"Flower" isn't about winning or losing, living or dying; "Flower" is an experience, a type of interactive art, a different kind of fun that we're used to in games, but it also features trophies to unlock, which means the collect-a-thon aspect of "Flower' and other challenges are left for hardcore players to discover.
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"Flower" is not a traditional game. If you've played "fl0w," however, you already know thatgamecompany isn't interested in typical experiences.
"It's not a goal or score tracking game," explained thatgamecompany co-founder and "Flower" mastermind Jenova Chen at a private demo in San Francisco late last week. "It's really [about how] you are the director, you are in control of the experience. It's the emotions that [are] communicated that's important."
However, "Flower" is a PlayStation Network title and, as such, will include trophies for players to unlock and collect. So, how does one design trophies for a game that has no goals or score tracking? Well, the game is tracking some of those things, but it's hidden from the player's view.
"In [one of] our trophies there's a description that says, 'feeling too relaxed?,'" joked Chen. "So for those people who like to get trophies, they play it in a different psychological [state of mind]. But for the casual gamer, I don't expect them to want to do that. "
"Flower" will include trophies that reward players for discovering every flower, but these are challenges Chen is making optional for a reason. You don't have a set number of flowers that need blossoming in order to progress, and in the rare instances where you can get "hurt" in "Flower," you can't die from it.
Will you play "Flower" for the trophies? I don't think I will.
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