While many game companies are still striving to create epic plots, movie-level performances and tear-jerking endings, Dan Houser, co-founder of Rockstar and former chief screenwriter of the “Grand Theft Auto” series, has come up with a point of view that surprises many players. He believes that the core purpose of players playing games is actually very simple, that is, “to have fun.”
Rather than the plot, players remember how much fun they had.
When Dan Houser recently talked about game design, he said that he has always believed that the most important thing in a game is to allow players to enjoy the process, rather than simply pursuing complex plots or narrative depth. For him, whether it’s exploring the open world, wreaking havoc, driving vehicles, or interacting with systems, as long as players have fun, the game has accomplished its most important task. This statement also made many players immediately think of the GTA series.
After all, how many people opened “Grand Theft Auto V” back then, instead of rushing to push the main storyline, they grabbed cars on the street, flew planes around, drove tanks around, and tested various physical effects. Many people may have long forgotten the details of the mission, but they still remember the ridiculous stories they caused in Los Santos.
The key to GTA’s success is freedom!
In fact, Dan Houser has talked about why GTA has become one of the most successful game series in the world in the past. He believes that the key is not just the story, but that GTA integrates shooting, driving and simulation gameplay in the same world, and provides players with a high degree of freedom. Players can choose to advance the plot seriously, or they can completely ignore the main line and explore and cause chaos everywhere. In other words, what Rockstar sells is never just stories, but a stage where players can create their own stories.
The players started arguing after hearing this?
Interestingly, after this statement was exposed, two voices emerged in the player community. Supporters believe that games are inherently entertainment products, and happiness is the most important thing, otherwise no matter how good the plot is, it will just be an electronic novel. Opponents believe that the reason why works such as “Red Dead Redemption 2 (Red Dead Redemption 2/Red Dead Redemption 2)” become gods is precisely because of its excellent plot and character creation.
To some extent, both statements are actually correct. Because a player is willing to remember a game, it may be because the plot moved him, or it may just be because one night, he and his friends did something super stupid but super funny in the game. For Rockstar, it seems the latter has always been what they do best.