@TaliciaDragonsong:

Where's the anger? Where's the venom? Don't tell me you got it all out of your system with your previous blog.

I feel the same way about collectibles. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy them to a point; going through a first playthrough for example, I'll usually go out of my way to search for hidden stuff and it can be pretty satisfying finding said stuff, but there eventually becomes a time where it gets boring and should I succumb to having to use a guide, I'll get bored and move on. Every game should eventually just give you the ability to see all collectibles on your map if not initially, then through an upgrade later on.

The inFAMOUS games both have some of the most fun collectibles to hunt for because of such an ability. And also because the platforming and traversal is so good, the collectibles are there just as an additional reason for you to scamper about around buildings. For both inFAMOUS games, I'd literally spend around the first 5 hours or so just exploring collecting shards. Alan Wake is another such example because of the additional backstory the collectible manuscript pages give, and Sleeping Dogs also has some enticing collectibles because of the rewards they offer like increasing your health for example. Sleeping Dogs will also eventually start placing up most of the collectibles on your map as well.

EDIT: Also with something like Darksiders II, it can pile on some pressure because sometimes I'll be anxious to move on from a room in case I've missed something, and it also usually results in me keeping a keen eye on the ceilings when I'm exploring a dungeon... It's occasionally lead to me me falling into a pit of spikes when I'm going down one of those spiral staircases that have crumbled in the middle.

@TaliciaDragonsong:

I've had that Dead Island story from the same day I wrote my 'rant' but it I deleted it. Then later I recovered it from the garbage bin and here it is!

Hah! would that be virtual dumpster diving then? My guess is your standards are much higher than the average reader on Giantbomb so I bet you don't need to agonize if it's good enough to make the cut here. But perhaps you wouldn't be as a good of a writer if you didn't have a perfectionist drive. So what do I know?

The line has to be drawn when games get turned into work... Metroid Prime basically told you to scan the shit out of everything but you did so for story as well as 100%, only missing a few things probably in tense combat situations

yeah true. I hear you on Metroid Prime, story/background info is a great hook to keep me going for collectibles. That was a really fun game and never feel like it dragged at all. However I did miss one missile upgrade somewhere and that still drives me crazy.

I guess the thing that bothers me the most about backtracking and things like it in games, isn't the actual backtracking (I actually enjoyed in Dragon's Dogma since I liked the world), it's the thought I have that the designers probably only pad so much filler into games as a defensive measure from buying a competitor's game. Afterall if they can keep you in their game for an extra 20 hours, that's 20 hours you don't have in another game.

with any luck I'll get a basic draft of the novel's ending out today.
*Looks at laundry, empty fridge and hungry housemates* If I can find time inbetween house chores that is.

Well good luck with that!

Although I must admit don't see how hungry housemates are your problem, unless you guys share cooking/shooping duties.

@TaliciaDragonsong:

hah! well considering we'll get the read your blog, I can't say I'm disappointed you blogged instead of writing.

Hmm sorry I wasn't clear on my comments about game design, let me try again.

You ever hear Jeff says if he puts down the game when he's satisfied then he wins? To me that also implies that if he keeps playing beyond when he wants to stop that the game in turn wins.

That is basically what I mean.

besides just giving you more perceived value for your gaming experience, DLC Achievements Sidequests etc also a mind-share retention strategy aimed at the hardcore gamer. I've seen it in other industries as well.

The game designers want you playing with only their products and they know if they can keep your attention longer, whether it be achievements, DLC, multiplayer whatever you'll have less of a chance to ever play competitor's game (which you may end up liking more). It's likely not meant by the actual designers to be purely as Machiavellian as I just made it sound, but the business side of it that extra content functions that way.

I can tell you it definitely works on me, I probably would have stopped playing Dragon's Dogma 4 weeks ago if I wasn't working my way toward an S-rank. But here I am still playing the Capcom product when I meant to start an Atlus game much earlier this month. Now in my case I already own Persona 3 : FES so that's not going to stop me from playing it, but if I just purchased one game at a time I might have never bought it. Which means the next time I go to buy a game I'm more likely going to be thinking about a Capcom game since I enjoyed the game quite a bit, instead perhaps of a different company's.

It's a similar business rationale behind rewards cards at supermarkets and such. Those aren't there to just give you a discount and to help reduce their marketing costs, those are also there to keep you from shopping at another store. Because they know the "sunk cost fallacy" will make rewards card holders attempt to direct as many of their purchases at their store only (don't want to lose their points etc). Thus keeping the rewards card holder shopping at their store in situations when they might not otherwise while also depriving their competition at a chance to win rewards card holder's business.

Do you see what I was trying to say now?

Housemates- Food does do wonders for friendships! Unfortunately for me my old housemates with the exception of one were lousy cooks. One couldn't even figure out how to use an oven. Only years later did I find out that was a ruse on his part to get out of cooking.

@TaliciaDragonsong

Yeah that's a good way to be in general. Since you have choices you might as well use them

Yeah Cooking isn't too tough, if you can follow directions you can be decent at it. Then the rest is art. I should have known I was being played by my old housemate, he's not a dumb guy.

And now that song is stuck in my head too. hah Lil Jon was the thing for awhile!