Archive for May, 2010
The Sensationalist: Designing Trust
This post is part of “The Sensationalist,” a continuing series here at Experience Points in which we examine games’ abilities to evoke emotions and sensations in video game players. Please have a look at the series’ introduction as well its previous entries.
In the world of online gaming, where we rely on strangers to cover our backs, heal us up, support our attacks, and not steal our loot, trust can be a rare commodity. When a few anonymous individuals can foment hostility amongst compatriots, it can be difficult to have faith in others. Yet success in many multiplayer games hinges on mutual feelings of trust between allies. To build reciprocal confidence is to build a great gaming experience - trust me.
Trust in multiplayer online games comes in many forms, some of which I want to exclude from this discussion. For example, players
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Competition and Failure
“I don’t play games, because I* am too competitive.”
“I* get too involved in playing and it always leads to an argument.”
“I* can’t stand losing.”
“I* cheat.”
[* I could be I/he/she/we/they]
From the Files of TV Tropes #2
I did an entry like this back in November where I basically looked at specific entries from the TV Tropes site that I really enjoyed, and it was a feature that was long overdue for a revisit.
So here are another few entries from that site which appealed to me.
Rated M for Manly: Basically, the simplest short hand for this one is something created for men by men. Pure testosterone. In gaming, almost the entire shooter/beat em up genres are based on this trope (and God Hand is indeed rated M for Manly). Chuck Norris and Bruce Lee are the personification of this rule. To quote a particular movie listing on that page: “Fun Fact: 300 was not filmed or edited at all; instead, 3 hours worth of 35mm film was dipped into a large vat containing a concoction of pure
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Super Mario Galaxy 2’s Data Debut!
Are You Still Hunting Monsters? Monster Hunter 3 Data
