So I was playing a game the other day that made me think.

In this case it was Square Enix’s Final Fantasy IV for the DS. Which, incidentally, is a very much better game than it’s predecessor on the same console.

The mechanic in the game that stuck with me is a very simple thing, but nonetheless was a striking contrast to the norm in the majority of games. Role-Playing Games), they’re called. They give you a number of characters that go from absurdly weak at the start of the game, to fantastically world-breakingly strong at the end of the game. It’s the accepted norm that as time passes (in-game) characters get stronger.

Your strength, stamina, vitality, wisdom, charisma etc… all get better.

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As I was leveling up to defeat the next huge boss under a large waterfall, I noticed that a character in my party, Tellah, was getting weaker. In the gaming sense, Tellah was still gaining from experience, his intellect and spirit were increasing, but his strength, speed and stamina were decreasing.

He is an old character, getting older.

The fact that he wasn’t in quite the same shape as his team members subtly conveys themes of aging not usually seen in video games. Not having yet played the latest in the Metal Gear series), I can’t comment on how it treats aging, and the issues that it brings. But it was great to be confronted with this in the context of play…

It almost was enough to make me not want to level up, to stall the progression of time. It gave me the feeling that time is slipping through your fingers, not wanting to confront the reality that we will all face… eventually.

There are many games (and movies for that matter) that deal with issues of death and loss, but the subtlety in this mechanic made for a particularly poignant moment for me, small and quiet in the context of the bigger story and themes passing by in the rest of the game, but nonetheless there.

The experience of FF-IV is much better off for this.

Penny Arcade had a fantastic post and comic a couple of days ago describing their revelations around how non-gamers approach games.

Old School via Penny Arcade

I was particularly interested in Tycho’s comment about Brain Age being a gateway drug to other game content in that the casual market can warrant spending time with it as a kind of chore. “Gym for your brain” indeed. The thing is that when I go to a real gym I actually tend to enjoy it at the same time. You get the rush of endorphins, maybe listen to a bit of music while you’re there, get a bit of downtime, and as a bonus you’re getting fit and healthy. It isn’t nearly so much of a chore as Brain Age, which isn’t very fun to play, and is potentially a very stressful experience.

But the game has still been hugely popular because it has tangible relevance to the casual gamer’s real life. People are ready to throw time at any inane activity as long as some reliable source says it’s good for them. I wonder how much more we could expand the market if we actually made these experiences fun and explorative at the same time, as well as being certified “good for you.”