Will Wright Can Do No Evil

12 Comments by Vladimir Cole May 28th 2005 5:20PM
Filed under: Culture, Strategy

Spoof of Spore Penny Arcade Or at least that's what the industry wants to believe, judging from the reactions of the crowd at GDC and E3 who saw the demo of Spore. The man is a game design hero, and he's certainly got the best-selling game franchise ever under his belt, but Penny Arcade wonders if perhaps we might be veering towards idolatry.

Are we suspending our critical judgement too much because we want to believe? Sure, it's hard to put together quality criticism without playing Spore first, but by that same token, it should also be difficult to pronounce it game of the year, a phrase that some are already muttering, despite that fact that it looks more likely to hit shelves in 2006.

At any rate, enjoy the spot-on Penny Arcade comic.

Source

(Page 1) Reader Comments

Will: Dec 18th 2005; 9:06PM

I think it would have been polite to link to the page not the image; so they get some advertising revenue or something, as opposed to a bigger server bill. Also, I have an RSS feed to their site; I don't need another :-P

Vladimir Cole: Dec 18th 2005; 9:06PM

#1: Fixed the link. As for the other suggestion -- you'd pretty much cripple the blogosphere if no blog were allowed to link to another site for which a reader already has a feed. Penny Arcade rocks, and in this case they're on-topic with something I personally observed at both GDC and E3. It's a meme worth spreading.

Will: Dec 18th 2005; 9:06PM

True; but wasn't blogging the reason google stopped using their pageranking uber-alogarithm; because all the blogs linked to each other and snagged all the top rankings? Anyways; inter-blog linking is all good; maybe someone new will visit PA because of it. Instead of a search for Spore, stick a few external links in as well;
http://www.gamespy.com/articles/595/595975p1.html
maybe make the word 'idolatry' link to there :-)

Vladimir Cole: Dec 18th 2005; 9:06PM

Blog skew did cause a recalibration of the page ranking algorithms, but not a total stoppage, as you suggest.

That's just the blog world for ya, though!

Will: Dec 18th 2005; 9:06PM

Heh; and without blogs, how on Earth could we do google-bombing (if I have my google-related jargon correct). Whereby the blogsters all link to a page (www.sco.com) with certain link text (Litagious Bastards), and hilarity ensues!

mitch: Dec 18th 2005; 9:06PM

I don't think he's reading idolitry - he's making an amazing game, and people are thinking likewise. It's easy to place this perspective on someone who pull their success and respect out of honest business and good ideas.

Scott: Dec 18th 2005; 9:06PM

I think that's a stupid comic. While the media and game designers unquestionably fawn over Wright and Spore, he's not making Molyneux-like aggrandizements or flaunting Romero-like hubris. I've talked with him and went to a number of his GDC presentations; he's remarkably intelligent but lacks the annoying arrogance that festers on the most individuals that have greatly surpassed their peers. (Who else is in Wright's league in terms of games sold? Shigeru Miyamoto?)

While mocking the blinded-by-adoration hoopla is fine, mocking the man for being successful, intelligent, and charismatic smacks of ignorance.

Philosopher: Dec 18th 2005; 9:06PM

Did you read the post attached to the comic? In it, Tycho admits that he loves the games that Wright and it is Gabe that doesn't understand the draw of these sort of games.

I don't think that Will Wright can do no wrong but the fact is that Will Wright has a long track record of creative game design which has led to a long string of fantastic games. Calling peoples' attraction to Will Wright "idolatry" is overlooking the fact that, perhaps, people love his games.

Mr. Falcon: Dec 18th 2005; 9:06PM

Yeah, but that's pretty much what Penny Arcade does. Its funny. Laugh.

As for linking to other blogs, I try to put some personal spin on the post that I'm linking too, but I think the mere act of linking is useful. If the blogosphere is thought of a memespace, then linking to other blog posts is a way of replicating strong memes, which is what makes the whole system work. Or is that all, like, soooo last year?

Bob: Dec 18th 2005; 9:06PM

Mix this with Dave Chapell's R.Kelley take off "Piss on You" and we've got an Exacta of Extretory Fun!

Sean DL: Dec 18th 2005; 9:06PM

Game of the year 2007..Since it's not coming out till mid to late 2007 from what I read, the game is a long ways to be a game(s).

Hell just look at Sims 2...Maybe 2008...

And besides Shigeru Miyamoto, he is one of the only original game creators in this indrustry that live up to there hype.

Ryuukuro: Dec 18th 2005; 9:06PM

I thought it was kind of funny but I was more laughing at it than laughing with it. And it's interesting that the blog piece that comes with it rolls it's eyes at the cartoon.

There are a few people out there who are rolling their eyes at Spore but you know what? They are a minority. Let's let them go back to Pong.

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