Comments on: Video Games Tending To Zero http://nickm.com/post/2009/05/video-games-tending-to-zero/ Nick Montfort Tue, 07 Feb 2012 17:05:12 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Nick Montfort http://nickm.com/post/2009/05/video-games-tending-to-zero/comment-page-1/#comment-1128 Nick Montfort Thu, 17 Dec 2009 15:21:13 +0000 http://nickm.com/post/?p=60#comment-1128 <p>Well, that has a lot less to do with this thread (which is about gameplay and code) than Modernismo has to do with Modernism, but thanks...</p> Well, that has a lot less to do with this thread (which is about gameplay and code) than Modernismo has to do with Modernism, but thanks…

]]> By: Gixman http://nickm.com/post/2009/05/video-games-tending-to-zero/comment-page-1/#comment-1127 Gixman Thu, 17 Dec 2009 13:56:27 +0000 http://nickm.com/post/?p=60#comment-1127 <p>Have you seen the Animated version at http://www.gixman.com/minimalismo-en-videojuegos-version-animada/</p> Have you seen the Animated version at http://www.gixman.com/minimalismo-en-videojuegos-version-animada/

]]> By: Ian Bogost http://nickm.com/post/2009/05/video-games-tending-to-zero/comment-page-1/#comment-22 Ian Bogost Thu, 14 May 2009 04:03:40 +0000 http://nickm.com/post/?p=60#comment-22 <p>Jentzsch's work has inspired others too. You can see more examples of "RAM" games in the <a href="http://www.atariage.com/forums/index.php?showforum=29" rel="nofollow">AtariAge homebrew forum</a>, among them versions of Combat, tic-tac-toe, a racer, and Space Invaders.</p> Jentzsch’s work has inspired others too. You can see more examples of “RAM” games in the AtariAge homebrew forum, among them versions of Combat, tic-tac-toe, a racer, and Space Invaders.

]]> By: Nick Montfort http://nickm.com/post/2009/05/video-games-tending-to-zero/comment-page-1/#comment-21 Nick Montfort Thu, 14 May 2009 03:41:10 +0000 http://nickm.com/post/?p=60#comment-21 <p>An amazing example of minimal game development on the Atari VCS: Thomas Jentzsch's recent work on <a href="http://www.atariage.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=143075" rel="nofollow">creating a 128-byte game</a> that can be loaded into RAM, so that the cartridge can be removed and you can still play the game. Check out the steps he took to first design a basic one-player game and then elaborate that into a two-player game while adding sound and providing a scoring system and a way to end the game.</p> An amazing example of minimal game development on the Atari VCS: Thomas Jentzsch’s recent work on creating a 128-byte game that can be loaded into RAM, so that the cartridge can be removed and you can still play the game. Check out the steps he took to first design a basic one-player game and then elaborate that into a two-player game while adding sound and providing a scoring system and a way to end the game.

]]> By: Matt http://nickm.com/post/2009/05/video-games-tending-to-zero/comment-page-1/#comment-20 Matt Wed, 13 May 2009 21:31:45 +0000 http://nickm.com/post/?p=60#comment-20 <p>Intriguing post. Here's a variation of Nick's "The Game" that is winnable: Set a timer for any amount of time. Do not look at the timer. When timer goes off, if you are not thinking of the game, you win.</p> <p>Multi-player version of "The Game": 1. Two or more players agree to play. 2. Objective is catch other players thinking about the game. 3. At any moment, any player can say "Game!" and the others have to report honestly whether they were thinking of the game at that moment or not -- anyone who was is out. 4. Last player remaining wins.</p> <p>Might also be interesting to experiment with reverse variation: anyone NOT thinking about the game at that moment is out.</p> Intriguing post. Here’s a variation of Nick’s “The Game” that is winnable: Set a timer for any amount of time. Do not look at the timer. When timer goes off, if you are not thinking of the game, you win.

Multi-player version of “The Game”: 1. Two or more players agree to play. 2. Objective is catch other players thinking about the game. 3. At any moment, any player can say “Game!” and the others have to report honestly whether they were thinking of the game at that moment or not — anyone who was is out. 4. Last player remaining wins.

Might also be interesting to experiment with reverse variation: anyone NOT thinking about the game at that moment is out.

]]> By: josh http://nickm.com/post/2009/05/video-games-tending-to-zero/comment-page-1/#comment-16 josh Wed, 13 May 2009 05:51:27 +0000 http://nickm.com/post/?p=60#comment-16 <p>interesting read, thanks</p> interesting read, thanks

]]> By: Derek http://nickm.com/post/2009/05/video-games-tending-to-zero/comment-page-1/#comment-15 Derek Wed, 13 May 2009 04:51:56 +0000 http://nickm.com/post/?p=60#comment-15 <p>ok i see...but I would count that as code. Maybe I'm old-fashioned that way...</p> ok i see…but I would count that as code. Maybe I’m old-fashioned that way…

]]> By: Jason Dyer http://nickm.com/post/2009/05/video-games-tending-to-zero/comment-page-1/#comment-14 Jason Dyer Wed, 13 May 2009 04:25:35 +0000 http://nickm.com/post/?p=60#comment-14 <p>re: minimalism -- What about Nemesis Factor? It's just five buttons that can light up and one light on top.</p> re: minimalism — What about Nemesis Factor? It’s just five buttons that can light up and one light on top.

]]> By: Nick Montfort http://nickm.com/post/2009/05/video-games-tending-to-zero/comment-page-1/#comment-13 Nick Montfort Wed, 13 May 2009 04:24:19 +0000 http://nickm.com/post/?p=60#comment-13 <p>Andy, that's a great one - which also relies on surprise!</p> <p>Derek, as Jason says, <i>Pong</i> (as with all very early arcade games) has no microprocessor, so there's nothing for code to run on. <i>Pong</i> is a discrete logic circuit implemented in hardware using TTL logic chips.</p> Andy, that’s a great one – which also relies on surprise!

Derek, as Jason says, Pong (as with all very early arcade games) has no microprocessor, so there’s nothing for code to run on. Pong is a discrete logic circuit implemented in hardware using TTL logic chips.

]]> By: Jason Dyer http://nickm.com/post/2009/05/video-games-tending-to-zero/comment-page-1/#comment-12 Jason Dyer Wed, 13 May 2009 04:22:20 +0000 http://nickm.com/post/?p=60#comment-12 <p>Derek, it's like if you made a computer specifically to run one particular program and nothing else. The circuit design can only run Pong.</p> Derek, it’s like if you made a computer specifically to run one particular program and nothing else. The circuit design can only run Pong.

]]> By: Derek http://nickm.com/post/2009/05/video-games-tending-to-zero/comment-page-1/#comment-11 Derek Wed, 13 May 2009 04:15:44 +0000 http://nickm.com/post/?p=60#comment-11 <p>wait, Pong has no code? So how does it work, did it just self-organize?</p> wait, Pong has no code? So how does it work, did it just self-organize?

]]> By: Andy Baio http://nickm.com/post/2009/05/video-games-tending-to-zero/comment-page-1/#comment-9 Andy Baio Wed, 13 May 2009 01:49:06 +0000 http://nickm.com/post/?p=60#comment-9 <p>I think my favorite modern minimalist game is Kloonigames' <a href="http://www.kloonigames.com/blog/games/4mins33secs" rel="nofollow">4 Minutes and 33 Seconds of Uniqueness</a>, which is so minimal it stretches the definition of "game."</p> <p>Basically, you start the game on a net-enabled PC, a progress bar displays, and you win if you're the only person running the game in a 4'33" period. If anyone else starts the game during that time, you lose and the game quits.</p> I think my favorite modern minimalist game is Kloonigames’ 4 Minutes and 33 Seconds of Uniqueness, which is so minimal it stretches the definition of “game.”

Basically, you start the game on a net-enabled PC, a progress bar displays, and you win if you’re the only person running the game in a 4’33″ period. If anyone else starts the game during that time, you lose and the game quits.

]]> By: johnmaccabee http://nickm.com/post/2009/05/video-games-tending-to-zero/comment-page-1/#comment-8 johnmaccabee Wed, 13 May 2009 00:29:45 +0000 http://nickm.com/post/?p=60#comment-8 <p>That is a cool perspective. Thank you.</p> That is a cool perspective. Thank you.

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