Always Wanting More

As a culture, it's safe to say that we expect way too much from our celebrities. We build these people up based on their incredible talents, only to break them back down once they show some signs of actually being human. And the same thing is true for celebrities in the gaming community. Just look at the reactions Miyamoto got after the release of Wii Music, or Will Wright after the disappointing Spore. The industry moves so fast that it often becomes a case of "what have you done for me lately?", even though these are some of the most influential creators gaming has ever seen.

I was thinking about this while reading a recent Kotaku story about Goichi Suda--the incomparable designer behind games like Killer7 and No More Heroes--and how he has logged over 700 hours in Burnout Paradise. Now here is a guy who makes games for a living. So you think it would stand to reason that he, oh, I don't know, actually likes to play games. Seem pretty obvious, right? Well, not so obvious for a good percentage of those commenting on the story.

"Where does he have the time to log in 700 hours into a game when he should be...I dunno, MAKING GAMES?!?! You know, his JOB."

"700 hours? no wonder NMH2 and Project S isn't done yet."

"Hey Suda, could you please go work on that PS3 title instead of playing Burnout? You can play Burnout as long as you want after you are finished."

It seems that these people have quite the sense of entitlement. Not only do they expect this man to create amazing games, but he can't do anything else either. Not even play games in his spare time, games that could very well inspire him to make something great as well. Imagine if Quentin Tarantino was told he couldn't watch movies. Or if Cormac McCarthy wasn't allowed to pick up a book. It's absurd. Creative people learn and are inspired by the works of others, so it's almost a necessity for developers to play games.

The bottom line is this: nobody has the right to tell Suda how to spend his precious free time, even if 700 hours is bordering on being an addict. So long as he continues to make unique game experiences--and quite frankly, even if he doesn't--he can play whatever the hell he wants.