With a lot of recent posts about “games respecting your time”, I want to make a case for “friction” in games.

With the recent barrage of posts about “games respecting your time” in online and offline media, I want to make a case for friction.

“Friction” is a term that is often used to describe the feeling of being stuck in an experience. From a game design perspective, friction can be used as a tool to make players feel challenged and engaged. The “why game accessibility matters” post discusses how games should respect your time.

I was listening to various podcasts when I came across a topic that began at

This Triple Click episode starts at 35:37. It made me think about how there’s an overwhelming push for “games that respect your time” on the two video game subs I frequent the most, this one and patientgamers. People disparage games that don’t provide enough checkpoints, that force you to go to random locations to improve particular items, or that force you to repeat a portion, such as a 5-minute hub setting before moving on to another planet, rather than fast traveling.

The basic message seems to be that I want to maximize “unique gaming experience” per unit time by optimizing my video game time. This is often expressed as “I used to have so much time to play games, but now that I have a husband, a home, and kids, if a game doesn’t respect my time, I don’t want to play it.” As someone who has been gaming since the 1990s, I recall when features like fast travel were introduced as “quality of life” conveniences, and although there was some resistance at first, they quickly became the standard in gaming.

However, as the podcast points out, there’s a certain allure, excitement, or satisfaction in a world where there’s “friction,” where you can’t easily warp about and have to repeat certain actions. Coming back to a town, taking the usual trek to the blacksmith for an upgrade, seeing the kids play as you travel to another shop to sell your additional things. Or the dreaded walk up the mountain to visit the sage who upgrades your talent, which you may have to repeat 10 or 20 times in a single playing. When it becomes a menu item with a “Upgrade all to max” button, or even if it is done automatically, something is lost.

I don’t intend to disparage anyone’s gaming style. I used to follow the “minimize friction, I want to experience every distinct area/gameplay style this game has to offer, and if it smells repetitious, I’m going on to a different game” philosophy. For me, this was complicated by a desire to “keep up with the gaming community” and be aware of all current gaming trends. However, I soon came to the conclusion that attempting to maximize progression/uniqueness per unit of game time is a pointless method to play games. I’m a grownup, just like the rest of you, and I’m finding myself with less and less time for gaming each year. But, rather than playing 10-15 games a year where the advancement and dopamine hits of new experiences are more streamlined, I’ve learned to appreciate playing 3-5 games a year that may have this friction or repetition, but utilize it to feel like an unified universe.

What are your thoughts?

Original source: link

• New Games vs. Old Games

  I know it’s painful to say, but there are excellent and poor games in both old and new games. All I hear is that if you prefer old games, you’re nostalgia blind, or that old gamers claim that games back then were far better, and it’s always the same argument. Let me begin by saying…

• Today’s games are no longer games.

  So many games in this century, in my view, are largely crap. They’ve lost what made them unique in the first place, which was “fun.” “Competition” does not appeal to me. Today’s “games” are exactly the same as the fucking Olympics. It’s always a competition to see who’s the best. Consider the game Call of Duty. The game Call of Duty is…

• The argument for classic games, the independent sector, and triple-A titles

  We’ve all heard the conversation. “Games used to be so much better back then.” Then there’s the other side, who says things like “wtf guy, you’re just a boomer, games were terrible back then, that’s just nostalgia.” It’s something that’s been rumbling about in my head for a long, but after playing current games for a time, as…

“With a lot of recent blogs on “games respecting your time,” I’d want to make a case for “friction” in games,” says the author. for the purpose of gaming news

OP 10 BEST NEW Upcoming Games 2022 & 2023 (4K 60FPS)

The greatest collection of games set to be published in 2022 and 2023 for PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, and Switch – all of which you can watch in stunning 4K ULTRA HD and 60FPS with the most up-to-date information available!

The Most Important Games in 2022

With the new year quickly approaching and a slew of new game releases on the horizon, it’s time to take a peek ahead at some of the year’s most anticipated titles. There are some fantastic games coming out in the next year for PC, Xbox, PS5, and all of your other favorite gaming platforms.

“Inclusive game design” is a term that’s been around for awhile now. It refers to the process of designing games so they are accessible to everyone, regardless of their ability level, knowledge or experience. This can be done through the use of friction, which is the idea that some amount of challenge should remain in order to keep players engaged and entertained. Reference: inclusive game design.

Related Tags

• ablegamers
• deaf accessibility in video games
• disabled gamers
• disabled gamers statistics
• game accessibility guidelines