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Limitation can be a huge creative tool, as seen in the fantasy consoles like the Pico-8. Often the most transcendent and memorable experiences I have had playin

Limitation can be a huge creative tool, as seen in the fantasy consoles like the Pico-8. Often the most transcendent and memorable experiences I have had playing games of recent vintage fell quite short of utilizing the maximum capability of their platform. I don’t think Steam Deck really brings that much to the table on its own as a platform outside of being a portable PC.

blowski 5y ago
Indeed, limitation is one of the most used creativity tools. Like how authors try to write a short story without he letter “e”.
- meheleventyone 5y ago
  The problem with these sorts of technical limits is that their self imposition turns the exercise into being about overcoming them rather than making a good game. And in turn the recognition of the work is more about the technical achievement than how good the end result is. Games is a really funny one where the whole creative culture has been so soaked in pushing technical limits that now we exist in a period of abundance where limits practically don’t exist so we have to reinvent them. There’s definitely creativity there but it’s somewhat tangential to making games. In the same way many great demosceners ended up working in games but on the technical side of things. I’d argue limits that produce creativity in the games themselves need to be far more conceptual.
  - antiterra 5y ago
    Celeste.
    - meheleventyone 5y ago
      Is a great game but doesn’t challenge my point. The other successful game that transcended Pico-8, Slipways is also great but again isn’t really challenging the point. Also note my point isn’t a slight on Pico-8 itself or enjoying working with technical limitations.
bluescrn 5y ago
If you want to play around with development for limited/retro-style platforms, there's plenty of choices of existing retro computer and console. And even if you develop using emulators, seeing your code run on real retro hardware is more satisfying than running it on a 'fantasy console' on PC.
- antiterra 5y ago
  > seeing your code run on real retro hardware is more satisfying than running it on a 'fantasy console' on PC. That’s a matter of pure (and, frankly, arbitrarily smug) opinion and one I don’t share. I lived through when retro hardware was just hardware and I’m done with it and all the clutter and dust and brown.

blowski 5y ago

Indeed, limitation is one of the most used creativity tools. Like how authors try to write a short story without he letter “e”.

meheleventyone 5y ago
The problem with these sorts of technical limits is that their self imposition turns the exercise into being about overcoming them rather than making a good game. And in turn the recognition of the work is more about the technical achievement than how good the end result is. Games is a really funny one where the whole creative culture has been so soaked in pushing technical limits that now we exist in a period of abundance where limits practically don’t exist so we have to reinvent them. There’s definitely creativity there but it’s somewhat tangential to making games. In the same way many great demosceners ended up working in games but on the technical side of things. I’d argue limits that produce creativity in the games themselves need to be far more conceptual.
- antiterra 5y ago
  Celeste.
  - meheleventyone 5y ago
    Is a great game but doesn’t challenge my point. The other successful game that transcended Pico-8, Slipways is also great but again isn’t really challenging the point. Also note my point isn’t a slight on Pico-8 itself or enjoying working with technical limitations.

bluescrn 5y ago

If you want to play around with development for limited/retro-style platforms, there's plenty of choices of existing retro computer and console. And even if you develop using emulators, seeing your code run on real retro hardware is more satisfying than running it on a 'fantasy console' on PC.

antiterra 5y ago
> seeing your code run on real retro hardware is more satisfying than running it on a 'fantasy console' on PC. That’s a matter of pure (and, frankly, arbitrarily smug) opinion and one I don’t share. I lived through when retro hardware was just hardware and I’m done with it and all the clutter and dust and brown.