Spector is Pro-Choice
Spector is Pro-Choice
Interview - posted by Saint_Proverbius on Wed 28 June 2006, 19:10:03
Tags: Warren SpectorEuroGamer has an interview with Warren Spector. You may remember him as that guy who worked on a bunch of cultish successful games. Anyway, some guy from Valve Software said something about how he was wrong about having six choices in games because players will only see one-sixth of the game or something. Here's part of the reply:
So, to try to wrap this up in something less than book length, I don't believe it's ever a waste of time to give players real choices, rather than fake ones. If all you're doing is putting players on rails and rocketing them through your story, why not just build a roller coaster or make a movie? If the only choice a player gets to make is which weapon to use to kill a bad guy, you've completely wasted that player's time. Roller coaster rides are immense amounts of fun, but really, all they do is provide an adrenalin rush and a moment's distraction from the workaday world. Games can be more. Movies are terrific storytelling devices - I love movies - but movies already exist. I don't need to make them. (Well, I kinda want to produce a movie someday, but that's another matter entirely...) If all you're doing is telling yourstory to players (with the added attraction of getting to pick a gun once in a while), why bother?Wasn't he the guy who said, few years back, there's no point in making games with multiple paths because a player will only play a game once anyway? Or am I having a stroke? Changing one's mind is a custom us Canadians hold dear, sir!
Thanks, Ghan!
So, to try to wrap this up in something less than book length, I don't believe it's ever a waste of time to give players real choices, rather than fake ones. If all you're doing is putting players on rails and rocketing them through your story, why not just build a roller coaster or make a movie? If the only choice a player gets to make is which weapon to use to kill a bad guy, you've completely wasted that player's time. Roller coaster rides are immense amounts of fun, but really, all they do is provide an adrenalin rush and a moment's distraction from the workaday world. Games can be more. Movies are terrific storytelling devices - I love movies - but movies already exist. I don't need to make them. (Well, I kinda want to produce a movie someday, but that's another matter entirely...) If all you're doing is telling yourstory to players (with the added attraction of getting to pick a gun once in a while), why bother?
Thanks, Ghan!
