What secrets does that smile hold?!
Ludology is the study of games and the act of playing them. In layman’s terms, Ludology emphasizes the importance of game mechanics, and the deemphasis of narrative mechanics. Make no mistake, there is much nuance to this particular ideology, and I would be remiss to say that I don’t understand the appeal.
However, there’s a strong, vocal portion of the game community that prefers games that emphasizes strong mechanics and reacts(sometimes in anger) to games with deemphasis on gameplay. My question is: why? Are lengthy cutscenes so bad? Are these people wrong? The answer is yes and no.
Let’s unpack this Pixel Warriors!
THE IMPORTANCE OF FORUMS
Game forums can be a wonderful place. There’s an almost palpable sense of camaraderie, informative posts, and a cadre of memes and gamer-inside jokes.
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They can also be nasty and uncouth. Your typical game forum is afoul with trolls, prejudiced commentary and unpleasantness. Many people feel entitled to control game development on an intrinsic scale.
Despite the discontentment among forum dwellers, there is much validity to their claims. So, let’s examine where they’re wrong and right.
MASTERS OF THE GAMEVERSE: THY NAME BE NINTENDO
Many game ludologists cite Nintendo(and their software) as a shining beacon of what games should be. I get it; many of us cut our collective teeth on the Nintendo Entertainment and Super Nintendo Entertainment gaming consoles of the 1980’s and 1990’s respectively. The point of contention for me is: there seems to be an unhealthy obsession with this company in particular. Why? Enter Shigeru Miyamoto.
Shigeru Miyamoto (alongside John Carmack and Warren Specter) is one of the pioneers of modern game design. He created the Super Mario Brothers series, as well as The Legend Of Zelda series. Most modern gaming franchises owe their success to these two franchises in some regard. I think it would be fair to say that, most gamers are Ludologist purveyors.
However, since the 1990’s, there have been a sort of counter-culture forming; the narrative focused gamers.
THE INTERACTIVE MOVIE COMETH: THY NAME IS NAUGHTY DOG
Naughty Dog Studios are industry veterans who made a name for themselves with Crash Bandicoot on the first PlayStation game console. Their bread and butter throughout the early PlayStation years were mascot platformers such as Jak 1 and 2. In 2007 however, they changed the game(sorry). That change came in the form of a Third-Person Shooter called : Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune. Originally developed as a light-hearted adventure romp, Uncharted was transformed into a light-hearted adventure romp with clear Gears Of War influence.
Many fans of Naughty Dog were concerned over the drastic change Naughty Dog took. From forum-goers to bloggers alike grumbling about Uncharted’s cinematic direction and focused storytelling, many gamers came to identify with Naughty Dog as a movie or TV studio, instead of a game studio.
There is some truth to the claims that “Naughty Dog is a shadow of it’s former self”. Gone are the days of collecting Wumpa fruits and Precursor Orbs. Slowly, but intently replaced with gunfire, chest-high walls, and mo-cap cutscenes. Why is this a bad thing though?
I remember the first time I played Jak and Daxter; nearly no loading screens, beautiful graphics, and rock solid sixty frames per second. It was a hell of a time to be alive. You know what though? I don’t miss it at all.
GOOD MORNING YESTERDAY
In recent years, I find myself skipping cutscenes more frequently. I adore Naughty Dog’s work, but I will never play a game that is not fun to play. Now more than ever, the way a game plays is important. We’re overwhelmed by options in the gaming market. My struggle at the moment is, can someone love interactive movies and still be a Ludologist? Let me know in the comments!
Purveyors Of Pixels 