Interesting thoughts on why game worlds outperform virtual worlds like Second Life:
In this telling, games are not just special, they are special in a way that relieves designers of the pursuit of maximal realism. There is still a premium on good design and playability, but the magic circle, acceptance of arbitrary difficulties, and goal-directed visual filtering give designers ways to contextualize or bury at least some platform limitations. These are not options available to designers of non-game environments; asking users to accept such worlds as even passable simulacra subjects those environments to withering scrutiny.
1 response so far ↓
1 Joe Crawford // Jan 31, 2007 at 6:52 pm
I think this lesson applies to real life as well. If there’s no point to your existence, no goal, all you notice are the hardships.
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