[casual_games] Jonathan Blow interview: Do you believe social games are evil? “Yes. Absolutely.”

[Lennard Feddersen]

Not fair taking Mr. Blow's statement out of context like that for a 2 
word sound bite.

His point, read in context, is entirely valid.

Lennard Feddersen
Owner, Rusty Axe Games,
www.RustyAxe.com
250-635-7623


On 15/02/2011 10:03 AM, oscar is oscar wrote:

> Wondering if anyone has an opinion on Mr. Blow's statement. See the

> full article at the link below. ;)

>

> <SNIP>

> PC Gamer: About that lecture you gave recently. I wanted to ask you

> about social games. And I know you don’t like that as a title.

>

> Jonathan Blow: Did I say that in my speech actually?

>

> PC Gamer: Well, you called them evil.

>

> Jonathan Blow: No, I mean the name “social games.”

>

> PC Gamer: I think you said you don’t like it being attributed to some

> of those games?

>

> Jonathan Blow: Well, they’re not very social. A game like World of

> Warcraft or Counter-Strike or whatever is way more social. Because you

> actually meet new people in clans or guilds. You go do activities

> together and help each other out, right?

>

> [With certain social games] it’s about the game exploiting your

> friends list that you already made, so it’s not really about meeting

> people. And it’s not really about doing things with them because

> you’re never playing at the same time. It’s about using your friends

> as resources to progress in the game, which is the opposite of actual

> sociality or friendship. Maybe not exactly, but it’s not the same

> thing, right? They’re really just called social games because they run

> on social networks but they’re way less [social] – like sitting down

> and playing a board game with friends at a party is a way more social

> game. That’s an intensely social experience, right? So, like whatever.

> I hate that name.

>

> PC Gamer: Do you still think social games are “evil” then?

>

> Jonathan Blow: Yes. Absolutely. There’s no other word for it except

> evil. Of course you can debate anything, but the general definition of

> evil in the real world, where there isn’t like the villain in the

> mountain fortress, is selfishness to the detriment of others or to the

> detriment of the world. And that’s exactly what [most of these games

> are].

> </SNIP>

> http://www.pcgamer.com/2011/02/15/jonathan-blow-interview-social-game-designers-goal-is-to-degrade-the-players-quality-of-life/

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