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The main reason games are violent is that you are usually presenting the player with a challenge to be overcome. That challenge has to be simple and visual. The

The main reason games are violent is that you are usually presenting the player with a challenge to be overcome. That challenge has to be simple and visual. The simplest way to do this is with a fight - it’s why my game will have combat for example. It’s exciting to hear that such a superhero developer is tackling nonviolent games because he could start a really neat trend

tekromancr 6y ago
He has always been like that. There's a (possibly apocryphal) story about him meeting with the developers of Goldeneye and suggesting that they have a scene at the end of the game where you visit the hospital and visit all the people you shot throughout the game and give them well wishes.
- dundarious 6y ago
  That is in the article also.
- jstarfish 6y ago
  Metal Gear Solid 3 taught me never to kill anything if it can at all be avoided.
seanwilson 6y ago
> The main reason games are violent is that you are usually presenting the player with a challenge to be overcome. That challenge has to be simple and visual. The simplest way to do this is with a fight - it’s why my game will have combat for example. I wish I read this point more often. I would love a game where you had to convince someone to change their mind or get a team of people to help you achieve something by only talking to them (like being a character in a non-violent movie). We're just nowhere close to this level of AI yet. That's why we have so many games where button press = shoot gun in my opinion. It translates the physical controller actions we have to actions that the game can practically react to in an interesting way, in terms of graphics and gameplay. There's probably a similar mapping to why most TV shows and movies revolve around murder.
- hertzrat 6y ago
  Exactly. The most common ways to interact with a game world are the simplest and most visual: push button = physically do something, and the target physically reacts also. Subtlety and abstraction is harder to pull off, and hence, riskier for the company to attempt. The ones that succeeded did great though

tekromancr 6y ago

He has always been like that. There's a (possibly apocryphal) story about him meeting with the developers of Goldeneye and suggesting that they have a scene at the end of the game where you visit the hospital and visit all the people you shot throughout the game and give them well wishes.

dundarious 6y ago
That is in the article also.
jstarfish 6y ago
Metal Gear Solid 3 taught me never to kill anything if it can at all be avoided.

seanwilson 6y ago

> The main reason games are violent is that you are usually presenting the player with a challenge to be overcome. That challenge has to be simple and visual. The simplest way to do this is with a fight - it’s why my game will have combat for example. I wish I read this point more often. I would love a game where you had to convince someone to change their mind or get a team of people to help you achieve something by only talking to them (like being a character in a non-violent movie). We're just nowhere close to this level of AI yet. That's why we have so many games where button press = shoot gun in my opinion. It translates the physical controller actions we have to actions that the game can practically react to in an interesting way, in terms of graphics and gameplay. There's probably a similar mapping to why most TV shows and movies revolve around murder.

hertzrat 6y ago
Exactly. The most common ways to interact with a game world are the simplest and most visual: push button = physically do something, and the target physically reacts also. Subtlety and abstraction is harder to pull off, and hence, riskier for the company to attempt. The ones that succeeded did great though