Very good video. It honestly reminds me about Star Wars Galaxies. The more they changed the more people left. They had a great appeal but then they changed it dramatically and it sent so many people away.
Basically, don't lie to the players, but still manipulate them. It's a pity that designing a profitable game doesn't mean designing a good game. A lot of principles that make a game good have to be abandoned. A lot of principles that make a game worse have to be accepted. The main theme appearing in all this is player retention. When you're designing for player retention, you're designing a manipulator, not a game. I'm not denying that's the reality, I'm saying it's a shame that it is.
+Dan Strike Agreed. Instead of pushing for interactive experiences pushing for emotional experiences geared toward a meaningful, thought-provoking few hours like what you will find in the greatest of any other entertainment medium, we find ourselves trying to squeeze as many hours audience retention possible before we move onto the next game. I like that this guy does not beat around the bush, but, if you care about games as an artform, look up: Jonathan Blow (Braid, The Witness), Fumito Ueda (Ico, Shadow of the Colossus), Hidetaka Miyazaki (Dark Souls), "thatgamecompany" (Flower, Journey), Edmund McMillan (Super Meat Boy, The Binding of Isaac), Davey Wreden (Stanley Parable), "Question" (The Magic Circle), and the list goes on and on. Games are more than just a pass-time.
@@AlleineDragonfyre Late response, but I think that while you're literally right, the quality/substance of the manipulation is key, not all games are equally good, they don't all have the same level of depth, etc. A piece of literature can have well-considered messages that improve your understanding in some way, while also technically highjacking the reward system for something that may not have an immediate biological reward.
I enjoyed the content of Raph's lecture, but not the presentation of it. He speaks with so much aggression and hatred that it's almost palpable. It's lead to viewers leaving this video (and the lecture room too, I'm sure) thinking negatively on the things Raph spoke about. I hope that his future speeches are toned down and he speaks to his audience as equals instead of children.
Very good video. It honestly reminds me about Star Wars Galaxies. The more they changed the more people left. They had a great appeal but then they changed it dramatically and it sent so many people away.
Still extremely relevant today. This is a fantastic lecture.
Very
I have read you before, but talks are even better. A real pleasure to hear you talking about social game design.
Wow, that was one of the most interesting lectures I've ever heard. I understand now why SWG was such a great game at first.
There were some really great points to take from this.
Still relevant.
Basically, don't lie to the players, but still manipulate them.
It's a pity that designing a profitable game doesn't mean designing a good game. A lot of principles that make a game good have to be abandoned. A lot of principles that make a game worse have to be accepted. The main theme appearing in all this is player retention. When you're designing for player retention, you're designing a manipulator, not a game. I'm not denying that's the reality, I'm saying it's a shame that it is.
+Dan Strike Agreed. Instead of pushing for interactive experiences pushing for emotional experiences geared toward a meaningful, thought-provoking few hours like what you will find in the greatest of any other entertainment medium, we find ourselves trying to squeeze as many hours audience retention possible before we move onto the next game. I like that this guy does not beat around the bush, but, if you care about games as an artform, look up: Jonathan Blow (Braid, The Witness), Fumito Ueda (Ico, Shadow of the Colossus), Hidetaka Miyazaki (Dark Souls), "thatgamecompany" (Flower, Journey), Edmund McMillan (Super Meat Boy, The Binding of Isaac), Davey Wreden (Stanley Parable), "Question" (The Magic Circle), and the list goes on and on. Games are more than just a pass-time.
All forms of entertainment are a form of emotional manipulation. Game designers have been doing this for a very, very long time.
@@AlleineDragonfyre Late response, but I think that while you're literally right, the quality/substance of the manipulation is key, not all games are equally good, they don't all have the same level of depth, etc. A piece of literature can have well-considered messages that improve your understanding in some way, while also technically highjacking the reward system for something that may not have an immediate biological reward.
Forums are good. Rofl.
Listening to this guy is how you end up with games like Anthem. All flash and no substance, $60 games with F2P cash shops.
I enjoyed the content of Raph's lecture, but not the presentation of it. He speaks with so much aggression and hatred that it's almost palpable. It's lead to viewers leaving this video (and the lecture room too, I'm sure) thinking negatively on the things Raph spoke about. I hope that his future speeches are toned down and he speaks to his audience as equals instead of children.
This talk was not for players. That's the difference. Players don't like to know they're being manipulated but that's how entertainment is created.