It's a game designed for geeks, that's for sure!.
I think that's actually got a lot in common with game development, I've said it before, but DBPro is like the ultimate god game IMO, you actually create everything, things behave the way you tell them to, you have ultimate control over your own creations life, death, existence even. The way a lot of us use DBPro like it's a sandpit more than a programming language hammer this home, we could say that every time we change something, it's evolution. I mean, if your enemy in your game is easy to kill, you might try some things to make them tougher, smarter, better, but that's evolution at the end of the day. Perhaps that's why I always keep a positive attitude to bugs, eradicating them is actually fun, like curing disease in your own little world. For me there is nothing more fascinating than watching my little beings misbehave.
GTA is all about sandboxing IMO, the story line is just there so you don't sandbox in the same place the whole time
- I loved GTA:SA, when your in your own little hood, riding BMX's and causing trouble with rival gangs. I remember one of the date missions, all these rival gang members ran past me, dragged my date out of the car and executed her right in front of me!. Horrific, but amazing that it could do that, seemingly just to pee me off!.
I don't think programming is going to be seen as the dark art it used to be before long, more and more, people are being encouraged to be creative in games. Hell in the next few years the term geek might need an upgrade, making your own games is gonna be no big deal. It's evolution baby!.