The social aspect of finding interesting things about video games and sharing them with others was a part of their appeal and popularity - not so much in the present day when we got way too much information even before the launch. Other than this, the essay has a strong point about how people forgot to just experience the games at their own pace.
I'm reminded of a passage from The Joy of X by Steven Strogatz about discovering a construction of an equilateral triangle using only a straightedge and compass: "But the tendency has always been to present the final diagram with the artful circles already in place, which robs the student of the joy of discovering them. That’s a pedagogical mistake. This is a proof that anyone can find. It can be new with each generation, if we teach it right."
I've been lamenting "the build" for years. Ever since the days of WoW, missing out on raids because my priests skill points were spent sub-optimally according to *the sacred threads*.
I remember playing Diablo 4 with randoms online and was sincerely asked why I used a particular combo instead of "the meta". My simple answer is because this one was more fun.
Yes the menu has cheese. But it also has so many other delectable ingredients. It's there because choice is a part of the experience. Fun is part of the experience. The highest numbers? They are not the most important part of the experience. Why does the gaming community seem to think it is?
"Encritification" is absolute gold. You should be proud of yourself for that one.
Cheese is not fun, but sharing stuff used to be.
The social aspect of finding interesting things about video games and sharing them with others was a part of their appeal and popularity - not so much in the present day when we got way too much information even before the launch. Other than this, the essay has a strong point about how people forgot to just experience the games at their own pace.
I'm reminded of a passage from The Joy of X by Steven Strogatz about discovering a construction of an equilateral triangle using only a straightedge and compass: "But the tendency has always been to present the final diagram with the artful circles already in place, which robs the student of the joy of discovering them. That’s a pedagogical mistake. This is a proof that anyone can find. It can be new with each generation, if we teach it right."
I've been lamenting "the build" for years. Ever since the days of WoW, missing out on raids because my priests skill points were spent sub-optimally according to *the sacred threads*.
I remember playing Diablo 4 with randoms online and was sincerely asked why I used a particular combo instead of "the meta". My simple answer is because this one was more fun.
Yes the menu has cheese. But it also has so many other delectable ingredients. It's there because choice is a part of the experience. Fun is part of the experience. The highest numbers? They are not the most important part of the experience. Why does the gaming community seem to think it is?
"Encritification" is absolute gold. You should be proud of yourself for that one.