Gamasutra has an interesting interview up with Clint Hocking (UbiSoft, best known for work on the Splinter Cell series) on the value of exploration in games.

... In an open-world game, you just don't have the time to make sure with every single tree you have nice God rays shining through the leaves at 6:00 pm and a ship is sailing by or whatever. In a sense, while it is all created by someone, it's created in a much more painterly way ... The player is kind of going into uncharted territory. No one ever took the time to stop and look in this direction from this rock in this forest at 6:00 in the afternoon and see the God rays.

Literature, gender, interior/exterior - all things touched on in the brief interview. Can a totally linear game provide opportunities for exploration, too? I've really enjoyed some games of a more linear type that have allowed the player almost unlimited opportunities to explore and roam at will; I've also gotten very frustrated when, say, an RPG has been a little too open ended at points. I suppose like most things in design, it's all about balance. Maggie Greene

Clint Hocking Speaks Out On The Virtues Of Exploration

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