The only mechanic every game needs (is petting dogs)

Every game should let you pet the dog, but a mechanic like that doesn't always come easy. Jenna Stoeber investigates what it takes for developers to actually let you pet the dog - and why more games should do it.
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[@Kidomaru222]

I love how the Narrator in Hades HAS to constantly use adjectives like "terrifying" or "monstrous" to describe Cerberus because he KNOWS everyone will forget he is supposed to be dangerous lol

[@lazynoodle6739]

Cerberus is such a good boy. I haven't thought about that but your totally right they make narrator remind us constantly lol

[@argella1300]

Except Cerberus literally means “spotted one” in Greek. Hades’ giant 3-headed guard dog is LITERALLY NAMED SPOT

[@zacharysmentek576]

@@argella1300 Fact check: I found no evidence supporting this statement. I'd love to hear your source! Please lmk.

[@galeg4021]

@@zacharysmentek576 Wikipedia says that the etymology of Cerberus (Gr. Kerberos) is unclear, but the Proto-Indo-European word kérberos means "spotted", and has been suggested as a possible root (Lincoln, 1991).

[@sethamederat5841]

narator is just a cat person

[@kevincanavan2440]

What was advertised: CAN YOU PET THE DOG? What I got: CAN YOU DEFEAT THE GROWING THREAT OF TRANSACTIONAL PATTERNS IN INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS AND ALSO CAN YOU PET THE DOG?

[@spacewolfcub]

This is the content I subscribed for! 😊

[@redrooster3420]

[@yitzakIr]

I would follow a twitter account that was "CAN YOU DEFEAT THE GROWING THREAT OF TRANSACTIONAL RELATIONSHIPS"

[@lucyx3008]

@@yitzakIr i have good news for you in the form of communist media analysis lmao

[@PhantamSam]

Under appreciated part of petting Cerberus: the controller gently vibrating to match Cerberus's affectionate snuffles.

[@translarrybutz]

That's a very convincing reason to buy the game

[@tobistein6639]

I play mouse and keyboard. Might have to go buy a controller now lol

[@benlarson6031]

Ive only played it with keyboard and mouse and I had no idea this was a thing

[@handfulmousefly]

Oh no I'm gonna cry that's so cute

[@eruditecaptain3117]

When I learned you could pet Cerberus, the game went on my wishlist, but I might just buy it right now knowing this

[@TheOrganicartist]

being able to pet Cerberus was totally a worthy use of the animator's time.

[@YayapLives]

the rumble feedback from his happygrumble/purr is _so gud._ he's such a good boy.

[@alexanderlicentia5265]

The worthiest.

[@drakkenmensch]

Cerberus is such a good boy YES HE IS!!!

[@localcaitortot]

And you KNOW that the animator was thinking the entire time about how happy people will be to pet the dog.

[@iwantsalmon]

I'd honestly be happy if they got rid of the rest of the game and it was just Cerberus petting simulator

[@brockmckelvey7327]

"...With just one animator " HOLY SHIRTBALLS! You're telling me that Supergiant only has ONE animator!? This insane!

[@thequietpart_]

Are... are those like mothballs?

[@j.c.5528]

@@thequietpart_ It's a reference to the television show The Good Place. You can't swear in The Good Place (a heaven-like afterlife), so the writers had a lot of fun coming up with substitutes for common cusses. Holy motherforking shirtballs.

[@thequietpart_]

@@j.c.5528 I did not expect such a great reason for the substitution, thanks for the explanation 🤣

[@neidenMetalun]

With the name Supergiant I didn't think the team would be Supersmol lol

[@kieronschweitzer6172]

I think at that time they actually had two animators, since one was on his way out. There's a documentary about it on KZbin.

[@wellspokenrambler]

Finally the dog-petting analysis we needed in dark times such as these EDIT: wow, it went from dog petting to transactional relationships! That’s not something I relate to at all!! [glances nervously at list of twitch subscriptions]

[@peridotqueen26]

hard same, not to mention para-social relationships

[@copiouskittens3323]

@@peridotqueen26 The era we live in is so fucking weird man

[@yellownick15]

"What if we took joy in things that are not productive". Absolutely beautiful.

[@redrooster3420]

Yessss

[@Corbomite_Meatballs]

I hear bean counters everywhere, along with schedulers and other assorted taskmasters shrieking in pain at that comment.

[@NIHIL_EGO]

@@Corbomite_Meatballs I personally can hear the screams of horrors of hustlebros around the world, and that's probably what one would call a Halloween miracle.

[@handfulmousefly]

Capitalism destroyed 😎

[@RyanGatts]

When talking about "flourishes" and their justification when what most players want is just "more game", I think it's actually a good rule of thumb about not over-scoping your game. If you can't afford a little world-building flourish here and there because your animation team/person's schedule is booked 100% solid just implementing the core mechanics, they're probably overworked and won't have time to finish and polish even the important things on their plate. Fellow game devs! Leave yourself room to implement dog-petting (dog-petting is both a literal and metaphorical goal -- give time to make incidental animations that flesh out the world, characters, tone, and themes of your game)

[@018FLP]

yessss!

[@abijo5052]

Exactly. The most memorable games I've played are most often the simplest mechanic wise, but with amazing, memorable worlds. INSIDE is one of my favourite games of all time, and has very few mechanics at all, most of the puzzles aren't that hard, they're not memorable in themselves, but has such an amazing atmosphere. I can remember how the game made me feel. I can't say the same for any overstuffed assassin's creed game.

[@QuintaFeira12]

If only Game Freak listened to this. But alas, even ORAS, their last decent attempt at it, was a long time ago now.

[@normal6483]

Flourishes might be why Majora's Mask is my favorite Zelda game. There's only 3 days of story going on, but throughout that time there is *so much* going on with the world. Sidequests, conversations, little moments that make the world feel alive. It's absolutely beautiful, and it's why that game feels so good.

[@yitzakIr]

Kinda like tipping your waiter!

[@amberlee4536]

Also writes "Is Something Behind the Waterfall" CAN WE ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THIS MAN IS ASKING THE REAL QUESTIONS IN LIFE AND POLYGON SHOULD HIRE HIM THOUGH

[@MookieB]

OH ABSOLUTELY

[@ShadowTheLight]

I've never walked into things with no hint of anything behind it more then waterfalls. Ever since the first time I found something behind one every one I see is just begging to have a secret behind it!

[@crowsarewatching540]

I physically need an rpg where the story and combat and everything doesnt matter and the only stat is dog petting

[@gentlyusedhotdog]

Nintendogs

[@tomasigarza3852]

Pet the pup at the party grey2scale.itch.io/pet-the-pup

[@DrPumpkinz]

But you don't raise the stat by petting dogs. That would take away from the simple joy of petting dogs. You raise the stat through other means, and all the stat does it determine how good you are at petting.

[@rozyduskion4276]

@@gentlyusedhotdog I was just about to say that XD

[@Infinite_Archive]

@@DrPumpkinz You should become a game designer.

[@SkylarV5]

"If you put a dog in a video game, you must be able to pet it." - Anton Chekhov, probably

[@bornofpixels]

*Anton Chekhov, definently

[@softnoobgirl73]

I'm thinking of star trek

[@jjju3]

Checkovs dog

[@lundylow]

I just had one of those "I'm an adult I am so stupid" moments. I did not associate the Chekhov's Gun trope with Anton Chekhov at all for some reason. I even played Anton Chekhov in a fucking play.

[@KickyFut]

What was weird was you had a loaded gun for no reason...

[@ZijnShayatanica]

"Woah, why does this gun have all these bullets in it?" - Anton Chekhov probably

[@josephesman710]

Oh shit. I though the chekov of chekovs gun was like... Star Trek.

[@lundylow]

@@josephesman710 If I watched Star Trek I probably would've done the same. At least you have an excuse.

[@Corbomite_Meatballs]

@@josephesman710 Then it would've been called "Chekov's Phaser"

[@elderberryva9282]

Breath of the Wild *could’ve* been a perfect game if somebody at nintendo remembered the Good Boys

[@davidrogers9206]

They did lmao

[@elderberryva9282]

@@davidrogers9206 there are _several_ unpatted stable dog heads that beg to differ

[@yennens7375]

you can pet them i think! if you stand next to a dog without a sword equipped, you can press the Y or the R button and hearts will appear!! which is the closest we’ll get to a pet to my knowledge

[@pennyw2226]

I know, it’s one of my favorite games but I can NOT tolerate the lil puppers being unpettable. It’s a crime of great magnitude. I say we raid Nintendo HQ like Area 51 if they don’t agree to make all dogs pettable in the sequel.

[@voyagerwitch]

@@yennens7375 you can pet the dogs in twilight princess so that is NOT good enough

[@nlange6508]

Shout outs to Nakey Jakey for getting The Last of Us 2 to let you pet the dog

[@Flameclaw123]

The hero we need in these dark times

[@i_fish6657]

Literally exactly what I was about to comment

[@erlewis1111]

Came here to say, didn't my boy jakey make this video already?

[@mostlybaton1696]

@@i_fish6657 bruh same

[@edwardnygma8533]

Love TLU but, uh, who?

[@FranklyHerman]

Dog Petting Fishing: is released Me: What? Hell yeah! What?

[@esa2419]

Ahhh, a classic

[@Crispman_777]

But how many HP does it have?

[@paris2777]

Ha ha, what?

[@Jaconian]

@@paris2777 Hell Yeah!

[@handfulmousefly]

@@Jaconian what!?

[@codytakahara7096]

AGREED In my first ever DnD campaign, following the module Storm King’s Thunder, I called the Worgs in the first encounter ‘good boys’ and rolled well enough to befriend them. They are now our most powerful allies, and the founders of ‘the boys’. My team now has five buddies, two worgs, a giant rat, a cow, and a cockatrice. I would die for any of them, and my character who is generally opposed to unnecessary killing recently murdered a man to stop him from stealing her buds. I will pet any and all dogs.

[@bbittercoffee]

That was ABSOLUTELY a necessary kill, who tf tries to steal an adventuring party's pets?

[@ZijnShayatanica]

Oh my god, this is heart-warming. 💕

[@chloec4127]

My character Helle has so far tames two wild wolves that were under control of the bad guy and the bad guy showed up after it happened saying “I can’t have anything! You see the wolves and just think good boy!” Helle: “they are good boys tho”

[@veggiedragon1000]

This reminds me of the time one of my first characters, a homebrew yuan-ti abomination druid, persuaded the entire party to be pacifist. He could talk to snakes and had the healer feat. So sneks were the good bois, including a giant sea serpent when we rescued her eggs from an aboleth. Almost every enemy we were forced to fight we knocked out and then I revived them with Healer, and persuaded them to join the party. Eventually we had so many NPC followers the DM had one of them reveal he had a castle so she didn't have to keep track of all of them while were were adventuring. We renovated it with the help of our rehabilitated NPCs who were happy for the chance to begin a new life, including our werewolf gardener who killed a party member while transformed. We made sure she never had to see the full moon again so she could remain in control of her own actions. Also had a pet baby dragon, a tiny flying snake friend, and a crazy necromancer named Steve. :3

[@geistincarnate]

Polygon remains the master of the transition between simple, innocuous title concept and deep, perceptive analysis. Well done!

[@PikachuSthef]

I pet Cerberus every time I can after dying and I am so happy that Supergiant Games intended that to be like an encouragement or a "youre gonna be ok" kind of mechanic

[@Rainygirl3100]

Let's not forget Okami, a game where you play *as* a dog, which allows you to be pet by the people you meet. 10/10

[@Maseiken]

Love petting me some dogs, but I also love when a game makes a point of a dog not being pettable. My two main examples are actually Hades and The Walking Dead Season 2. Not every dog wants to be petted, especially by a stranger (as the protagonist often is), and I really loved the way the dog sequence in TWD2 played with audience expectation in that way. Don't pet strange dogs, people. Give them space to figure you out. There's also something to be said for the idea that broadly making dogs pettable no matter what is reinforcing a dynamic with them that isn't transactional, but is one-way. Like ‘Dogs are there for your pets, they don't have needs or wants, they are a button you push to feel good.’ This is why I love the toys and beds you can get Cerberus, and the scenes of Dusa and others feeding and caring for the good boi. Cerberus is a member of the household with his own duties, desires and needs. Again it's not terrible to include petting mechanics just for their own sake, but I think it's good sometimes for video game dogs to reflect real dogs that get scared or grumpy and need food and shelter and play to fulfil our expectations of companionship.

[@Halosty45]

"You can't make the dog love you because it already loves you" Amazing words.

[@katherinenash2555]

Breath of the Wild also struggles with this, the horses and dogs are just a means to an end. The dogs are used to lead you to treasure, and the horses are meant to be permanently discarded when you find a better one... it makes me kinda sad!!

[@queenoffabulous2156]

The dogs lead you to treasure, so I've been giving the doggie meat and then walking away like a chump

[@katherinenash2555]

@@queenoffabulous2156 To be fair, it took me a while to figure out, haha. Just think, now you're friends with all the doggies!!

[@shmeaglethebard5522]

"Dogs, they're good"-Abraham Lincoln

[@supremechaosbeing2696]

And we want to pet them.

[@brandonwiley5372]

Sun tzu

[@Owen.Fallon]

@Granpda Corey dogs are good though

[@MagickRhino]

Granpda Corey Well at least he wasn’t wrong about dogs

[@alfredo.zauce1892]

@Granpda Corey Lincoln didn’t “cause the deaths of 600,000 Americans,” the founders caused the deaths of 365,000 Americans and 300,000 traitors by not outlawing slavery from the get-go. And those casualties are just conservative estimates from the war, while at least 85,000 died on US-bound slave ships and countless others due to the brutality of slavery (though these weren’t preserved in records, so I can’t even provide a number).

[@arcanelore3791]

Hey Jenna? This is a Good Video. And shoutout for wearing a cat shirt in order to indicate that dogs aren't the only worthwhile critters.

[@emmythemac]

Love when I take a break from playing Hades to watch a video about Hades

[@hudsonconnolly-bright8594]

"It suggests that playing a game is innately valuable, not something that has to be conditioned or coerced" This line caused such a major shift in my attitude towards gaming and life in general that moment I heard it, literally. I just booted up Destiny 2 to play for no other reason than the fun of the gunplay, a game that I have scheduled and coordinated so heavily to never do anything outside of the optimal time to do it in to the point only the sunk cost fallacy kept me playing. Thank you for letting remember why I like playing videogames.

[@rdpsysium7340]

This reminds me of a quote from a dev, "Given the opportunity, players will optimize the fun right out of a game." I think there are a lot of gamers that fall into that mindset, where they have to get the very best gun, level up the most efficient way, figure out the highest DPS imaginable and never stray from that. If that kind of thing is fun for you, absolutely go for it. But that isn't fun for me. I keep playing Destiny 2 because the core gunplay loop is satisfying, and doing little bounties and collecting things gives me that little hit of happy. But I know that's not the case for a lot of people. When games feel like work or a chore, give yourself a breather and find something else to do or play. :)

[@fairyhaven13]

"Some Chekov's Guns can only be accessed by DLC." Ah, yes, Dragon Age: Inquisition's Solas. The pain.

[@annebeach6630]

I just finished a Solmance run. Ouch

[@dacolib]

isnt feeding dogs in Fire Emblem: 3 houses also dlc exclusive? for shame

[@WeatherInOrlando]

Fuck that bald headed elf. Total egg.

[@alquanna]

@@dacolib Yeah, also DLC exclusive. But considering that your player-insert character has "difficulty expressing emotions" as a defining trait, not being able to pet dogs in the base game can work plot-wise. And the fact that when you feed the cats/dogs in FE3H, you get a reward...it's not entirely purposeless? Talking to the Gatekeeper in that game (for most chapters) is largely the most non-gamified/non-transactional aspect of that game.

[@kraziiXIII]

And then there is origins and da2 were barkspawn and dog were the best and not a dlc. Sten loved his buddy so much.

[@EuclideanVision]

"Can you sit down?" is a huge reason I absolutely love Hollow Knight. :')

[@proboz]

It's a cozy little thing, isn't it?

[@mitkitty]

It's super wholesome when they're just sitting there looking at a map, or watching the rain

[@xevcrowe]

me with sky: children of light lol

[@eileen1020]

Thank you Polygon for always writing subtitles for your videos, but please don't censor the swearing when it's not censored in the audio! If I can hear it, I should be able to read it too.

[@syaieya]

The ability to pet the dog is a good sign of what used to be akin to nintendo polish. Little details and elements not needed but definitely appreciated in the moment that it doesnt break you from the game world. More of this please.

[@rwolfheart6580]

I kinda miss the good old days of the Dogz series on the GameBoy and Nintendogs on the DS. That was some A+ dog petting. Also, my #1 hope for Dragon Age 4 is the return of the mabari, with petting mechanic.

[@felixvelariusbos]

Oh my god Dogz! And it's sister game of Catz!! That was the good shit right there.

[@Wolfgang8-Y]

Now I feel nostalgic for being yelled at by my dad because I kept telling my nintendog to sit. 10/10 best game

[@cheyennebarton]

this is such an incredible video !!!

[@dottyContrarian]

really cute pfp and banner! you just got yourself a new subscriber

[@everwhatever]

Omg I was just thinking a few days ago how if someone took the time to research it, it would definitely show that @canyoupetthedog measurably changed video games. Nice to see Jenna is on the same wavelength

[@Mark_Goddin]

Hey, guys. I’m here to plug my favourite game of 2020- Spirit Farer. If you like petting dogs in video games, get Spirit Farer. It is good for the sole reason that you can hug the spirits. At any time. Also the art and emotions are amazing.

[@mitkitty]

Ironically enough you cant hug the one dog spirit. She doesnt like it

[@jellyjilli1004]

Hugging the frog is great because he's really big. My fav hug is the snake tho. A soft game.

[@inimitableminimalist]

​@@mitkitty It was such a wonderful game other than that asshole dog. Such a weird stylistic choice, especially near the very end of the game. I don't understand what the game devs were trying to do with that character. If there's a sequel, the Ghost Dog better be chill AF and look like Forrest Whitaker.

[@rdpsysium7340]

@@inimitableminimalist I agree. I think the character was just a cover for a 'challenge' mechanic. She might have gone over better if she was introduced much earlier, so our expectations would be that not all the characters would be kind. The bull and bird brothers were also not nice in a different way, but it didn't feel like it was coming out of left field since they still accepted some level of affection. Achievement based mechanics don't really fit in a game about death and taking care of others. That dragon time trial was total ass. I adored the game though, just a few nitpicks here and there. I also hope that there will be a Forrest Whitaker chill Ghost Dog in a sequel. :)

[@elihere]

Still furious at genshin impact lol. They follow you and everything but your only interaction as an attack and they'll run away 😔😭

[@tetsuoshima2314]

Right? The only thing I want in an update is the ability to pet the dog.

[@jellyjilli1004]

@@tetsuoshima2314 AND cats please! I was right next to these fluffy boys and couldn't do anything! So sad!

[@senpasztic875]

theres an update coming where you can pet them!!! its not priority, but they say its coming.

[@hish1238]

This reminds me of hugging people in Dropsy and Spiritfarer. I just want to pet the dog and give consensual hugs.

[@xstarsystemsx]

Oh god, the hugging in spiritfarer was so good.

[@feardiagh]

I like joy mechanics. :) Thanks for this video. “You will always struggle with not feeling productive until you accept that your own joy can be something you produce. It is not the only thing you will make, nor should it be, but it is something valuable and beautiful.” ― Hank Green, A Beautifully Foolish Endeavor

[@clairecohen3178]

The Lore Librarian himself! Excellent video about a subject that needed exploring!

[@joeyfromschool]

I did not know Tristan ran that account until I saw this video

[@nerdherder9340]

Joey From School same! I was not expecting the crossover

[@anotherwesley7661]

same here, did an irl doubletake. Is this... Lore Librarian lore?

[@IsaacMayerCreativeWorks]

NAAAAATHAN YOUR AVENGERS CHARACTER IS: GOOD BOY

[@kptangy]

I just finished watching the Norse Mythology Drawing Challenge video where he mentions the CYPTD account. Totally did not think that this was the same Tristan.

[@PorcelainHeart94]

Suddenly I’m reminded of the first polygon vid I ever watched: Justin petting all the dogs in far cry primal

[@BrandonTschetter]

Oh, that's Tristan, I know him from Drawfee! So nice to see him in a video instead of just his voice!

[@trueaidooo]

Its the LORE LIBRARIAN* himself!!! *'s friend Tristan as we all know they are two seperate people

[@elisebus1409]

I've been searching the comments for people who recognize Tristan omg-

[@trolek852]

terraria's most interesting and memorable mod: calamity Every other game: *d o g*

[@accuratejaney8140]

minecraft: *frames*

[@HorrorFan0117]

Thats cuz you can already pet the dog in it

[@jaynemeacham9832]

great video yet I can't help but wonder, "Will Jenna put on the hats?"

[@MiseFreisin]

If I've learned anything from this video, start yourself up a twitter account and maybe you can make your dream come true.

[@jennytweet7602]

She is hanging her hats on the wall using clothespins. Wish I had thought of that.

[@frostybea]

i'm so glad u cannot hurt cerberus in hades... im tired of games making me hurt the dog (looking at u tlou2 😡)

[@roguepsykerhaaker4813]

I remember when I first walked into the temple of styx and thinking "this is going to be the hardest boss, emotionally speaking" imagine my surprise

[@yosoyunapina]

@@roguepsykerhaaker4813 I was honestly about ready to call it quits with Hades when it teased and made me think I was going to have to hurt a good boy. I can endure a game that doesn't let me pet the dogs, but games that force me to hurt the dogs to progress can just go straight to the recycling bin

[@roguepsykerhaaker4813]

@@yosoyunapina I'd have powered through, because I couldn't let Zagreus down, the real good boy

[@DatSn0w]

1) If there's a dog, its mine 2) I would die 100 times to escort this precious being thru hell itself, even if it means I have to sacifice hours of my life Those are the rules you have to obey if you play any game with me; and I'm proud I enforce them strictly that every person I know knows I'm just like that

[@SidPhoenix2211]

One can complete all of TLoU 2 without killing any dog during the gameplay encounters. If you okay this way, only one dog will be killed (in a story/qte moment)

[@memerman9268]

It’s not in botw, it’s not in Genshin, WE NEED THEM

[@shirouthehero696]

I want to hug Genshin’s cats

[@rozyduskion4276]

I suggested they take down two problems with one stone. Program petting dogs and cats as a way to restore a random amount of Resin between 1-10 (There would be a limit to how many you can pet before it would stop giving you the stuff, however, there would be a random dog or cat that would give you 10 Resin even if you hit the cap. All you have to do is find them)

[@memerman9268]

@@rozyduskion4276 yes. Yes yes yes yes yes.

[@MorganMcCauley11]

WHAT. Genshin, I am DISAPPOINT.

[@dudd9649]

@@eubeebee6161 and the longing animation from Razor when the wolf dissappear. It's not cute it's sad! 😔

[@YayapLives]

Imagine if someone made a new The Thing game and added dogs/ dog petting as an action you can do. It has no beneficial effect on the player. Every time you do it with a new dog there is a chance for its back to split open and bite your hand off. but they give you the option.

[@hollowstarfire]

Note:! Patting the horse in Breathe of the Wild (and red dead I think but I haven’t played near as much of that) is quite a fantastic feature, and somewhat different than petting the dog. Because patting is used as a way to tame your horse, it is shown to physically calm them down and give a benefit. That benefit is the horse’s love and trust; and the results of its love is that you can ride it better (a natural result of gaining horse trust irl) however, because of this mechanic’s ability to reach 100% but still be able to pat the horse at no benefit to the player gives a rather cool mindset. Because patting gives a positive reaction at first, it is shown that the player has an effect on the horse in a positive way, comforting it. This is important because no matter what, a horse in BoTW can get spooked or work hard for the player, therefore with the mindset that was established before that pats=comfort=happy horse the player has a reason to calm their horse if it’s spooked and feel like they have a positive effect on the animal. TL:DR Patting horses in BoTW is really cool bc the game shows that it has an established, realistic purpose therefore making the bond between player and horse feel more real even after max trust is gained and there is no measured reason for player to do so. Useful but cool animal interaction with the player that gives more game immersion and fun make brain go brrrrrrrrr

[@DaemonInWhite]

8:14 for some reason the way "until he loved me" is pronounced made me laugh very hard

[@bw4708]

Long live Pat’s Pets, long live Bloodbuds

[@addisonalbert9078]

Loving the anti-capitalist sentiment in recent polygon videos.

[@katecoll2519]

Are we all not feeling anti-capitalist, in this lockdown?

[@riggsmarkham922]

Jenna's awesome at articulating it

[@Pancakeli]

I don't think that what was mentioned in the video was exactly a capitalist mentality? I agree that thinking everything has to have a quantifiable reason to do it is a toxic and terrible way of thinking and looking at oneself, but that specific ideal has so little to do with capitalism. *gestures to every person who feels terrible about doing nothing in a day who is distinctly anti-capitalist* It's a terrible thing, but not a capitalist thing

[@joetheeskimo8885]

@@Pancakeli If somethings not productive, i.e. profitable in a capitalist society, it's seen as unnecessary. Considering money is necessary to even survive, it's driven into our heads that it's what we should be doing.

[@Pancakeli]

@@joetheeskimo8885 That still holds true in communist society as well, and even systems outside of communism and capitalism. Saying it's just a capitalist thing is not correct. It's simply an unhealthy way of living and thinking You might need money to survive, but somebody can still be happy doing things that don't earn money. Doing nothing that gets you fed is just as bad as doing only things that get you fed. Even if money never existed or was gotten rid of, somebody somewhere would have to do some form of work to make sure they and other people got the things necessary to survive, but there's more to life than work and sustenance, and thinking that only work and sustenance matter isn't capitalist, it's unhealthy. It's certainly not a product of not earning money because you did nothing in a day. They would be complaining about not earning money, not just not doing anything if what you say was the case. Not every terrible thing is tied to capitalism, and getting rid of it wouldn't get rid of every terrible thing. Some problems are just tied to being human, and have to be solved on their own, step by step. It's not as easy as hitting "ctrl-A backspace." I wish it were.

[@samconcklin]

"Often, every single thing you do is in service of leveling up." Me: Oh *sighs in Animal Crossing*

[@SongbirdOfficial]

I would like to take a second to appreciate Jenna's chonky tiger shirt.

[@FilledCircle]

TRISTAN COOPER RUNS "CAN YOU PET THE DOG?!??!?" WHAT. MY DORKLY LOVING HEART.

[@redrooster3420]

I would love to see more options for characters in games to be able to sit down too. I'd also love to see games with disabled protagonists who use wheelchairs or other mobility aids. These kinds of things mean a lot to me as someone who is disabled with chronic pain. This video was lovely, Thank you!

[@FantasticDinos]

I will never forget the joy I felt when I realized you could pet the goats in Twilight Princess.

[@redrooster3420]

I did not know about this! That sounds so lovely!

[@redrooster3420]

@Sushiirull Omg that's so precious!!!! :( Thank you for sharing that here!

[@benjaminehren7965]

I feel a need to state that you ALSO need a fishing minigame

[@rachelrachel9152]

Petting the dog, is there something behind the waterfall, fishing minigame, truly the triumvirate of video games

[@FranklyHerman]

What? Hell yeah! What?

[@Ryujin713]

@@rachelrachel9152 God, the disappointment I feel when there isn't a secret behind a waterfall in a game cannot be overstated.

[@MiseFreisin]

@@rachelrachel9152 the standard game template should be: 1. You are fishing by a waterfall. 2. Behind the waterfall is a dog. 3. You can pet the dog. Build everything else up from there.

[@samdlabou3641]

pleased to tell you that the game featured in this video, hades, also has a fishing minigame! along with the dog petting!

[@vincent4552]

I was absolutely heart broken when I realized you couldn’t pet the dogs in breath of the wild

[@Semudara]

Felt similarly about the foxes... they're so cute, but all you can really do is either kill them or leave them alone. (Or take photos--- at least there's that.)

[@pipperoni8567]

When pokemon XY released, I played pokemon amie for hours on my older sister's 3ds, because I didn't have one at the time. I didn't even know it gave her stat boosts; I just wanted to pet the pokemon and give them sweets

[@redrooster3420]

just wanting to pet the pokemon and give them sweets is soooo wholesome and wonderful

[@pipperoni8567]

@@redrooster3420

[@ennibee6684]

It givee the Pokémon Stat boosts? I just wanted to pet them too!

[@milenacosta8299]

Absolutely loved this video! I love when games have non-rewardable actions, it really makes the world more real

[@redrooster3420]

Totally agree! :)

[@SaveDataTeam]

The comparison to Checkov's Gun is brilliant and hilarious. Dog bless theatre references.

[@marcushenehan1049]

This is an excellent video Jenna! Also, I had no idea Greg was at Supergiant! His reviews on Gamespot were very influential on me when I first started playing games, and now I learn he's involved in my current favourite game! Made me very happy :)

[@wispyhatter5323]

Don’t @ me but: Fable III had a petting and training feature! It’s one of the many reasons it’s my fav game

[@aphrobitey369]

Giving mechanical weight to things without reward being expected to follow, just to experience them without codified reward, is a design philosophy that’s emerged in a lot of indie stuff, specifically tabletop games in my experience!! It’s really neat and worth checking out imo

[@i_fish6657]

Reward system to petting dogs really reminds me of gmtks video on reward and how it back fires

[@lukeogregory]

*Such a strong opening. I’m listening*

[@yuvalbar]

talking of dogs, wearing a cat shirt Some Men Just Want To Watch The World Burn

[@trolek852]

Some men

[@yuvalbar]

@@trolek852 and women

[@TamsmitSam]

To bair _faaaair_ today is international cat day. Though it makes the actual video even more cursed lol

[@RiaWantsCookies]

It's so nice to see such a wholesome mechanic getting more and more traction in the videogame world. A nice break from spilling the blood of your enemies indeed.

[@uhul340]

In "Ordem Paranormal: o enigma do medo", you not only can pet the dog but it also is a core mechanic that can save your life!

[@Milkex]

In Remnant: From The Ashes, There is a doggo that, if you pet, gives you a weapon mod that summons the doggo and if you pet the summon it will do bonus damage for a while!

[@josephesman710]

What?! No way! Is that from the new dlc? Because I don't remember any dogs

[@Milkex]

@@josephesman710 The dog is located at the blind seller on Rhom. It's a possible World event roll. The ability to use the dog as a summon was added to the pre-update for Subject (numbers).

[@DemonhunterX42]

Wow an interview with the Lore Librarian!

[@yuffs8921]

only one animator for hades??? that’s actually amazing, kudos to the animator fr the game is stunning

[@legoC97]

If you appreciate this in games, please check out The Last Guardian, a game entirely about your relationship with the sweet dog creature.

[@veggiedragon1000]

Trico is a really good boi.

[@YBthree]

Don’t forget Fetch from Transistor. The ultimate good girl.

[@Aeiouaaaaaaaaa]

Luna is a Very Good Girl.

[@sarahwilliams8438]

"Dogs. They're good." That's literally all you needed in this video, but I suppose I'll watch the other 9 minutes and 50 seconds.

[@roobs2976]

tbh out of all the things i have expected from this video, i did not expect exploring the philosophical, ramifications of adding superfluous, mostly unimportant mechanics such as petting a dog and how such things can affect people in different and often surprising ways, from how developers approach developing games (Choosing which resources to invest and put into projects such as animating dog petting, etc, or having conversations by moonlight with a ingame companion just to cheer them up, etc.), to how such mechanics influence people to essentially learn how to do kind, good things without expecting much (if any) in return by going against the norm of transactional relationship mechanics in videogames. Polygon really is stepping their video essay game up huh. I LOVE IT! Wonderful editing and writing all around, and the video is a wonderful exercise in critical thinking.

[@MorganMcCauley11]

Dear Supergiant, being able to only pet one head of Cerberus is all I need. That little non-complicated moment of giving him a scritch is perfect every time, and the flavor text is always a refresher. It's a little anxiety release; the times when I rez and he's not there I always get a little worried, and then it's a relief when he's there next time and I can finally give him the pet he deserves. Cerberus is a good boy and deserves every pet. And the occasional soul to monch. Thank you for him. An excellent video, I was super excited to see Can You Pet the Dog, one of my fave twitter accounts. ^^

[@lionsmith3944]

Haven't watched the video, don't need to, she's right.

[@blouiaie]

does this include the dog villagers in animal crossing??? asking for a friend

[@Stephen-Fox]

Talking dogs are the main exception for dogs I want to be able to pet. It'd be weird to pet the guy I'm asking to sing a rock song weekly unless we're dating, for example. And while I wouldn't be opposed to an Animal Crossing dating sim, I'm pretty sure that's not something Nintendo are going to make any time soon.

[@BlindErephon]

@@Stephen-Fox I'd personally categorize it as being like hugs, you ask first but its not weird unless you smell their hair.

[@fernrivers3152]

I think the "pet the dog" mechanic for anthro/talking animals should be a hug. I wanna hug my villager buddies so badly.

[@Moocow2003]

@@fernrivers3152 oh gosh, a hug emote would be so cute 😭

[@M4ng03z]

Jenna out here turning super light hearted content into serious social commentary. Classic Polygon. I love it

[@clickthoughts5248]

Dog petting was a fun enough topic already but the added commentary about the gamification of affection was really interesting

[@NothingGoodHere1001]

Woah Woah Woah! Tristan Cooper is the one behind the "Can You Pet The Dog?" Account?!?! How did I not know this!?!?

[@water2205]

There are no dogs in the game but there still is a dog petting option

[@GiantButterKnife]

I'm always happy when there's a surprise appearance by The Lore Librarian.

[@HellTheeHarold]

I dont know when this video started production but I sorely miss the lack of spiritfarers ability to just, hug people. that always felt good.

[@ADxTygon]

i really didnt expect this to be a well written and interesting game design analysis when i clicked on it but that was great also you can pet the dog in monster hunter rise , shake its paw, AND give it treats. definitely GOTY 2021

[@cloroker2058]

I've never played a monster Hunter game, but now I want to spend money on this

[@lordeilluminati]

But not on Monster Hunter World... 0/10

[@plastichouseplant]

@@lordeilluminati I was so happy when they added the ability to pet and play with your cat to Iceborne, not to mention they now pose for photos and perform gestures with you.

[@Pedroebut]

"Harvest Moon FOMT" flashbacks to petting the Dog (and all animals for that matter). You could even play ball with the dog, good times...

[@whilykitt]

Three headed boy was the first 'chivo (that's what I call achievements) in Hades. Thanks for another amazing video Jenna!

[@duskianfae]

shoutout to the brazilian game that is making petting the dog not only possible, but an important in game mechanic

[@dinolandra]

If i can't say "good boy" to the dog i don't want the game

[@risipieces]

what if you can say “good girl” though

[@dinolandra]

@@risipieces also acceptable

[@LucasZawacki]

Instant upvote before the video starts. BoTW needed a dog petting mechanic.

[@Defectivania]

this is such a good analysis of one of my favorite parts of games!! awesome work as always Jenna!

[@sofiarocha9907]

I think that from all of the polygon videos, the ones from Jenna and Clayton always impact me the most

[@Luis-325]

7:23 "Purposeless pleasure" Now I don't feel so bad about my habit of buying skins.

[@felixvelariusbos]

If it helps at all, somebody introduced me to the idea of looking at my money spent as a ratio of how many hours of enjoyment I get out of it. For example: I sometimes feel bad about the money I spend on tabletop RPG rulebooks. Until I remember that I play them constantly, and even a single session is usually a few hours. So dropping $50 for a rulebook when I only played it once is basically the equivalent of a theater ticket. (that also works for my friends!) Long story short, don't feel bad about spending your money on things you enjoy!

[@Luis-325]

@@felixvelariusbos yeah! That's actually something I do. I think about how often I'll use this character, how often I play the game, and if the skin will ever get a rerun.

[@melskunk]

No matter how many times I die in Hades, I'll always pet Cerberus

[@fernandolemon9204]

A Boy and His Blob for the Wii had an entire button that served only for hugging the blob. It's a leftover from earlier in development and you never once need to use it, but I'm extremely happy it was kept in.

[@fortwas]

I'm so excited that this video finally exists. You did a terrific job on it Jenna, thank you!

[@PhoenixStriker1]

You mean petting dogs is making me a better communist? WIN WIN!!!

[@redrooster3420]

[@ghostlyhousehorrors]

we now ask can WE pet the dog?

[@SyFyWire]

ALL game dogs need love + pets ❤️

[@Esper3000]

I never comment on youtube, but this time I feel like I have to. Every single one of Jenna's video essays is SO FULL of thoughts, research and reflections (directed inner and outward), that I wish I could show more appreciation somehow. This one about virtual fake dogs made me tear up lmao Anyway keep it up, thanks for making this pandemic a little less horrible! (btw this is not a dig on the rest of Polygon's video crew, I love everything about this channel and the massive effort put into it by the crew)

[@devonkosior3266]

Jenna, you really hit it out of the park with this one! I've been playing Hades like crazy lately so this video was that much more pertinent! Keep up the fantastic work!