I mean I'd hope only Ted Price knows that but we can still speculate.

Here's my point: Ratchet & Clank should be the most repetitive game in the world and, I daresay there are some people who think that, but a lot of people I chat to love the series. When I ask them why they love it they can never really give me an answer... behind all the HD graphics and orchestral score it's probably the most repetitive game since well, a lot of NES games etc. In concept at least. And here's the thing... stay with me here ;)

I, and many others, absolutely love Ratchet & Clank. I don't think they are brilliant in the innovative "world changing" sense - just... brilliant. But like many others I simply can't explain what is so great about the series. After all the settings are fairly linear and the objective straight forward - shoot everything that moves. Yet for some reason I could play Tools Of Destruction over and over and over. And I really honestly don't know why.

And to a lesser extent I got the same thing with Resistance - here are hundreds upon thousands of the same enemy but I just want to keep shooting them over and over. After playing the Resistance 2 beta I'm already certain that the game is going to be about 100 times more addictive than Resistance, and with the online modes probably more addictive than R&C.

So here's the thing - given that Insomniac's games aren't particularly mind-blowing in concept how the hell do those developers make the games so addictive? Because I just can't put my finger on it.

Is it the level design, the likeable characters, the emphasis on collecting? I just don't know.

It must be something in the water right?

Is it the level design, the likeable characters, the emphasis on collecting? I just don't know.

never liked Ratchet & Clank

I agree with you, and I have no idea. But whatever it is, I hope they keep doing it

The weapons do it for me. The incentive to keep upgrading the weapons, suit, etc. make me come back to that game time and time again.

"The weapons do it for me. The incentive to keep upgrading the weapons, suit, etc. make me come back to that game time and time again."

I think it's the fact that the guys are Insomniac aren't retarded.