So I was listening to Pulp Gamer's Out of Character #50 recently, and one thing that came up was a brief discussion about what really makes a game a "hobby game".  At first, this almost seemed like a stupid question, but the more I've thought about it, the more difficult it seems for me to define it.  And I guess the real important thing about the whole topic really arises when you start to think about trying to introduce others into the hobby and need to recognize what barriers exist purely because of the nature of the games themselves.

Before you can play a game, somebody has to buy it, and with most hobby games, that can be a barrier itself.  Most of these games cost several times more than people are used to paying for more "traditional" games.  You can go to Wal-Mart and pick up Monopoly or Trouble for $10-15, but to get a copy of most modern board games it's going to cost you upwards of $40-50.  RPG books are very similar, with most hardcovers going for $35+.  And don't even mention "collectible" games, which are ginormous money pits.  

In general, though, the reason for these games' higher pricetag is that they also have a far better quality of components.  Traditional games appear to be made to sit unused on a shelf somewhere, while hobby games are produced to be played often and for years to come.  Price is one of those things that can often be overcome if you can ever get people to actually look in the box and see the difference for themselves.  In addition, many of the more popular party games (beginning with things like Trivial Pursuit) have started to teach the mainstream culture that good games are worth a few extra dollars.   

Above and beyond that, however, the games themselves are far more complex to learn.  Rules are usually longer, and the games usually involve decisions that are often not at all clear-cut or easy to make.  On more than one occasion, even with a game that I thought was pretty simple, non-gamers have gotten that "glazed over" look as I try to explain the rules.  It's not that these people are all stupid or anything, but rather that it requires thinking in an entirely different way than they're used to.  And part of it is also that many of the games build on mechanics and ideas first introduced in previous games.  For those of us who have been exposed to them for a while, picking up a new game is second nature, but to people who totally lack the basic concepts and jargon used in explaining these games, it can easily be overwhelming.

Another aspect about the complexity of games is that many non-hobby gamers are looking for an entirely different experience from a game than we do.  Personally, I want a game that is either challenging or immersive, where I can tax my brain and/or imagination to the limit as I interact with the other players.  Whether the game is all about "heads down" concentration or "heads up" confrontation, I can have a lot of fun.  These others, however, are more used to their entertainment being far more mindless.  Games of pure luck or silly fun is what they're looking for and expect, because their main focus in on the social opportunity of the game rather than on the game itself.  

Since the nature of the game itself is often not the real focus of non-hobbyists, another thing that puts them off on many cases is the use of theme.  In traditional and party games, theme really doesn't play much of a role at all.  Instead of being intimidating like heavier rules can be, however, people sometimes find theme to be just too "weird" for them.  Again, it's more of just a comfort-level thing, but it can be a barrier.

Time is also a big deal for non-hobbyists, both in the length of the game and in the time needed to get comfortable with the rules and/or system.  Especially for things like RPG's, wargames, and heavier eurogames, the actual playtime for a single game can be far longer than most traditional and party games.  Plus, to get good at them, you have to play them repeatedly and spend some time reviewing previous games and thinking about strategy for future games.  

Perhaps the best way to define a hobby game is to look at the definition for "hobby" itself.  One that I found was "a diversion that occupies one's time and thoughts".  The implication here is that a true hobby is something that requires investment of both time and attention.  Hobby games therefore must have the weight and depth to capture both the attention and imagination of its players enough that they will be compelled to invest themselves in it.  And as I look back over all the topics I covered above, that investment - of money, attention, and time - is the one thing that really ties them all together. 

As we who are neck-deep in the hobby attempt to share it with others, we need to keep these ideas in mind.  The "gateway" games that we use need to be those best able to capture the attention and imagination of our target audience while also relying on as few of those barriers that will turn them off.  Games are supposed to be fun, but sometimes you just need to help people see that it is possible to have fun in a different way than they're used to.