Braid co-creator Jonathan Blow argues that the pursuit of innovation is a prerequisite for making a great game.
Calling the zeal for innovation in games an idea he used to promote but now considers “a little bit misdirected,” Braid designer Jonathan Blow recently described [[link]] a possibly superior design goal:
In a recent interview with The Independent Gaming Source, he said:
“I think gameplay innovation can result in things that are interesting, but at [[link]] the same time it doesn’t automatically result in something that is deep-often it’s a gimmick. I am interested in deepness and richness of game design. You can get that with deliberate innovation or without; I think the issues are orthogonal. At the same time, I think if a designer is working on something he really cares about, and is really exploring some ideas in his [[link]] own style, bringing his own particular insight to the table, then he will automatically come up with something different than most other games; furthermore, this will be a deeper, more-compelling kind of innovation.
There’s plenty more on that idea — including specifics — from the ever-interesting Blow in the interview. Also in the full piece are details about some scuttled ideas that were once planned for Braid.