I was just Perusing the vaguely videogame related Something Awful when I saw this recent article by Hassan “Acetone” Mikal. It is written in a Tongue and Cheek style. Strike that, its written in the Something Awful style, but it still raises some interesting questions about the way Physics are used in games. He goes as far as to differentiate Asshole physics from mere violence. Here’s a sample.

Because most people can’t read and comprehend at the same time, there is some confusion as to what Asshole Physics really is. The basic recipe is composed of the following ingredients.

* A realistic physics engine such as Havok
* A living, breathing interactive world that has some order
* Uppity NPCs who are performing some kind of menial task such as homemaking and react to your presence
* A bunch of objects you would find in an everyday setting, such as lamps, trash cans, and hookers
* A method to pick up and throw objects

I have seen some games such as Saints Row and Skate incorrectly identified as games with Asshole Physics. Both however, miss the mark. Saints Row may feature a physics engine, NPCs, and numerous objects, but the world is anything but orderly. Running over a guy and sending him into orbit is hilarious, but a little more than assholish. You can’t elicit an irritating reaction from a dead man. Believe me, I’ve tried.

I think its interesting that developers use physics all the time in order to crush, pulverise, sever and other wise maim NPCs, but not to merely annoy them. I see this as a whole other level that is worth exploring.

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