Paul Barnett: Game guides "corrupt" |
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GamesRadar reports that Paul Barnett, the creative director of Mythic Creative, says in this month's issue of "PC Gamer" magazine that game guides and walkthroughs corrupt the enjoyment of the game. Barnett explains:
A game guide is actually there to corrupt your enjoyment of the game. ...It tells you the most efficient, straightforward and dull way to increase your numbers, and in no way tells you the wonder and joy of the game you're playing.
For most games the wonder and joy is in getting there. In fact in most of life, the joy is in getting to something. ...We now have people obsessed with getting to the endgame, not realising that the greatness is in going on that journey.
If previous promotion of Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning is to be taken as something a bit more than hype, than Barnett's latest game is set to jolt folks who are walkthrough-reliant, grind-obsessed, and build-anal. We'll end this here, before this post starts sounding like a promotion for "PC Gamer" or Warhammer Online. But, before we go, we'll ask you guys a question.
How do you use your game walkthroughs? Do you make sure that a walkthrough is available before you purchase that US$ 50 dollar 40 plus hour, story-heavy game? Do you consider walkthrough users to be gaming equivalents of the physically handicapped?
Personally, I do my best to play through a game first as fast as I can, not minding secrets and other stuff, with the goal of just getting to see what happens next. If the experience satisfies, only then do I start looking for walkthroughs to get every secret and every hidden ultimate weapon.
What about you folks? What's your take on game guides?
Via GamesRadar
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Comments [refresh]
I don't use walkthroughs that much...and when I do...its only for long JRPGs...(and oblivion) I usally use them to find the mini-games/side quests...
and usually I use online guides that give you hints of where to go/directions and not spoil anything like the 15-20 dollar guides do.
I buy a game, play it and if I get frustrated I look at a walkthrough. I don't use it all the way through the game.
Game guides do not '"corrupt" your experience of the game, if you are frustrated they are generally helpful. I don't use them for linear to semi-linear games (like FPSs), but I would be lost without the guide for Twilight Princess. Some of those heart pieces are tough.
I do agree that if you read and follow the guide word for word and do nothing on your own it will ruin it, but this guy makes it sound like glancing at one will destroy the game you're playing. Reading a paragraph to find secrets and stuff is fine, and if you're like me will make the game more enjoyable (who wants to miss out on secret stuff?)
A good game shouldn't need a walkthrough. It should have enough guides and hints to point you to everything in it. Unfortunately not many games live up to this and the walkthroughs are great for continuing a game you would overwise be throwing out.
I'd like more of a hint guide than a walkthrough.
I generally agree that using a guide takes away from the challenge of the game, but there are just going to be times you need one.
For example, I've been playing alot of Twilight Princess lately, and at one point I was just stuck, and turned to a game guide. As it turns out I was right all in my first assumption, but performed one of the actions wrong. If it wasnt for the game guide I would never have figured it out because I had already crossed it off my list.
I come from the other side of the fence; being a guide author and owner of a site that offers guides on some of the more popular games, I think I can add a different perspective on this subject. Like yourself I have been a gamer going back to the old pen & paper D&D days, I have played in UO, Everquest, WOW and even now I am delving into Vanguard. You make some valid points about the fun factor and in truth I believe that the fun factor is being killed more by in-game economy sales (gold, platinum, powerleveling, etc) than from guides. It's true that this new emerging market is rife with hacks, cheats, exploits and content designed specifically for power gamers, but not all guide sites and authors are created equal. All of our authors are gamers as well, they are each driven by what they like the most in each of these games, however virtual guides offer some things you cannot or will not find in an over the counter strategy guide.. Updated content. For every guide you mention that is not updated I can show you a guide that is updated regularly, and contains information beyond a basic farming frenzy. Class guides, trade skill or profession guides, if created properly do not spoil the game, do not contain repetitive tasks with the single goal of making in-game currency. What some guides (when done professionally) can do is give the reader some better information about how to play the game. Arm them with information that has been tested and filtered by actual players and in some cases even enhances the game. The problem with over the counter guides is that the content in online games changes so rapidly that once a guide hits the retail market it is pretty much outdated and the costs to update those guides is huge.
I guess the main question here is “Should Guides have any reason to exist in the gaming arena”? I would argue that Guides when professionally created and managed can actually extend the life of an online world, give it more depth and arm its players with information they might not have found on their own. I agree that it should not become an endless drone of farming and some responsibility should be shown by those who produce guides, The reasons sites like mine exist can vary, but they all share one theme. Market! There is a market for it. Where you find it crazy that a people buy guides I find it crazy that a player pays $1000.00 real dollars to buy an in-game castle.
That being said I love discussions on this subject. It helps me create a better product.
Brian Fisher
Marketing & Media Director
www.GuideBazaar.com