Sunday, January 01, 2006

A gamer's manifesto reminds me of why I'd rather be around the table gaming than in front of the TV. #2 is interesting because to me it's not only a comment on why good, old-fashioned, pen and paper RPGs are better, but why free online games--both web puzzles and old-school text RPGs and MUxs--are superior to the gameplay of the consoles of any generation. More depth is possible. Not that there aren't creative, clever, and fun games out there for every console, every generation... from spending hours at the age of 3 or so watching my mother play Raiders of the Lost Ark, to staying up all night with my best friend Crystal in the 7th grade to play Super Mario Brothers 3 and the feeling of utter horror as the words "Thank you Mario, but our princess is in another castle" scrolled onto the end-game screen before Princess Toadstool assured us it was just a joke, to watching my little boy learn to navigate the lava pits of Mustafar on Lego Star Wars, there's a lot of fun to be had there. But it's shiny, shallow fun, not the creative and mind-fulfilling depth of the other sort of game, and without the intellectual satisfaction that comes with solving a particularly good riddle.

Even so, when the price comes down and the games get a little more polished, I'd still like a 360.

No comments: