Learning Game Design with Arcade Berg

Stealing the value of games

All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.

Earlier this week, I went to my storage and noticed that I've had a break in. Someone, has stolen my entire video games collection I had there. NES, SNES, PSX, Nintendo 64, and the Dreamcast games. Over 100 games and several consoles with additional hardware.

So... That kinda sucks.

What bothers me in addition to losing my valuables there is that the remaining part of my collection, the GBA, NDS, GCN, 360 and PS3 feels of "no use", except for the actual gaming fun.

The collection is ruined anyway, right?

Thanks Mr. Grinch.

Games via digital distribution is both great and aweful for this. The games I own from Xbox Live, PSN and Steam; I can't lose them. That is, untill the services are shut down. And that WILL happen. I hate thinking about that. Not because of the money I've spent there, but because I'll lose the games eventually. The PS3 HDD will crash eventually and if there is no PSN to get them from again, what will I do? I suppose there will be "some way" to get them, but still...

The bad thing about the games you get via digital distribution is that they don't actually have any collector's value, if you ask me. Just downloading a bunch of zeroes and ones without any limitation in availability. Not by numbers nor by location.

I had a Sonic 10th Anniversary release imported from Japan via China, gosh darn it!

Okay, I've complained enough now. I guess I should try and squeeze some game design into this by using a crowbar.

Hrmph...

Now, got it! Don't take away from the player, because you risk having them being upset. It's allowed to kill the player in game, of course. It's allright to drain some mana if he casts a spell. This is simple economics; having the player pay for something.

However, think long and hard before punishing the player. What will happen? I for one, for example, don't think it's okay to take away score from the player, if the game is about getting on a highscore-table.

If the player has worked hard to gain something (like me with my collection...), it's not okay taking it away. That's why I don't like when role playing games steals XP and levels. I can get it back, but all it takes is time. The same thing goes for score in a highscore game.

If it's possible to get a star on each level by completing it fast enough, the player should never be able to lose a star, as a consequence for doing something bad. If I've gotten a star on 38/50 levels after a lot of hard work, and I all of sudden lose 15 of them because I died on a Star Stealing Boss, the remaining 23 won't feel as valuable anymore.

It's never okay to punish the player and thereby making the game feel boring or too irritating.

Okay, enough obvious complaining and forced game design.

"The Clue!", one of my all time favorite games. It's about making break ins, stealing stuff...