4 ms·

I agree with most of Blow's supposedly controversial points (on Zynga, social games, and the juvenile nature of most games...), but I just can't get excited abo

by 9999 14y ago

I agree with most of Blow's supposedly controversial points (on Zynga, social games, and the juvenile nature of most games...), but I just can't get excited about his games. Who wants to spend 30 hours speculating on the psychology of an alienated prude with a bunch of pseudo-philosophical garbage about the meaning of life slapped on as affect? Maybe if he was really good at it, I'd give it a shot. But he's not Ingmar Bergman, he's not even close.

GuiA 14y ago
...you haven't even played the game yet. Have you tried Braid?
- 9999 14y ago
  Yep.
icandoitbetter 14y ago
>Who wants to spend 30 hours speculating on the psychology of an alienated prude with a bunch of pseudo-philosophical garbage about the meaning of life slapped on as affect? How can you even make that claim when the game isn't out yet? I seriously have no idea what to make of your comment.
- 9999 14y ago
  I was going off the description of Blow's aims and goals for The Witness from the article: Blow’s decision to bare his soul in The Witness springs from this same drive to live up to the full potential of his artistic medium; a meaningful game, he believes, must be an honest one. The Witnesss narrator, he freely admits, is a thinly veiled version of his own psyche. When the narrator speaks of his guilt over spending millions to create an island filled with puzzles instead of using that money for worthier causes, this is Blow’s real spiritual dilemma. When the narrator reflects on his feelings of empty vanity, on his alienation from others, on his “yearning for truth and deep understanding,” these are Blow’s pains and desires. Honesty and truth in storytelling is certainly important, but the kind of honesty he is talking about there is a boring truth. It reminds me of the same kind of thinking that produced Cinema Verite, and what Werner Herzog had to say about that philosophy: "By dint of declaration the so-called Cinema Verité is devoid of verité. It reaches a merely superficial truth, the truth of accountants." Even if I am not interested in Blow's pains and desires, I do respect the fact that he is deliberating on them, and hopefully encouraging other game developers to do so. However, the potential product of his process as described in that article just bores me to tears.
  - enneff 14y ago
    Going further - how many great (or at least enjoyable) books or films are the ruminations and self-analysis of a lone individual? Camus' L'Etranger almost qualifies, except it depicts events involving multiple people, even if it never speculates on the motivations of the other characters. Honesty is not enough. I think Blow is more naive than he, or indeed this reporter, realizes.
jamesmiller5 14y ago
I would like to buy and play that game, or better to say experience that story.
mirsadm 14y ago
Personally I disagree with him on those points. He may view games as an art form, and some certainly are. The problem is I don't have time to invest into deep and philosophical games anymore. I use to spend hundreds of hours playing/investigating/researching games. Now I just want to boot up a game and blow some shit up and get back to work. Seeing as the average age of gamers is over 30 (someone correct me if I am wrong please), I bet there are lots more in my position.

by 9999 14y ago

GuiA 14y ago

...you haven't even played the game yet. Have you tried Braid?

9999 14y ago
Yep.

icandoitbetter 14y ago

>Who wants to spend 30 hours speculating on the psychology of an alienated prude with a bunch of pseudo-philosophical garbage about the meaning of life slapped on as affect? How can you even make that claim when the game isn't out yet? I seriously have no idea what to make of your comment.

9999 14y ago
I was going off the description of Blow's aims and goals for The Witness from the article: Blow’s decision to bare his soul in The Witness springs from this same drive to live up to the full potential of his artistic medium; a meaningful game, he believes, must be an honest one. The Witnesss narrator, he freely admits, is a thinly veiled version of his own psyche. When the narrator speaks of his guilt over spending millions to create an island filled with puzzles instead of using that money for worthier causes, this is Blow’s real spiritual dilemma. When the narrator reflects on his feelings of empty vanity, on his alienation from others, on his “yearning for truth and deep understanding,” these are Blow’s pains and desires. Honesty and truth in storytelling is certainly important, but the kind of honesty he is talking about there is a boring truth. It reminds me of the same kind of thinking that produced Cinema Verite, and what Werner Herzog had to say about that philosophy: "By dint of declaration the so-called Cinema Verité is devoid of verité. It reaches a merely superficial truth, the truth of accountants." Even if I am not interested in Blow's pains and desires, I do respect the fact that he is deliberating on them, and hopefully encouraging other game developers to do so. However, the potential product of his process as described in that article just bores me to tears.
- enneff 14y ago
  Going further - how many great (or at least enjoyable) books or films are the ruminations and self-analysis of a lone individual? Camus' L'Etranger almost qualifies, except it depicts events involving multiple people, even if it never speculates on the motivations of the other characters. Honesty is not enough. I think Blow is more naive than he, or indeed this reporter, realizes.

jamesmiller5 14y ago

I would like to buy and play that game, or better to say experience that story.

mirsadm 14y ago

Personally I disagree with him on those points. He may view games as an art form, and some certainly are. The problem is I don't have time to invest into deep and philosophical games anymore. I use to spend hundreds of hours playing/investigating/researching games. Now I just want to boot up a game and blow some shit up and get back to work. Seeing as the average age of gamers is over 30 (someone correct me if I am wrong please), I bet there are lots more in my position.