I just read this blog over at Gamasutra and my impression is that the author is a type of Spike. He wants to demonstrate mastery through goals in game and doesn't understand how games like FarmVille can be appealing. Essentially these games are not designed for him but a very different market segment.
The way these social games work is people have their space, in FarmVille a farm, which they can customize & use to produce things. These products can be used for further customization or traded with other players. Also each player's space can be view & discussed by their friends. In truth, this is not much different from having a flower garden in one's yard. It provides a topic of conversation among friends and complementing the garden is a compliment to the gardener. In essence the garden is an expression of the gardener's self, just like the farm in FarmVille. Which is what Johnnies are all about, expressing themselves.
This isn't to say that Spikes and Timmies can't enjoy the game. Timmies love the experience of hanging out with their friends and bonding over a shared interest. Some Spikes will relish mastering the production method in FarmVille to create the most productive farm. Granted once a Spike masters the game and proves that he has mastered it he will probably get bored. But this does not mean social games suffer from poor game design, just very targeted design.
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