Transit –
I appreciate that the author pointed out the value in games in which “slow, continuous traversal becomes a fundamental aspect of gameplay.” These sorts of games offer an experience that I think is much more immersive and engaging than a game in which the scenery whizzes by. I think that the fun of Crazy Taxi does not come from the scenery/journey itself but from the actions which the player chooses to take – do you run over this person, start driving in the ocean, or take the most direct route to your destination? I prefer games such as Shadow of the Colossus that have sweeping landscapes and focus on open exploration. Here, your actions feel much less limited, even though in reality you have few choices of what actions to take. Rather than just traveling, you can interact with the landscape and enrich the game experience through small touches, like finding animals to kill for food, etc.
Narrative Environments – From Disneyland to World of Warcraft
This gave me something to think about in terms of how I want to create my next game. It’s important to structure your environment around the story to enrich the storytelling and gaming experience rather than simply pasting a background onto your game without thinking about how your story shapes the landscape and vice versa.
I thought the comparison between WoW and Disney World was very apt; especially the comparison of WoW’s differently themed “lands” with Disney World’s distinctly themed parks. In a sense, I think WoW could be considered part of the next generation of ‘theme parks’; except instead of spending a few days there for vacation, you become so immersed (as a ‘player/resident’ rather than a ‘guest’) that you end up investing very large amounts of time into it.
