Home › Blogs › Brett Bixler's blog

Passive Games

Wed, 11/26/2008 - 15:09 — Brett Bixler

Sounds like a contradiction, does it not? Games are active, engaging, designed to keep you on the edge of your seat.

Passive games turn all that a bit on it's head. In a passive game, you start the game up, then sit back wait for an event to happen. This can take several minutes. During that time, you are free to do... whatever.

So far, I've played two of these games. One is named Dungeons and Dragons: Tiny Adventures:

Screenshot of the Dungeons and Dragons TIny Adventures Facebook Game

The other is named Fish Wrangler!

Both these Facebook games are designed to augment your online browsing experience. Start the game, browse about, and check in periodically to see how things are going. Whatever happens, happens. You have some control over events by setting things up between events, but not much.

Interesting concept. I've no clue how this will play out. Will it be a big hit or a dud? Do people want to play games where they have little continuous input? Are these truly games?

 

Comments

Wed, 09/30/2009 - 15:28 — sss5311

Passive Games

Thats Very nice and good one.What is Fish Wrangler!???

Watch Anime Online

Birthday Sms

Fri, 08/14/2009 - 10:13 — pxc5098

facebook games

There are some Facebook games that i love! I will try Dungeons and Dragons seems nice..

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

If you like to know more about me you're welcome to visit my blog http://niceblogger.com/

Tue, 01/27/2009 - 10:46 — ask172

Having to invite friends

Normal
0

false
false
false

EN-US
X-NONE
X-NONE

MicrosoftInternetExplorer4

/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-qformat:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
line-height:200%;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;}

I have played a few of these passive games on Face Book and I find them very interesting. I like the control I have choosing what I am going to do and when I choose to do it. The disturbing issue I am confronted with is that when I reach a certain level I am forced to invite more friends into the game in order to continue whatever adventure I am engrossed in. What if my friends are not into games? How long do I beg them to add the application? Why do the game developers force the game players to do this?

 

Yes at some point I will not continue to play the game. I may have completed all the missions. I may become board with the game and find another to play but why am I forced to invite others just to continue to have my moment away from reality?