Thinky stuff: Game designers and their genius minds

I had recently shown a friend Brothers in Arms: Hell's Highway in action, and waxed lyrical about the intense realism in it. I told him how much I had to stay behind cover and how just popping my head out for a second would make me die instantly, and that interestingly enough turned him off to the game.

Now, I'm not judging him for his lack of interest in said game, although I do believe he is missing out on much, but I came to the realization that there are a myriad of gamers out there who are seeking different things from their games. Instant gratification, quick entertainment, or a punishing challenge. Take your pick, there are plenty of games that do each of these things pretty well.

It must be an insanely crazy job for the designers to ensure that their triple-A blockbuster games keep the balance between being simple entertainment for the mass audience but also please more hardcore gamers. Take RPGs for instance. I've been having a playthrough of Titan Quest and for every tomb or cave I raid, I hope to come across rare loot or fight that awesomely epic boss. And yet, sometimes I come across neither, and sometimes I do get to loot or fight something big.

Am I satisfied as it is that only some caves have rare equips, and that not all boss fights are ground-shaking, music-thumping greatness? Can't I have every moment to be on the edge? Stop sending little minions and bring out the big guns already. But I guess that's my preference, and I'm just tired of the grind. Others aren't. It takes a mind that can see the big picture to understand where to scale up the intensity and where to bring it back down. Titan Quest, for me is still slightly underpowered in this regard, where as Brothers in Arms: HH gets it just right. There are times when I have to survive onslaughts of baddies with my two squads, whilst a level later, I'm creeping through a deserted hospital in the dark with just a pistol alone, taking out Nazis roaming the hallways. And both levels do what I like best in high dosage, amp up the frustration and punishment for every mistake I make. Yum.

Here's to hoping that Diablo 3 gets the rollercoaster ride right. Wow, alliteration. But yes, a right balance of reward, challenge, and periods of calm. Or just give us epic loot from the get-go and all Prime Evils to take out as we step out the front door.