Tim defines adventure games, nullifies all long-winded forum bickering 27 Mar, 2006 / Comments: 3
Almost. IGN wonders about the state of the adventure genre while turning to Schafer and the likes of Cyan Studios' Rand Miller for answers. For instance, what significance do puzzles, pacing, and action elements have in an adventure game? If you don't find anything particularly enlightening about the results, you can at least amuse yourself by mocking IGN's ability to both correctly and incorrectly spell Schafer's name throughout the article.
While waiting for the article's promised continuation, you can also join in on the (potentially) heated debate on the subject going on at the AG forums. Be sure to claim that any game above 320X200 resolution is by default not a true adventure.
The idea of a "pure" adventure game in the traditional sense (no action, no rpg, can't die, etc etc) is as backwards as Doom 3 (which although was first hailed as a modern masterpiece has apparently left most people bored - plot does help!).
I don't think there's "pure" puzzle games, platformers, whatever, anymore. The old genres just don't cut it with a modern audience (or that's what the publishers seem to think).