First Korean review of A Theory of Fun

Over at the Korea Times. More of a “books noticed” thing. They say:

Theory of Fun for Game Design (Chaemi Iron)
Raph Koster, translated by An So-hyon; Digital Media Research: 259pp., 15,000 won

Korea is now the undisputed hotspot of the world’s computer game industry. The blockbuster game Starcraft is known to boast more than 17 million fan base here. An e-sports-only stadium is reportedly to be built in Seoul to meet the explosive popularity of the online games. The author Koster, one of the most successful game developers in the world, who made “LegendMUD,” asks what fun is and, more, what makes people feel fun. According to him, the human mind tends to and likes to process information surrounding itself into certain patterns, procedures or schema. With the simplified versions, people can later apply with less thought in identical or similar situations. Games primarily feature core patterns and mechanics which players learn via playing them. And the mind feels a sense of fun while learning. If the games are either too difficult or too easy, the gamers would not find it fun, the US game developer wrote.

I of course must point out that a) I didn’t make LegendMUD by myself, not by a long shot (and by the way, it’s an odd game to pick for the list in the book review!); b) I doubt that I am in the top 50 most successful game developers in the world.

I do find it interesting that the paraphrase that reviewers seem to repeatedly choose is also the most fatuous statement imaginable: “games shouldn’t be too easy or too hard.” Well, duh.