Kudos to you if you know the origins of “Setec Astronomy”.
For those of you not in the know, it’s an anagram for “Too many secrets” and bears explanation as to why I chose to include it in the title of the post…
In the days before high speed data connections, search engines, and the free and unfettered exchange of ideas on the Internet, the process of discovery within games was a much more painful, yet rewarding, ordeal. Foes were defeated by trial and error, paths were discovered by intense explorations, and beating a game felt like a true adventure.
But now? Well, with each new game there’s a guide that can be purchased almost before the launch that will hold your hand and wipe your nose for you. Games are out a mere 24 hours before online walkthroughs are available to be viewed by any who wish to do so. Why figure out how to beat that boss on level four when a young man from Boise has already done it and posted it to the Internet?
One of my fondest gaming memories is of a old title. You “yungins” wouldn’t even know about Ultima IV. Cruthcboy and I figured that game out from scratch, making our way through the world, feverishly writing our discoveries in spirals so we could compare notes the next day in school. While we were technically sharing information, it was nothing like the scale on which it is being shared in today’s gaming world. We shared in one another’s triumphs and learned from one another’s mistakes and when we beat that game, it was one of the geekiest moments of my life. A geekgasm if you will.
To this day, I revel in the discovery and exploration of games. It’s part of the reason I came up with the Busy Gamer concept. But as the guides, walkthroughs, and cheats become more prevalent, the game companies focus more on the “twitch” levels to keep us entertained rather than the discovery portion. People post spoilers in forums, brag about beating games like Mass Effect in 10 hours, or simply don’t purchase games that require more than a few moments thought.
Not getting the gist of what I’m saying? Type “Too many secrets” or “Setec Astronomy” in your favorite search engine and see how long it takes you to figure out where I get that particular anagram from… Ah, how glorious the information age. Now give me back my Ultima IV geekgasm.
