One of Sid Meier's most thought-provoking quotes for aspiring game developers was his long-ago proposition that gameplay is a series of "meaningful choices."
It was this quote that Meier revisted when he took the stage at GDC 2012, with his talk about how games create "interesting decisions" for players. At the time, he was fully aware that this quote had become sort of a debate among game developers and writers, and he sought an opportunity to further explore this foundational idea.
Now, thanks to the magic of the GDC YouTube channel, you too can revisit Meier's musings on game design and what exactly makes an interesting decision in gameplay. If this talk has you inspired, be sure to swing by the GDC YouTube channel for other great talks on the art of game design!
About the GDC Vault
In addition to this presentation, the GDC Vault and its accompanying YouTube channel offers numerous other free videos, audio recordings, and slides from many of the recent Game Developers Conference events, and the service offers even more members-only content for GDC Vault subscribers.
Those who purchased All Access passes to recent events like GDC or VRDC already have full access to GDC Vault, and interested parties can apply for the individual subscription via a GDC Vault subscription page. Group subscriptions are also available: game-related schools and development studios who sign up for GDC Vault Studio Subscriptions can receive access for their entire office or company by contacting staff via the GDC Vault group subscription page. Finally, current subscribers with access issues can contact GDC Vault technical support.
Gamasutra and GDC are sibling organizations under parent company Informa.