playthroughline

I peaked and I'm kidding myself

Writer | narrative designer | IGF-nominated "experimental dungeon master" of Neurocracy


moonflowers
@moonflowers

the homogenization of video games controls has led to massive stagnation. it’s why everything from the ps3/360 era onwards feels exactly the same


johnnemann
@johnnemann

In that as games discover a series of "best practices" it narrows the perceived scope of possibility until we need movements to deliberately do things in the 'wrong' way to remind us that it doesn't have to be like this.

Best practices are good things to have but they quickly go from "hey if you want to accomplish this effect, try this design tool" to "this is the correct way to make things", especially in a medium that is as commercially focused, and as worshipful of its commercial arm, as video games is.


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in reply to @johnnemann's post:

yeah this is of course all happening in the long shadow of the market, entire generations of creators coming up with no deeper aspirations than "be perfectly market-shaped + market-legible", the relatively new screeching commentator class youtube (a completely toxic attention market happening in parallel) saddled our medium with acting as enforcers of market thinking, and of course the platforms themselves being cultural forces of vigorous punishment for any products that aren't obsequiously serving market needs. a medium in bondage to capital.