Our focused industry, interest, and our place in it?

[Digital]

Okay, let's open up with this thought.

We have a thread that asked what games in the Virtual Pet space our members actually play. So far... almost no one actively plays any for any period of time regularly. What is up with that? How as a community can we focus on a topic that so few are actively participating in? It's    for thought.

No one here can profess to be an expert in VPS market or industry, or know the absolute best way to make a great VPS game. Nor can anyone here claim that the game they are building for themselves is the best thing since sliced  either - after all, when was the last time you actively played another VPS game for any period of time actively for a few hours a day? Having time in an industry is useful, it doesn't mean you stop learning or can become complacent. Just like an artist must always practice, and coders must continually learn, anyone interested in potentially developing a game must actually play games actively in the space they are making theirs in. This is the  of where innovation occurs. It is a fair statement to say that innovation has died in the VPS niche in recent history, and I think it is a community and industry issue. Since we are not an organized industry, it's a community issue.

What are you getting at Digital? I don't have time, energy, motivation to play games, I have a busy, lazy, boring life to maintain here!

Don't we all have reasons why not to? What about the reasons to do so?

Let's do some pro and con action on the effects of each of playing a VPS or SIM for an hour a day:

Pro:

• Follow news and updates on games in our industry and see trends in real time.
• See how economies really work over time.
• See how progression of a player goes over time.
• See how new features are handled.
• Maybe enjoy yourself a little in the communities these games build.
• Gain valuable insight in how we might do something better.

Con:

• An hour a day (maybe more, maybe less)

See the disparity. It is there. The QUALITY and VALUE you gain from playing games FAR outweigh not playing them. We have a community, a community that fosters discussion of games in this niche and industry. Playing games in the industry and niche gives us insight into being able to foster these discussions - this benefits us all, and above us gives the ability to innovate, in our own projects and also as a industry.

Get to your point!

I want to see great things coming from everyone who is here, whether you create wonderful pieces of art, program like a mad-person, or write up a storm like no other. I want to see our artists striving to do more then they have done in the past, and coders expanding their skills. Writers writing more, imagining more. I want to see this industry, niche, market, community, and each and every project thrive.

It is a pipe-dream, but I can say one thing with certainty - playing a VPS or Sim game an hour a day is a lot more valuable to you as an artist, programmer, or writer then you can ever imagine. The ability to see and think about what is out there makes you more creative, intuitive, and aware of an industry that is indeed still alive.

Let's get outside of our comfort zones and learn new things together, but to do that, let's learn to love our industry first.

[Anoua]

I can't say I have played much games actively since my childhood if it means playing the same game every day over a set period of time. I don't have that kind of time personally. And no I really don't play many virtual pet games regularly anymore, but I do check things out and keep generally up to date a few favorites even breeding my pets or selling some etc.. 

My gaming scheduling isn't a daily thing. And I disagree it needs to be. Now I do keep up with the industry pretty much daily. That is part what VPL was for me and that is what I use TGL for as well, though it's still growing a bit. It's not the only method, but I see what ones are coming out and generally keep up with what is going on. And then with the favorites like I mentioned I check back in, though I also check back in on others when there might be a new feature I see I want to check in on or various other reasons really. 

But one main reason I don't actually play them so much, is because they don't support my pattern of play, break, play, break that different seasons of life bring the same way single player console games do. And they also don't always have a lot of playing options, espcially binge playing. When I can play, I don't want to be limited, but want to be able to play as long as I desire. That is one reason in Eliyo there is literally no limit to battling besides your own desire. Some things take time, like aging, but honestly even that can be bypassed by battling and earning Zikzang flowers which advance time or money to buy them.

And actually I play a lot of different games. But over many different genres. it's not normally a daily thing, but instead I like to play for multiple hours at a time when I can play. Normally on the weekend, but sometimes it will be more regular or longer blocks. But my time is limited working full time now, so I have to spend time developing, or it won't get developed as well. But I do find inspiration in playing games and sometimes you just need a break. But why does it need to be other pet sites? Actually my biggest inspiration for Eliyo is Pokemon, joined with some other sites (wajas, neopets, psypets) and then molded into my own idea that it is today. 

To be a good game designer, it is very good to play games. But sticking to one genre, isn't the way to go about it. Play many types and many genres. I do think there is some value in playing pet sites too, which is why I do continue to check in on any new sites as they come out and check back in no ones.