psychology and crates for better video gaming
Interesting piece on GameSpot about game designer as psychologist trying to figure out how to influence player behavior. It bugs the crap out of me when this is done poorly. I either end up with my befuddled character not knowing what to try next, or my bored character seeing right through the obvious path of tidbits leading me to the obvious portal to the obvious next event. As games embrace more complex narratives and immersive experiences, these moments that pull us out of the game world become even more annoying. Which brings us to the hilarious crate review system, in which Old Man Murray posits "All games contain crates, therefore all games can be judged empirically on those crates." This is one of those gems that make the web worth surfing. (The usual warnings about gamer vocabulary apply.)