The real prize was the friends we made along the way... or was it making a single dedicated man's day? An argument could be made that Concierge's introspective, supposedly artistic nature does not gel with any type of monetary incentive, much less what could be reasonably construed to be a marketing gimmick. Has it cheapened the experience of anyone who has dived into it cash-hungry?

Unfortunately, it is easier to imagine the end of the world than the end of capitalism. Uh, I mean marketing. Much like film, the genesis of videogames as a medium is inseparable from the concept of reproductability, and from the entertainment industry. Not to get too deep into the "are games art" debate, but assuming there is such a thing as a sliding scale between the "experiencing of art" and "consumption of product", then surely a mundane reward such as this would tip the scales in a way that completely contradicts this game's ethos... right? 

I don't know, but I do think about these things a lot. I think about how absurd it is to want to make a living off of art (real, personal art, not technical art). I wonder if I will die strewn across the scale, failing to make any sort of modest impact (material or otherwise), never fully selling out nor really letting go, perhaps never even being good enough to opt for compromising.

There once was a contest. Someone solved the riddle. You are now reading about it. Life goes on.

                                                                       - Yan