Per Wikipedia:
The Oxford English Dictionary defines grok as “to understand intuitively or by empathy; to establish rapport with” and “to empathize or communicate sympathetically (with); also, to experience enjoyment”.
So our very own 3Suns brought to my attention this amazing post by Cliff Bleszinski. Stop what you’re doing and read it now. Then come back and visit!
Cliff Bleszinski has always been a mystery to me. I played Gears of War with his older brother, Tyler back in the day and was part of his gaming community, Gearheads of War. It was probably the kernel that set me on this path, and certainly the impetus that ultimately led to the creation of this site. I may have even played Gears of War with Cliff at some point. Some of the guys said it was him, but I never really knew because he didn’t speak. What I can confirm is that I got to play the original Borderlands with Rod Fergusson. That was pretty cool. It was like playing with a God.
Imagine a rock star sitting down to play music with you in your garage as you strum out your favorite song from his band. THAT is what it was like.
But these guys have always been an enigma. An unknown. Who are they really? What do they really think about the game industry? What they’re saying… is it PR bullshit or legit?
It’s hard to say.
Since Cliff left Epic, he’s been very vocal about a lot of things in the gaming industry. I haven’t been sure why, to be honest. I never knew what to think of the man as I’ve seen pictures of his car, snapshots of his wife, and all sorts of things that are both funny and bizarre.
I’m smart enough to realize that things said online, particularly twitter, are not something to be taken seriously. Hell, I do that myself. Just the other day on Facebook I commented how much I loved my “wife’s round ass.” With coworkers, business associates, even my grandfather on there, is such a statement appropriate? Certainly not. But it’s who I am. And I usually call it as I see it and laugh at the absurdity of it all.
As I’ve said, technology is connecting us in ways the human race has never experienced before. But just like speaking to someone in person, things can be misunderstood. This is particularly true online, and especially on twitter.
So I’m glad Cliff made the aforementioned post. It made me understand him a bit more. It made me see where he’s coming from. And I appreciated it.
Not only did I appreciate it, but I felt like he’s someone who understands how we feel. I’ve been very vocal about my thoughts on games. I don’t like where we’re headed. My decisions to go against the masses aren’t really making a difference as the crowd is pushing forward. And like it or not, I’m going with them.
That’s why I get so upset. Because I think we’re heading for some troubled waters. That bothers me as gaming is deeply intertwined with who I am. It’s part of me, probably for the rest of my life. I love it that much.
I’ve been saying for a long time that I think there is a way (multiple ones, quite possibly) for developers, publishers and consumers to co-exist. We just have to look at the possibilities and figure out how.
Reading Cliff’s post was reassuring for me. If someone so big in the industry has such thoughts, and isn’t afraid to say them, maybe others are thinking the same way. I know some of the smaller guys think along these lines. But the big fish? That gives me hope that our hobby isn’t coming to a crash.
If it does, well, the people who I think will be left standing are the ones who realize that all you have to do is build a community. And love your community.
We’re a fickle bunch of assholes no doubt. But if you can win our hearts, that’s half the battle. And as I’ve said over and over, it’s about games, people. They’re simply awesome.
The post I Grok: Cliff Bleszinski appeared first on sai tyrus.