Jonathan Blow Interview: “No Compromises”

“..some people have took issue with Jon being vocal about his opinions regarding the games industry and the development process. Has that changed at all for you guys?”

In short, no. While I think he has good things to say about as often as he comes off as elitist and ignorant, I don’t think the fact that he has made a great game changes the value of what he’s said. This since the issues I had with the parts I thought was bad wasn’t that the points themselves where bad, rather that they present a very narrow-minded view of the games industry.

I can see this changing *now*, however, since he seems to be taking in the feedback he gets from Braid to at least some degree. I think he’s clever enough to see it all in a bigger picture and if he just thinks back to how he reacts to this criticism when he start dishing out his own, he might be more humble.

“Compromise does not suit my personality very well.”

ooooh, what a bad-ass. Way to be modest, Blow.

Or maybe he just takes pride in his work.

What’s up with everyone bashing Jon Blow all of the sudden?

I am not sure what all the hype is about with this game. While Blow has nailed down some interesting variations on the Mario theme and managed to roll into a mature setting, I am not convinced that this is the ground breaking independent project that people are trying to make it out to be.

I think any time anybody completes a half decent game on their own in this day of multimillion dollar game development, we immediately assume there is some sort of genius at work. But this is how it was done back when gaming was in it’s infancy. Single man development, no studios and these guys were pioneering game elements…many of which Blow lifted for his own game.

I don’t believe there are any truly original concepts in Braid, just some very smart mixing of existing elements. And I have trouble with people who dismiss the Sands of Time or Mario as not being a major influence. I would hazard that once a game concept such as time manipulation is out there and implemented in a form that can be analyzed, it becomes very easy to adapt that concept to your own projects. That’s all Blow has done with Braid, and at the end of the day it’s what Mak did with Everyday Shooter.

We have to stop acting like these guys are the gods of gaming and recognize that many of the supposed original ideas these guys are supposedly creating have been lifted from the mainstream studios they so often reference as the downfall of gaming.

P.S Say what you will but Fez (another game being over idolized) is just reworking of Paper Mario…hopefully you see the trend here.

I think whether we succeed or fail at making something interesting or original, the most important thing is never to try and just to accept the way things are.

Also, try not to have too many opinions or care about things. The news told me that only elitists have opinions, and that I should just let rich, corporate people take care of everything for me.

I’ve heard Jon Blow discuss something like three other games in a negative light in lectures, mostly to bring up points about things he didn’t like. Three games are hardly ‘most of the games in existence.’ Anyway, it isn’t elitist to dislike some games, to think some things have worked and some haven’t.

There isn’t anything wrong with being opinionated, but I do think there’s something wrong with taking part in a culture which encourages mediocrity, and becomes terrified whenever anyone expresses an opinion, overcome by this “don’t rock the boat” hysteria.

No one’s terrified by Blow’s magnificent presence, and there’s no elaborate government conspiracy to keep people from liking him. They’re just sick of his moaning.

But please, by all means, don’t let the brainwashed sheeple stop you from fantasizing about him.

The allegation of ‘conspiracy nutjob’ is a similar idea. Did someone hold your hand and make you type that? No, but you wrote it all the same because it makes you feel justified in dismissing someone’s opinion without addressing it.

You didn’t invent the idea of accusing me of being a batshit conspiracy theorist, but you’ve seen it around enough to have co-opted it, since you find it useful.

MrBlow is a skilled game developer and deserves credit. However, he has a much greater skill in underground marketing. Telling journalists “the man” is evil and he’s “fighting for creativity and innovation” – damn! It’s like feeding candy to a baby, they just eat it up! He’s my hero, very few indies know how to do viral marketing and journalist wrangling and opinion making. Introversion are probably the only other I can think of, but he’s the master of this particular technique.

I personally think Behemoth’s marketing plan is more honest. They have a consistent style, very visible at conventions, free web games, merchandise, consistent quality. It’s a slower process, but they’ve built a bigger following i.e. castle crashers seeming to sell quite a bit more than Braid. Yet, in truth and under a harsh microscope it’s a gorgeous but simple and somewhat repetitive game with a fair few bugs.

Making a good game is a vital but minor element of the marketing recipe. Study these marketing gods carefully and take note.

I seriously don’t get all the hostility towards this guy. Not one bit.

I think people probably just envy him a LOT as I do not see why bashing him or his ideas would be appropriate in whatever possible way.

While I may agree with about 80% or more of what he says most of the time, I don’t think anything he ever said was plain bullshit or bashing for the sake of bashing or hearing his own voice.

Didn’t he spend like £150,000 on braid… NOT AN INDEPENDENT GAME!

Is anyone else amazed someone with the last name Blow managed to get through school with a such a high sense of self?

yawn

*Didn’t he spend like £150,000 on braid… NOT AN INDEPENDENT GAME!*

So now spending money to hire people makes it non-independent? That’s a rather close minded idea. It’s similar to arguing that only free games are truly indie… not true.

*Is anyone else amazed someone with the last name Blow managed to get through school with a such a high sense of self?*

I don’t think he would be teased that much, (sort of) knowing how he has been into martial arts and stuff for just about whole his life.

On the other hand, perhaps the contrary is true and therefore he became how he is now. Wouldn’t be much of a surprise either way really.

This guy is amazing. He can say the most inoffensive thing ever, and people will still be baying for his blood.

I remember when he had the nerve to say that the Prince Of Persia games didn’t do much with time manipulation other than use it as a replacement for extra lives, which was completely true (and didn’t stop them from being great games, either), but it still enraged a lot of people.

It’s fascinating how ‘I don’t like to compromise’ becomes an amazingly offensive and elitist statement when this guy says it, but from anyone else, nobody would even raise an eyebrow.

To those getting upset at everything Jon Blow utters, you really do need to get introspective for a moment. The reason for your anger probably has nothing to do with him – you’re just being irrational, and are searching desperately for something to get angry about.

Can someone clarify what he actually did to make people so mad at him because he seems like a pretty reasonable guy to me..?

In all his criticisms of other games I’ve read, well heard actually; I’m talking about his GDC talks, he’s specifically pointed out how much he admires the games he’s talking about. The criticisms are usually centered on things like not taking an idea to its logical conclusion, or compromising on an idea for it to fit in a more conventional game.

People seem to be mistaking criticism for bashing. Bashing is what people do to unpopular games because there’s no repercussions.

The thing is though, caring about your own idea, nurturing it, even perhaps *thinking that it’s a good idea* isn’t pretentious or self-serious it’s just *honest.* It’s unhealthy to submerge yourself in false modesty when you’re passionate about something.

He said compromise in the games industry, not that Warren Spector is some halfhearted developer that thought Deus Ex was just “good enough” (as an example).

I think commercial developers would ideally like to do without the suits’ opinions as well, just their money and support. If only developers got as much slack as the Duke Nukem Forever team…

plus, he could kick your ass.

@Sokura, If a cook works in a restourant where the chef treats his workers badly and has lousy conditions. I’m not going to tell him I loved his food if I didn’t.

Don’t talk bad about Jon Blow or he’ll totally beat you up with his black belt on. Hiyaaaaa!

Whoever mentioned the fact that he ‘does martial arts’ is a complete and total douche-nozzle. That only gets a kid beat up 100 times more. Keep that in mind.

Helm, you and Blow should hang out. You are both pretty fucking pretentious.

Reading these comments is embarrassing, to say the least.

So, to sum up, he’s elitist because he doesn’t like some games and attempts to create a better one, he’s pretentious because he has opinions on things and he’s a douchebag because he doesn’t want to compromise his vision?

Riiight. Way to go, internet people.