Talk:Shooter game

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This article was the subject of a Wiki Education Foundation-supported course assignment, between 20 January 2021 and 2 May 2021. Further details are available on the course page. Student editor(s): PaintballGuy973.

Above undated message substituted from Template:Dashboard.wikiedu.org assignment by PrimeBOT (talk) 09:16, 17 January 2022 (UTC)

Subgenres
The subgenres for modern, Doom-style games are confusing and ambiguous. First and third person shooters are listed as distinct subgenres, based solely on the camera angle used in-game (as to more meaningful elements, like say, the gameplay). Some modern games use both a first and third-person camera? So what sub-genre are they?

The article goes on to list "tactical shooters," a distinction that is based on gameplay or style. However, a tactical shooter can be either first or third-person.

Regardless of their usefulness as game descriptors, all three of these--FPS, TPS, tactical--share common characteristics and are distinctly different from the other subgenres, (light gun games, and so on). I propose that, at the very least, these three be made subordinate to a category describing modern, free-roam shooters. I also think it's completely ridiculous that FPS and TPS are considered separate subgenres, but I'm sure someone will want to argue that point. --ExarPalantas (talk) 05:01, 18 April 2010 (UTC)
 * The article just isn't very good or developed at this point. There is a separate article on third person shooters which could probably stand to be merged here. bridies (talk) 04:33, 19 April 2010 (UTC)

Distinctions
I'm working on the genre articles and I'm somewhat confused over the distinctions between shooting galleries, rail shooters and light gun shooters. Take Operation Wolf, you can't direct the game path, only guide your reticule and fire. It would seem to be both a rail shooter and a shooting gallery. It is listed as a shooting gallery on its page, but wouldn't rail shooter be better?

In short, what are the analytical differences (if any)? Are shooting galleries stop-action games where you reach a position, shoot everything that's not made from condensed neutrons, then move on, while rail shooters are constantly moving? If so, House of the Dead should be a rail shooter (and is in fact listed as such in its aricle) but is in this article listed as an example of shooting gallery. Mikademus 11:03, 6 July 2006 (UTC)


 * An old comment, I know, but I feel I should answer this: House of the Dead should be labeled a light gun game, as the interface makes it distinct from shooting gallery games.  Both are shooters, of course, and very closely related, but the control interface makes a sizable difference enough so that each is somewhat distinct.  I also wouldn't label House of the Dead or Operation Wolf as rail shooters as, even though you are not in control of forward progression, you are not forced in near constant forward movement.  It's more stop and go.  The level moves, then stops, and you engage in combat.  Very rarely is one both forced into movement and into shooting combat at once in these games.  That differs from, say, Star Fox and Panzer Dragoon (both very much rail shooters) where one is constantly forced forward and engages in combat whilst moving forward.  Think of rail shooters this way: they're pretty much 2D shmups made 3D. Therealspiffyone (talk) 21:22, 3 January 2009 (UTC)

Danmaku ?
Should there be an explanation about Danmaku (barrage) shooter ? - Try over at Scrolling shooter or Shoot 'em up

What a shooter truly is
First-person shooters are first-person shooters.

Third-person shooters are third-person shooters.

First-person shooters and third-person shooters are NOT "simply shooters".

Shooters = shmups, only shmups, nothing but shmups. Stop mixing the genres!

- Stormwatch 18:00, 25 June 2006 (UTC)

This comment may be years old, but I'd like to bring it up all the same. In common parlance in the gaming world, "shooter" means exactly as this person says, with little or no confusion between other genres such as FPSs. As it stands, this collection of articles is extremely confusing, and mostly redundant. There is duplicate information in the pages Scrolling shooter, Shoot 'em up, and this one, and I vote that:

(a) this page and Scrolling shooter be merged, and the content focused mainly on the content of the latter, with a disambiguation link at the top referring the reader to FPSs, shooting gallery games etc.

(b) all useful information from Shoot 'em up be salvaged and brought here, and the page deleted. The term as I see it is archaic, and many of the subgenres it discusses have so few members as to make them unworthy of classification.

Does anyone else share my views on this? 83.70.178.165 (talk) 10:05, 2 May 2008 (UTC)


 * I respectfully disagree. Many younger gamers, for instance, use the term "shooter" when discussing FPS titles, and not shmups.  For example, they may ask what one's favorite shooter happens to be, and are confused if one answers with a title such as, say, Radiant Silvergun.  To them, shooter means FPS, like Halo, not shmups like Silvergun.  Frankly, shooter means ANY game in which the primary focus of gameplay is combat with a gun or projectile weapon, and that encompasses a rather large variety of titles, as the article attempts to show. I say keep it as it is. Therealspiffyone (talk) 21:17, 3 January 2009 (UTC)

Identify this game
What type of shooter is Tank Mania? SharkD 17:33, 15 July 2007 (UTC)

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BetacommandBot (talk) 14:24, 2 January 2008 (UTC)

Light Gun Shooter
Really? A sub-genre? A Light-Gun is not a sub-genre, its an interface. The interface is not a defining characteristic of a genre or sub-genre. Should we start making Keyboard Shooter and Gamepad Shooter genres as well? Of course not.

I would suggest most light gun games could be classed as either a gallery shooter (like Duck Hunt) or a rail shooter (like Area 51). The light gun's use as the interface does not allow the user to have much control over navigation of the level. Dawynn (talk) 12:16, 16 July 2008 (UTC)


 * Honestly, I could go either way on this one. Genres are organized around gameplay. On one hand, a fixed shooter is a fixed shooter where enemies appear on the screen and you have to get them before they get you -- whether you're aiming with a joystick or with a light gun. On the other hand, a light gun just plays differently from a joystick game -- with a joystick you're often moving an avatar rather than a target, and the control schemes are very different. User:Bridies knows a lot about the genre/interface. Randomran (talk) 15:14, 16 July 2008 (UTC)


 * I disagree. Interface can be part of the defining characteristic, so long as it remains secondary to the primary characteristic, that being gameplay itself. For instance, you can see an example of just that with the adventure game genre.  Text adventures are adventure games where the interface is text input.  Point and click adventures are adventure games where the primary interface is usually mouse based (hence "point" and "click").  Not all adventure games follow this formula, however, but it does show that control interface can influence classification.  Again, however, I point out that it must be secondary to type of gameplay. Therealspiffyone (talk) 21:13, 3 January 2009 (UTC)

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Warning about references is outdated.
I propose that the June 2008 warning about references is outdated and should be removed. Although the article does not include as many as perhaps it should, it is no longer correct to say that it does not include ANY references. EWAdams (talk) 14:30, 7 July 2009 (UTC)
 * Fixed. bridies (talk) 13:07, 8 July 2009 (UTC)

Hunting games
I've seen games like Cabela's Big Game Hunter (PC) classified under Sports video games, but I've also seen them under Shooter games. I've seen games similar to this down at the arcade, and usually there's a shotgun-styled light gun used to play the game.

How are these classified by the industry? I still don't like the "light gun" genre (see above), but I could see using that classification on the arcade versions. But what about the PC versions? I assume those are mouse controlled on computers (I haven't had enough interest in these to buy a game).

Should these be classified as "Sports" games, since hunting is considered a type of sport? Or, with the style of play involved, would these be more properly classified as "shooting gallery" games? Am I overlooking some other, better classification for these games? Dawynn (talk) 17:23, 18 May 2010 (UTC)
 * Yes. They should be classified as sports games, and (assuming they play that way) they should be classified as shooting gallery games. Because they are. —173.199.215.5 (talk) 03:48, 1 January 2014 (UTC)

Paragon is MOBA, it is not typical hero shooter
Main source should be Paragon's official page. Paragon is not typical hero shooter, because it has MOBA-like lines, MOBA-like minions, better choose other hero shooter game from source.

Possible References for more info
Here are some articles that I think could help add more to this. Filip, Lange-Nielsen (2011). "The Power-up Experience: A study of Power-ups in Games and their Effect on Player Experience" (PDF). "The Complete History Of First-Person Shooters". PCMAG. Retrieved 2021-03-01. "electronic shooter game | History & Examples". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 2021-03-01. "Rail Shooter". TV Tropes. Retrieved 2021-03-01. Arsenault, Dominic (2009-10-26). "Video Game Genre, Evolution and Innovation". Eludamos. Journal for Computer Game Culture. 3 (2): 149–176. ISSN 1866-6124. PaintballGuy973 (talk) 06:58, 1 March 2021 (UTC)