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"The random post"

I sat looking at this screen for the last ten minutes, racking my brain for long-forgotten post ideas. Then I suddenly came up with an idea. All of my previous posts have been planned. I'd sit and jot a few ideas down, expand on the better ones and discard the rubbish ones. This post, however, is completely the opposite. Welcome to the random post.

Now, as I'm typing this very sentence, I have absolutely no idea where I'm going to go with this. Maybe I'll look into one aspect of gaming, maybe I'll talk about Iraq, who knows, heck, I don't even know! However, I can assure you it won't be ten minutes of waffle.

So, randomness then. How useful is this in the video game industry? (aha- a good idea here!). Well, it's obvious that randomness has sprouted some gems. Take, er, Animal crossing for example. Who would have imagined a game whereby you play the only human in a village of talking animals? Talking animals, now that's certainly random. Having said this, maybe that's why the game is such a success? Yes, possibly it's down to the fact that the simplicity over graphics idea is implemented here, or maybe it's the fact that it really only appeals to Die-hard gamers, who would lavish in the beauty and ingenuity of AC.

Maybe the fact that AC isn't going to be released over here is down to randomness. "Yes, we're nearly done with the translations now, erm, hang on, AC2 is nearly done… let's wait!" Yes, I know, it does seem strange that a release is scrapped because some dude decided out of the blue that it wouldn't be released over here. If anything, it just proves that once again, Europe should have less time between US launches and our own.

So then, now that I've distinguished that randomness can be good, using my random methods of explanation, I suppose we should look at the negative aspects of random decisions. Obviously, the previously mentioned cancelled release of Ac in Europe is negative, but what else is there? Are levels created as a spare of the moment thing? Or is there a lot of extensive planning? Who knows exactly. Maybe it's a mix of both, A kind of "I like this design, um, let's create another as we go along" system, with designed and random levels being implemented together. This would explain some of EA lesser aspects of their games then…


So far I make that 400 words. Out of nowhere. Complete randomness. I'm not even halfway yet. So I suppose this shows that if half a post can be written completely randomly, then maybe it *is* possible for games to be created using out of the blue designs and ideas.


Now, onto one of the finer points of randomness, then. Erm… exactly. At this very moment in time, I'm well and truly stumped on ideas. But that's what's great about randomness. Things will just hit you in the head (Sometimes literally!) and off you go, designing a level, writing a post or answering a Coursework question (Hopefully not he last one anyway…).


So where does that leave gaming? Well, if it was possible to create a game based upon complete randomness, not even contemplating a storyline or other such complicated matters, and then it becomes a hit instantly, where would that leave the rest of the industry? Would whole design teams be sacked? Would the artists be kicked out of the office? Will we ever land on Mars (talk about random!)? Who knows. And maybe, just maybe, it'd be better to leave it that way.

Which brings me to my next sudden flash of inspirational randomness. What would happen if the whole industry were based purely upon randomness? Would rare jump to and from companies? Would SEGA design more consoles? Would Japan get games released there last? Imagine how interesting it would be. Not knowing whether or not a game would be pushed back (You could even say it's like that now…) or completely cancelled altogether. Imagine never having magazines such as XBM, NGC or OPM, as information sources would still exist; yet their 'information' would be completely random.

Just how more exciting would the video games industry be? Maybe it would be that spark, that one little flash of hope that would start the new age of gaming. One full of uncertainties, one that sends us on a rollercoaster ride of randomness. One that was truly perfect.


Thanks for reading

*Insert random name here :D*


Chips

Tphi, The wrote:
> Am I the only one who thinks that should win GAD?

Yes.

I like random.

I like random a lot.

Any one who speaks to me on MSN will know that I like random.

Random! Yey!

Tehe!

*listens to At The Drive In*

Random quality.

Indeed.

:D

Am I the only one who thinks that should win GAD?

Oh, so you're the new onion and fried water god, are you?????

Random post:

Onion rings and fried water don't go together well!

So these horses, are the male, or female?

Lol, thanks froots.

:D

That was one of the worst, I mean best random posts I ever did read. *is sleepy*

*goes to bed*

random.