GDC 2010 Keynote Address: Sid Meier

Posted Dec 23, 2011 9:21 pm GMT

17:15 "head started exploding" - the camera started to shake and I was like, what's going on here...

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Posted Sep 19, 2010 3:24 pm GMT

wow at first i thought the mic was a big o'l wart lol! (good thing i noticed i thought sid was a freak for a sec! lol!)

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Posted Jun 3, 2010 5:22 am GMT

Dunno about you but I quite liked the idea of a game starting light hearted and then all of a sudden heads blow up.

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Posted May 10, 2010 7:12 pm GMT

that guy rocks

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Posted May 6, 2010 10:04 am GMT

LOL i watched this Video the whole way through, i can't be a proper gamer. And i just realised Sid is operating on a level above our understanding. In fact i'm sure this whole talk he gave was a parody of an idiot game designer who has no understanding of what makes gamers tick.

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Posted Apr 25, 2010 5:12 pm GMT

In my own experience with the Xbox 360, I found that achievements have really negatively influenced my experience with games. Before, it was all about enjoying the game, and now with achievement all your trying to do is play to get the points. It really forces you to play the game, and makes it a negative experience. What do you guys think?

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Posted Apr 4, 2010 3:50 am GMT

nice ideas

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Posted Apr 3, 2010 12:34 pm GMT

@rprevidi5

I'm sure both Sid Meyer and everyone that bothers to watch one HOUR of his theories about game design REALLY care about the NFL. For sure.

On the video, I don't agree with all the ideas Sid has, I think he's an old school developer and it shows - for instance, I think Bioshock 1 has the best plot twist ever, and it's almost exacly like the example he gave as a bad plot. I also don't like black and white moral systems, but I think for the type of game he specialized in, his modus operandi works pretty well. I for one am anxious to play Civ5.

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Posted Mar 28, 2010 12:32 am GMT

Not all players are the same. Not all players want to have a game with a clear moral compass. I thought the twist in the adventure game sounded awesome.

Far to few games give players the credit of beeing full fledged human beeings, with attributes like self irony. Sid Meier is forgtting that the old games were full of new ideas whereas the new ones seem to follow his bland, vanilla formula. If there is one attribute I like in a new game, its that its NEW.

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Posted Mar 16, 2010 4:20 pm GMT

I hope they bring back some spirit from the CIV 2. I would love also if he creates a mode which you have no time limit you could play and score and the game would not force you to retire! :S

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Posted Mar 16, 2010 9:09 am GMT

Sid Meier is a genius when it comes to game development and design for the genre which he has, essentially, become the father of, turned based strategy. As a game developer he desires to create games that are both entertaining to make and captivating to his audience, the gamers, while still being able to make a profit for his efforts. Obviously, a lot of his focus in this talk was on how to "make" gamers, like ourselves, enter into a state of suspension of disbelief, thus becoming lost in the game and experiencing it in all it's glory. By his philosophy, to achieve this state of mind will result in a successful game and thus profit for the game developer. Let us not forget that this talk was geared towards game developers who, while trying to make a game of the year, have to keep an eye on their bottom line.

While I greatly respect Sid's work, I don't agree that his prescribed method of game development would be equally effective across all gaming genres. When I'm running across the Washington, DC wasteland and stumble upon a band of Super Mutants, I want the ensuing fire-fight to be an experience potentially resulting in a quick and brutal end for myself. I don't blame the game for being unfair, I blame myself for being an idiot and not using my StealthBoy. Next time I'll know better and I find, at least for myself, that having and learning from these experiences make the game more epic.

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Posted Mar 16, 2010 9:09 am GMT

he is an absolutely great game invetor
go ciz rev!!

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Posted Mar 16, 2010 9:03 am GMT

Very interesting indeed. It really sheds some light on the development of games and the tricks that we gamers play on ourselves. I totally understand what he's talking about for the most part except the example of the game he didn't like because when the player got to the end it changed the story completely and made the whole adventure redundant. Bioshock had a twist ending along these lines but was seen as one of the greatest narrative endings in modern gaming. Times change and I think his ideas are being challenged as gamers and games mature.

Great stuff

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Posted Mar 16, 2010 8:49 am GMT

Sid says "In the real world, winners don't always win". Listening to this guy, makes me feel like Pavlov's Dog.

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Posted Mar 13, 2010 11:22 pm GMT

Gamer psychology VARIES between different gamer groups and generalizations! Instead of appealing to the public and trying to milk their hapless little udders out, why don't you go back to basics and try and appeal to your fans who have been loyal and actually appreciate your logic and science, Sid? Yes, we're all egomaniacs when it comes to playing Civilization, but that doesn't mean we have to win all the time, that doesn't mean you need to desperately try and keep us from turning your game off.

What happened to making games for the fans? Yes, appealing to niche groups is unprofitable from a business standpoint. Yes, making games for the casual gamers (especially with the gigantic wave of casuals in the 21st century) will increase your revenue by God-knows-what amount, but what happens to us? What happens to the players who've been there, who appreciate the hardcore "oldies"? Gaming shouldn't just be looked at purely from a marketing standpoint, I believe in any event, gamers and developers should share between them the entertainment and sheer fun factor of the game!

If developers follow this psyche in approaching the development of games, there will never be an exceptionally strong game in any genre, nothing epic! Only a game that the developers believe is "just enough" to sell to the casuals. And you know what? The casuals will just always eat it right up. The growth of epicness will be ultimately retarded, and our expectations drop down with it.

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Posted Mar 13, 2010 2:49 pm GMT

@erccmo

ok... is there any reason for being sad. - I believed the points he brought up were incredibly interesting and It shows how awesome a developer Sid is. What is it that makes you sad- the way he said it or what he said? Please don't make random useless comments.

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Posted Mar 13, 2010 1:59 pm GMT

Cool video. A lot of his example are based around games he's worked on but many of hit points apply to other genres.

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Posted Mar 13, 2010 12:59 pm GMT

This man is a genius

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