Comments on: Design frustration http://www.philsteinmeyer.com/41/design-frustration/ Phil Steinmeyer's rumblings on the game biz, programming, and life Fri, 21 Nov 2008 05:44:44 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Scott Slomiany http://www.philsteinmeyer.com/41/design-frustration/#comment-107 Scott Slomiany Sat, 21 Jan 2006 14:24:23 +0000 http://www.philsteinmeyer.com/41/design-frustration/#comment-107 Man, does this sound a lot like my work. We are this really small company whose sole mission is to create patentable game concepts and mechanics for casino games. So, when we aren't actively in the process of bringing a game to market, all we do is prototype, find the hooks, and throw away the rest, and then repeat the process. We have a really large morgue filled with ideas that are merely half-baked, or aren't baked at all. Due to the expensive process of attempting to secure the patents, we only bother with chasing the "cream of the crop" ideas. At which point you go to a trade show, and see someone else with a game that they are selling with their new concept, which is essentially something you threw away. And then your response is either A:"Duh, don't those people know that's a stupid idea" or B."I TOLD you it was a great idea!" So, it's nice to see others having the same types of reactions. Man, does this sound a lot like my work. We are this really small company whose sole mission is to create patentable game concepts and mechanics for casino games. So, when we aren’t actively in the process of bringing a game to market, all we do is prototype, find the hooks, and throw away the rest, and then repeat the process. We have a really large morgue filled with ideas that are merely half-baked, or aren’t baked at all. Due to the expensive process of attempting to secure the patents, we only bother with chasing the “cream of the crop” ideas.

At which point you go to a trade show, and see someone else with a game that they are selling with their new concept, which is essentially something you threw away. And then your response is either A:”Duh, don’t those people know that’s a stupid idea” or B.”I TOLD you it was a great idea!”

So, it’s nice to see others having the same types of reactions.

]]> By: Matt http://www.philsteinmeyer.com/41/design-frustration/#comment-106 Matt Sat, 21 Jan 2006 12:04:58 +0000 http://www.philsteinmeyer.com/41/design-frustration/#comment-106 Totally agree with James. You always have to be careful with dismissing ideas too quickly - especially when dealing with "hooks". If it's fun for that first five minutes you've really got something. It's so easy to get jaded... Try your idea out on someone you trust - and you'll never know. Totally agree with James. You always have to be careful with dismissing ideas too quickly - especially when dealing with “hooks”. If it’s fun for that first five minutes you’ve really got something. It’s so easy to get jaded… Try your idea out on someone you trust - and you’ll never know.

]]> By: james http://www.philsteinmeyer.com/41/design-frustration/#comment-105 james Fri, 20 Jan 2006 17:54:52 +0000 http://www.philsteinmeyer.com/41/design-frustration/#comment-105 yeh I supposed, I know what you mean by wanting to find a new mechanic though. the other day I was toying around with the idea of Doodling, most people enjoy doodling but it seems like it would be to complex yeh I supposed, I know what you mean by wanting to find a new mechanic though.

the other day I was toying around with the idea of Doodling, most people enjoy doodling but it seems like it would be to complex

]]> By: Phil Steinmeyer http://www.philsteinmeyer.com/41/design-frustration/#comment-104 Phil Steinmeyer Fri, 20 Jan 2006 16:55:10 +0000 http://www.philsteinmeyer.com/41/design-frustration/#comment-104 Well, I didn't actually build a prototype for that. But when I played the actual WordSlinger and thought about it, I realized what was appealing was two things: 1) Trying to cram a lot of words into a small space. 2) Trying to add short 2 & 3 letter words into the grid in such a way as to create multiple words - either going in opposite directions, or as compound words/extensions to existing words. Unfortunately, by shifting the focus to building words from point A to point B, presumably with a time/word count limitation, both of the attractive elements about WordSlinger sorta become moot. Cramming extra words into a small space doesn't matter - you're trying to do the opposite, extend over a long distance. And the mechanic for making multiple words out of 1 is sort of moot as well. I just didn't think my variation was likely to be challenging or satisfying. Plus, I sorta would like to do something other than a word game next. Well, I didn’t actually build a prototype for that. But when I played the actual WordSlinger and thought about it, I realized what was appealing was two things:

1) Trying to cram a lot of words into a small space.
2) Trying to add short 2 & 3 letter words into the grid in such a way as to create multiple words - either going in opposite directions, or as compound words/extensions to existing words.

Unfortunately, by shifting the focus to building words from point A to point B, presumably with a time/word count limitation, both of the attractive elements about WordSlinger sorta become moot. Cramming extra words into a small space doesn’t matter - you’re trying to do the opposite, extend over a long distance. And the mechanic for making multiple words out of 1 is sort of moot as well.

I just didn’t think my variation was likely to be challenging or satisfying. Plus, I sorta would like to do something other than a word game next.

]]> By: james http://www.philsteinmeyer.com/41/design-frustration/#comment-103 james Fri, 20 Jan 2006 16:38:29 +0000 http://www.philsteinmeyer.com/41/design-frustration/#comment-103 btw I think you're wordslinger variant sounds intriguing and I bet it would do well btw I think you’re wordslinger variant sounds intriguing and I bet it would do well

]]> By: james http://www.philsteinmeyer.com/41/design-frustration/#comment-102 james Fri, 20 Jan 2006 16:34:55 +0000 http://www.philsteinmeyer.com/41/design-frustration/#comment-102 and the thing is alot of times a game will come out later on with one of the mechanics you though was crap and it will do great and you're like "$#@$#@$ why didn't I develop that" it's happened to me with so many ideas it's not funny and the thing is alot of times a game will come out later on with one of the mechanics you though was crap and it will do great and you’re like “$#@$#@$ why didn’t I develop that”

it’s happened to me with so many ideas it’s not funny

]]> By: Flint http://www.philsteinmeyer.com/41/design-frustration/#comment-100 Flint Fri, 20 Jan 2006 14:57:59 +0000 http://www.philsteinmeyer.com/41/design-frustration/#comment-100 Hmm.. Been there done that, except with cellphone stuff it's so much harder to predict what will work. And yeah, totally new mechanics are really tough to come up with-your mind is so incredibly trained towards the stuff you have already created/played. Thanks for the great blog BTW, I for one am really enjoing it-and enjoying seeing one of the 'big guys' stepping 'down' into the casual games world ;) Hmm.. Been there done that, except with cellphone stuff it’s so much harder to predict what will work. And yeah, totally new mechanics are really tough to come up with-your mind is so incredibly trained towards the stuff you have already created/played.

Thanks for the great blog BTW, I for one am really enjoing it-and enjoying seeing one of the ‘big guys’ stepping ‘down’ into the casual games world ;)

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