The aim of a good game is to let the player know
(consciously or unconsciously, it don't matter none)
that they exist.
Something is happening. Good. I have an effect on
what the something might be. Lovely.
If the components of a game MAKE SENSE then it's
good.
If I get a key, I can unlock a door. Great. Tick!
Zelda 1, congrats. You are good.
Skyward Sword? Fucking un-tick as fuck! FUCK
YOU SKYWARD SWORD! This is meant to be
an objective argument don't you DARE
don't you dare
call me right now.
This is an important time for me, OK?
I'm writing to NeoGaf so scoot. Scoot!
Oh wait yeah, Skyward Sword was the actual
point. Um, so
Oh yeah! Like a million games have done the
key-and-door routine for 25 years before
Skyward Sword.
If you're a game, your aim
is to be a fun experience for players. Players
don't find stagnant ideas fun.
Is that fun? Is waiting fun? Maybe for
hippies! But we ain't hippies!! WE ARE
GAM-gamers.
We're gamers.
SKYWARD SWORD: Get keys to unlock doors.
Stupid.
YOU APPROACH A DARK STATUE.
STATUE: Don't pass through this door till you get
7 amulets of Ping Pong because I said.
PLAYER: That's stupid and I don't wanna do that.
If this was an old SNES game then that'd be fine!
It doesn't make sense to stop my forward motion
for this!! I'M A GOD DAMN MODERN GAMER!!
I'VE SEEEEN THIS SHIIIITTT MA FUCKER!
STATUE: OK, OK, rewind. Hello there for the
first time! You have the ability to shoot Butt-fire
and in this game you can, um smash statues like
me instead of talking to us?
PLAYER: OK! That's way more appealing!
I feel like I've got a context to hear you out now.
Maybe what you say will apply to me. This game
is all fuckin' about me.
STATUE: OK, so uh, ahem. Collect 7 stones to pass.
PLAYER: OK, I think I will if it's gonna include more
of this Butt-fire ability. By the way though, if you
mapped Butt-fire to the B button for me, you didn't
really need to like, tell me that I can use it and shit.
There are only like 4 buttons on the contro- oh wait,
this is 2014. There's like lots of buttons here. OK, uh
STATUE: Uh...
PLAYER: OK we'll work on that one.
Games are about
FORWAARRD MOOOTIOON
You know, about what the player wants...
...within the world determined by the creator.
Games are little universes, see? Little worlds
gamers can apply logic to and see results!
The way Games and People can interact are
seperate but just as special as the way Art and
People can interact. Infact, football and F1 races,
too!
So... Games are..?
They're whatever you want them to be. How well
they're received by others of course depends on how
well two particular parties respect each other.
These parties are as follows.
1. The expectations of a gamer considering where
their past has shaped them.
Luckily all well adapted humans possess logic and
since games are created with human ergonomics
in mind, Game Devs need not worry about this but
rather make sure their game MAKES SENSE.
2. The creative intent of the Game Designer
For you, dear players... well you can only have faith in
the vision of the Game Designer and hope that it
satisfies your expectations, or you can open your mind
and try to get into the spirit of what the Game Designer
who made your game had in mind.
The games you love still exist. They captured your
attention because they were something new and something
magic. But that magic is around still. Are you looking?
(consciously or unconsciously, it don't matter none)
that they exist.
Something is happening. Good. I have an effect on
what the something might be. Lovely.
If the components of a game MAKE SENSE then it's
good.
If I get a key, I can unlock a door. Great. Tick!
Zelda 1, congrats. You are good.
Skyward Sword? Fucking un-tick as fuck! FUCK
YOU SKYWARD SWORD! This is meant to be
an objective argument don't you DARE
don't you dare
call me right now.
This is an important time for me, OK?
I'm writing to NeoGaf so scoot. Scoot!
Oh wait yeah, Skyward Sword was the actual
point. Um, so
Oh yeah! Like a million games have done the
key-and-door routine for 25 years before
Skyward Sword.
If you're a game, your aim
is to be a fun experience for players. Players
don't find stagnant ideas fun.
Is that fun? Is waiting fun? Maybe for
hippies! But we ain't hippies!! WE ARE
GAM-gamers.
We're gamers.
SKYWARD SWORD: Get keys to unlock doors.
Stupid.
YOU APPROACH A DARK STATUE.
STATUE: Don't pass through this door till you get
7 amulets of Ping Pong because I said.
PLAYER: That's stupid and I don't wanna do that.
If this was an old SNES game then that'd be fine!
It doesn't make sense to stop my forward motion
for this!! I'M A GOD DAMN MODERN GAMER!!
I'VE SEEEEN THIS SHIIIITTT MA FUCKER!
STATUE: OK, OK, rewind. Hello there for the
first time! You have the ability to shoot Butt-fire
and in this game you can, um smash statues like
me instead of talking to us?
PLAYER: OK! That's way more appealing!
I feel like I've got a context to hear you out now.
Maybe what you say will apply to me. This game
is all fuckin' about me.
STATUE: OK, so uh, ahem. Collect 7 stones to pass.
PLAYER: OK, I think I will if it's gonna include more
of this Butt-fire ability. By the way though, if you
mapped Butt-fire to the B button for me, you didn't
really need to like, tell me that I can use it and shit.
There are only like 4 buttons on the contro- oh wait,
this is 2014. There's like lots of buttons here. OK, uh
STATUE: Uh...
PLAYER: OK we'll work on that one.
Games are about
FORWAARRD MOOOTIOON
You know, about what the player wants...
...within the world determined by the creator.
Games are little universes, see? Little worlds
gamers can apply logic to and see results!
The way Games and People can interact are
seperate but just as special as the way Art and
People can interact. Infact, football and F1 races,
too!
So... Games are..?
They're whatever you want them to be. How well
they're received by others of course depends on how
well two particular parties respect each other.
These parties are as follows.
1. The expectations of a gamer considering where
their past has shaped them.
Luckily all well adapted humans possess logic and
since games are created with human ergonomics
in mind, Game Devs need not worry about this but
rather make sure their game MAKES SENSE.
2. The creative intent of the Game Designer
For you, dear players... well you can only have faith in
the vision of the Game Designer and hope that it
satisfies your expectations, or you can open your mind
and try to get into the spirit of what the Game Designer
who made your game had in mind.
The games you love still exist. They captured your
attention because they were something new and something
magic. But that magic is around still. Are you looking?
