Sunday, June 30, 2013

Anna Degnin - I Love Bees response

1)In your opinion, what makes games fun?
I'm going to address video games with this question, as these are the types of games that I am most interested in. For me, what makes a game fun is a combination of various things. The gameplay must be good, the quests shouldn't be repetitive, the game should be easy to learn and pick up (no cluttered UI, controls, etc) and the idea should be novel. These are what, to me, makes a game fun. However what makes a game good, in my opinion, is a plot and characters that make me react emotionally to the game. A game can be fun, but still be a bad game (I'm looking at you, Brink). But if a game is good, then it's fun just to experience it (For example, Heavy Rain, Last of Us and Zero's Escape).

2)Which of these things (if any) were present in the I <3 Bees ARG? If not present, what made I <3 Bees fun?
"Instead of telling a story, we would present the evidence of that story, and let players tell it to themselves." This is exactly what I like about games with good writing. They don't hit you in the face with their story, they let it evolve by itself, and you pick up on things along the way. 
An example of this would be when a game tries to explain its world to the player in too much detail. This shatters the illusion of the world; if the main character has lived in this world their whole lives, wouldn't they already know these things? The player should, in a good game, find out these things as they progress through the game, naturally and without being forced. This is of course very hard to do, because if you don't explain enough, you will frustrate and confuse the player. However, this is what I believe good games do, and it is what "I Love Bees" strove for.

This game is unique, full of story and driven ideas, and draws in the player seamlessly. This game is a brilliant idea, and I'm surprised it isn't used more in present day.

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