The most interesting aspect, I think, is that we can now change the games as we like.

I want Animal Crossing to have an infinite world. I want it to be an MMO. I want the animals to have much better intelligence - for example, if I'm a bad neighbor, maybe they should team-up against me.

Zelda MMO will also be cool. It's just a matter of time. Like two weeks.

These are easy to do now. It's an amazing time to be alive.

▲ datsci_est_2015 7 minutes ago | parent | next [-]

The barrier for creating games is already so low it’s underground. Consider the following tools:

  - Deck of cards
  - 3d printers
  - Printing services

And yet, while there are many games available because of these tools, a very, very small minority of those games are worth playing. I’m bearish on this having any meaningful impact on the quantity of high-quality games, just like the Roblox game engine hasn’t had any meaningful impact.

I think the biggest things to come out of asset reuse / engine / remixing are probably DOTA (WC3), ARMA/Day Z, and to a lesser extent Garry’s Mod. Which are the exception that prove the rule given that there have been so many games and engines that have lowered the barrier for game creation.

Edit: maybe you can also give credit to StarCraft for spawning the Tower Defense genre (Turret Defense was the original).

	▲	qarl a minute ago \| parent [-]
		OK. We'll get the answer pretty soon anyway, no need to argue about it.

▲ gr__or 3 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

An interesting lesson people will learn is that what we, with child-like wonder, believe will be cool, will turn out to just be a Disneyland of propertyhodgepodge which will not make for an interesting game per-se.

But those that will persist through the awkwardness, might find gold. Zelda Four Swords was a banger after all

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qarl 2 hours ago | parent [-]

Right - you can't let players edit everything. Second Life had that and it was a digital junkyard.

I'm working on a game right now that tries to find a nice balance between player made stuff and gorgeous assets they can't change.

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tuesdaynight 2 hours ago | parent [-]

>gorgeous assets they can't change.

How are planning to block that? If they can create Zelda MMO, they can modify your game as much as they want as well, right?

	▲	qarl an hour ago \| parent [-]
		Oh. Well - if it's an MMO you control what the world may contain via the server. They can add stuff to their local version, sure, but others won't see it unless they want to. They can create their own world but then they need to get people to migrate to it.

▲ vunderba an hour ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Nintendo is pretty litigious and protective of their IP. A "Zelda MMO" would get a cease-and-desist letter that would make the authors' heads spin so quickly they'd travel back in time where they'd be dead.

▲ tayo42 2 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

This underestimates how much thought needs to go into a game, let alone an MMO.

Like just to start,how are you going to balance intelligence so that it's fun? The AI doesn't magically know.

	▲	qarl 2 hours ago \| parent [-]
		I'm not suggesting it's one shot. But the technical side is now trivial. An unbalanced, untested Zelda MMO will be out shortly. Watch.

▲ reactordev 3 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

It's an AMAZING time for mods. The list of mods for games that support it is growing fast. I would start listing them but I'm sure you can check your favorite game and just see for yourself. What I don't care for is Nexusmods. More and more people are getting into indie game dev with the support of AI now and while yes it will produce more slop and crappy games, it will also produce some really good new ones. We need more NEW franchises.