To say that QWOP is a difficult game is a major understatement, having played it know a handful of times over my life since my early years, the hellish challenge remains ever so elusive to complete. Until you put a lot of time and practice in it will be an accomplishment to even end with positive yardage. More often than not you will be falling backward and hitting your head elbow or knee on the ground. Using only the QWOP keys to move the player sprite, each key pertaining to a different muscle group of the legs, a rhythm quickly forms through trial and error. But even as the player gets used to the repetitive nature, the ragdoll effects of the game still make it very difficult to maintain balance causing constant failure.
The game is built to have you constantly fail, as you continue to refresh with each subsequent fall, the further you go the higher the stakes, testing the tolerance of players given the luck and quick movements it takes to get to these higher distances. Even with this immense challenge of completing 100 meters, the payoff is just as forgettable as the failure screen, presenting the player with a simple congratulation. This may seem to deter the player from actually playing the game (granted, many of them do stop) but still for some it becomes an unnerving challenge to complete one that highlights the true point of this strange gaming experience.
The act of failing is a core part of the game that makes the eventual victory that much sweeter of a reward, although there are no external validating factors in the game like sharing your score on some social media or being placed on a leaderboard there is an internal mechanism within players that adds meaning to the futile gesture. While the game lacks external recognition it provides an opportunity for the player to generate their own meaning from the experience and ultimate satisfaction over conquering an obstacle so few have had the time or given the importance to do. With each failure, the player is faced with the choice to quit or continue and through the mere choice of continuing and finishing they develop a system of value in conjunction with the game that aids in giving self legitimacy to their eventual victory.
The scathing critique of game reviews and disgruntled players only seems to have the opposite effect on the mystification of this game. Often cited for its pointlessness, the game thrives as an example of counterculture in video games, going against the basic principles that make a game fun for players. Yet it still attracts a cult following for its disruptive nature. The difficulty of this game which dissuades so many at the same time attracts a different kind of individual who seeks validation, not through external but internal means.
I resonated with your thoughts on how QWOP uses internal validation as opposed to regular validation, as it is very easy to tell that this game is exeedingly difficult to make any progress in, and even if you do, there's no way to brag about it, unless your friend is sitting right next to you and you can lean over and tell him "I just got 10m in QWOP!" I would be curious to see if the play style would change if they add a leaderboard feature, which may add a component of external validation to the game, along with some facet of multiplayer competitiveness, whether it is comparing your score against your friends or strangers on the internet. If…
Wow I am really impressed you finished this... but the amount of hours... I couldn't imagine. I found it really ironic that you just got a congratulations for finishing the track. Its very anti-climatic for the amount of time and effort it takes to finish the track. Do you think that this game could have something to say about a players willingness to grind, or play tediously, for little to no reward? Perhaps this has something to say about physical sports from a digital context. The difficulty and reward of running on a track in real life versus this game are different, yet both difficult. However, they both have different extents of difficulty in their activities and different rewards.
I think your point about the lack of leader boards is especially interesting. The other genre leaders in miniclip flash games (8 ball pool, etc) were filled with leadership boards and ways to share the game on social media. This is due to the nature of these websites, it was basically a necessity because they profited from shares and kids bragging to their friends about leader boards.
I don't think it's surprising that QWOP could exist in this enviroment. It's a fun, interesting game that definitely clicks with this audience. I'm just so surprised about how viral this became. It must be because it falls into the "bragging" category really well due to its difficulty.
I wonder if this is…
I completely support your interpretation of the game having more of an internal meaning created by the player rather than an external reward for completing the challenge. I find that these games can sometimes provide even more meaning and connection for the player than a game that presents an extravagant victory screen or a large amount of rewards like items or currency. Furthermore, this internal reward can have a stronger meaning beyond the game itself, but rather have a significant impact on the player's life outside of the game.
I agree that a hard game full of failures makes the victory much sweeter. How did you finish the race though?!