What better way to teach gamers how to write code than with a gun that shoots strings of Javascript.
Writing code is a mystery to me. Yeah, I can handle basic HTML and put together a website that might have looked great on Geocities, but actually writing the programming for even a 2D game is beyond my skills. That’s why playing a game like Code Hero sounds pretty amazing. The founder of Primer Labs Alex Peake has raised more than $100,000 on Kickstarter to make his dream of a game that allows players to manipulate the very code that defines their world.
“People often say, ‘It’s like Portal with the Matrix,’ or, ‘It’s like Minecraft with guns’,” said Peake. “In Code Hero, the idea is to suck people into the rabbit hole of an adventure, and at the other end, they ship a game.”
Players aim with the mouse in a 3D environment, but the actual interface of changing the world consists of bringing up the console terminal and inputting strings of code the game has taught you. People might scoff at such a heady concept for a game, but the support on Kickstarter (goal surpassed by one third with 14 hours left to go) and the success of other esoteric game concepts proves gamers are ready for Code Hero.
“Portal proved it, The Sims proved it. Guitar Hero proved it,” said Peake. “These are games that made it safe to not be Call Of Duty and proved that there is a market for intelligent meaningful games where you get something out of it and it reflects on real life.”
Here’s hoping Code Hero not only becomes a really fun and intriguing game, but also leads to a new generation of game developers picking up the keyboard to make their own games.
Source: Edge
