Why has the perfect game not been produced?

[HansDampf]

Well, a strong argument could be made that Tetris is the closest thing to the "perfect game".

• It's concept and appeal are universal: the extremely simple premise and presentation of the game, means anyone can understand and play it; there's no barrier of any kind to this game, because there's simply no human element to it - no story, no cultural references or concepts, just blocks falling down (even a game like pac-man has a human layer to it, the ghosts/fruits, which means if the player comes from a civilization that has no notion about these ideas, he won't recognize the ghosts as threats and the fruits nourishment) - so for example, if aliens were to land on Earth after humankind disappeared, Tetris would be the videogame they would have the easiest time understanding.
• It's the one of the few videogames (if not the only one) where you can't modify it's fundamental gameplay mechanics and still have a interesting and functional game, because the mechanics are just that tightly designed: if you take out the ability to rotate the pieces, then the game won't work; if you remove the piece randomizer, then the players can learn a pattern and break the game; if you remove the scoring system then there's no reason for people to continue to play and coming and coming back to it after a few rounds; if the gravity acted independently for each piece, then it would be very difficult for the player to loose; if the game doesn't speed up with each level then there's nothing to challenge the players;
  
• The 4 blocks pieces are a perfect set: if the pieces had only 3 blocks the game would be to simple to be satisfying, as there's only 2 possible combinations; if the pieces had 5 blocks the game would be to complex, as there would be too many combinations, the way the pieces are set would result in a lot of horizontal sliding (which the game isn't aiming at) and finally it would be unnecessarily off-putting with all the irregular shapes.
  
• Guarranted to be challenging: the inevitable failure means any player, no matter how good he/she is, will always be pushed to a challenging situation.

The most subjective aspect about Tetris, it's is music. But then again the music is clearly not integral to the game experience and supposed to serve as a backing music (the fact the original GameBoy music is catchy did help in this regard)

 

[ScrotumBroth]

Perfection is just a concept.

I didn't think there was any point using it in a conversation, not until Beamdog started releasing one perfection after another.

 

[PrettyDeadman]

The perfect game has been produced,
I am not sure how this have not yet been deduced.
It is called Pathfinder: Kingmaker,
Thank me later.

 

[JarlFrank]

Because nobody has given me a million dollars and an experienced dev team yet.

 

[Robespierre]

Oh but the perfect game has been produced ! If thou hast eyes to see the glory of the Builder, but do not, then pluck them out.

 

[c2007]

Taipan was made a long time ago.

...

If I am to try to answer this question, the old latin sufficed pretty well but I'll go one further.

The human mind has always been the limiting factor. Increase in technology changes nothing in that regard.

The perfect game will never be made, because people are less perfect everyday. Also, too lazy, too distracted. The modern life is a waste of time and energy; the sooner it ends the better.

 

[Thalion]

Hollow Knight is the closest we have come to a perfect game for me. There is very little I can criticise about the base game and I feel like every piece of DLC for it has diminished the overall game by a small amount.

 

[samuraigaiden]

I'm pretty sure Castlevania Symphony of the Night has been made, so i don't understand the point of this topic.

 

[Darth Canoli]

It happened already

UFO, perfect strategy management game for its time
Heroes of Might & Magic 2, perfect tactical management game for its time
Wizardry 8, the perfect cRPG which hasn't been surpassed yet

Looking at them 20 years later with the evolution of the technology and the video games in general, they're not perfect anymore, just great, which is far enough.

 

[ZodoZ]

Perfection is just a concept.

Yes. Perfect was a poor choice of word. Maybe more like why have games not evolved further by this point when $250-$300 million are spent on games each day.
(according to worldometer)
wow holy farfulsnarks - when I read that stat at first I thought it meant per year. It is every day...

Let that sink in... $200,000,000 USD - $300,000,000 EACH DAY spent on vidya games.

$39.6 Billion this year. So far.





source: https://www.worldometers.info/

 

[Jack Of Owls]

Oh but the perfect game has been produced ! If thou hast eyes to see the glory of the Builder, but do not, then pluck them out.

Just this line makes me want to play Thief 1/2 again. Shit, I must have about 200 FMs in my Dark Loader queued and ready to play.

 

[Wyatt_Derp]

Probably whatever game software the Pentagon is using to simulate World War 15. (probably some steroid version of COMMAND series from Matrix)

https://taskandpurpose.com/russia-china-war-games

It's gotta be perfect if the DOD and RAND builds a simulator so powerful that it has to admit to the media that it constantly loses. Takes balls to admit defeat, especially if your budget/job depends on it.

 

[DemonKing]

I think for me the closest game that came close to perfection as the original Company of Heroes - Gameplay, Graphics, SFX, Voice work, balance, maps etc were all great. Even then there were some annoyances like the lack of a German campaign and the fact that the unit skins could have looked a bit better (like the Axis units seemingly fighting in light grey pyjamas). Saying that, this is one of those few games that really felt like "lightning in a bottle" when playing to me.

 

[octavius]

Oh but the perfect game has been produced ! If thou hast eyes to see the glory of the Builder, but do not, then pluck them out.

Thief: The Dark Project was a perfect game. Thief 2 has too many flaws, though.

 

[GrafvonMoltke]

Deus Ex.

This post is deserving of a thousand brofists.

 

[Zer0wing]

Yes. Perfect was a poor choice of word. Maybe more like why have games not evolved further by this point when $250-$300 million are spent on games each day.
(according to worldometer)
wow holy farfulsnarks - when I read that stat at first I thought it meant per year. It is every day...

Let that sink in... $200,000,000 USD - $300,000,000 EACH DAY spent on vidya games.

$39.6 Billion this year. So far.

Because game industry prints money anyway. Basic politeconomy.

 

[Master]

Oh but the perfect game has been produced ! If thou hast eyes to see the glory of the Builder, but do not, then pluck them out.

Damn, Hammerites are really hardcore.

 

[abnaxus]

Because you touch yourself at night.