Tips to Game Developers (part 2)

With incredible improvements in technology over the last few decades, games have become so impressive visually that some of them are almost indistinguishable from movies. Developers should remember, though, that realism doesn’t equal fun. Just like movie directors got caught up in the use of the boost in CG special effects in the 90’s, game developers can also get caught up in what they are able to include in a game. Some developers lose sight of what makes a game fun and instead focus on making it look incredible with astounding amounts of detail, realistic physics, and full-motion acting. There are some games where player involvement is minimal and simple, with button-timed events and possibly a few choices available to make along the way. A game needs to empower the player to feel like he/she is making a difference in the game world each step of the way, rather than having a small vote during a mostly passive experience. Other problems can occur when developers add in things that detract from the overall fun. For instance, it’s seldom fun when a game character has to interrupt normal gameplay and search for food so his steadily draining health doesn’t reach zero, just because he needs to eat at regular intervals.