On success and experience

[LaDestitute 3]

So, I was thinking about Minecraft. Mainly it's success and how some people can claim it's bad, despite the success it has had.

...

Now that I think about it, something it and games such as Super Meat Boy, Limbo, Braid etc all share something in common:

Not sure how I'll put this into words, but I'll try.

It MIGHT be the concept of success (and you can argue how such games are successful, purely...well, because they succeeded) but I think it has more to do with what makes a good game, like how what makes a well done steak succulent. Not what is at first sight, but what is more than meets the eyes.

 

Notch (Minecraft), Edmund McMillen (SMB, along with Gish and The Binding of Isaac), Arnt Jensen (Limbo), Jonathan Blow (Braid) all share something in common. While you can claim the games their known for made them successful because they got spotlighted at the game's release, and it just grew from there for each them like a soda over-reacting with a mento. I actually think it's because they've worked on previous projects, often small mini-game or "short story" like games. Previous experiences make them learn what makes good games, especially from their own mistakes. Yes, Notch worked on smaller games before Minecraft came about.

 

So, does success come from experience, and not biting off more than you can chew? I definitely think so, like how a painter gets better with each painting he does. This also makes me think about the concept of "success", education, and such and how they need a major rewrite in this modern age.

[madanchi 18]

It's hard to say because success can come from so many different angles. Advertising for one, hype, and of course the most powerful word of mouth, despite the game truely being good or bad.

 

I think experience does come in handy, but not a necessary in my opinion.

[Bob423 52]

well, games like COD, and other popular first person shooters are very overrated.

Minecraft, in my opinion is much less so, but still a little bit overrated.

 

COD is good because people like those kinds of games. running around, shooting people, as long as you're not actually getting killed, is fun.

 

minecraft is good because of how much is possible. you can really do just about anything in it.

with a mod and a server, it can be just like COD. only blocky.

 

The people who hate minecraft have never tried it, and are too worried about the graphics, or, they hate that people are talking about it all the time.

Edited November 25, 2012 by Bob423