Comments on: Last Panel Hook: Keeping the Player Interested

By: Eugene

Eugene — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 02:51:53 +0000

looking forward for more information about this. thanks for sharing. Eugene

By: John

John — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 19:31:47 +0000

World of Warcraft is a great example of how RPG’s keep people immersed in the fantasy, “What would I be able to do with more powers?” First Person Shooters rely on getting a new weapon (Quake). Strategy games rely on new units. And looking at Starcraft – YES, plot should integrate with functionality. Make a game where people choose how they play (the more variation the better, Spore?) – AND give them some competitive multiplayer context and watch the money come in.

By: Eryx

Eryx — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 18:22:58 +0000

For me, hooks like this sometimes cause in me a feeling of addiction rather than pleasure. And the point of playing a game is (among others) to have pleasure, not to waste time which I could better spend working or learning. If the game is addictive, I would play it for long periods of time, yes, but after completing it, I might remember it as a waste of time rather than a good game — one that kept me by the force of addiction, not by giving me joy. Especially if the game has boring parts which I play only because I have to do them in order to get to the next hook.

Of course, these hooks are important. But they won’t replace good game mechanics, which are a source of pleasure for me.

By: Zorba

Zorba — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 16:39:37 +0000

I admit I didn’t explain this well, but chapters aren’t really common. Comic book pages happen constantly, far more quickly than one per minute. Book chapters tend to be a lot longer than that. Admittedly, game “segments” are slower too, but there’s more immediate hooks keeping you engaged for the short-term (i.e. “I need to kill this enemy”) which books can’t do as much of.

By: ninwa

ninwa — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 16:19:15 +0000

Books are trickier, as there’s no particularly obvious “common break point”

Eh? Chapters? :P

By: Zorba

Zorba — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 04:41:48 +0000

Ming: In a similar fashion, Diablo did the exact same thing. One more level/quest/elite monster/green drop! And, of course, World of Warcraft is currently the reigning king of eight billion hooks waiting for you at all times – another level, another talent tier, another quest, another quest *line*, another zone, another important skill, and then there’s the Big Levels at 10, 20, 30, 45, and 58. I don’t know if Civ or WoW has more hooks, but they’re certainly competing in that space.

Kestrel: It depends on how “frequent” is frequent. Everyone does it once in a while, and it’s not like I have, you know, hard numbers about how often it happens. Of course it’s also possible you’re just weird :)

By: Kestrel

Kestrel — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 04:10:00 +0000

I frequently stop reading in the middle of a page in a comic book. Or the middle of a chapter in a book – I’ll finish one chapter, read two pages out of the next one, then put the book down.

I think I’m just weird.

By: Ming

Ming — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 22:24:34 +0000

Civilization was the master of the “turn the page” hook. You had so many hooks coming at so many different paces. From turn-to-turn: What is just beyond the unexplored region? What Ancient Scrolls of Wisdom are in that hut? To short-term and long-term: How awesome will my army be after I learn iron-working? Or tanks? What new coolness will I get when I switch governments? Or finish building this world wonder? Can I send out a spaceship in 1820?

So many…

By: Larry

Larry — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 17:59:40 +0000

I’ve been playing Disgaea DS mostly because I can play during those long train rides.. One more “something”! I think in the PS2, there was a special item that requires all 100 floors to be played straight.. yaaaaa..

Disgaea 2 is fun, but didn’t get me as hooked as the first one – though it might just be because during Disgaea 1 I was in college (tons of free time) while Disgaea 2 I played it more stretched out.

Disgaea 3 is also out, but I don’t have a PS3 and no immediate plans to get one, so there goes that. If there is one game that really does not need to be on PS3..

By: Zorba

Zorba — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 16:42:44 +0000

Disgaea was great in that respect, whether it was “just one more turn so I can beat this guy” or “just one more floor” or “just one more incredibly weird bit of plot once I get past this level”.

I still haven’t touched Disgaea 2 yet :( I’ll get to that. You know. Eventually.