Comments on: the next level is 1-2

By: Cossix

Cossix — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 07:51:07 +0000

I enjoyed The Marriage a lot because I thought it did interesting things relating a system of rules to an intensely personal experience in a way that had never been done before.

I Wish I Were The Moon is pretty and a kind of interesting way to tell a story, but ultimately in the package that it is fails to deliver anything incredibly interesting. Storyteller is a step in the right direction, but I think the developer needs more time to really flesh out the idea.

By: Archagon

Archagon — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 03:48:12 +0000

I’m certainly not trying to use “unanimous” as a valid argument for Passage, so sorry if it sounded that way. I was just really surprised by the strong anti-Rohrer sentiment around here, given how much praise his games have gotten.

So what do you guys think of games like The Marriage and I Wish I Were the Moon?

By: auntie

auntie — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 23:12:57 +0000

archagon, though i agree that passage has value as a game, i’d advise against pulling the “unanimous” card in an argument. first, because if you’re having an argument with someone your opinion clearly isn’t unanimous. second, because even if it was, it wouldn’t mean that opinion is correct. popular things are not above criticism.

By: daphny

daphny — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 22:56:26 +0000

i think this is why he wants videogames to be validated by movie critics, because wants to make movies instead of videogames

its pretty obvious when everything involving the player is mediocre at best, but ohhhh the cutscenes are so touching and emotional oh dear its like WATCHING A REALLY GOOD MOVIE

hes working with the wrong medium

By: Archagon

Archagon — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 16:54:58 +0000

“Skill and reactions and high scores”? In one dimension? That’s probably the thing I find LEAST fun in games, even though I enjoy Calamity Annie. Points are a silly, abstract objective that leave you with nothing once you finish the game.

As for Passage, I checked out a few threads on some popular sites a little while ago, and even though there were some people who didn’t “see the point”, most everyone else was talking about how it affected them emotionally. Pretty unanimous.

I think you’re expecting something different from your games than me – which isn’t a bad thing, but it’s not an expectation shared by everyone.

By: Ludus Novus :: Games As Art

Ludus Novus :: Games As Art — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 12:10:58 +0000

[...] Anthropy, who I’ve been referencing far too much lately, posted about a discussion she attended on indie games. She mentions her irritation at Jason Rohrer, the artsy developer of [...]

By: James

James — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 04:28:09 +0000

Calamity Annie is based on skill and reactions and high scores! That’s like comparing a cloud to a screwdriver.

Poor Rohrer

I didn’t think Passage is much cop either, so you know, so I don’t think it was as unanimously well-recieved as some people are saying.

Man, that guy has the worst opinion on Shadow. I hold that up as one of the few real examples of a game where the emotional content comes from you, the player, and what you can do in the space you’re afforded. You’re being ‘led’ through a ’scene’ as Dess would probably say. That game is so clever.

By: Archagon

Archagon — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 03:22:36 +0000

Sure it’s boring, if you just think of it as a “maze game”. The real joy, at least for me, comes from understanding the rules and mechanics (i.e., going to the right leads to new places, going down leads to a boring maze with treasure, etc.). In this sense, I suppose it’s more of a game-like machine than a game (and thus has little replay value), but it affects me emotionally more than pretty much anything else I’ve played. Same with Gravitation, which I liked as much as Passage. The “game” is figuring out the rules and the consequences of your actions.

Also, since you’re posting here, I assume you like Calamity Annie. What makes it less boring to you than Passage? After all, its gameplay is much, much simpler.

By: Cycle

Cycle — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 00:32:01 +0000

I enjoyed Passage when it first came out, but I certainly don’t agree that he put gameplay first, because the gameplay IS tedious and boring. His other games have just been boring gameplay wise, and the themes explored haven’t been interesting either.

He really seems to be a one hit wonder. And after seeing what he has to say, it seems his hit was more of an accident than deliberate.

By: Malefact

Malefact — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 09:02:44 +0000

I really enjoyed this article.