Does knowing how the MMO sausage is made ruin it for you?

Ever have a day when a confluence of posts and quotes lead you to one big MMO-related question? This post is that question, and this is what led me here:

• Massively OP’s Jef voiced annoyance for a certain in-dev game that releases frequent behind-the-scenes vids: “It’s a day that ends in y, here’s a video update! Just make the game, dudes; call when it’s done.”
  
• A former game dev posted a long explanation on Reddit about how game design looks from from the inside out, likening game studios to stressful, messy “group projects in college” that are governed by marketing execs the less indie they become.
  
• And finally, the folks at Extra Credits have been doing a series on MMO reward design, the latest of which is called Advanced Social Curve Design – Empowering the Community and is a must-watch for a student of MMOs.
  
  

That last one creeped me out. I mean, it’s not new information at all to any of us here, but to be reminded that a savvy game designer is manipulating your every in-game move from day one — ug! Talk about destroying the magic.


So this has all made me wonder whether knowing how the MMO sausage is made ruins the games for other folks. I don’t have the luxury of really putting it to the test because my life revolves around this industry, but sometimes I do think knowing too much about a game or a reveal or a patch or a studio robs me of a little bit of the joy of just playing for playing’s sake. I wouldn’t trade knowing away, but I do wonder. How about you?

TH