Jonathan Blow, Creator of Braid, Discusses Game Design

[brandonio21]

After seeing the movie "Indie Game: The Movie" I have been closely following Jonathan Blow and his work. He recently had an interview in which he takes an interesting and noteworthy perspective on fun and game design in general. It's a great talk.

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[Macatone]

Wow, thanks for sharing!

One thing that makes me want to continue to play a game is to feel like I'm accomplishing something. Like if I unlock a new ability or weapon, that feeling of accomplishment makes me want to continue playing.

[brandonio21]

One thing that makes me want to continue to play a game is to feel like I'm accomplishing something. Like if I unlock a new ability or weapon, that feeling of accomplishment makes me want to continue playing.

I agree with this statement. However, as Jonathan Blow has pointed out, this system also allows game developers to "exploit" its players, putting them in a never-ending loop of grinding and unlocking. Such a loop can be seen in games such as World of Warcraft. Of course, I really enjoyed that game when I played it, but thinking back on it, the addiction factor that goes hand-in-hand with progression does cause some sort of problem.

[Macatone]

I agree with this statement. However, as Jonathan Blow has pointed out, this system also allows game developers to "exploit" its players, putting them in a never-ending loop of grinding and unlocking. Such a loop can be seen in games such as World of Warcraft. Of course, I really enjoyed that game when I played it, but thinking back on it, the addiction factor that goes hand-in-hand with progression does cause some sort of problem.

I see your point. So the continual "playing and unlocking" is a way for game developers to get you to continue to play their game and possibly getting addicted to it (which could cause a problem).