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  1. The New YorkerNick Paumgarten12/12/1049 min
    5 reads4 comments
    9.8
    The New Yorker
    5 reads
    9.8
    You must read the article before you can comment on it.
    • DellwoodBarker2 years ago

      ...there is something in the amplitude and dynamic of Mario’s jumps—just enough supernatural lift yet also just enough gravitational resistance—that makes the act of performing that jump, over and over, deeply satisfying.

      Well-stated.

      His games strike this magical balance between the excitement that comes from facing new problems and the swagger from facing down old ones. The consequent sensation of confidence is useful, in dealing with a game’s more challenging stages, but also a worthy aim in itself. “A lot of the so-called ‘action games’ are not made that way,” Miyamoto told me. “All the time, players are forced to do their utmost. If they are challenged to the limit, is it really fun for them?” In his own games, Miyamoto said, “You are constantly providing the players with a new challenge, but at the same time providing them with some stages or some occasions where they can simply, repeatedly, do something again and again. And that itself can be a joy.”

      Most effective e and memorable excerpt, personally.

    • deephdave
      Top reader this weekTop reader of all timeScoutScribe
      2 years ago

      Magnificent!

      Earlier, Miyamoto, a bluegrass fanatic, had suggested that learning to play a game is like learning to play a musical instrument. “Take the guitar,” he said. “Some people, when they stumble over how to accurately place their fingers in an F chord, they actually give it up. But once you learn how to play an F chord you become more deeply absorbed in playing the guitar.” The F chord, as he sees it, is a kind of bridge between indifference and pleasure. “If the bridge is too easy to pass by, it’s called ‘entertainment.’ If it’s rather difficult, it can be called ‘hobby.’ ”

      • bill
        Top reader of all time
        2 years ago

        🙌

    • bill
      Top reader of all time
      2 years ago

      Eleven. Fascinating.

      This article gave me many new ways to think about my work. Started mid afternoon and absolutely couldn’t stop.

      Written 2010. Aged perfectly.