Journey's Multiplayer Designed "For Humans," Not Cursing Kids

Tom Goldman

Crying on the inside.
Aug 17, 2009
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Journey's Multiplayer Designed "For Humans," Not Cursing Kids



Thatgamecompany hopes Journey's online mode will eliminate the problem of foul-mouthed 12-year-olds once and for all.

The reveal of Thatgamecompany's Journey trailer [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/106032-Journey-Trailer-Brings-Loneliness-to-Art-Games] proved that it was gorgeous, but gameplay details are still somewhat sparse. According to creative director Jenova Chen, that's the whole point, but don't worry. He says the game is being designed "for humans," and it might even change your perception of playing games online.

In an interview with 1up, Chen lambasted the state of multiplayer in the videogame industry as overly complex. "When I think about online games, I'm thinking about latency, I'm thinking about creating a lobby, inviting a friend, waiting for them to confirm," he said. "Then start the game, create a password so other people can't enjoy, coordinating times so we can all play together. I think that's too much baggage."

"Why should a kid understand what a lobby is," he wonders. Another big problem Chen has with online gaming is the often unnatural interaction between players. He continues: "One thing about playing games online, the big problem I see today, is you run into a kid and he's saying dirty words ... and it's not pleasing ... There is this impression that random Internet play is kids with dirty words or nerdy guys drunk."

Chen says a more intriguing way to design a multiplayer game is not so players can be "Leroy Jenkins" or have a "different hat," but to try to change players' impressions of meeting other human beings on the internet. When Chen says Journey is designed "for humans," he means that it doesn't have an external interface if you want to experience its online features, and the online mode itself is more "like life."

In Journey, Chen reveals: "You might run into [another player] and really enjoy their company. And then you might break up with them. And maybe later you will rejoin again. Just like our life paths, we run into people. We have a boyfriend, girlfriend, it might work out. It might not. I think it is more like life."

When people meet new acquaintances, they usually don't curse them out and shoot them in the face, or let them onto their helicopter only to fly it into the side of a mountain. Chen's found that in Left 4 Dead [http://www.amazon.com/Left-4-Dead-2-Xbox-360/dp/B002BRZ852] people would often kill him for his medical pack, when the game is supposed to be about surviving together. Journey is a game that doesn't force companionship, so Chen believes it'll generate a "true connection." If you stay with another player, it really means something.

Journey doesn't have a release date yet, and is only planned as a downloadable title on the PlayStation Network. It'll be interesting to see the kind of online experience it can give us that might differ from what has been done before. I have a feeling that even in a game like Journey, someone will find a way to teabag someone else.

Source: 1up [http://www.1up.com/do/reviewPage?pager.offset=1&cId=3182758]

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Quiet Stranger

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Feb 4, 2006
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I'm definitely gonna have to get a PS3 for this, it will be nice to find some nice, rational human beings on the console
 

brumley53

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Oct 19, 2009
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I think this will turn out really well, hopefully adding to the list of "good games that aren't just killing things".
 

Visulth

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Jun 25, 2009
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Hmm.
Sounds good in theory...

Until I see it an action, however, I'm skeptical.
 

Aeshi

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Dec 22, 2009
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So children aren't people because their brains haven't had time to turn to mush and are evil for wanting to play games multiplayer?
 

RatRace123

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Dec 1, 2009
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Good luck with that, I think he's putting entirely too much trust in his potential audience.
You're always gonna find assholes who's soul motive in games is to grief other players, and in many games these types of people far outnumber the decent sensible type.
 

Casual Shinji

Should've gone before we left.
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Jul 18, 2009
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I'm sure someone will find a way to trip you and kick sand in your face.

I'm very much looking forward to this game though.
 

AfterAscon

Tilting at WHARRGARBL
Nov 29, 2007
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It sounds like RDR's online, but without the guns (and subsequently, the idiots). You join a random world with random people and you don't necessarily have to interact with them.
 

meowman

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Jan 25, 2010
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Aeshi said:
So children aren't people because their brains haven't had time to turn to mush and are evil for wanting to play games multiplayer?
Nope... when he says 'kids' i'm pretty sure he's refering to the stereotypical swearing, angry, high-pitched 12-year-old incessantly screaming about other people's mom's and what he'd like to do to them. He's talking about these kids as "not pleasing." He's not talking about all children... or at least I bloody well hope not...
I find the stereotype displeasing as I'm a kid too, but you have to admit that sometimes the stereotype seems well founded.
 

RollForInitiative

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Mar 10, 2009
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Reminds me a little bit of how the interactions between players often were in Demon's Souls. Lacking the ability to directly communicate tended to make people a little bit more...polite. Even people that invaded my game would, if I didn't catch them by surprise, introduce themselves with a bow before readying their weapons. It was an interesting experience. All that it really lacked, for me, was the ability to easily play with specific friends when i wanted to. It sounds like Journey is capitalizing on a similar philosophy.
 

Sixties Spidey

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Jan 24, 2008
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To quote the rules of the internet: The more beautiful something is, the more satisfying it is to corrupt it. Seriously, who honestly thinks that this won't get ruined in some way, shape or form?
 

Josdeb

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May 22, 2008
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I'm keeping my eye on this game. I really loved Flower and I'm interested in how Journey will work out.
Regarding the interactions, I kinda get what he's saying: You only have to interact with the people you like.

buy teh haloz said:
To quote the rules of the internet: The more beautiful something is, the more satisfying it is to corrupt it. Seriously, who honestly thinks that this won't get ruined in some way, shape or form?
You know, that's really true, but I'm no good at it myself.
I once tried the free version of Minecraft an age back, and I went into a random room. The first thing I did was start breaking things and running around putting holes in the floor.
Then I got bored.
Then I saw the guys aroud me slowly, but surely, building a staircase. And a pyramid. And a garden.
So I helped.
It was much mroe rewarding. It was also a better spendature of my time.

I think that peer pressure works in good ways too. Maybe the "kids" will be a minority that will eventually try doing things a better way
 

Orcus The Ultimate

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Nov 22, 2009
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as long as there's no voice comunication i'm fine with that.

like the saying says: "le silence est d'or, la parole est d'argent"
 

The Wykydtron

"Emotions are very important!"
Sep 23, 2010
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No chance of a 360 port then? Then again the whole "perfect multiplayer" this game's going for probably wouldn't last two seconds against the screeming hordes of 12 year olds on XBL XD
 

Vohn_exel

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Oct 24, 2008
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RollForInitiative said:
Reminds me a little bit of how the interactions between players often were in Demon's Souls. Lacking the ability to directly communicate tended to make people a little bit more...polite. Even people that invaded my game would, if I didn't catch them by surprise, introduce themselves with a bow before readying their weapons. It was an interesting experience. All that it really lacked, for me, was the ability to easily play with specific friends when i wanted to. It sounds like Journey is capitalizing on a similar philosophy.
And it kind of sounds like it might have the same problem. My only complain with the MP in demon's souls was that you had to have a similar soul level, and then you had to be in an area where the person summoning you hadn't defeated the boss. Co-op mode in the game was awesome, as was PVP, but it could be a little irritating getting it to work right.

This game doesn't sound like you'll just be able to hang out with your friends if you want, you'll be just thrown randomly at a bunch of people and meet them occasionally. It'll be interesting to see how that plays out.
 

ShadowKatt

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You know, I hear about this and I think about Guild Wars. Guild Wars has a heavily player moderated community. There's a feature to report people that are causing trouble, kinda like the escapist, those that are reported the mods look into. If they've broken a rule, are being offensive, whatever, then they get banned(in the most awesome way imaginable, I promise. Youtube "Guild wars, banned" and see what I mean).

It's not some bland, lifeless community, much of the conversation that goes on spans the gap from strict game related conversation to downright risque and no one has a problem. THis could work just as well.