Is greed bad?
by Shaan Kunwar · in General Discussion · 07/06/2004 (3:16 pm) · 5 replies
From an bio-evolutionary standpoint; industrialism is a relfection of the natural selection. When we pause to reflect, the similarities are striking. The characters are all present; A host of players, from the very large to the very small. Forming temporary alliances, fighting for territory and control. Living and dying, all performing in their respective niches. The jungle is so vast, bound only by the ever-advancing tech that contains it (possible space-time analogy there?)....(Of course there is)...(sorry)...Where was I? Oh, yes... The companies are very visceral in true form. They must remain "competitve", they must "adapt", and "network" with like-minded allies, all out for the common objective: Survival. Yes, kids, before the money and the riches, you need to survive. If the fledgling company does not get on its feet, it will be absorbed by the ecosystem, in one manner or another. Would you use any means neccessary to ensure survival? Is there a line that you won't cross? If not, are "superpublishers" cuplable? Won't everyone out there use any and every advantage they can? Is it possible that scorning greed is naive? Of course it is. You see, we can't live without it...
#2
Yes, we're greedy virii. We are all greedy to some degree, but there are levels. The point is, if you want to survive, take yourself out of the ecosystem. Migrate. What the companies are fighting over is a fragile oasis, and indies are left with the vast beauty of a jungle yet to be explored.
Survival is justified to be certain, and greed is everywhere in nature. However, self-preservation is an instinct, not a higher mental function, I think that should be made clear. Corporations choose to act like animals; they have the choice of acting human as well. Unfortunately, most of them don't, so it's back to fighting over that fragile oasis again.
07/06/2004 (5:17 pm)
Your ecosystem analogue is flawed. Any modern human endeavour grows until all local resources are expended, like a virus. Ecosystems remain in a tentative balance, where predator-prey populations remain, over time, at a steady level (though there are always fluctuations and new things to adapt to).Yes, we're greedy virii. We are all greedy to some degree, but there are levels. The point is, if you want to survive, take yourself out of the ecosystem. Migrate. What the companies are fighting over is a fragile oasis, and indies are left with the vast beauty of a jungle yet to be explored.
Survival is justified to be certain, and greed is everywhere in nature. However, self-preservation is an instinct, not a higher mental function, I think that should be made clear. Corporations choose to act like animals; they have the choice of acting human as well. Unfortunately, most of them don't, so it's back to fighting over that fragile oasis again.
#3
07/06/2004 (7:27 pm)
Not according to Gordon Gekko :)
#4
Pretty much all you need to know is in there. Plus its a highly fascinating and entertaining book that anyone can understand and enjoy!
07/06/2004 (8:26 pm)
Here, if you want to understand the world, humanity, economics, business, and government, then get this book - "Economics for Real People"Pretty much all you need to know is in there. Plus its a highly fascinating and entertaining book that anyone can understand and enjoy!
#5
Obviously, we're all here because we know we can make a better game (or perhaps just to learn) and want to, and surely the creators of this site have observed the larger companies and seen what they don't want to turn into. So from their (large corporations) greed, we were created. What do you think about that?
07/19/2004 (6:25 pm)
Exactly, the viri analogy is apt. I never suggested that there is an ecosystem, that is to say equilibrium. A money hungry corporation, indeed will exploit its resources, to extinction. In the case of the gaming industry, that would be in the form of maxmimizing an idea for revenue. Take an idea and recycle it, that is to invest as little as possible back into the idea (or game in our case). Not just monetary investment, but even more importantly: Time. So we agree. There is a line that, once crossed, causes the gamer/consumer to lose. Hurry through something, so that I can begin something new, its the human condition. Obviously, we're all here because we know we can make a better game (or perhaps just to learn) and want to, and surely the creators of this site have observed the larger companies and seen what they don't want to turn into. So from their (large corporations) greed, we were created. What do you think about that?
Torque Owner Alex Swanson
What becomes of companies that abandon quality, customers, and developers for profitability? Sure they make bank in the short term - maybe a quarter or two of high earnings while people still havn't realized what sort of crap they are being suckered into producing or buying, but then just as quickly they get snuffed out as disgusted customers stop buying, and abused developers look elsewhere.
Take into account that a huge bankroll isn't the only factor in the ecosystem. The people who make up the company and the customers who hand over that bankroll must be nurtured and maintained as well.