Dear Microsoft,
October 23rd, 2007 Soren Johnson Posted in Games | 11 Comments »
Gameplay is a word.
I have written a lot about game design over the years, and I have finally gotten sick of seeing the red squiggly little lines in Word show up every time I type “gameplay” – the closest thing we have to defining the essence of our art.
Here’s a list of words that don’t get the red squiggle from Microsoft:
plot
story
quest
character
dialogue
movies
graphics
polygons
textures
resolution
monsters
bosses
weapons
shields
spells
lives
victory
defeat
rewards
levels
cheats
walkthroughs
Xbox
…but no gameplay. Or replayability either. Hmmm…
October 24th, 2007 at 1:07 pm
That’s just one of the reasons why I use OpenOffice, you should really check it out if you have problems with Word.
October 24th, 2007 at 2:19 pm
Yeah, I dislike that myself. “gameplay” is a word I use a lot. You’re great though, Soren, putting plot and story on the top of that list
BTW, my OpenOffice also refuses to take “gameplay” as a normal word, it’ll suggest “game play” instead.
October 24th, 2007 at 8:58 pm
Just add “gameplay” or whatever else to the Word dictionary. It’s easy.
Or maybe you are trying to make a larger point?
October 25th, 2007 at 12:54 pm
Hmmm…… he’s in Word, writing about “gameplay” and those other words.
Do I smell a design document? Come on Soren, spill mate!
October 25th, 2007 at 1:44 pm
Hey I used to do that all the time even without design docs :p
Now, not to go off-topic, but something to say on the subject of stories, since they’re first on this list
I find it interesting that your games are actually the create-your-own-story type. First you made Civ4, which has zero story in the traditional sense, but the game is all about making your own (hi)story. And now you’re working on Spore, which seems quite similar in its own way. You’re creating an epic story that starts with these creatures appearing and evolving, up until their venture to the stars.
October 25th, 2007 at 2:19 pm
@EFT: How our culture uses language – and chooses words – is very significant (http://www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/intrel/orwell46.htm). In this case, dictionaries are simply lagging behind reality (people use ‘gameplay’ as a word all the time). This gap is just another example of the fact that the thing which makes games tick (gameplay) is still a foreign concept to most people, who usually think of games in terms of settings (orcs and elves), characters (Lara Croft), or actions (killing hookers in GTA).
October 25th, 2007 at 2:58 pm
But wouldn’t you agree, though, that “gameplay” would anyway remain a very foreign concept to anyone who doesn’t play games? Gameplay, to me, is really more of a feeling… it’s the game experience, what makes the game and what you feel when playing. To people who play games, they will probably always be settings/characters/actions.
October 31st, 2007 at 12:24 pm
On the plus side, gameplay shows up in the Videogame Style and Reference guide.
December 10th, 2007 at 12:55 am
I just think it’s funny that Word has no problem with “Xbox,” but underlines Playstation, Gamecube, Wii, and, of course, gameplay.
December 10th, 2007 at 3:47 pm
Ha, that’s awesome… I’m going to update my post.
December 17th, 2009 at 4:27 am
К слову сказать, компания Microsoft сообщает о распространении в странах постсоветского пространства новоиспеченного бесплатного антивиря Microsoft Security Essentials, обеспечивающего, по словам разработчиков, мощную защиту наших компов от вирусов, шпионов и других вредителей. Данное ПО доступно всем обладателям лицензии Windows бесплатно. По итогам теста проводимом журналом Virus Bulletin этот антивирус обнаружил 100% вирусов из глобальной вирусной базы.
Лично у меня после доктора WEBа он нашел еще семь червей. Покамест буду им пользоваться. Посмотрим что дальше будет.
Забрать этот “шедевр” можно на официальном вебе сайте Microsoft.