Here's what a few of you had to say about our recent stories. To post a remark online in our feedback forums, enter your comments in the text box at the end of any story (registration required). Additionally, you can jump in on the hottest conversations about our most popular stories through the Wired News blog link at the bottom of the page.
Re: Oh, the (Lack of) Humanity
By Tony Long
From: Con Cunningham
Just read your piece on (lack of) humanity. I empathize. I was strolling through Dublin city center at lunch time today, and was struck by the very same feelings. We have our collection of folk who, for whatever reason, now reside on our streets. And all too many people "wrinkle their noses."
Our country, and Dublin in particular, has moved into "fifth gear." I sometimes despair that we will never again see the relaxed Irish psyche that I grew up with ('60s baby).
We have it all now, for better or for worse. I am divorced, run a small consultancy company, and can't seem to stop working, since I have support to pay – and the final mortgage payment on my house is on the eve of my 69th birthday. Still, at least if we stop and realize that every now and again, it seems to help.
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Re: The Mythical 40-Hour Gamer
By Clive Thompson
From: Nick London
Good article. The issue of "unfinished business" is something that I feel resonates with the entire gaming community, although in different ways.
Me? I'm a hard-core gamer; so much so that I actually work in the industry because I couldn't put aside my passion to concentrate on more medial tasks. I can blow through games in a weekend easily, provided I have my headphones on and my girlfriend is fully aware that I'm probably going to forfeit any socialization or physical activity during that time.
Yet, at the same time, I'm often at odds with people who play games the same as I do. I prefer short, rewarding, replayable experiences. After about the six-hour mark, I start to lose interest in a game and the only goal becomes that of "just finish the damn game already." I have a growing back catalog of games I've never finished, and they sit on my shelf like blemishes of my gaming past. I feel annoyed that I never finished any of the Splinter Cell games past the first one, and dismayed that I could never see Far Cry through to its conclusion.
So here's an interesting thought: What would happen if a game adopted a mentality of "You're free to leave at any time," where the player can, if they please, take 20 minutes or 20 hours to finish a game, depending on their personal preference? It would be similar to cashing out from a slot machine; be rewarded for what you've completed so far, but risk missing out on something really grand further down the line. Although with far more chance of that happening than with slots, of course.
This sort of approach means that the player can choose what they feel is the correct ending, and means that the game is only as long or as short, deep or shallow, as the player chooses. A hard-core gamer might even go back again and again to see all the different endings and approaches they can achieve, while the more casual gamers might be satisfied with their result and get the enjoyable rush of endorphins from knowing that they've beaten the game.
All in all, the growing disparity between the hard-core gamers and casual gamers means that we may have to change the way we approach storytelling within our games. If we can appease both crowds, then everyone will benefit from the outcome.
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