Alternative to "adult" games?

[Hogge]

Hi.

Me and my fellow coworkers at my company have decided that our company should be defined by making games catered towards older, more mature players. The problem is that there's no short and clear way to state this in marketing.

 

Where we think we potentially could have tasteful love scenes like in Mass Effect or movies, if we claim that our games are "mature" or "adult", everyone will assume we mean that we're going to have inflated tits and vulgar sex scenes.

If we claim that we want to depict a war in an adult way, everyone's going to think we want huge bodycounts, flamethrowers, decapitations, blood to spray everywhere and bodyparts to detach, where we're more regarding to soldiers weeping in their trenches because they feel bad about killing people.

 

We want our games to be tasteful and tell inteligent stories.

 

So what word can we use instead of "adult" or "mature"?

[Magnus]

Grown-up games.

[Grazza]

You could try "non-adolescent". Sorry, I can't think of anything better at the moment.

 

It reminds me of when the TV channel More 4 launched - they were in the same predicament as they knew "adult" had sexual connotations. What they did was actually have fun with this - if I recall correctly they called it an "adult channel" and had adverts with lots of neon signs (the types you might see in a seedy area of town), "XXX" etc.

[EEVILMURRAY]

Old.

 

 

¬_¬

[MoogleViper]

Sophisticated is the best I can think of at the minute. But then you might have pretentious connotations.

[EEVILMURRAY]

Vintage. Established. Time-honoured.

[MoogleViper]

Have you considered using a tagline rather than an individual word? Might be able to get your message across more clearly, less room for misinterpretation.

 

Also if you can make it quite catchy and memorable then that will have other marketing benefits.

[Hogge]

I'm not by necessity talking about a single word, just a way of not writing "mature as in serious, deep, tasteful...bla bla bla bla bla".

[MoogleViper]

"Gaming for grown-ups."

[bob]

Seriose Gaming - For Seriose People

[Rummy]

I think the idea of grown-up games/gaming for grown ups is your way forward. It might not be highly original, but the term grownups is generally something said from a kid's point of view, therefore it doesn't have any of that sort of sensational connotations attached to it. Games are typically seen as being for kids, but any gamer worth their salt knows and doesn't care, and gaming for grownups just kinda puts it across in a simple way without trying too hard to be nitty gritty or cater to a specific audience/appeal with the actual 'mature' and 'adult' aspects. However, one thing that adult and mature does say is that it contains the more mature/adult content, they've become sort of reversely contextual, if any of this makes any sense.

[MoogleViper]

I think the idea of grown-up games/gaming for grown ups is your way forward. It might not be highly original, but the term grownups is generally something said from a kid's point of view, therefore it doesn't have any of that sort of sensational connotations attached to it. Games are typically seen as being for kids, but any gamer worth their salt knows and doesn't care, and gaming for grownups just kinda puts it across in a simple way without trying too hard to be nitty gritty or cater to a specific audience/appeal with the actual 'mature' and 'adult' aspects. However, one thing that adult and mature does say is that it contains the more mature/adult content, they've become sort of reversely contextual, if any of this makes any sense.

 

Basically, people fuck up language.

[jayseven]

Introspective, subtle gaming rather than explicit, immature gaming? For the seasoned, sophisticated and enlightened gamer. Wisdom gaming. Sage gaming.

 

You should feel free to take something and make it your own. All these words are nuanced, of course, but if you want to rise above the adolescent aspect then I think 'sophisticated' is best -- though, of course, going for the elitist angle means you really will have to live up to the label.

[MoogleViper]

"In our games there'll be no willies.

 

Well there might be a few willies, but they'll be dignified and artistic, not just in your face.

 

In our games there'll be no willies in your face."

[Daft]

*Breaks out copywriting skills*

 

'Simpatico' Games

 

It's all in the branding.

[MoogleViper]

*Breaks out copywriting skills*

 

'Simpatico' Games

 

It's all in the branding.

 

Simpatico doesn't mean adult.

[Daft]

I am aware of that.

[Wesley]

OLDMAN GAMES.

[MoogleViper]

I am aware of that.

 

So it's not really what he asked for.

 

He wanted something to easily explain what his games are, not some generic, cool-sounding, marketeer's wet dream of a word that would require huge amounts of time, and effort (and most likely money), in order to have people recognise what it means as a brand, and therefore explain what his game are.

[Ramar]

I think xxx usually covers you.

[Daft]

So it's not really what he asked for.

 

He wanted something to easily explain what his games are, not some generic, cool-sounding, marketeer's wet dream of a word that would require huge amounts of time, and effort (and most likely money), in order to have people recognise what it means as a brand, and therefore explain what his game are.

 

Christ, you try to help and your head gets bitten off.

 

I could explain the logic in more detail but the short shrift of it is that it is a mistake looking for a synonym to the word 'adult'. From what I understand he wants a label to describe games that are more nuanced and intelligent. Why should they only target gamers of a certain age, there are plenty of kids who appreciate high art. Simpatico means 'to connect on the same wavelength', I can't think of anything more appropriate.

 

But fuck me for offering my input! Amiright?!

[MoogleViper]

But it still doesn't address his problem, he's not looking for some branding. Even if he did use Simpatico, he would still need to explain what his games are all about.

 

But fuck me for offering my input!

 

Well if that's what you really want.

Edited November 14, 2012 by MoogleViper

[darkjak]

I think xxx usually covers you.

 

That's the precise opposite of what our games are going to be.

[Wesley]

Things with "xxx" in the title sell twice as well than if they didn't.

[Ramar]

That's the precise opposite of what our games are going to be.

 

Sorry I attempted a piece of humour.