Comments on: On Game Design & Player Expectations http://www.sethgorden.com/index.php/archives/112 Game Development Conversations Mon, 06 Feb 2012 02:00:37 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2.3 By: Seth Gorden http://www.sethgorden.com/index.php/archives/112#comment-152 Seth Gorden Tue, 16 Mar 2010 18:37:33 +0000 http://www.sethgorden.com/index.php/archives/112#comment-152 Hehe, even though I'm a wimp and enjoy easy play... I share your concern over purely market-designed games. Conversely, I think there is great potential to see production values on indie games rise up. With organizations like Indie Fund coming into being, I think the support for alternative, imaginative games will bring more great titles out of the woodwork. Furthermore, I look forward to an eventual balance between respect for a game's core concepts and the value of accessibility. And since the big companies, as you say, are focused on the bottom line, I believe the real winning games of the next generation will come from indies who are still looking for their opportunity to bring something new into the world. The ones who can bring a focused vision outside of pure eclectic thought and into something with a broad appeal on its own merit, they will be the ones to shine. Hehe, even though I’m a wimp and enjoy easy play… I share your concern over purely market-designed games. Conversely, I think there is great potential to see production values on indie games rise up. With organizations like Indie Fund coming into being, I think the support for alternative, imaginative games will bring more great titles out of the woodwork. Furthermore, I look forward to an eventual balance between respect for a game’s core concepts and the value of accessibility. And since the big companies, as you say, are focused on the bottom line, I believe the real winning games of the next generation will come from indies who are still looking for their opportunity to bring something new into the world. The ones who can bring a focused vision outside of pure eclectic thought and into something with a broad appeal on its own merit, they will be the ones to shine.

]]> By: Chad Stewart http://www.sethgorden.com/index.php/archives/112#comment-151 Chad Stewart Tue, 16 Mar 2010 17:44:50 +0000 http://www.sethgorden.com/index.php/archives/112#comment-151 So I'm guessing FFXIII IS a big deal. After XII I was almost done with it! Great analysis and I, unfortunately, feel the same way. Games are evolving to match the needs of the player. As much as I want a hardcore game that really rewards me for putting in the time or having the skill, it's harder and harder to find the time to play it. As an example, I loved Skate and I'm really enjoying Demon's Souls. A lot of people I try to evangelize Demon's Souls to are simply turned off when they hear of the difficulty and how you have the potential to lose a lot of progress. It is rather frustrating to get killed pretty far into a dungeon and then again before you can reclaim your progress (thus losing your souls and losing your ability to upgrade and losing progress), but it feels so much better when I kill a giant boss. People don't want the same games that I do anymore and, unfortunately, profit drives a company. Design decisions are not made so that a game alienates a fanbase and accessibility seems to be the latest craze. More users. Sigh. If only indie games weren't too eclectic for me. I feel so alone! So I’m guessing FFXIII IS a big deal. After XII I was almost done with it!

Great analysis and I, unfortunately, feel the same way. Games are evolving to match the needs of the player. As much as I want a hardcore game that really rewards me for putting in the time or having the skill, it’s harder and harder to find the time to play it. As an example, I loved Skate and I’m really enjoying Demon’s Souls. A lot of people I try to evangelize Demon’s Souls to are simply turned off when they hear of the difficulty and how you have the potential to lose a lot of progress. It is rather frustrating to get killed pretty far into a dungeon and then again before you can reclaim your progress (thus losing your souls and losing your ability to upgrade and losing progress), but it feels so much better when I kill a giant boss.

People don’t want the same games that I do anymore and, unfortunately, profit drives a company. Design decisions are not made so that a game alienates a fanbase and accessibility seems to be the latest craze. More users.

Sigh. If only indie games weren’t too eclectic for me.

I feel so alone!

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