When you go to purchase a video game are you for thoughts “I’m looking for a game like [game]” or “I want to get a new [genre]”? Then when you sit down to play the new game do you find to much originality off putting? whether it is because the gameplay, interface, controls, or content are simply too different from what you are used to that you are not immediately comfortable with the game? And in the short term and long term would too much difference from the genre you where expecting turn you off the game entirely?

I tend to stick with what I like playing...although if something different takes my fancy at the time then I may indulge...thereafter, there comes a time when I usually say... 'well, that was a load of kak!'. I like originality in new games and I always prepare myself for the learning curve, so.....generally I would stick with it until my m/c breaks down or my brain melts.

I've beeen starving for something original for something like 2 years. I go to walmart, and peruse the shelves for a while, but I rarely find anything I'd buy.

So I know for me, I say, 'I'm looking for a game that doesn't exist, which of these looks closes.'

I'm almost always dissapointed. The most fun I've had lately has been with Indie games which tend to be colored outside the lines, so to speak.

But most of the original games that I've bought have been less than par, shall we say. If you have something that's new and fun, I would prefer it to something fun and old hat, to answer your question. But fun and old hat over something original and stupid.

Generally i don't go out looking for anything in particular, i'll usually just wander the game isle checking for anything that peaks my interest. You can't really have to much originality, i mean, if its a good game then its a good game regardless of how unusual it is.

Too much originality might alienate players or porspective buyer so bad, that they simply don't want to even learn how to play it.

I guess it's all goes down to presentation though. No matter how much orginality your game might have, if you take the player step by step to learn all the game features instead of just bombarding it with all the info the game should be played and controlled after they pressing start.

then originality will be enjoyable

Personally, I want as much originality in games as I can get, but you have to be careful to make sure that the consumer can still relate to it in some way. (good vs evil, etc, etc, although, hopefully not too cliche'd)

Personally, I've found many games that were very original, but I wasn't able to relate to them, so, the result was that I found them, boring. It didn't matter how original the story was, or how good the graphics or gameplay was. I couldn't relate to them, so, I just put them down and haven't played them since.

It all depends. I think I'm far more willing to embrace originality in games of a type I don't normally play, than in something like an RPG for instance. If I play an RPG, I want it to be turn-based or semi-turn-based (i.e. Chrono Trigger), so all those people who said "hey wouldn't it be neat to have an RPG with realtime battles?" to me aren't even making an RPG anymore, because it has the wrong flavor. I might possibly find a game like that fun, but I wouldn't really consider it an RPG anymore and thus there'd always be a certain amount of disappointment. If people are going to be original when making RPG's, I want them to be original in making the world and possible game actions more detailed and/or complex, not just pasting on some FPS combat system.

Now, take puzzle games for instance. Originality is the bread & butter there, because most puzzle games are really simple in rules/actions, and thus Identical Puzzle Game XIII is just boring.

Maybe this means there's a rule of thumb with originality...the more complex the game, the easier originality can kill it if done wrong; the simpler the game, the more originality you need to keep it from being another boring rehash. Any thoughts?