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Instead, I am coming to believe that game designers and developers, on the whole (some of the august exceptions being right here on TN), are simply not able to see beyond their own way of thinking about MMOGsI am not chalking it up simply to arrogance (although there is some of that too, especially from some bright lights who clearly have enough going on upstairs to know better)I'm actually suggesting that they are (largely) incapable of thinking outside the box (to use a well-overworn phrase)This should not be seen, however, as some devastating slam on them  -- all people, in all places (though I would suggest particularly those enculturated into heavily technical professions) have trouble looking at things from another point of view, and this group is really not so different. 

But it was still a bit surprising, especially given, in Eric's and Raph's cases, their stated interest in academic research.

Here is what I wrote on the backchannel a month ago when the topic was the related issue of developers and their attitude toward the content contributions of their player-base:

But the designer arrogance goes deeper than that, I'd sayThis kind of elitist characterization [of users as lacking in skill] itself rests on a rather narrow conception of what "content" isWhat do you want to know? Buy SWG Credits from usA flying mount costs nearly 1k Warhammer GoldYou could feel surprised that our Star Wars Galaxies Credits price is the cheapest on all the servers, especially on US server! Here is just one quick example of this kind of disposition in action: Billmonk, which Constance posted about hereThe site promises to help you keep track of your obligations throughout your social network precisely (using any of a number of imaginable currencies)It is double-entry bookeeping for your friendships, and thereby prompts you to conceive of these obligations in exact termsThis is a perfect example of a code-based solution to a code-defined problem: People's moral obligations are essentially precise and monetary, and they therefore need a precise tool to manage them(And this approach is not just applied externally; within software companies one frequently sees similar efforts to address organizational issues with precise and enumerated systems that can be, above all, measured.)

Album Description

THE DOCUMENTARY, (Aftermath/G Unit/Interscope), the debut album from The Game (a/k/a Jayceon Taylor), announces the arrival of the most significant West Coast gangsta rapper since Snoop Dogg more than a decade earlier With guest spots from 50 CENT, NATE DOGG and several others, as well as producers from DRDRE to KANYE WEST to JUST BLAZE and tracks such as "How We Do" feat50 Cent, "Like Father Like Son," "Church For Thugs," "Dreams," "Where I’m From" and "Westside Story," THE DOCUMENTARY resurrects the truth, spirit and hope of hardcore rap.

Amazon.com

If the Game's G Unit-fueled debut--the most anticipated CD of early 2005--is supposed to be the Answer like Iverson, then what was the question? Well, when an emcee gets to rifle through 50 Cent's Rolodex to handpick top-flight producers (Timbaland, Just Blaze, Kanye West), it's a can't-miss scheme, right? In this case, uh-huh"Westside Story" is Game's opportunity to remind crunk-come-latelys that his region is still rap relevantOn the DrDre-produced "Higher," he snorts: "I got 'em (Impala's) in every color, yeah I'm a known stunna." Yep, he's rich now too and drives whips that cost more than most make in a yearIt doesn't even matter much that he's a B-minus rhyme spitter, or that he spends way too much studio time name droppingHis real life 50 Cent-esque narratives (been shot and involved in "subterranean" activities) makes cuts like the introspective, Havoc-hemmed "Don't Need Your Love" with Faith Evans that much more compellingBoasting a half-dozen plus other sure-fire hit singles, including the Kanye burner "Dreams," few albums can match up to The Documentary--the only Game in town--Dalton Higgins