platform as it took advantage of the advanced hardware, superior control method and was
future proofed to run and look
better on hardware upgrades released in the future. When the sequel came out 4 years later the
game was inferior to its predecesors in almost every aspect in order for it to work on consoles/for console gamers.
Other games/franchises that are considered consolised:
● Operation Flashpoint (Dragon Rising, Red
River)
● Dungeon siege III
● Supreme commander 2
● Deus Ex: Invisible War
● Dragon Age 2
● F.E.A.R 2
● Far Cry 2
● Thief 3
● Fallout 3/New Vegas
● The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind
● The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion
● XCOM
● Wolfenstein
● Aliens V's Predator
