The Player's Bill of Rights

Gamasutra has a Designer's Notebook column up this week offering up a Player's Bill of Rights. Written by Ernest Adams, the article decries the many indignities that we as players should never be forced to suffer. From the article: "The Right to Feedback: The player has a right to know how she's doing, and in particular, to some means of determining if she's in danger of losing the game. If the player doesn't get feedback, she can't adjust her strategy, and the outcome will feel random. Players need to know whether their approach is working or not."

Comments

Re:This bill is too long

[wbren]

I think that all of the points in all of these bills will be addressed if we only get the right to
(0) Return a game for a full refund if we do not like it.

I had an opportunity to view the rough drafts of the bill. Your suggestion nearly made it into the final version. Here's a history:

First Draft (0) The Right to Have Hell Freeze Over...

The author felt the wording was a little loose and vague, so he modified it slightly:

Second Draft (0) The Right to Pirate the Latest Games Through Legitimate Retail Channels...

The wording was still a little bit off, so he re-worded it yet again:

Third Draft (0) The Right to Return a Game for a Full Refund if We Don't Like It...

Then he came down from his acid trip and decided to remove that right altogether because it didn't make any sense to someone not on an acid trip. The literary process is really quite interesting. But seriously, that suggestion makes no sense to a retailer. Software generally has a return policy of a) no returns if it's opened or b) exchange for the exact same title (to protect against defective media). That won't change as long as publishers care about preventing piracy.

Re:she?

[Fjornir]

Unless you think we should strip women

I like it!

Re:One

[jcenters]

Alternation is awkward. He or she used repeatedly is sexist and exclusive. You can't use they or them because that be bad English.

So here's my solution: Combine "he" and "she." Of course, that pretty much just leaves "she," and it's not really inclusive, because it leaves out objects, like artificial intelligences and robots.

So She + He + It = Shit, our new, all inclusive pronoun.

Take for instance, this sentence that appeared in TFA:

"If the player doesn't get feedback, shit can't adjust shit's strategy, and the outcome will feel random. Players need to know whether their approach is working or not."

See, MUCH better!

Re:This bill is too long

[jmacleod9975]

I'm alutaphobic you insensitive clod!

I like 10 Commandments better

[rAiNsT0rm]

1.) Thou shalt not suck
2.) Thou shalt not covet another game/genre unless you do something new or different.
3.) Thou shalt not delay your release by more than 3 months.
4.) Thou shalt not glorify "smackin' a hoe," "clocking a grip," or "Bustin a nut."
5.) Thou shalt honor good game design over flashy graphics.
6.) Thou shalt not involve Mary Kate and Ashley, Britney Spears, or any other pre-teen/teen manufactured idol/heart throb.
7.) Thou shalt not overhype your creation only to produce a shiny turd.
8.) Thou shalt put effort into mini-games/extras or just leave them out.
9.) Thou shalt end your game with some sort of closeure other than just the names of the artistic director.
10.) Thou shalt not produce endless sequels in which you add a "quirky" sidekick.