| I think the knowledge that another person took the trouble to do something for you is in fact part of the product. It's an interesting thesis but I don't for a second believe Starbucks sells billions of coffees because people want the barista experience. Starbucks would absolutely automate their business with fancy machines if they could. The problem is that the drinks are so complicated and customizable that no one has built a machine capable of making them all. Plus there are plenty of people who order Starbucks drinks through an app and never actually meet the barista who made them. If those drinks were made at some fully automated commissary and delivered by drone they'd be just as happy. The very knowledge that another person was involved is important. You are receiving communication from this person. That's important for some people, and some games, but not for everyone. I play roguelikes mainly for the challenge. The procedurally generators in these games can create bizarre and very challenging situations no human could ever come up with. If there's no person on the other end, why should we care? Because it's a puzzle for your mind to figure out. It's why people play solitaire games (with a deck of cards), random sudokus, tetris, etc. |
Yeah, that's a really strong counterargument.