First Entry...
1. What is a Game?
Umm, let's see... A game is an activity which could be created and played, mainly for entertainment and leisure purposes. Of course, let's not forget that they could be educational as well. It involves at least 2 sides working in opposing forces (e.g. pro versus con, good versus evil, a protagonist versus an antagonist, etc), a set of rules and some form of interactivity. The aim of a game is for the player(s) to work towards an ultimate goal within the limitations set down by the rules in which he or she may be rewarded at the end of the game. Does it require and/or bring about some form of intellectual stimulation? Sometimes yes and sometimes no.
2. What makes a "good" game?
I think a "good" game should constitute of an intriguing, if not good storyline, good-looking male and pretty female characters if any (especially for RPG games or well, they ought to be visually pleasing at least :p), a good amount of action and a certain level of interactivity. The rules put in place ought to pose reasonable and feasible challenges but should not in any way hinder the progress of the game/development of its storyline. In other words, a "good" game tends to be progressive and dynamic for if it is stagnant, the player could easily lose his or her focus and interest in the game. Overall, the game should appeal to both gender if possible and stimulate some thinking on the player's side as he or she embarks on it. Oh and let's not forget that sometimes a good theme song and music could be added plus points too. An example of this would be Final Fantasy VIII.
In summary, a "good" game should strive to appeal to the senses of a person, particularly sight and sound with reference to electronic games and as for other forms of games, such could vary. All "good" games should be capable of drawing and maintaining the interests of their players and another important common characteristic among them in that all of them should provide good, clean FUN at the end of the day.
posted by Cher at 11:15 PM
3 Comments:
Do you think a good storyline is essential? Yes, a bad storyline can definitely ruin a game, but what about games with no story (Tetris? Solitaire?)... I do agree that having rules that pose reasonable and feasible challenges is important - there's nothing worse than getting stuck at an impossible puzzle that you can only get past by searching for the walkthrough... :(
I'm interested in your idea of games as involving "at least 2 sides working in opposing forces". Does that mean you would not consider some forms of single-player "games" (such as Solitaire, for example) as real games Or are you expanding your definition of "side" to also include "the game's rules and system"?
-Joshua-
'K, I finally figured how this thing works, honestly I've never blogged in my life until recently... So my apologies to everyone... Umm, now that I've come to think of it, games like Tetris and Solitaire are "good" games even though they have no stories behind them but compared to RPG games, I would think that the latter would be more "memorable" in that they could leave a deeper impression on the players (somewhat like how people would reminsce about the movies they've watched) so in that sense, could we consider that as part of what makes up a "good" game as well?... Now to Joshua's question, you're right, by "side", I do mean to include "the game's rules and system", basically anything that prevents the player from achieving the objective of the game, i.e. conflict.
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