God of War PS4 Director Says Accessibility Will Never Compromise His Vision

My take is this.... games are supposed to be fun, and fun is relative. Since people find very difficult games fun and there is a market for that. That market shouldn't be compromised by those who don't have the patience to learn the game. I do not find those games fun when they are that hard, but those fans love those games and access should be limited if you count have the skills to finish it.

The people whinning about this are not even disable, and its terrible they are using them to demand an easier mode just because they are too lazy to commit to learn how to play a damm videogame.

god of war does have an easy mode, which probably isn't that difficult, if normal is anything to go by. though having said that, having continually failed to beat the queen valkyrie, i lowered the difficulty to easy and still couldn't beat her! lol

i'd really like games to reflect the accessibility settings that are available in the system settings. often games don't have customised controls, and i regularly swap L1/L2 and R1/R2 for shooters, but the in-game prompts don't change which can be a bit confusing for a while. i think most sony first party games have the option to toggle between holding and repeatedly hammering a button for certain QTEs, or any i played recently seem to have.

Tbh the souls games and bloodbourne etc are losing out on money, yeah they have a dedicated fan base who like hard games but if they had a difficulty option then they would sell more copies and gain more profit. I for one would buy all their games right now if they had an easier option as working 9 to 5 Monday to Friday I don't have time for difficult game that will take most of my time re trying bosses over and over

@AlejandroMora
If you have a full time job and huge backlog of games already then it's hard to find the time to commit, I'm not asking for a game a can just breeze through with no challenge but just something that's challenging but doable like say God of war on normal difficulty

@get2sammyb
Doesn't alter his artistic vision. Fromsoft's vision might be different. It's still a stupid debate and people holding up those with disabilities to push their view is getting really annoying.

@Cutmastavictory "That market shouldn't be compromised by those who don't have the patience to learn the game". It woulnd't be compromised. Those who want regular difficulty would still have the option to play it without an easier mode affecting them in any way.

Easy mode makes me being spoiled without realizing it.

this could affect behavior for future influence the way people enjoying things (not happened to everyone, of course)

i did that with example: Tales of Berseria, to fight the endgame boss early.
I turned to easy difficulty "BECAUSE IT WAS THERE".
i ignored battle mechanics and rely on spamming attack button.
i won, but it feels meaningless, not enjoyable.

i was planning to do it with hardest difficulty "later" on new game plus.

1 year passed...
or was it 2?
still havent done it.
because the enthusiasm is gone already.

But my personal thought is...

"It's ok for any games to have difficulty settings, BUT NOT SOULS GAME OK!, why? because souls game never have difficulty setting at the first place and the audience loved the game because of it. if they happened to make it easy, i guess the long time fans will avoid it. and there they goes, From software losing their audience".

@playstation_king you commit to something when you have the time and money to enjoy it, huge backlog and full time job never stops you from doing that. Maybe star by finishing that backlog before you 'commit' to new games.

I'm not really sure how this is still an argument? Release a game with three modes; easy, normal and difficult. Everyone's a winner. Their choice of difficulty doesn't affect anyone else's enjoyment so I don't see why it matters. Case closed. Let's move on to something more interesting.

@get2sammyb Semantics indeed. Had I not known it originated as ''Sekiro game needs an easy mode'', I surely would've thought this was about stuff like colour-blind modes, alternate control schemes, no button mashing, etc.

@playstation_king The games seem to be making enough money as is, and I find it funny that people are asking From to compromise their creative vision just because they can’t be assed to sit down and learn the game. Maybe these games just aren’t for you fam, so I think you should either give the games a shot or move along.

I'm playing the surge right now .and oh son this game is hard.but I l💖ve it.you got to get better.been playing games since the 1980s and I welcome the challenge.too many easy games.not enough hard games.it makes you think a lot.your strategy.how not to take on a boatload of enemies at once.word up son

In my opinion I cant see having more options is a bad thing, it would most likely increase sales. Surely it could be a simple case of putting things like costumes, gun skins, trophies or concept art behind tasks done on the intended difficulty so people still have the sense of accomplishment they so crave for beating these games. Then it will let other people just enjoy the story.

@AlejandroMora
I understand your point but I like nearly all genres apart from sports, so my backlog is never going to be caught up, I tried commiting to bloodbourne got to the third boss but got tired of the repetitiveness of the fights and difficulty, I love the look of these games and the setting and the mechanics but the difficulty and time to commit puts me off, an easier setting would help them get more sales and bigger fan base but also keep an original difficulty setting for those who want a challenge, it's a win win for everyone

To be perfectly blunt, what percentage of gamers need "accessibility"? A very very small percentage.
Gaming is a business, not a charity. The gaming market is aimed at people able to use their 5 senses and their hands to a reasonable standard.
Imagine if any mainstream business suddenly start focusing on making their products "accessible" to disabled people above all else. They will very quickly go out of business.

@thatguyEZ
I got to the 3rd boss on bloodbourne but the repetitiveness of re doing the bosses and the time to commit put me off, though I do love the setting and the mechanics and wish I could play them all the way through but I'm probably just not good enough, but just because I'm not good doesn't mean I shouldn't be able to play it, that's what difficulty options are for, for people who don't have time to commit or are not good enough but still want to enjoy the gameplay and story etc

@Dubya75 True gaming is a business so why not put accessibility and difficulty options in? It doesn't cost to much extra and will gain you more sales more sale mean more money. I wonder how many more sales Sekiro would of got with a difficulty option I would have a vague estimate of an extra 10%

@playstation_king how are they losing out on money.people still buying from soft games.they are one of the best devs now.easily top 5.dark souls .bloodborne sells a lot of copies.and when demons souls remake come out it will sell extremely well playa.word up son

The only reason why From Software stick to extreme difficulty is because it targets specific players who like to feel like some kind of elite.
Just like all the trophy whores who feel unique because they managed to get a platinum trophy, try hard players can't accept a majority of players play for fun and don't enjoy constantly getting their butt handed to them.

@playstation_king I don't want an easy mode.i been playing video games since 1981 and I welcome hard games.i play all the hard games.anyway you already know it's a from software game.you seen sekiro gameplay already.so why will you want a easy mode.you know what to expect from sekiro.and why would some people buy sekiro.and still complain about this game is too hard😠 .you already know this game was going to be extremely hard .but people but it and want a easy mode wtf.word up son

@playstation1995
No doubt they make a boat load of money but they would make a boat load more with an easier option for difficulty, there are thousands who don't buy this game because of its difficulty so that's a lot of money they are losing out on, if people want a challenge then play on the hard setting simple so your not losing out

@playstation1995
Yes I know what to expect form these games that why I don't buy them and I won't be buying sekiro either, but I do like the setting and style and mechanics and story so if it was easier then I would gladly buy it, People who buy this game and complain about the difficulty obviously didn't do any research or the trailers didn't explain it was a difficult game

@playstation1995 Where did you get your console from that forces you to play on easy you must have a very special console. Nobody is saying they should make the game easier by default just have the option to play on an easier difficulty. So you can still play Sekiro on the normal difficulty.

@naruball its s niche genre that caters to fans of the genre. If the developer wants to make a crossover game with difficulty settings, fine. They chose not to. If you don't have the patience to get better at the game, the game isn't for you. Nobody is being unfair. If iou can't beat, that's fine too, join my club, I can't beat those games either. But they deserve to exist for the ones who want to try.

@tomassi apparently not everyone is a winner. "Hardcore" gamers can't stand "noobs" playing their game and having fun with it.

It's baffles me to see there are gamers that didn't want difficulty option in games, difficulty option in games is like the best of both world, some people can play it on hard for the challenge, others can play it on normal or easy.

@Cutmastavictory Again, you're talking as if someone said that the normal difficulty should be removed. No one is asking that. The game will still cater to those who want that difficulty, even if they add easier mode.

As for developers and what they want, if that were the case we wouldn't have gamers constantly criticizing games and in many cases developers releasing a patch for the issues raised.

I like having options for gaming, especially when it becomes so frustrating that you can’t progress far in a game that you paid a decent amount of money for. And yet there is nothing more satisfying than doing what you thought you couldn’t do and beating a tough game. For me, it was Bloodborne and getting Platinum.

@playstation1995 How much have they sold so far and how do their sales compare to other franchises? I assume you know what you're talking about.

@bindiana nope no easy mode.from software games are always hard.people know its hard but still buy it.and complain it's too hard.get better .level up.word up son

@naruball of course I know how much they sold duh.people loves from software games.you already know they're games is gonna be tought.so if they change the game to easy mode .people that loVES from software hard game.will not buy them anymore playa.word up son

@playstation1995 You know its hard I know its hard but I would guess at least 95% of Playststions customer base don't read websites like this to know its hard so there will be a lot of people seeing it on shelves and thinking that looks good getting it home and finding out for themselves about the difficulty. People need to remember we are in the minority not every PS4 owners read gaming websites often.

@playstation1995 Question for you if adding an easy mode in Sekiro got them enough sales so they could make Sekiro 2 would you still complain?

Seeing as the publisher is Activision could feasibly happen.

Accessibility is not the same thing as an easy mode for the sake of having an easy mode for all in any type of game. Its not the same debate at all!
Make accessibility in casual mp games to start with then if its really about that

@naruball its fair to criticize games. And developers patch games to give people closer to the experience they paid for, or even a better one.

I get it, no one is saying for normal life to be removed, but for easy mode to be added. That could potentially remove the essence of the game. The games are predicated on being very hard, that's what they are about. Again, if that's too hard don't play the game. Quit being entitled to an experience that you don't want to work for. I just really don't understand why people want a game to be easier that developers want to be hard and not accessible as it pertains to skill.

@tomassi
Or, or...or take the games the way devs make them and no need to make a fuss about it.
reviews are suppposed to let people know if a game is for them. Moreover reviewers should let it know if theres an option they feel is missing instead of going look at my golden 9/10 review and then later whine about something missing.

Id like more CVD modes in first party titles across the board so I can actually play them.

When did people with disabilities say they wanted an easy mode? Surely they just want options such as colourblind modes and hold QTEs to make their experience as comfortable as possible? And the whole anti-easy squad reminds me of when Fire Emblem Radiant Dawn had difficulties labelled Easy, Medium and Hard. Problem was, every other game was labelled Normal, Hard and Lunatic. Since nobody wanted to play on Easy, they were then playing essentially Hard which was pretty brutal. They then complained that the game was too hard. Pride is a bit stupid.

@bindiana they already have enough sales already .from software is legendary.they don't need a easy mode to sell millions.im happy to play they're games.too many easy game these days.people was complaining couple years ago that games are getting easier.but you got couple of hard games.now people are 😢 crying😂😅.for a easy mode.its not gonna happen.word up son

@nessisonett
Its a matter of perspective. For you theres an anti easy squad. From my perspective theres just a press campaign trying to pressurise studios like From Software and a following of readers making a fuss.

@get2sammyb
You're probably right. From what I saw on Twitter it was a bunch of game journalists at major websites saying an easy mode would be good. A bunch of people who don't think it's needed responded with 'git gud' and as usual mainstream journalists went into attack mode and then did their typical 'think of x group' thing to try and shame the people who called them out for not meeting a requirement that should be there for anybody reviewing games which is to be good at them. This happens everytime somebody at IGN, Gamespot,Eurogamer, Polygon or Kotaku gets called on their bs.

It depends on who the creator is. Cory's games are designed with the story in mind. Miyazaki's games are created with the challenge in mind.

My take on this: enjoy the game as is or don't play it, simple.

@bindiana
Then that's their own damn fault. It takes literally 5 minutes tops to do some freaking research on a game you're going to spend $60 on. If somebody is too lazy to do that, that's not the developer's problem.

@playstation1995 Have you got the sales figures to back that up? Do you work for Activision to know how many copies sold they consider satisfactory? I wouldn't call from Software legendary they have a cult status but there far from legendary in my eyes they have there niche which they do well but being in that niche stops them being legendary. Least I know you wont be complaining if there is no Sekiro 2 word up son

If the combat or gameplay mechanics in a game is not fun for you, it doesn't really matter if there's an Easy mode. I did not enjoy the combat in God of War 2018, even on Easy. It was the mechanics I did not enjoy, not the difficulty.

The priority of an action-based game should be on making the combat reasonably diverse, with options that alllow for a broad capture of gameplay styles. In Dark Souls for example, being a sorcerer or pyromancer was definitely easier for me than going melee, because it suited my personal gameplay style much better.

There's a notion today in the gaming community that "we must all like and play the same games", that if X is really popular you "have to" play it as well. I'm perfectly fine with not liking Bloodborne or God of War, ... my 30 year gaming history is filled with liking and not-liking games.

@bindiana @bindiana
Just look at the charts Mario kart 8 deluxe sold more this week than sekiro, so yeah it is definitely a niche game that caters a set user base mainly because of its difficulty, these games could be so much more if they catered to a wider audience (People who prefer there games to be fun rather than challenging)

@playstation_king Once again, the games just don’t sound like a good match for you fam, no game is made for everyone. I love learning about Ancient Rome and the Greek empire, but I don’t expect someone to translate all these works from Latin for me.

@bindiana they are legendary.they changed the video industry.before from software games was easy.they bring hard core games to epic status. the surge.lords of the fallen.sinner sin sacrifice.salt and sanctuary.death gambit.learn from software.i can say that they are legendary.you don't have to agree with me.nas is the g.o.a.t of MC s with rakim.but that's my opinion.look at cuphead.is a hard game I'm pretty sure they made the game hard like souls game.and dead cells is a great game also.so yeah they are a legendary studio.word up son

@playstation1995 Its obvious you think there legendary but that's just you the wider gaming audience wouldn't class them as legendary. They werent the first to bring hard games back Tecmo were doing that with the Ninja Gaiden series so your From software bringing back hard games is way off the mark.

@JJ2 What difference does it make to you if the game had an easy mode in it though? Why do you care so much? I would love to play Soulsborne games because of the settings etc, but I can't be bothered with the grind. It wouldn't effect you, personally, if the makers had an easier mode in them, would it?

@thatguyEZ
I understand your view I really do, the game looks really good too, been watching play throughs on YouTube but oh well

@tomassi
Fan boys will be fan boys....

I'm no expert on the God of War franchise (only ever played the first two) but they do have difficulty options and are therefore accessible enough in that regard. It's not like an NES game or, of course, a FromSoftware game where there's only one base difficulty and that's hard.I don't think he really has to worry about accessibility that much given that there are options if the normal setting is too much for a player.

God of War was quite easy. Looking forward to trying on the hardest difficulty, that is if there's a trophy for it and possibly platinuming the game.

@tomassi
I don't know. Genuinely it may depend on how it's implemented. The point though is: should the press pessurise a studio into changing their fundamental view and what they are well known for and have been successful at with high praise from the same press?
Shouldn't we leave them do their things the way they want and make reviews relevant in assessing the game?
What if I don't like grinding in many looter games? Would it bother YOU if they add an option to avoid grinding completely? What about most games unlockable? I don't have the patience so I want everything from the get go?

@tomassi
I think a lot of people get it the wrong way. I'm not even a fan, I only played BB and loved the philosophy.
That game would look a travesty with an easy mode imo. I'm not very good at it at all. I spent a lot of time upgrading and making it the difficulty I feel comfortable with.
That said, it's backwards because people imagine people are crying about their privileges and feeling like an elite. That's not it at all. It's the other way round. There's a fake outrage pushed by the press. Don't you see the hypocrisy?
For years they praised these games. Now somehow there s a big problem with them? Could they make it known with the reviews to start with?
Make reviews relevant!

@bindiana they made them extremely popular.dark souls is more famous than ninja gaiden.and oh yeah I beat all the ninja gaiden games.and trust me.they are not hard as in dark souls games.i been playing video games since 1981 I seen it all .play them.from Atari.sega master system.nintendo.neo Geo.super Nintendo.turbo graphics 16.sega genesis etc.word up son

@playstation_king If you take out the difficulty in the Souls games you take out the soul/ essence of the game. Bloodborne, Demon Souls, Dark Souls the thing that makes these games so special is the difficulty. It makes you try different things and that feelings you get when you finally get it right is so good. You cant achieve that with a easy mode. Some times people should embrace that not every game is for every one.

@Gamer83 I totally agree just take a few minutes to get a review or if you are really lazy go on youtube. 🤓

@JoeBlogs I dont agree with you. People should embrace that not every game is for everyone. People act to entitled sometimes you need to put in some extra effort deal with it. I dont have a lot of time but if you love a game you will put in the effort.

@Flaming_Kaiser
Yeah I understand, just frustrates me I can't play these games, they look awesome but just so damn hard, il just stick to YouTube videos lol

@playstation_king I mean, I work shifts 7am-3pm, 3pm-11pm and 11pm-7am yet I still finished the Souls titles and Sekiro. This is nothing to do with time but your inability to learn pattern recognition

@RikerV2
Yes but my problem is I have so many games, literally I buy most games, atm I'm playing horizon zero dawn, far cry new dawn, death and re quest and yoshis crafted world, so what ever free time I have I share it between the games I'm currently playing but I felt with the difficulty of bloodbourne that I couldn't do that, like it required my full attention to that game only.

@playstation_king
BB isn't that hard. Believe me, if I could enjoy it, so could you.
Check out some videos to help get started. Then it's all good.

@1_W1NG3D_4NG3L
Said with much more tact than me. There's plenty of people who don't like the over the top violence of something like MK as well. Should we also take that out so these people will feel more comfortable? The bs needs to stop. It really does come down to 'don't like it, don't buy it.' It's hilarious to me there were people on this very website, some of them in full support of forcing From Software to change the way it makes games, who backed an EA (of all companies) exec when he said this, but when another gamer say it it's wrong.

I don't care if there is an easy mode, but hard mode should always be included, as I tend to go for those. I have no interest in catering to those who just want games being easy-peasy.

@get2sammyb I sort of agree and disagree. Surely difficult is accessibility if the difficulty is based on ones physical ability?

I get the argument that easy modes can undermine gameplay values but I think easy mode concept is what is causing all the controversy. Sekiro doesn’t need an easy mode per se but its difficulty is based on reaction times and input speed when you boil it down. Therefore the difficulty is a question of accessibility.

There could be tweaks and options to change elements that people find inaccessible. To a gamer that does have the reaction times, it will make the game easier but to someone without it might make the game doable.

That is why I think that the question of difficulty means it is a question of accessibility. I actually think people confuse the matter by saying easy mode.

Speaking on people's behalf again I see to push their own agenda, game difficulty and game accessibility are two different things and most of them know it. Gaslighters. People like this woman who said this don't play games it's a job for people like her, hence why their reviews opinion pieces etc are always injected with SJW Politics.

@JJ2 As long as there are MULTIPLE options it wouldn't bother me at all, in any game, because I can play how I want and others can play how they want. The argument, as I see it, isn't for games companies such as From Software to reduce the difficulty in their games, merely to ADD another mode that isn't as difficult.

@RikerV2 Surely everyone works shifts don't they? I mean 9-5 is a 'shift' isn't it. What makes it any different for you other than the 8 hour shift moving around?

Trust me, if you work 8 hours a day, have a wife who wants to watch TV and kids who want attention (and to play Fortnite), you are lucky to get a handful of hours a week of gaming in. So games such as BB or DS etc aren't something I can be bothered with.

@Midgardian as long as you're OK then, I guess.

Well done Cory Barlog. Can't believe some of the utter nonsense and drivel coming out of this whole debate.

I have one arm and manage just fine.
I actually have two arms but have a nervous system disorder (complex regional pain syndrome) in my right arm so can't use it, the fingers don't move and the elbow is very stiff to the point its painful to move so I don't move it.
I had to adapt to be able to play computer games, it took a while but I managed. I managed because I wanted to play certain games... if I can manage so can the able bodied whinners.
Sure, I struggle with Seikiro but I still play it. My biggest problem with the game is that I don't understand Japanese symbols so get confused as to when I should jump etc, I would appreciate if From software changed the colours of the symbols. This is the ONLY change I want made to the game.
I completed all Dark souls games and Bloodborne, didn't play Demon souls but I reckon I would have completed that too.

In short: you can play any game if you really want to!

@SegaBlueSky I imagine the idiots calling for easy modes are the same idiots that insist all games must contain a political message, radically left leaning, obviously.

@playstation_king of course you would *rolls eyes.
The point of the games is that they're hard, the mechanics wouldn't work with an easy mode.
The game clearly isn't for you, there are plenty of games for you. Try Minecraft, nice and easy, not taxing at all, sounds right up your street.

@tomassi but the point of the game is that it's difficult. Have you played the souls games or Bloodborne? Running through early stages whilst leveled for end game makes the games feel slightly pathetic, far too easy. An easy mode would ruin these games. I don't understand why people want the games changed, just learn to play them as they are!

At the end of the day I suppose a developer creates a game that they want to create with their vision and not a game the gamers want them to create,

@MartinJames
LOL I play a lot more games than you think from god of war to horizon new dawn to almost every JRPG on hard, so im not here saying every game has to be easy or hard just that evry game needs the option for both difficulties to cater to everyone's needs

Easy mode in souls games doesn't have to mean it becomes a walking simulator lol just tone back the difficulty so it's still challenging but more doable for us who ain't good enough or don't have the time to commit

@tomassi
Your saying the argument is for such studios to add something which actually will diminish the game difficulty. Thats a fact. The main issue I find is to think people (and specially the press) could dictate what studios should do and pressurise them.

@MartinJames I'm not going to even open that barrel of worms with you right now, I haven't the time or the patience. Barlog is right - accessibilty options (which in some cases could be an "easy" mode) do not diminish difficultgames or affect the creator's vision in any way.

@tomassi
I wouldnt have any issue with it if the actual customers, the people who love these games, were the ones who wouldnt be happy with this type of games. And from the beginning. What happened with DS, Bloodborne, Nioh. Etc ? These games were praised by everyone and in particular by the fans.
If you think a spontanous movement from gamers came out of nowhere now, you would be naive. The likes of kotaku started it. Its a campaign from the press. Why now and not when Bloodborne released for instance? Why not earlier?
Point is if a studio is praised by its main customers, a pressure in the form of a press campaign feels wrong.

@MartinJames because, as I've said a million times already, I don't have a load of time to game so really can't be bothered to play against the same boss over and over again. In fact, I don't even play the same game for too long at a time, I'm always flicking between games to maximise my enjoyment in the limited time I have.

That doesn't mean I don't think the environments that BB and Sekiro and DS are set in, and would happily experience those worlds if they were easier.

Again, if those games had an easier difficulty mode, what does it matter to you?? It doesn't affect your enjoyment at all.

@MartinJames I think you are taking this all a bit seriously Martin, bless you. It's just video games, it doesn't matter that much. We're not all 'idiots' merely for wanting easy dfficulty settings on a game. Way to blow things out of proportion!!

@JJ2 That's not my argument at all. My argument (not even that, just an observation) is that what harm does it do to ANYONE if the developer adds a seperate mode for easier difficulty. How does adding a SEPERATE mode diminish the games regular difficulty? It doesn't, it's just an option for other gamers to use should they wish.

It doesn't matter to me if they do it or not, and I'm sure they won't. I'm just saying that, if they did, it would mean myself and a lot of others would want to play those types of games.

@tomassi
Listen the devs can do what they want (as long as its not forced under pressure). That doesn't bother me.
Good for you if they decide to make games easier by adding a mode

@tomassi
It would be a shame to change the formula the fans like though. Haha

@JJ2 But thats the POINT!!!!!!!!! It wouldn''t change the formula that fans like. It wouldn't make ANY difference at all because IT WOULD BE A SEPARATE MODE!!!!!!! You wouldn't even know it was there unless you specifically chose to play on that level of difficulty!! I feel like I'm going crazy here!

@tomassi
Haha i was winding you up a bit because your playing on words I feel. The presence of an easier mode does make the game less difficult.
Its not what bothers me though. I told you but you dont listen. Its the pressure from the press that s not right.

@JJ2 I know you were, but I still feel like I'm taking crazy pills!

How would the presence of a separate easy mode make the game less difficult, as long as it maintains it's normal mode?

As for pressure from the press, I haven't seen anything of the sort (personally, but haven't really looked to be honest). I've merely seen discussions as to whether there should be different difficulty or not.

@JoeBlogs I agree on that point i thought it was about putting in a easy mode with every game which i think is nonsense. Remapping of buttons or tweaking camera speed or turning dont a sound is a quality of life improvement for some.

@playstation_king I suck at Bloodborne so i can totally understand the pain. 😆

But i will drag myself through it somehow.

@1_W1NG3D_4NG3L
What bothers me is all these people who are armchair developers. I don't know much about it, I do have friends who have worked in the field and I've been told it's not as simple as 'just add an easy mode, it won't change the way the game is designed for those who want a challenge.'

To your main point, I won't get into the elitist stuff too deep other than to say this 'everybody gets a trophy' attitude isn't anything new unfortunately. People think it's very recent but I can remember it all the way back to the 80s. I was 5 years old in 1988 playing Little League baseball, the main rules? Everybody plays, no keeping score. At the end of the year there was a get together and everybody got a trophy (no joke). It was back then when this nonsense attitude of shaming people who want to be the best started and it's only gotten worse as the years go by.