Do you feel developing has broken some of your immersion?

Many people play games to experience something out of their norm, to escape the reality they feel tied to, to immerse themselves in the unknown or take the mantle of someone they've always wanted to be. Being aspiring developers, many of us look back with nostalgia to games we grew up with, as well as experiencing games of the current era, to gain inspiration for our next or current game idea, but does it break the immersion we used to seek? Does it have such a profound impact on our thought processes, that we unconsciously switch from blocking outside thoughts and immersing ourselves in that current gaming moment, to critical analysis, for example, mentally reverse engineering how the developer may have achieved a certain game mechanic? Do you feel you're able to experience the same measure of immersion as a developer, or has it somehow changed your way of thought, and if so, how do you view such change(s)?

I am still immersed in many games I play, but I was curious as to what you think regarding your personal circumstances.

I don't get as immersed in games mainly because I don't have the time for it. Making games has become my "game" now. But when I do have time off, I can get into games again...it's a different mode though. It's like how I go on vacation and it takes me a few days to actually relax. so yeah, time is the main factor.

Yes! The first time I created a game in flash about 8 years ago at school, it just ruined the magic to some degree for all games after seeing the code and canvas, I still love games and developing them is fun, but now I do have to find a really good one to really get into it.

A little, but what I lost in immersion and "magic", I've simultaneously gained in respect and understanding.

I did not lost any immersion (but immersion has always been something I did not liked a lot so maybe I just did not see that I changed), hiwever I do feel different when playing, but I think it was prior to developping (I prefer seeing someone playing rather than play myself in most games, not sure if that plays a role or not).

I like to refer to that episode of Extra Credits : Playing like a designer (

;

).

Sometimes you play game for the purpose of analysis, or you can't really prevent analysis, but it is actually another kind of fun as well.

And some other games you play just for the sake of playing, to change your ideas, just to enjoy or because you like them.

Some games also are so requiring (I'm thinking multiplayer action games here for example) that you might be more focused on the current action rather than "taking a step back" and analysing its design right away.

All in all, it's possibly an added layer which does not prevent from enjoying the game in the end.

Yes and no. But when I'm playing a game and I'm suddenly really immersed and having fun without thinking about the technical aspects or game design aspects of it, I start asking myself : Why do I ilke this game? And how could I make my games more like this?

I go back and forth between playing as a "game dev" and as a normal player. It just depends on what type of game it is and how much I'm enjoying it.

I don't know if I get immersed to games or I would just call it interested, but for me to do either the games have to be spot on. And most games that are released just doesn't do that I think, very few of the big companies that make games, seems to lack the required gameplay elements needed to make interesting games. They have nice graphics and such, but when you feel like you are constantly stopped or prevented from doing what you want to do, I tend to quickly loose interest in the game. I personally like open ended games where you can pretty much do whatever you feel like, when you feel like doing it and not because you have now completed level 1 and ready for level 2.

So games like The elder scrolls series, X-3 (The old ones) are games that can keep my attention because you can always change things around. But besides games like that, I pretty much only play indie games, they seem a lot more creative than the big companies, maybe because of the drive they have to make there game, rather than just throwing something together that have been seen 1000 times before and make some money from it, not sure.

For me, it's like any other skill; do you enjoy a nice photograph if you yourself are a photographer? Do you get caught up in a good (short) movie, if you are a movie director? Can you enjoy and immerse yourself in other people's music if you're a musician - etc...

For me, the answer is yes; unless the subject has obvious faults; but that would apply even if I weren't proficient in making a similar thing or not.

You are just learning to think in a higher/more global level..

It comes with age, and it comes with experience in whatever field you work on..

As a profesional musician and composer i can tell you with music it happens all the time...

Playing an instrument is more about "being in the moment", and inevitably one ends going thru all those mental paradigms, wich will be too long to describe.. but it's something very internal/first person/"in the moment", also because it's physical..

Thing is, dosen't matter how deep/far you go with that (and it goes to infinity)... but the moment you start thinkin about Harmony, Music Composition, Structure, Production and so on from the more global point of view that music composition/production requires.. your mind/way of thinkin develops and, you inevitably end thinking on a more global level/plateau..

It's surely possible to come back to the lower level and experience the first person thing again.. it just it takes concentration, and being on a quiet place, somewhere with not too much external stimulus..

And perhaps also the will to focus fully into what you're doing, not letting the mind drift in subliminal thoughts..

If not you can wait til 4:20..

Yes, sadly. Compared to pure consumers, I think we do lose that sense of wonder, as makers/creators/pros we see more technical aspects of stuffs.

I try as much as possible turn off my critical sense when I'm playing to relax. It is important to study a game for our own learning, but you often don't want to think too much about mechanics, you want just get distracted and have fun.

-Gleison

Definitely for me. I start to breakdown and analyze a game as I am playing them.

At times definitely yes, I find myself gazing at textures or wondering how this or that is done so nicely, how I can replicate a certain effect or whatever, but personally I'm not upset by it, I feel it's a relatively small price to pay as developing games is something I enjoy far more than playing games, which I know might sound crazy to some people but I love the creative process so much that this is just how I feel

I don't get as immersed in games mainly because I don't have the time for it. Making games has become my "game" now. But when I do have time off, I can get into games again...it's a different mode though. It's like how I go on vacation and it takes me a few days to actually relax. so yeah, time is the main factor.

exactly what jobel said, but also im looking at games now different, i mean, i see smaller games that can be developed in C2 like browser mmorpgs and other Half life like games, and im trying to understand their engine how it works, and if its possible to be made in C2 , then i play it just for that purpose and i do get that nostalgia and captivity into it, but once i understand how all functionalities of the game can be made, i lose interest and move to next facebook game or what ever it is )) thats what happens when you start making games... for some atleast...

and also .. not sure if its only me... but i have this miss conception that anyone can make games, just they choose to play tricks on me being so into a specific game, im like... you know you can build your own version right? its pretty darn easy at some point... its like playing with Fake Santa Claus knowing he will pull out some sort of a trick at sometime... i dont know if u understand me ... but thats how i feel playing games, and seeing hyped people playing games...