| I've been thinking a lot about fun vs. enjoyment. Some would say they are the same, but I would differ. I know that Fun is the big buzzword nowadays, and that it's the big design motivation for most companies. However, thinking back to all the games I have had "fun" playing, I can honestly say that I didn't get much enjoyment out of a lot of them. Fun is shallow, cheap, and quick. Enjoyment is deep, invested, and long-term.
Looking back at Everquest (and not through the rose-colored glasses), I know that I did not have "fun" most of the time I played it. There were definitely moments of fun, but mostly it felt like work. However, I must say that I enjoyed playing EQ. The investment that I put into it, of time, of energy, of emotions, made it more rewarding than fun to me. There was a deep feeling of satisfaction that I would get gaining a single level in EQ, that was not even matched by dinging 60 my first time in WOW. However, I most definitely had more fun on a day to day basis in WOW (until it got boring).
Maybe the difference between fun and enjoyment can be analogized in TV shows. I watch ATHF for fun. I watch LOST for enjoyment.
I know everyone nowadays wants to have "fun," but what I want more than anything right now is a game that I enjoy. | 