Amazing intelligent design videogame (video)

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the video game "Spore," focusing on its design, gameplay mechanics, and philosophical implications. Participants explore the game's realistic aspects, potential for multiplayer experiences, and the nature of evolution within the game, as well as broader existential questions related to life and immortality.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested
  • Philosophical

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants express admiration for the game's programming and its seamless integration of AI elements, suggesting that the game evolves alongside player actions.
  • Others propose that a multiplayer version would enhance the experience, allowing for chaotic interactions between players and the game world.
  • Several participants argue that video games do not need to be realistic, while others contend that "Spore" incorporates realistic evolutionary concepts.
  • Some participants suggest that the game could allow players to focus on individual characters while the surrounding environment evolves, contrasting it with other game types like Sim City.
  • A philosophical discussion emerges regarding the implications of evolution and the potential boredom of immortality, with some questioning what purpose life would serve if one could live indefinitely.
  • Participants discuss the nature of near-death experiences, with some suggesting they offer a different perspective on life and existence beyond death.
  • Concerns are raised about the implications of creating new universes and the existential challenges that might arise from such capabilities.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express a mix of admiration and skepticism regarding the game's design and its implications. There is no consensus on the philosophical questions raised, with multiple competing views on the nature of existence, immortality, and the game's appeal.

Contextual Notes

The discussion touches on various assumptions about video game design, player engagement, and philosophical interpretations of life and death, which remain unresolved and open to interpretation.

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http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8372603330420559198&q=spore (watch it till the end!)

Looks quite realistic to me
 
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wow, this is definitely going to be the best video game ever. I'm amazed at the programming. It's baffling how seemlessly all of it works together. This has aspects of AI all over the place... meaning, the programming seems to evolve along with the game. New commands get defined for later use, and then combined with other commands to create even more complex things and so on.
 
some programmers have entirely too much time on their hands :-p
 
It would be cool if it was multiplayer with millions of ppl playing it at the same time. Id be flying the saucer around blowing up planets constantly. Or form a saucer alliance and destroy the whole galaxy.

I bet that would annoy some people. Theyve just evolved from bacteria and built a global civilisation when a ufo comes down from the sky and destroys the whole planet :smile:
 
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Video Games aren't there to be realistic.
 
PIT2 said:
It would be cool if it was multiplayer with millions of ppl playing it at the same time. Id be flying the saucer around blowing up planets constantly. Or form a saucer alliance and destroy the whole galaxy.

I bet that would annoy some people. Theyve just evolved from bacteria and built a global civilisation when a ufo comes down from the sky and destroys the whole planet :smile:

it is though, although not directly, that's what he said in the video. It's just asyncronous, which I suppose means that every detail of what others do isn't communicated, rather the game 'learns' the playing style of the player and tries to imitate the player... kind of like a representative democracy type approach. The game simulates the other players in your particular game, so everything can still go on without huge communication problems (all of your bandwidth taken up... ie. lag).
 
I'm impressed...that is incredible. The ultimate evolution game. I'd buy it.
 
That is so cool! I'd buy it and I don't play video games. I could see spending waaay too much time with that. Too bad the video is blurry.
 
I think it would have been cooler if you remained in control of only one character while everything around you evolved into something better. I'm not a big fan of Sim City type games.
 
  • #10
devious_ said:
I think it would have been cooler if you remained in control of only one character while everything around you evolved into something better. I'm not a big fan of Sim City type games.

Thats called grand theft auto :biggrin:
 
  • #11
devious_ said:
I think it would have been cooler if you remained in control of only one character while everything around you evolved into something better. I'm not a big fan of Sim City type games.
I don't believe that you have to go to higher levels, you can probably continue to remain on an individual level and keep modifying your creature if that's all you want. It sounds like things will be added from other players, so options will always be changing.
 
  • #12
I think the philosophical ramifications of this game are interesting.

At the end, or near the end, of our evolutionary path what are we left to do? Where do we go from there? In "Spore" you have two choices: Continue to play in the world ad naussem or stop playing. Is that how our reality will end up?
 
  • #13
dduardo said:
I think the philosophical ramifications of this game are interesting.

At the end, or near the end, of our evolutionary path what are we left to do? Where do we go from there? In "Spore" you have two choices: Continue to play in the world ad naussem or stop playing. Is that how our reality will end up?
No, you go to other planets, did you watch the whole thing? You can teraform.
 
  • #14
Evo, yes, I did watch the whole thing.

Sure teraform all planets you want, but won't there a point were you say: "Wow, this is incredible boring, i want to do something else."? It is easy to stop playing "Spore" and pick up another computer game, but when you are dealing with reality, where do you go? What do you do?
 
  • #15
dduardo said:
but when you are dealing with reality, where do you go? What do you do?
I don't know. :cry: But with my game playing proficiency, I will die of old age long before I ever get off the planet. :frown:
 
  • #16
dduardo said:
Evo, yes, I did watch the whole thing.

Sure teraform all planets you want, but won't there a point were you say: "Wow, this is incredible boring, i want to do something else."? It is easy to stop playing "Spore" and pick up another computer game, but when you are dealing with reality, where do you go? What do you do?
Simple, you die. I think the is very similar to the tale of the Wandering Jew who, in the myths, was cursed to live until Christ comes again. Most people might think of immortality as a blessing, but I think you are right, that after a long enough period of time life becomes nothing more then a boring burden. Our greatest ability is that fact we can die, because without it life would loose all of its meaning.
 
  • #17
When we get that far we would just create new baby universes with different laws of physics.
 
  • #18
PIT2 said:
When we get that far we would just create new baby universes with different laws of physics.
And then what, when we have created every possible universe, what happens? We finite creatures cannot possibly hope to exist happily in an infinite state. Such an immortal existence would require a change in our being, and then we would cease to be human.
 
  • #19
Dawguard said:
Most people might think of immortality as a blessing, but I think you are right, that after a long enough period of time life becomes nothing more then a boring burden. Our greatest ability is that fact we can die, because without it life would loose all of its meaning.

I think this is mostly because we can't imagine anything different from our own lifes. If u ask the people who actually died (near-death-experiencers)they tell u something quite different, that it was the best experience ever in a timeless place and they wanted to stay there forever. Whether true or not, it at least indicates that we are capable of feeling such joy and timelessness that we would never want it to end.
 
  • #20
PIT2 said:
I think this is mostly because we can't imagine anything different from our own lifes. If u ask the people who actually died (near-death-experiencers)they tell u something quite different, that it was the best experience ever in a timeless place and they wanted to stay there forever. Whether true or not, it at least indicates that we are capable of feeling such joy and timelessness that we would never want it to end.
Possibly true, I am a skeptic concerning NDE's, but in this state I would say that our being has ceased to become human in the classical sense. Everything that comprises our nature, the instinct to survive, the struggle to improve, etc., has vanished. What are we in this timeless state? I don't know, but I know it isn't human.
 
  • #21
PIT2 said:
I think this is mostly because we can't imagine anything different from our own lifes. If u ask the people who actually died (near-death-experiencers)they tell u something quite different, that it was the best experience ever in a timeless place and they wanted to stay there forever. Whether true or not, it at least indicates that we are capable of feeling such joy and timelessness that we would never want it to end.
Then there are the terrible, horrible, frightening near death experiences where the people see souls trapped, screaming in lakes of fire.

I think we're getting off topic. I can see this game remaining interesting much longer than a game where you steal cars and shoot people. I think Spore is for a different audience than most other games.
 
  • #22
Dawguard said:
And then what, when we have created every possible universe, what happens? We finite creatures cannot possibly hope to exist happily in an infinite state. Such an immortal existence would require a change in our being, and then we would cease to be human.

Well it would keep us busy for awhile, since there could be as many as 10ºº different possible universes. Maybe we would just exist like we do now, many people seem to be quite satisfied here on earth.
 
  • #23
Evo said:
I think we're getting off topic. I can see this game remaining interesting much longer than a game where you steal cars and shoot people. I think Spore is for a different audience than most other games.[/QUOTE
I certainly hope so. The gaming industry needs a new face besides GTA. If Spore is a successful as its potential then it will be a wild success, for all demographics.
 
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  • #24
In reality, if it were to get boring, then you'd realize that it was more exciting in the beginning, and so start over. For example, the beings in this game's world would surely eventually create their own game. How real are these games going to get? If it continues like this, in time we'll get to a point where a game feels as real as reality. And then what will we do inside that game? Create more games? The likelyhood that we live in someone's "game" is directly related to how likely we are to create such a game ourselves.
 
  • #25
Wow!That is going the best game ever!That probally the perfect game;you start of as a pacman then you build a tribe then you build a city and take over the world and then go around blowing up other civiltions(but before I make contact/blow them up I would abduct some and keep them on my zoo planet just to study/enslaving them).This game is so cool we should have it's forum on PF!
 
  • #26
http://hotjobs.yahoo.com/jobs/TX/Dallas/Sales/J341205TT;_ylt=Arzf3DsqgMUMceodz_FZcbuxQ6IX
Extened video
 
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  • #27
Something tells me you pasted the wrong link
 
  • #28
Bah! care bears have evolved!

I didn't know dinosaurs had tanks!
 
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  • #29
Pengwuino said:
Bah! care bears have evolved!
Bow down to the Great Ominpersent infinite Impire of the Carebears'(GOIIC)!We rule the galaxy and enslaved your species(penguines/humans)!Bow down or eleses we will no longer feed you and posion atomsophere so you and rasie the tempture so you will die a slow paniful death!Then we will destory your planet and earse any memorise of it so you and your planet will be forgten and no rebelion well form!
Pengwuino said:
I didn't know dinosaurs had tanks!
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/dinosaurs/dinoclassification/Thyreophora.shtml" And they had them once assited The Grand army of the Great Ominpersent infinite Impire of the Carebears' in the invasion of Pengiun world/earth!

Long Live the Grand Suprme Emporer of the Great Ominpersent infinite Impire of the Carebears'
Scott1
 
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  • #30
I think he should have made the Carebear turn evil.
 

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