Comments on: Semi-Happy Endings http://www.patricklipo.com/2007/11/03/semi-happy-endings/ The Power of Game Design Fri, 02 Jul 2010 21:16:01 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: <![CDATA[Patrick]]> http://www.patricklipo.com/2007/11/03/semi-happy-endings/comment-page-1/#comment-826 Fri, 09 Nov 2007 03:01:25 +0000 http://www.patricklipo.com/2007/11/03/semi-happy-endings/#comment-826 I was thinking about this more an might take it to another blog update. Something that is different between then and now is the damn internet. There's no mystery in anything anymore, so the sense of discovery can be lessened for many games just by stumbling on some screenshots. I find it harder to get motivated to play an MMO (a classic game "with no end") just to find the next dungeon or fight the next mob type. Maybe it's because I know everyone around me has been there already, or worse yet my wife, who always outpaces me on MMO's, is always there grouped with me telling me exactly where the next spawn or objective is. Ignorance is bliss. :-) I was thinking about this more an might take it to another blog update. Something that is different between then and now is the damn internet. There’s no mystery in anything anymore, so the sense of discovery can be lessened for many games just by stumbling on some screenshots. I find it harder to get motivated to play an MMO (a classic game “with no end”) just to find the next dungeon or fight the next mob type. Maybe it’s because I know everyone around me has been there already, or worse yet my wife, who always outpaces me on MMO’s, is always there grouped with me telling me exactly where the next spawn or objective is. Ignorance is bliss. :-)

]]> By: <![CDATA[cgorski]]> http://www.patricklipo.com/2007/11/03/semi-happy-endings/comment-page-1/#comment-827 Wed, 07 Nov 2007 19:00:13 +0000 http://www.patricklipo.com/2007/11/03/semi-happy-endings/#comment-827 I think I have a different perspective on this one, and I think it all comes down to different experiences. My first exposure to gaming was through the arcades, right around the time that arcade games actually started having endings. I think the first game I ever beat was "Bad Dudes" (Let's go for a burger! Ha ha ha!). I always felt motivated to see the next new level, the next new enemy, and to get that awesome ending sequence. Contrarily, I never felt compelled to keep pumping quarters into pacman for a high score. Scores were just numbers, and numbers were boring compared to red ninjas. The scenery never changed on those older games, and new views were what I was after. This reply could easily get out of hand as I talk about different player archetypes and how different people enjoy games... not to mention my recent MMO addiction which is really just playing with... numbers. So I'll just wrap it up by saying there's different strokes for different folks, and that's what's so challenging about making a game that everyone will like! I think I have a different perspective on this one, and I think it all comes down to different experiences. My first exposure to gaming was through the arcades, right around the time that arcade games actually started having endings. I think the first game I ever beat was “Bad Dudes” (Let’s go for a burger! Ha ha ha!). I always felt motivated to see the next new level, the next new enemy, and to get that awesome ending sequence. Contrarily, I never felt compelled to keep pumping quarters into pacman for a high score. Scores were just numbers, and numbers were boring compared to red ninjas. The scenery never changed on those older games, and new views were what I was after.

This reply could easily get out of hand as I talk about different player archetypes and how different people enjoy games… not to mention my recent MMO addiction which is really just playing with… numbers. So I’ll just wrap it up by saying there’s different strokes for different folks, and that’s what’s so challenging about making a game that everyone will like!

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