[MUD-Dev] RE: Retention without Addiction? (Koster, Raph)

[Dr. Cat]

From: "Koster, Raph" <rkoster at soe.sony.com>
 
> We are not solely responsible, not by a long shot. But like it or
> not, we do have influence, we do have power, and we (as a group)
> have in the past encouraged and rewarded some behavior that we
> frown upon, that has led to behavior in real life that we would
> prefer not have occurred.
 
> Why it is self-important to acknowledge that? It seems to me to be
> a self-evident FACT.

> The real questions are these:
 
>   - we teach lessons, whether we want to or not. Do we know what
>   we are teaching?
 
>   - we reward and reinforce behaviors. What behaviors are we
>   reinforcing?

Well, I suppose most game developers don't think about these issues
much, and a few do - but then you could have said the same thing in
the 1980s.

I know we've been aware of these questions since before we opened
our virtual doors to Furcadia in 1996.  What are we teaching, and
reinforcing?  Creativity, self-expression, cooperation, being
helpful, friendship, romance, tolerance, diversity, communication.

Not everybody is getting caught by surprise when they see what
results their games cause.  ;X)

*-------------------------------------------**-----------------------------* 
   Dr. Cat / Dragon's Eye Productions       ||       Free download!
*-------------------------------------------**   http://www.furcadia.com
  Supporting user-created graphical worlds. ||  Let your imagination soar!
*-------------------------------------------**-----------------------------*

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