Simon AbramovitchThe constant cycle of hardware upgrades and more complex games can leave a gamer feeling like the legendary Sisyphus. Simon Abramovitch discusses low-investment gaming.
Issue 23 - Sisyphus Gaming
- Thread starter The Escapist Staff
- Start date
Original Comment by: Glacialis
In support of minimalist gaming, I would like to point you and your readers to Darwinia.
http://www.darwinia.co.uk/
It's downloadable -- yes, the real thing and not just the demo -- once you pay for it, and it's available for Linux.
The graphics are neat, and remind me of my C64 days. Ahh, to be an 8-year old gamer again! The gameplay is amazing, and reminded me of Starflight for the C64. One 5 1/4" disc, double-sided...hundreds of star systems! Ye gods, give me more!
Not so much on the replay value, but I do pull it out every 2-3 months and go through it again. So damn good.
In support of minimalist gaming, I would like to point you and your readers to Darwinia.
http://www.darwinia.co.uk/
It's downloadable -- yes, the real thing and not just the demo -- once you pay for it, and it's available for Linux.
The graphics are neat, and remind me of my C64 days. Ahh, to be an 8-year old gamer again! The gameplay is amazing, and reminded me of Starflight for the C64. One 5 1/4" disc, double-sided...hundreds of star systems! Ye gods, give me more!
Not so much on the replay value, but I do pull it out every 2-3 months and go through it again. So damn good.
You should be able to play through the demo in that amount of time, at least the first segment of it. I never went any farther though, because for some reason playing gave me motion sickness - I think it had something to do with all the moving parallel lines. It was fun though, you should give it a try.
Original Comment by: Patrick Dugan
http://www.kingludic.blogspot.com
I have to say, your association of sisyphis to gaming is very intersting, and that myth's metaphore is, I think, very important for game designers to apprecaite. If you know a bit of computer science, Sisyphis' recursive labors are reflective of the inherent uncertainty of whether or not a given algorithm, will halt or go into infinite recusion, whats called the Halting Problem. The philosophical benifits of understanding that in relation to games is includes an improtant lesson about crafting a player's experience; the player is not a punching bag, you should send them to heaven instead of hades.
http://www.kingludic.blogspot.com
I have to say, your association of sisyphis to gaming is very intersting, and that myth's metaphore is, I think, very important for game designers to apprecaite. If you know a bit of computer science, Sisyphis' recursive labors are reflective of the inherent uncertainty of whether or not a given algorithm, will halt or go into infinite recusion, whats called the Halting Problem. The philosophical benifits of understanding that in relation to games is includes an improtant lesson about crafting a player's experience; the player is not a punching bag, you should send them to heaven instead of hades.