Journey Creator: Games Aren't Good Enough for Adults

[Unsilenced]

I'm not sure I count as an "adult," (19) but I would like some more intellectual games.

That's not to say all games need to be intellectual, I love my mindless drivel, but there's only so much that can be done there.

 

[DarthVella]

I can't really do anything here other than stand on the fence. Every game has the potential to be fun. Platformer, PRG, FPS, Linear, Open World, Sandbox; every type of game under the sun, they all appeal to some part of our consciousness that likes to be stimulated.

But on the other hand, we can only get stimulated so much before we tire of it. Sure, mindless games like Prototype 2 are fun, and cooperative games like Borderlands are fun, and competitive games like COD are fun (to some - personally I hate competitive play); but in the end I always find myself getting sick of the old set pieces; especially the "You must save the world/society" trope. I want a huge, complex, varied, interesting game with a personal story; and nothing I can find has satisfied me yet.

 

[JEBWrench]

Oh look, an indie game creator has a giant, pretentious ego. How unexpected!

Dude, he's not indie.

Uhhh, yeah, he is. Thatgamecompany is an independent studio consisting of a handful of people. They've made three games, all considered indie titles. How is that not indie?

OT: Can't we go a month without some developer shooting his/her mouth off? Just one month. I don't ask for much. Is it so hard to be humble after making a hit game?

Because they're funded and published by Sony?

Unless the definition of Indie changed when I wasn't looking

Actually, their contract with Sony ended after they finished Journey. They're an independent studio now.

Indeed, but with no Indie titles under their belt.

At the moment, they're just as Indie as I am

However, they do, presumably, have something in the works that will be their first independently funded project. I would think it still counts.

Also, I'm pretty sure you're considered mainstream. And I've heard the rumors about where you get your funding. You couldn't be indie if you wanted to.

I knew Daystar before Daystar was mainstream.

OT: He's obviously correct. Flow, for instance, illustrated how important it is to crush everyone inferior to you in order to succeed in life.

 

[The Wykydtron]

Oh he did not insult my fighting games...

Real world relevance? I suppose that's true to a point but come on, if you regard every game as real worldy you'd never like Ace Attorney for example because yelling randomly in a courtroom is probably the easiest way to get contempt of court'd

Too much real worldy stuff would just be boring imo.

Oh and Persona 4 was both intellectually and emotionally stimulating, this came out in the twilight of the PS2 days. Just thought i'd bring that up XP

And how does multiplayer not factor into this guy's reasoning? A good game of UMVC3 can be intellectually stimulating btw. 'S not about really pulling off infinites but reading your opponent and stuff. Action, reaction etc etc.


And go you for enforcing the stereotype of all indie devs being pretentious assholes. I never played Journey, apparently it's good... Whatever, back to playing Super Teamwork: The Game AKA League of Legends

 

[Grimh]

I'm perfectly happy with having it both ways.

[sub]Oooohh yeeaah[/sub]

 

[renegade7]

So basically, adults have to be dull and boring otherwise they're not intellectually stimulated?

You know, since I am just about to exit high school, there are many things that frighten me a little about the future. Having to work, perhaps one day having to provide for and commit to a family (shudders). And if I mess up I don't get a stern talking to from teacher, I either get fired or do real time, not just an afternoon detention.

But the idea that people think that adult life is SUPPOSED to be boring is just...unsettling...

 

[Pedro The Hutt]

"[Games] are not good enough for adults," Chen said in a Gamasutra interview [http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/170557/What_Jenova_Chen_doesnt_like_about_video_games_.php]. For him, it comes down to a matter of real-world relevance. "For adults to enjoy something, they need to have intellectual stimulation, something that's related to real life. Playing poker teaches you how to deceive people, and that's relevant to real life. A headshot with a sniper rifle is not relevant to real life."

This kinda worries me that he considered deception a vital life skill. I'm no good at deceiving people and I'd gladly keep it that way. Now FPS games, and most action oriented games can improve hand eye coordination, which no doubt will come in handy sooner or later. So eh, shaky comments no matter how you look at it.

 

[Goofguy]

So Mr. Chen what exactly was Journey supposed to do for me as an adult? Just because I was somewhat emotionally invested in your game, doesn't mean I was being intellectually stimulated.

I enjoyed Journey but that was due solely to the atmosphere and simplicity of the game.

 

[Beautiful End]

Everything has been said already.

I'm all up for this. Most adults seem to be only into mindless-fun games like CoD and Gears or God of War. Good games, don't get me wrong, but there's more out there than that. And I can see those sort of people not getting into games like Journey or Flower.

I'll admit I couldn't get into Flower, but I love Journey. The experience of communicating with a stranger via a beep is great, as weird as it sounds. No headsets, no chatpads, no words, just a beep. Good luck, dood.

On the other hand, variety is good. I'll admit I enjoy playing games like Gotham City Impostors, where you have to use a Fart bomb to daze your enemies and you can counter by throwing a boomerang to their faces while your friend heals you with a megaphone. But I also love Journey. Variety allows you to appreciate each genre by what they are. Just sayin'.

 

[joshuaayt]

Real world relevance, huh, Mr. Chen dude? When was the last time you teamed up with an anonymous mute to solve problems on mutually unknown ground?

You can't claim that your game has relevance beyond the obvious- And Journey does, I'm not denying this- and then dismiss other games because, on the surface, they don't relate to real life.

No, I will probably never find myself headshottin' noobs in a tiny, war torn arena- but aim is hardly the only skill your average FPS fosters. Teamwork? Tactics? Initiative? And that's just multiplayer shooter gameplay I'm talking about. I guess games don't have stories any more.

 

[MrBaskerville]

I prefer when there´s more to a story, but i don´t really think Chens games falls in this category, everything thatgamecompany makes is a shallow "experience" driven game without noteworthy gameplay and story. Journey is filled with emotional music and neat visuals, but there really isn´t that much more to it. It´s the story of some random dude in an anoynmous world that travels from somewhere to some other place. It isn´t exactly a game that reflects over real-life issues. It´s like watching Dead Man where they cut out all the important 30 minutes that helps characterize Depps character and motivations. The 30 minutes that brings depth to his journey.

I defineately prefer something with more weight on character development, and actual gameplay. Unfortunately it´s rare, extremely rare, mostly point´n click adventure games like Blade Runner, I have no mouth and i must scream and DreamWeb (to some extent Silent Hill 2, though a bit marred by bad voice acting). Defineately wouldn´t mind if there could be more heavy and mature subjects in games. How about a war game that handles the same subjects as the thin red line, a war game where war isn´t about glory but real people. (BUT it should still function as a proper game, not some pretentious indie art game crap). Ofcourse every game shouldn´t be intellectual, but would be nice if there was a couple of games to choose from. Would also be cool if the quality of stories in most action games could increase just a bit, would be nice if mindless action shooteres had funny punchlines and character you could care about.

 

[ScruffyMcBalls]

Having enjoyed Journey quite a bit, I'm kind of disappointed to learn its creator is a pretentious ****.

Thank you, so much. That's the hardest I've laughed all week, woo..

OT: As an adult and an avid gamer I'm genuinely offended by this whole concept. Sure we need intellectual games once in a while, they teach us things, they touch us emotionally and they prove to be unique. But if every game pitched at an 18+ audience was like that the industry would just stale, and I'd be bored out of my fucking skull. Fun is a real-world application, escapism is a real-world application, I enjoy my games even if they don't teach me anything so long as I at least had some fun and was told a decent story.

 

[Simonoly]

Yay, another pointless statement on the state of the games industry offered up by a pretentious small developer. I'm going to start collecting them like Pokemon cards now. Anyone want to trade?

 

[TheRightToArmBears]

I think he's half right. More games like Journey will always be a good thing, but there's still a place for games just being fun and there always will be. There's no need for all games to be deep or meaningful, the same with music, film and art.

 

[Legion]

By that logic Catherine is the best game ever as it teaches you how to not get caught when you cheat on your girlfriend.

 

[Davroth]

It's fun to learn something and feel like you are improving. It's like people learning how to play guitar. Most of them will never be good enough to apply their guitar skills, but they still feel good learning it. And if doing something that makes you feel good is wrong, I don't want to be right. ^^

 

[Madman123456]

I like Atmossphere in Games. Which can be something as a well crafted environment in which my Character moves around in, with a fitting narrative, conveyed with something as light as ambient sounds. Dark room, haunting Music and when i move around the wooden Floorboards creak. That is enough to grip my adult Mind, which is apparently rather simple.

There are some Games that had my adult mind working. Whenever a moral Dilemma is presented i need about ten seconds to think of several Ways as to why this particular Dilemma falls flat on its Ass. Most of the time, whoever told the Story would have done a better Job to just skip the Dilemma part.
However, there have been certain dilemmas which didn't fall flat. Some Games actually manage that and stimulate my adult Mind.

 

[Abedeus]

So some dude doesn't like games, so nobody should.

EVERYONE OF AGE OF CONSENT, STOP ENJOYING WHAT HE DOESN'T ENJOY!

 

[Denamic]

Maybe someone should explain to him about escapism and how it works.