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The proliferation of blob-based games: a detailed analysis
UncleSporky
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
Blobs, slimes, oozes, mucks, whatever your name for them - they're here, they're sphere, get used to it. These amorphous beings are often seen bouncing, splattering, taking the shape of their containers, and generally enjoying the rights afforded them as non-Newtonian fluids. Some are more viscous than others, but in general they share features in common such as physically-improbable eyes and mouths. They have been squelching their way into our lives and hearts for years now, but they've enjoyed a sudden mysterious rise in popularity in recent years. Observe:
Gish - PC, 2004
A ball of tar that can cling to various surfaces on his quest to save his human girlfriend. A 2D character living in a 3D engine, giving him excellent physics to work with.
Dragon Quest Rocket Slime - DS, 2006
Perhaps the most well-known and popular blob, the Dragon Quest slime has appeared in many different games and spinoffs, only fairly recently achieving his own starring role. He is perpetually ecstatic, giving us reason to believe that life as a blob is significantly more entertaining than is immediately apparent.
LocoRoco - PSP, 2006
These yellow jellies grow, split and ooze all over the place. They love to eat fruit and sing charming/annoying songs.
de Blob - Wii, 2008
A superhero of sorts, if superheroes spent all their time painting buildings. de Blob is known for his ability to absorb different colors of paint and his rejection of proper capitalization rules.
World of Goo - Wii/PC, 2008
Blobs are not merely heroes; they can fill crucial roles in society, as evidenced by these industrious goo balls. Each of them is willing to sacrifice their individuality for the greater good of constructing sturdy towers and bridges, for the express purpose of getting a select few of them sucked into a pipe for some reason.
A Boy and his Blob - Wii, 2009
This blob is both the most recent addition to the fold and one of the earliest. First appearing on the NES in 1989, the blob and his boy go on marvelous adventures while consuming jellybeans as a transformation catalyst. The blob, not the boy. The boy is kind of a shmuck, really.
And these are only the games with blobs in starring roles. A great many other games have featured them prominently, including:
The Pokemon series, notable for its Grimer and Muk monsters, but especially the friendly and versatile Ditto. Notice how they all raise their appendages in greeting.
Numerous RPGs and adventure games which often relegate their slimes and oozes to early game stepping stones. This is sadly a common mistake - these slimes would be better served in more prominent roles. Some games get this right, such as FF4's Pink Puffs which are instrumental in providing the strongest armor in the game.
Scribblenauts, whose slime recently shocked the world by being the most resilient creature in the game, making him a top choice as your personal gladiator.
Hexxus.
My apologies if I have left out any important or influential blobs. Clearly more research is yet to be performed in this field.
One thing is clear: the market responds surprisingly well to irregularly shaped wads. Blobs are on the rise in popularity and showing no signs of slowing. Consider the following chart:
The results are astounding. One test subject reported enjoying blob-based gameplay up to 50% more than games that include skeletoned characters, or "bone-based" gameplay.
And what the gamers what, the developers provide. Blobs are quickly becoming the character of choice for both established and up-and-coming developers.
If this trend continues, it is estimated that over 65% of video game characters will be blobs by the year 2030.
So we ask ourselves, why? Why have these bizarre little abominations become so popular? Maybe the physics-based gameplay they often share in common is what engages us. Maybe it is their curved, breastlike design we find attractive. Or perhaps it is because, in a way, they reflect ourselves. Looking into those mindlessly joyful faces we see a mirror of our own lives, sedentary, settling into a mass upon the couch, bloblike and blissful.
So let's celebrate these marvelous creatures!
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However slimy it may be.
Nice OP. :P
Nice OP!
I am ashamed of myself.
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It sold over 700k as of February and is likely getting a sequel.