In highlights from Gamasutra's Member Blogs, our weblog writers examine how the game medium often destroys emotional ties with characters, why chasing perfection can be a bad thing, and how making games is a game in itself.
Member Blogs can be maintained by any registered Gamasutra user, while invitation-only Expert Blogs -- also highlighted weekly -- are written by selected development professionals.
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Video games continue to strive to be more emotional and evocative, but in many cases, according to Gamasutra member blogger Marc Bell, emotional ties are undone by the video game medium itself.
For his effort, he will receive a lifetime subscription to Gamasutra sister publication Game Developer magazine.
Following an extended discussion in game design class, Brad Morris examines the differences and similarities between the interfaces of the first-person shooter and role-playing genres. He also explores what shading and texturing can do from an emotional perspective.
Dave Beaudoin explores how making video games is a game in itself, one that pits the game designer against the gamer. "Our win-state isn't to beat the player into submission, but to assist them in reaching the intended conclusion of the game," he reckons.
Randell Trulson is back for another week, describing how his time at the "boot camp" known as the semi-conductor / hardware industry taught him that perfection essential. But when he came to the games industry, that pursuit of perfection would lead to a lot of unfinished games.
