10 Big Myths About Video Games

Ceres_Meiriona · October 2015

SimGuruGraham shared this on his twitter today, and I found it to be a very interesting read. For anyone that doesn't have twitter, here's the link.

Happy Simming!
http://kotaku.com/10-big-myths-about-games-debunked-by-the-people-who-ma-1737839268

TS4%20Tweet%20Game%20Myths_zpslld22zz5.jpg

gothprincess4ever · October 2015

Thank you so much for sharing this!

Ponder the Sim · October 2015

In the additional tweets:

"All developers stand by their work forever: we grow, change, have regrets, new insights. Actual last word is on our deathbeds."

I think a lot of people forget this and hold developers to things the said years ago.

Rflong7 · October 2015

I would love to see a- "10 Misconceptions Game Devs have of *Their Fan Base"

It was what I expected- It's too hard, too much time, too expensive. *slap myself for being a sad gamer again today*

simgirl1010 · October 2015

Lol, I was just coming to post this. Really liked that last paragraph about the misconception that game developers are lazy.

luthienrising · October 2015

Thanks for posting that, @Ceres_Meiriona ! I'd followed the first few hours of responses on Twitter but forgot about it after that. Passing it on to one of my kids, who's contemplating game design as a career goal. (He's doing a related independent project for school this year - design, not coding.) Course, he probably already read it at lunch. He follows the business side of gaming a lot.

stilljustme2 · October 2015

Great article -- I can think of a few people around here that should read it.

One reason I preface my ideas with "if it's possible with the game engine" is because we don't know what's possible and what's not. Even they're making discoveries -- for example, they weren't sure if swimming pools were possible when the game was released, but with a little more work and tinkering we got those in the game, and likely that work contributed to basements.

And I loved the Tweet about people believing they won't get fired if they reveal NDA stuff, they're just being mean. Maybe it would be nice to have a little more transparency about what's being worked on, but what if they're working on something, tell us, then it turns out they can't do it after all because of the way the game engine is set up? Then you have everyone disappointed and the "EA LIES!!!!" posts start coming back.

Haiden · October 2015

Simgurus should go spend some time on the CD Projekt Red forums and learn how developers should interact with their fan base. Saying things are to hard or to expensive is a weak excuse. A game like sims 4 is nowhere half as complex as a new gen non linear huge RPG, yet Red make changes from fan feedback and are eager to please.

stilljustme2 · October 2015

Haiden wrote: »

Simgurus should go spend some time on the CD Projekt Red forums and learn how developers should interact with their fan base. Saying things are to hard or to expensive is a weak excuse. A game like sims 4 is nowhere half as complex as a new gen non linear huge RPG, yet Red make changes from fan feedback and are eager to please.

The problem is that when you please one group of fans, you end up upsetting another group.

For example, there's a post with people who want spookier/scarier ghosts. I think there are way too many ghosts in the game already, and they're wandering around instead of being safely at home in a proper cemetery. I don't want ghosts randomly wandering into my house like they did in Moonlight Falls (Sims 3 Supernatural) and scaring my Sims.

And some of the items that were originally called "too hard" or "too expensive" have made it into the game -- the afore-mentioned ghosts, swimming pools, basements just to name a few. As they learn how to work around the limitations of the game engine, who knows what else was thought to be "too hard' or "too expensive" turns out to be possible?

simgirl1010 · October 2015

Like this reader comment.

"My favorite thing is when a bug happens and people somehow think it’s something that can be fixed in a day or less. You can’t expect to alter a few lines of code and not have something pop up elsewhere as a result, and go through tons of code all over again."

Haiden · October 2015

stilljustme2 wrote: »

Haiden wrote: »

Simgurus should go spend some time on the CD Projekt Red forums and learn how developers should interact with their fan base. Saying things are to hard or to expensive is a weak excuse. A game like sims 4 is nowhere half as complex as a new gen non linear huge RPG, yet Red make changes from fan feedback and are eager to please.

The problem is that when you please one group of fans, you end up upsetting another group.

For example, there's a post with people who want spookier/scarier ghosts. I think there are way too many ghosts in the game already, and they're wandering around instead of being safely at home in a proper cemetery. I don't want ghosts randomly wandering into my house like they did in Moonlight Falls (Sims 3 Supernatural) and scaring my Sims.

And some of the items that were originally called "too hard" or "too expensive" have made it into the game -- the afore-mentioned ghosts, swimming pools, basements just to name a few. As they learn how to work around the limitations of the game engine, who knows what else was thought to be "too hard' or "too expensive" turns out to be possible?

True yet some of the stuff was added (in my opinion) due to huge backlash and cancelled pre-orders and possible loss of sales, so they were kinda forced to do something about it.

Rflong7 · October 2015

A day, no- 6 months or a year, yes.

Scobre · October 2015

I expect no more too expensive and too hard excuses then and toddlers. Gurus better show us they care for this iteration. Sims 2 had a studio fire for crying out loud and still managed to pull off a game that catered to various of playstyles. No more excuses and no more short cuts like with dishwasher animation and clipping. It does nothing but waste time blaming players and making up silly excuses.

Glic2003 · October 2015

I don't understand how these are "misconceptions." Are there really people out there who think making games is easy? Because I've never heard from any of them. Also, there have been many articles written on the subject of how "ideas are worthless", so that's old news too.

They also missed out on one of the biggest misconceptions: developers don't fix bugs because they were careless about finding them. Truth is, most devs are aware of the bugs, they just don't get fixed because they're a lower priority than something else, or they're "edge cases" etc.

Cyron43 · October 2015

simgirl1010 wrote: »

Like this reader comment.

"My favorite thing is when a bug happens and people somehow think it’s something that can be fixed in a day or less. You can’t expect to alter a few lines of code and not have something pop up elsewhere as a result, and go through tons of code all over again."

If a developer faces this, it's a clear evidence that he has a misconception in the software architecture!

sparkfairy1 · October 2015

I'm with @Rflong7 on this. I'd be interested in misconceptions about their consumers.

Personally I think a lot of the issues around TS4 come from above the devs pay grade. I think they've been pushed into a lot of weird decisions and constant cost cutting which has compromised the experience for many of the play styles having issues with TS4.

I don't think they are lazy. I know they work hard. I think that they are being prevented from their full potential with the cost cutting and wasted development costs around Olympus. And I still don't think the consumer should be suffering this much for that.

Scobre · October 2015

sparkfairy1 wrote: »

I'm with @Rflong7 on this. I'd be interested in misconceptions about their consumers.

Personally I think a lot of the issues around TS4 come from above the devs pay grade. I think they've been pushed into a lot of weird decisions and constant cost cutting which has compromised the experience for many of the play styles having issues with TS4.

I don't think they are lazy. I know they work hard. I think that they are being prevented from their full potential with the cost cutting and wasted development costs around Olympus. And I still don't think the consumer should be suffering this much for that.

True I'm sure taking funds from the Sims to other games like Titanfall didn't help them out either. I took a coding class in college. It is very challenging and time consuming. So it is not like I don't appreciate the Gurus. I just didn't expect so much to be cut out of the game after the franchise being around 15 years.

stilljustme2 · October 2015

Rflong7 wrote: »

A day, no- 6 months or a year, yes.

Well, they have to be able to replicate the bug to figure out how to solve it -- and sometimes you can't replicate the bug.

For example, I read posts about the "incest bug" that occurs between children and their parents. The only time I encountered that was when I downloaded a household from the Gallery, then had my Sim marry one of the household members and found he had a high romantic bar with his daughter. (Been leery about downloading households from the Gallery ever since.) It's never happened with any of my Sims, either ones I've created in CAS or born in game Sims. (I do get the random Lovebirds statuses with Sims outside the household but that's just the way the game works, not a bug, and I wish there was a way to stop that from happening.)

Culling isn't a bug per se -- it's a way to handle the population to keep the town looking alive with changes in the random townies you come across. I have a feeling something is in the works to control culling as part of the Get Together development, because it wouldn't be much fun to have half your group vanish because game programming culled them out of existence.

They've actually done a decent job of keeping on top of most of the bugs -- far better than Sims 3 where we only got bug fixes in the patches associated with new EPs (and then those patches would break something else), and we had to rely on modders to fix EA's goofs (like the excavation glitch in WA or the spawning cars in LN), so that's a plus.

Rflong7 · October 2015

stilljustme2 wrote: »

Rflong7 wrote: »

A day, no- 6 months or a year, yes.

Well, they have to be able to replicate the bug to figure out how to solve it -- and sometimes you can't replicate the bug.

For example, I read posts about the "incest bug" that occurs between children and their parents. The only time I encountered that was when I downloaded a household from the Gallery, then had my Sim marry one of the household members and found he had a high romantic bar with his daughter. (Been leery about downloading households from the Gallery ever since.) It's never happened with any of my Sims, either ones I've created in CAS or born in game Sims. (I do get the random Lovebirds statuses with Sims outside the household but that's just the way the game works, not a bug, and I wish there was a way to stop that from happening.)

Culling isn't a bug per se -- it's a way to handle the population to keep the town looking alive with changes in the random townies you come across. I have a feeling something is in the works to control culling as part of the Get Together development, because it wouldn't be much fun to have half your group vanish because game programming culled them out of existence.

They've actually done a decent job of keeping on top of most of the bugs -- far better than Sims 3 where we only got bug fixes in the patches associated with new EPs (and then those patches would break something else), and we had to rely on modders to fix EA's goofs (like the excavation glitch in WA or the spawning cars in LN), so that's a plus.

Hi, Nice to meet you.
I have been here long enough to know that they have to reproduce any bug before they can even fix it. Thank you though. I know you are trying to be helpfull so please don't take this as an insult when I don't read past your first sentence.

Happy Simming.

teaa5 · October 2015

Rflong7 wrote: »

I would love to see a- "10 Misconceptions Game Devs have of *Their Fan Base"

It was what I expected- It's too hard, too much time, too expensive. *slap myself for being a sad gamer again today*

Awesome coming your way

Cabelle1863 · October 2015

I truly hope that was posted just as a "funny ha,ha" and not another zinger meant to paint complaining fans as unreasonable or ridiculous.

We were told a year ago that things didn't make it into the game due to "time constraints." That the base was going to be a "solid foundation, capable of fulfilling your greatest desires." Players aren't unreasonable or ridiculous when they want to know what's up.

teaa5 · October 2015

Haiden wrote: »

Simgurus should go spend some time on the CD Projekt Red forums and learn how developers should interact with their fan base. Saying things are to hard or to expensive is a weak excuse. A game like sims 4 is nowhere half as complex as a new gen non linear huge RPG, yet Red make changes from fan feedback and are eager to please.

So agree with this post!! I heard about couple successful games, which keep contact with their fan base and add good ideas into the game. In the end this companies gain more profit, fans are happy, devs are happy, everybody is more less happy. The truth is.. what sims 4 is lacking the most.. is information.. I am not saying that they should share all they secrets or everything about future expansions, but I mean presence.. every day presence - not rumors or pics they sometimes give like a meat treat for hungry dogs.. they should be here on forums daily, just to say simple "hi". And if there is going on any important rumor.. then simply confirm or deny it.. and that would be really helpful.. Instead we have interviews with RF which make more trouble than help ( honestly please keep RF away from any interviews!!!)

sparkfairy1 · October 2015

Cabelle1863 wrote: »

I truly hope that was posted just as a "funny ha,ha" and not another zinger meant to paint complaining fans as unreasonable or ridiculous.

We were told a year ago that things didn't make it into the game due to "time constraints." That the base was going to be a "solid foundation, capable of fulfilling your greatest desires." Players aren't unreasonable or ridiculous when they want to know what's up.

Yes I hope not. Because it's not unreasonable to ask further about promises they made themselves.

GalacticGal · October 2015

"There’s no one solution to this problem other than constant communication and not over promise."

This. This is what I expect and we ALL deserve as their customers. Great article, by the way. I learned a great deal, which doesn't say much, since I knew little to nothing about the process.

But, it was eye-opening, all the same.

sparkfairy1 · October 2015

GalacticGal wrote: »

"There’s no one solution to this problem other than constant communication and not over promise."

This. This is what I expect and we ALL deserve as their customers. Great article, by the way. I learned a great deal, which doesn't say much, since I knew little to nothing about the process. But, it was eye-opening, all the same.

Yes. Both are issues around TS4 in a big way.

CoemgenusK · October 2015

I'd rather not click on a kotaku link if I can help it

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10 Big Myths About Video Games

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