I start this new thread as we are developpers from all over the world. We have cultural differences that it's easy to feel depending on where the game is made. May be it can be a good thing for both of us to say where we are from and what we want to see in a game (what king of content, graphic style, genres...) I am starting : French people are really focused on Art and Graphics.
Norwegian. And while I put gameplay above all, I'm still a sucker for quirky and "different" looking titles. Also complex user-interfaces have no place in iPhone gaming in my book. I guess I rather have a game that's based on one idea and executes this idea well, than some ...kitchen-sink games I can think of. I doubt this is a particular Norwegian trait though, and think it's probably just me.
Irish gamers don't really seem to give a toss about quality, either graphically or otherwise. From what I can tell, success or failure on the Irish App Store is largely dictated by two factors: 1. Is it a laugh? If it takes the piss in some way, it'll probably do well. 2. Is it anything to do with the GAA? We loves our Gaelic football.
I'm from the US, but I can't speak for all US gameplayers. I created Flickitty, which is only available in English and not localized, yet it has been #1 in numerous countries. I have no real understanding of its cultural appeal outside the US, UK, Canada or Australia. I realize those countries are not culturally related, but at least they share a common language. If you asked me privately, I might suggest the US wants familiarity. While the US is diverse in all aspects, I don't think we appreciate that diversity when it comes to the Arts (Fine Art, Music, Movies, Games, etc.). We like to see the same things over and over until they become an embedded cultural icon. Why do you think the US vacationers in Paris flock to the Louvre to see the Mona Lisa?
It's very interesting to hear. On our side the main difficulties, i mean when you are a french developper and publisher is graphic design that will enjoy US people. On that field we have real cultural differences.
I'm a hungarian developer. I created Libra balance (see signature), a quite unique game I would say. The dirty industrial look and feel and the music was appreciated. What most of the gamers dislike are the controls and the gameplay, especially in the US and Japan. It's not an easy game, I admit, but I did not anticipate it will be such hard for most of the people. Therefore the game was refined, and the update (currently under review) will bring lot easier gameplay and other features and improvements. Hope this is what was needed for the real success.
