Gameguru Mania

[ggrobot]

Gamasutra has an editorial originally published in Game Developer Magazine\'s November 2009 issue by editor-in-Chief Brandon Sheffield. He asks the question \uot;Why is death even part of the equation?\uot; for games if meaningful consequences aren\'t built in. Here\'s an excerpt:

Death can be a good time to pro

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[Sabot]

Woah! hold yer horse for a mo.
Death has to be balanced in most games due to the poor level design -as in enclosed scripted paths where your ALWAYS going to die unless you do it the EXACT dev's path/way. Or in a helluva lot of cases trying to kill something -a level boss etc- with MEGA hit points.

Games (or sims to put it correctly) like OFP/ArmA on PC allow the gamer to know roughly how easy it is to die *instantly* with one shot without knowing who/what/where? killed you. Likewise it models impaired limb damage through unsteady impossible aiming, or the inability to get up through damaged legs. You *HAVE* to have a reload point otherwise the player will never,ever learn tactics and will rapidly tire of restarts -which in something like a simulation is an instant no no!
Games like COD etc which model a red mist-like coloured vision to signify non vital bullet nicks or hits are done so that the gamer knows he is getting pinged on. We don't have feelings of impact in a game and lots of us haven't played a military like simulation, just watch them run around firing without using cover! That's what makes game sales, the ability to convince the player that they are GOOD at the game, when in a simulation you would be dropped as soon as you stood up.

Horses for courses! as the saying goes

If you want something that dies and relays feelings to the player, remember the original hand held tamagotchi? If you never cared for it; fed/watered it simply died. Lots of fun....not

GAMES, big clue in that title eh?

[Tom]

In short it all depends on how it's used. If you don't like games where you die in them, then don't buy them. Stupid article not worth more than 3 sentences.