I decide to head to the lounge restrooms (because I prefer doing my business at sea level – I have nightmares about being the one still in the toilet when they need everyone seated and that means you, guy taking a dump). They have the sinks that detach the basin from the faucet, the style that always to me feels vaguely Roman, though I have no idea if that’s accurate or not.

As I leave, I realize the logos on the restrooms are backwards. The guy in the wheelchair is supposed to be pointing to the right.

Speaking of duty calls, I’m thinking about some of the elements of games I’ve played recently on Xbox 360, including Call of Duty 4. Others include Rock Band, and Ace Combat 6. Each has its own flavor.

Thinking back to Thanksgiving: CJ is maybe six, seven. He’s telling me about From Russia with Love on the Playstation. Exploding barrels, falling chandeliers – he even mentioned that the chandelier thing would be possible in real life – the pantheon of shooter cheap-tricks that I’ve seen in just about every game since Duke Nukem 3D. I try to explain Rock Band to him. He’s not excited about it. Playing instruments doesn’t do it. Explosions make more sense to him.

There has to be a connection between Russia and Rock Band that’s more core than its eventual expression – mellifluent sounds or mauling shrapnel converge on the same limbic response – they have to.

I turn to an unlikely source of inspiration. The snack bar in the lounge has chilled mini-slabs of Cabot Creamery Monterey Jack cheese. On the rear of the package, I read the ingredients. A simple list: pasteurized milk, cheese cultures, salt, enzymes. That’s it. And yet, there’s satisfaction in the “tear here” packaging, the shape of the cheese both in and out of the package.

When you’re selling curdled milk, it’s not the ingredients, but in the structure of the thing where you make your imprint.

And the relationship goes from cloudy to clear. Reward. Regardless of the method of implementation – AC6’s lead-off missile trails and trailing glittery explosions, Rock Band’s last-second overdrive band member rescues, Duty‘s sweep-leg full-auto takedowns; the games unify around the concept of rewarding the player at nearly every opportunity, certainly with acceptable hurdles along the way, but never leaving the player unsatisfied for unforgivable stretches.

I think this particular ethos of design is a favorite of mine, perhaps a culprit in my latent but resurging interest to find work in the almost-field of Hedonics. And I think it’s a big part of making these presentations at GDC and in Europe. If there’s any advice I can give to up and coming game developers, it’s this – focus on reward. The player is taking valuable time to play your game. Even though it comes down to a series of button presses and clicks, do something engaging – reward your players. They’re hoping, praying that you will.