There is a lot of misunderstanding on what soul is. I think most people understand what is meant on some level but is hard to describe and often conflated with a number of other things such as being "good"
Soul is simply a feeling. A feeling that is beyond simple mental engagement or entertainment that this industry is often understood as. It is often driven by true imagination and creativity.
Things which are described as "soulful" generate this feeling in varying degrees. Sometimes its the art, atmosphere, even controls of a game and often in varying degrees. Simply labeling a game as soul or soulless is not correct since some games can have soulful art or even parts of the art thats soulful but other parts are derivative i.e. Mario Wonder
Most people understand what is meant by this feeling but can't put it into words. Others, mostly those furious at the concept, simply don't understand what the feeling, haven't linked the feeling to the concept or maybe have just never experienced it.
The closest I can come to describing it is the feeling of seeing large natural structures or features for the first time. Not an image but actually being there and seeing it for yourself. Something so beyond what you've normally seen or thought was even possible. This feeling is soul.
Different elements of media can generate this same feeling and it is often spurred by the pure creativity and imagination of another person that you are seeing.
I wish someone would suck out your soul so you'd just STFU about soul/souless shit.
I hope one day you understand
soul means people actually wanted and dreamed to make it instead of people got paid to make it.
Was this written by an AI?
It's basically this. Obviously some of them got paid but what's important is that they really wanted to do something special and give their soul to do it.
And how do you know if the dev was making it just cause they got paid for it or if they actually wanted to make it
I guess TLOU2 is soul cause drunkman wanted to make it and they put a lot of attention to the little details
honestly, it has soul. he made a bunch of controversial decisions that everyone hated, but he doubled down to achieve his vision. tlou has much more personality than something like cod.
but he's a shit writer though, having soul doesn't mean it's good.
nobody at naughty dog wanted to work on tlou2 and they despised so much neil druckman that his own employees leaked tlou2
not true, there needs to be originality to it as well
It may be used in this way but this is not true soul. Passion has nothing to do with it it simply requires imagination. Since it is new it is often viewed as a risk to the sale of a product and stopped in its tracks right there
Having the imagination but not the passion would mean you would not actually be able to make what you want a reality, you need both honestly.
People can be paid to make it and have soul, but it's all about the passion you are allowed to bring into the project and how it shows the care that has been put into it.
Naturally it becomes soulless when it's just made without any of the care that should be in every game but that's just how it is now I guess.
alternative definition: developers were passionate for what they were creating, and put their personalities into it.
opposed to soulless: developers were doing it for the money, and all their decisions were made to maximize the product's broad appeal.
what are some proto soul or pre soul games?
none
there is only post
Low poly count = soul. Let's call it how it is.
No there’s a bunch of soulless PS1 and DS games. Like every rabbids game. Low poly only multiplies soul because of the filling in gaps imagination thing.
You are a moron and a homosexual.
Soul is a buzzword that people assign to things they like to give it a positive attribute, which other people cannot refute because there is no way to claim something has "no soul" when there is no definition of "soul" to begin with.
Your description is vague, obtuse, meaningless, and impossible to determine. It is also contradictory and counterintuitive. You describe awe and wonder and novelty as "soul" despite these things being very obvious to systematically manufacture, to the point where the entire media is filled with "cinematic storytelling" to the point where people can't even pretend like it is "soulful". Games which are the work of people for years on end, putting whatever they create and envision into them, get labeled as "soulless" because of the art or simply because it ends up being similar to other things they've seen before. And you can never really tell what has been created "by true imagination and creativity" or what is just refined by committee. This is the sort of talk which will describe Portal as "soulful" despite being reworked and remade and redesigned within an inch of its life, but call Super Mario Sunshine "soulless" because it screws stuff up and parts aren't very fun.
What you are ultimately describing is presentation, with a bit of originality. It has nothing to do with "soul". And labeling it as such is just assigning some value to it that you made up in your head, just to claim that the game is better than something else you prefer less.
Awe and wonder are not easy to manufacture at all. Imitate but not manufacture. Its a feeling so of course its subjective.
You seem to value the hard work put into games which is good but has nothing to do with inspiring awe or wonder. I'm not sure how its related quite frankly.
To the extent that presentation can inspire the feeling you are correct. The buzzword is coming from a real feeling which is my point and why it has caught on.
Awe and wonder are a spectacle designed to evoke a specific reaction in a player. Most games you see this in are going to be designed specifically to create this reaction. Some even go so far as to take over the controls to play out the script, although some will just have you pass through a small enough corridor that the result is the same. For every Gravity Rush or Minecraft (original) or Shadow of the Colossus which produces a scale of awe just from the game concept alone, you have a Breath of the Wild (looking over the plateau) or a PSO2: New Genesis (seeing Central City for the first time) or Final Fantasy 7 (moving to the new continent) or dozens, among dozens, among dozens of other examples. And you are kidding yourself if you think that these are just accidental creations which somebody just tossed in from their imagination rather than very intentionally scripted situations that are meant just to create a sense of awe in a player.
In fact, most of the "soulful" games people talk about were the result of companies putting years into game creation and then putting their talents towards making a game. A lot of people talk about "soul" when speaking about Dark Souls. But FromSoftware had been spending fifteen years making similar games up to that point, and nobody was talking about how much more soulful Eternal Ring or Evergrace or Shadow Tower is over Dark Souls. Even though those earlier games most certainly had more imagination and creativity poured into them, as a matter of necessity.
>The buzzword is coming from a real feeling which is my point and why it has caught on.
What feeling you are having has absolutely nothing to do with the design or creation of the game. If anything, it points to those parts of the game being even more designed and scripted. The only way that a majority of people would "feel" the same way about a certain point in a game is if the designers specifically crafted that point to try to give players that exact experience
I think you missed the point where i said soul and "good" are not the same. I used environment and sights as an example but much more than that can inspire awe and wonder. Incredibly fun and tight gameplay can inspire awe if done in a way never seen before. This can make people perceive the game as
"soulful"
Of course the feeling is not always spurred on accidentally. My point was intention or hardwork is not a requirement to create "soul"
Intending to inspire awe and actually doing it are 2 very different things. Intensity of the feeling is also important and will make it more memorable
Alright, well let's take a look at an example. Can you point out a soulful point in a game which is relevant? Or preferably two or three, as I'm probably not going to be familiar with one unless it is a very common example.
I could just keep throwing out examples, but it's hard for me to know which ones you would be familiar with and (as noted) it's going to be easy for different people to disagree on what is "soul" and what is not in a specific example.
Didn't read please have a nice day
>Kino Kino
>Ludo Ludo
Cringefun
what are some goyware games
is this wojak i made my friend soul
KINO
50|_|1
soulless but gemmy
Wojaks can never be soul.
This is a moronic thread that is making a simple concept more than it needs to be. Here's the basic elements:
>soul = passion
>soulless = paint by numbers work
You can tell just by looking at most things if someone was passionate about their work. There's a group of cynical normies that believe that there's no such thing as passion, or try to downplay it and prop up the idea that work for work's sake IS passion (which it obviously is not). It's the people who get offended that you dare speak out about how shitty something like the Saints Row reboot is, or how terrible most Star Wars projects are utter garbage. They'll kick and scream and say "but these people worked HARD to bring this [franchise ruining trash] product for YOUR enjoyment. Be GRATEFUL." Black person, I don't care how hard they worked; they clearly didn't care about the end product. It applies to more than just art; it's the same argument that unions use to justify shitty work. "How dare you criticize our work, you should be grateful to even have [insert random occupation here]" and then they demand you pay them even more for sub-par output.
If the standard for soul in vidya is "I can tell by looking" then it will only cause more problems. Using your definition of soulless = paint by numbers work, does Wonder meet the criteria? Or is it simply too soon to tell?
Passion often exudes soul but they are not exclusive. Same people can create soulful work with ease while others struggle. They can create soulful work without much thought at all
Kefla <3
In the context of video games discussed on Ganker's Ganker board, the terms "Soul" and "Soulless" are often used to describe certain aspects of games or game design.
Soul: When a game is described as having "soul," it typically means that the game possesses a unique and engaging atmosphere or style that evokes a strong emotional response from the player. Games with soul are often considered to have a distinct personality, charm, or artistic vision that sets them apart from others. This can manifest in various ways, such as through compelling storytelling, memorable characters, immersive environments, or a deep and meaningful gameplay experience. Games that are praised for having soul are often seen as more than just a collection of mechanics and graphics, but rather as an interactive work of art that resonates with players on a deeper level.
Soulless: On the other hand, when a game is labeled as "soulless," it implies that the game lacks the qualities mentioned above. It may be perceived as generic, uninspired, or lacking in creativity. A soulless game often feels like a product created solely for profit, with little attention given to creating a unique or engaging experience for the player. It may rely heavily on recycled or derivative gameplay mechanics, uninteresting characters, or a lack of depth in its storytelling. Soulless games are typically seen as lacking the heart and passion that can make a game truly memorable and enjoyable.
It's important to note that these terms are subjective and can vary depending on individual opinions. What one person considers soulful, another may find soulless, and vice versa. The use of these terms on Ganker's Ganker board, known for its anonymous and often opinionated discussions, is often a way for users to express their thoughts and criticisms of games in a concise and sometimes hyperbolic manner.
According to ChatGPT.
Nailed it. AI is terrifying.
All soul mean is made by committee Vs made by a single vision.