Comments for Purple Pawn

Comment on Green Ronin Roundup! by Chris Hanrahan

Chris Hanrahan — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 23:52:56 +0000

Well, “Random” is in the title ;)

Thanks for the shout out…it was one of my favorite shows to date.

Comment on Infunitum by Marcel

Marcel — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 17:02:15 +0000

To your point… “There would be an infinite amount of answers”… I get it now… Infunitum.

Very clever.

And it makes it better than the limited answers, as in Boggle, or answers that need 100 people surveyed, as in Family Feud.

Comment on Purple Parlay — Graphic Design by JMcL63

JMcL63 — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 15:02:49 +0000

Informative post there David. I have to say I think that Pandemic hits all the targets you outline. I had a few words to say on the subject about the subject on my blog earlier in the year, after I'd played the game for the first time. :)

Comment on Infunitum by Beth S.

Beth S. — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 14:24:57 +0000

I cannot believe that someone would post about a game without first trying it. Infunitum is a BLAST! I have played this game with many different groups of people, from junior high students to adults, everytime the same result…lot’s of FUN. It is great to see the many creative ideas that people come up with. You cannot compare this game to Family Feud or Boggle…it does not even remotely resemble either game. I suggest you go out…BUY the game..INVITE people over…PLAY THE GAME… Have Fun, then post about the game.

Comment on Purple Parlay — Graphic Design by David McCord

David McCord — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 13:49:40 +0000

As a Creative Director, game designer, and gamer, I see it this way: Depends on if you’re an artist, gamer, or “target consumer.”
1. From the artist/creative aspect, the game is a canvas which embodies the theme and engages the gamer in it, planting a sense of involvement and a visual foundation for the game experience. In the best case, the gamer is immersed in the theme, drawn in (no pun intended) by the world expressed through the artwork. The artwork is often better than the game.
2. If you’re a gamer, the above is true IF the feeling invoked by the artwork holds true when the game is played – if it’s well integrated, and remains so through start to finish, play after play. If the game play is outstanding, but the artwork is poor, or mismatched to the theme or pace of the game, or the theme is a pasted-on “wrapper”, the synergy between game play and artwork is lost. “This looks so cool. How come I don’t like it?”
3. If you’re a game company, catering to a demographic target audience, it’s a completely different set of rules. How well does the box art COMPETE with the box on the shelf next to it for the consumer’s attention? How well do we trigger the consumer’s impulse to buy, to get involved? The criteria for “Good Graphic Design” is quite different in this case.
All that said, it’s wonderful when all three can be fulfilled at the same time.
Oh, and then there’s the licensing factor. Does Hanna Montana’s image still sell games? Or Harry Potter? Or LOTR?

Comment on Infunitum by Sandra from Sydney

Sandra from Sydney — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 11:19:42 +0000

I don’t understand how you can comment on something you’ve never played. It’s like my child saying that he doesn’t like a food that he has never tried. Huh??

I live in Sydney and we played it with a mix of Aussies and Yanks. We had a HUGE time and I can vouch for the existence of completely wrong and unacceptable answers. It sounds like your criticism is because you think that results or answers to a game must be objective to be fun. To each his own.

I’d suggest that you try something before commenting on or critiquing it. You say that you aren’t reviewing Infunitum, but people read blogs for information. Commenting on something without knowing what it is, is misleading and confusing.

And, BTW, if you don’t buy a copy of Infunitum, that just means another copy for everyone else who likes to have a really, really fun time being REALLY creative. I also hope that you never critique or judge a writing contest, a piece of art, a piece of music or anything that doesn’t have a “right” or “wrong” answer.

Comment on Purple Parlay — Graphic Design by JMcL63

JMcL63 — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 11:01:56 +0000

Pandemic is an example of the best graphic design I’ve seen in a while; and there’s some good stuff out there these days. ;)

Comment on Infunitum by Jordan Keller

Jordan Keller — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 04:58:05 +0000

Yehuda, I apologize for jumping on you. But get a copy and play it because it is really fun. The fun lies in this simple question- with all the possibilities open to a question like “Reasons why you don’t show up for work”- what are the things that will come to your mind in just 1 minute? I would send you a copy, but I only have one and I’m not giving it up!

Comment on Infunitum by Rick H

Rick H — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 22:55:34 +0000

I have played this game and it’s all about the gameplay. The answers are purely subjective and it’s the personal interplay between players who determine the validity of the answers, that makes the game enjoyable. It’s an exciting game that makes for great fun. I’ve seen others play it with the same reaction. It’s not about weird answers. It’s not Family Feud or Boggle, either. It has nothing to do with those games.

How can YOU critique a game when you haven’t even played it? Not only is that completely unfair, it’s really unbecoming of you as a game critic. That’s like critiquing a book by looking at the cover or a movie, by watching a trailer.

Comment on Infunitum by shadejon

shadejon — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 22:52:12 +0000

For what it’s worth, I did note in the post that I had not played the game. This is a news and curiosities blog, NOT a review site (when we post a review, it is clearly labeled as such). I find a game that looks interesting, post it with my impressions, and deliver that to our 60,000+ readers. That’s what I do. Whether I like the looks of a game or not, I doubt that this is a bad thing for the publisher or the game. And for crying out loud, I didn’t even diss the game; I simply said that, on first glance, I didn’t understand how it worked!

That said, our primary focus here is bringing new game and game related news to your attention and giving our (hopefully!) useful spin on the topic. Sometimes, we’re going to miss the mark for some people – and that’s alright. That’s the nature of opinions.

Yehuda

P.S. Feel free to send me, or one of the editors, a review copy of the game and we’ll be happy to give it a spin.