One of the great frustrations I have with the gaming industry is … well, games that don’t work.
Not just issues with drivers, hardware configurations, and system specs and all of that, but games where the gameplay is simply broken in some fundamental manner.
For the last little while, I’ve been meaning to write something about Minecraft. About how the limitations breed creativity and how simple, approachable, and rock-solid systems (even though it is a rolling alpha) provide a supportive foundation for complex creation.
I’ve been thinking about The Sims 3 and Bioshock 2, and Dragon Age and other titles which I just haven’t picked up (and it doesn’t look like I am likely to). I know why that is. It’s the DLC/addons.
It actually isn’t as common as you might think that an MMOG makes it to five years. At GDC this year, six panelists from among the survivors got together and talked about their strategies for keeping old players and acquiring new ones.
And there’s sound advice in there for more industries and enterprises than just MMOGs.
The 16th annual Interactive Fiction Competition is underway now, and the games are available and voting is open.
Something a little unusual this time around. One that you can play right away.
From the very skilled – and I might even be inclined to suggest ‘artistic’ and ‘spectacular’ – Andrew Plotkin comes a sterling piece of short interactive fiction. It’s compact and lovely, and not too difficult.