Untapped potential of Video Games

[ryoko]

What's the point of Video Games?

I hunt for the most unique games ever created, highest quality. But eventually I get disappointed after playing them. One, because I'm learning Environment Art, so I'm desensitized to games in general. Two, I have too much expectations from games as a medium, a place where real growth is possible. And last but not the least, the culture of video games industry is so mindless.

All of these are totally not my values. My top 3 values being Awareness, Mastery and Integrity. I have made it a point that I do what I feel like. Nothing more nothing less, and if I'm feeling any resistance to doing something I want, there's work I gotta do.

This post is part of that work.

Lately I have been thinking how a small fraction of the population can afford to play AAA Games. And much less enjoy it. If games are more than what they are today, they will be priced 10x higher. Imagine a game which can actually help you grow. Making the accessibility even sparce. My expectations for games are on that level. Entertainment through games is fine, but I think games can do a far better job entertaining than how it is going on today. I'm totally against anything compromised.

The current way games have manifested is through being a means for escapism, addiction, guilt of not doing well in life. Life is far more exciting, simply existing is enough reason to rejoice. Naturally, I don't get one bit excited about games these days. I just feel like most games are just wasting my quality of life(I'm talking about the most awesome games I handpicked)

This boredom for games is a common thing about those who work in the industry. It's hypocrisy on another level. 

The ultimate test for a good video game is, whether it's creator can get lost playing the game he created, can he immerse himself in it and get addicted to it?

Any new perspective on this is appreciated. I'm just wondering where games can end up, and how can it actually be useful beyond this simple entertainment and escapism. Such that playing games is considered something good, like working out. 

Edited April 27 by ryoko

[Leo Gura]

The way I view game creation is as art and playing God. You get to create entire new beautiful worlds. That's the magic of it. This is a higher thing than mere entertainment.

With that as the focus, I do not care whether a game grows people or teaches them some kind of lesson. That is not the function of games. The function of games is to share the wonder and beauty of another reality. That's the spiritual part. Don't try to use the game to preach to people verbal lessons. That's not what this medium is for.

Anyway.... that's just my perspective.

I don't try to make games high consciousness, I try to make them beautiful and simply fun.

Edited April 28 by Leo Gura

[FourCrossedWands]

Have you tried playing strategy games / city builders? These are in my opinion the most conscious games. You are creating something instead of destroying like you do in most other games. You can also learn history, economy, etc.

Some of the best strategy games / city builders:

• Total War series
• Stronghold series
• Knights of Honor 2
• Pharaoh, Ceasar III
• Cities Skylines
• Banished
• Manor Lords (just released)

[Leo Gura]

38 minutes ago, FourCrossedWands said:

Stronghold series

Lol

Stronghold is about rape and pillaging neighboring castles.

[Danioover9000]

@FourCrossedWands

1 hour ago, FourCrossedWands said:

Have you tried playing strategy games / city builders? These are in my opinion the most conscious games. You are creating something instead of destroying like you do in most other games. You can also learn history, economy, etc.

Some of the best strategy games / city builders:

• Total War series
• Stronghold series
• Knights of Honor 2
• Pharaoh, Ceasar III
• Cities Skylines
• Banished
• Manor Lords (just released)

   Don't forget Civilization series, Sims, even D&D. Not to mention hundreds of other board games have potential too.

[ryoko]

7 hours ago, Leo Gura said:

Don't try to use the game to preach to people verbal lessons

Aw, I just realized I was subtly pushing certain values... Thanks for the shocker, Leo.

 

[ryoko]

8 hours ago, Leo Gura said:

The way I view game creation is as art and playing God. You get to create entire new beautiful worlds. That's the magic of it. This is a higher thing than mere entertainment.

With that as the focus, I do not care whether a game grows people or teaches them some kind of lesson. That is not the function of games. The function of games is to share the wonder and beauty of another reality. That's the spiritual part. Don't try to use the game to preach to people verbal lessons. That's not what this medium is for.

Anyway.... that's just my perspective.

I don't try to make games high consciousness, I try to make the beautiful and simply fun.

I love this perspective

[ryoko]

8 hours ago, FourCrossedWands said:

You are creating something instead of destroying like you do in most other games

I remember how I used to get annoyed when artists are creating guns, I used to think "why, our world already got enough war going on, why create guns". So hilarious😆..

And thanks for the suggestions @FourCrossedWands and @Danioover9000, those games got very nice mechanics in place. Manor Lords for example, is providing procedural tools to build game worlds.. It's nice to see such games exist. 

Edited April 28 by ryoko

[Leo Gura]

2 hours ago, ryoko said:

I used to think "why, our world already got enough war going on, why create guns".

Games are similar to film and story in that they need drama to fuel them, otherwise they get boring. That drama is usually some kind of combat mechanic.

Edited April 28 by Leo Gura

[OBEler]

37 minutes ago, Leo Gura said:

Games are similar to film and story in that they need drama to fuel them, otherwise they get boring. That drama is usually some kind of combat mechanic.

Not always drama needed.

Look at shenmue. Playing as a teenager I was so immersed in this world.

this deep immersion and deep atmosphere alone was keeping me to play it over and over again without a goal. I never felt bored

Edited April 28 by OBEler

[Leo Gura]

@OBEler

Quote

In the Shenmue games, the player controls the teenage martial arts pupil Ryo Hazuki as he investigates his father's murder.

Drama

[Davino]

@Leo Gura Is there any game you have worked on that you particularly like and want to share?

I'd like to try it out and have fun playing it.

Otherwise, what is your taste for videogames, what do you like?

[zurew]

15 hours ago, Leo Gura said:

Anyway.... that's just my perspective.

I don't try to make games high consciousness, I try to make them beautiful and simply fun.

I think most of us here sometimes forget about the importance of beauty and fun. We are hardcore focused on growth so much so, that sometimes we narrowly define whats important and because of that we lose the ability to see anything outside of that frame - in this case, we forget to appreciate beauty for its own sake and forget to appreciate the importance of play / having fun.

The growth frame is good, but sometimes breaking that frame to recognize whats outside of it can be important.

 

15 hours ago, FourCrossedWands said:

Some of the best strategy games / city builders:

• Total War series
• Stronghold series
• Knights of Honor 2
• Pharaoh, Ceasar III
• Cities Skylines
• Banished
• Manor Lords (just released)

Heroes of Might and Magic 3

[FourCrossedWands]

20 hours ago, Leo Gura said:

Lol

Stronghold is about rape and pillaging neighboring castles.

Yes, Stronghold and Total War are not games that promote peace, but they are still peaceful and relaxing games to play.

[OBEler]

13 hours ago, Leo Gura said:

@OBEler

Drama

As a kid I never was interested in this story at all.

This drama was in the background.

The main part of the game was just doing normal mundane stuff like buying things in the grocerie store, calling your girlfriend, talking to people on the streets, petting a kitten, playing arcade game, work at the harbor or visiting restaurants. If that's drama for you then ok.

My main activity was walking through the town and see all these amazing details, speaking to locals. It felt so real.

 

Here is a good Doku about this game. Shenmue is a masterpiece. It was genius like. 

 

Edited April 28 by OBEler

[Juan]

19 hours ago, Leo Gura said:

Games are similar to film and story in that they need drama to fuel them, otherwise they get boring. That drama is usually some kind of combat mechanic.

Videogames have BETTER cutscenes than movies (generally speaking ofc).

[Schizophonia]

GMOD is the best game ever.

At least best sandbox game in front of minecraft.  

[Rayster]

I personally loved Role Playing Games(RPG) growing up.

[Basman]

I think game can expand someone's view on certain topic, emphasize on "can" since games are entertainment first and foremost.

I've been playing a lot of Hell Let Loose lately, which is a realistic WW2 shooter where you die in one hit and it is makes me appreciate the subtle horror of combat. You will get shot at all the time in this game but rarely will you be able to clearly see the enemy. Often you will suddenly die to an enemy hiding in a bush 200 meters away (but you don't know what bush). You have to learn to fight invincible enemies due to the distance and lethality of cartridge based firearms.

Then there is artillery. You can die at no fault of your own to an airstrike at seemingly random. The only way you can maybe predict it is if you know you are in a strategically important area of the map. A guy can be running in front of you on moment and be gone the next. Brutal and scary because you are fighting an invincible enemy.

 

[bebotalk]

On 27/04/2024 at 2:26 PM, ryoko said:

What's the point of Video Games?

I hunt for the most unique games ever created, highest quality. But eventually I get disappointed after playing them. One, because I'm learning Environment Art, so I'm desensitized to games in general. Two, I have too much expectations from games as a medium, a place where real growth is possible. And last but not the least, the culture of video games industry is so mindless.

All of these are totally not my values. My top 3 values being Awareness, Mastery and Integrity. I have made it a point that I do what I feel like. Nothing more nothing less, and if I'm feeling any resistance to doing something I want, there's work I gotta do.

This post is part of that work.

Lately I have been thinking how a small fraction of the population can afford to play AAA Games. And much less enjoy it. If games are more than what they are today, they will be priced 10x higher. Imagine a game which can actually help you grow. Making the accessibility even sparce. My expectations for games are on that level. Entertainment through games is fine, but I think games can do a far better job entertaining than how it is going on today. I'm totally against anything compromised.

The current way games have manifested is through being a means for escapism, addiction, guilt of not doing well in life. Life is far more exciting, simply existing is enough reason to rejoice. Naturally, I don't get one bit excited about games these days. I just feel like most games are just wasting my quality of life(I'm talking about the most awesome games I handpicked)

This boredom for games is a common thing about those who work in the industry. It's hypocrisy on another level. 

The ultimate test for a good video game is, whether it's creator can get lost playing the game he created, can he immerse himself in it and get addicted to it?

Any new perspective on this is appreciated. I'm just wondering where games can end up, and how can it actually be useful beyond this simple entertainment and escapism. Such that playing games is considered something good, like working out. 

They're entertainment. Just like movies, books, TV shows, etc.

I'd argue why one needs to "educate" people in a given philosophy. People buying such don't need education.