I read the other day that the US budget deficit is expected to be $1 300 billion for 2010. Which led me to say to Thomas that we should ask the US government (Yes, I know we are Swedes. Yes, I know it is wrong to expect Swedish game development support from the US government.) for $100 000… Who would notice?
How Gameplay and Narrative kill Meaning in “Games”
In many of the posts here I have been discussing how having “unfun” gameplay can greatly enhance the experience. I have also ranted about how too much “fun” can completely destroy the intended experience. What I want to discuss now is how a game’s most common ingredients might be detracting from certain kinds of experiences and are in some cases best gotten rid of. These ingredients are Gameplay and Narrative. It is my view that these two features can seriously get in the way when trying to take the interactive medium in new directions.
Dark Penumbra Soundtrack Released to Critical Acclaim
The Sound of Fiction record label today released a special edition of the Penumbra Soundtrack. The Penumbra series, developed by Frictional Games, has achieved cult status, and Mikko Tarmia’s essential soundscape has been consistently lauded as one of the series’ greatest achievements.
When focusing on fun fails
Because of a past as sort-of-toys important features of games are: How “fun” they are, replay value and how long they last. Reviews often take this into account and in turn this makes developers focus a lot on making a game “fun”, “replayable” and “long lasting”. I think this kind of thinking (which I am at times guilty of myself…) can seriously hurt a game. I think designers shall focus entirely on what kind of experience they want to deliver and make that come across as effectively as possible!
