Why is everyone so mad about yellow paint in video games?

IT started with a tweet and an image of Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth with a striking caption.

It reads: “The yellow paint virus has infected FF7,” and soon the internet was abuzz with discussion.

This isn't the first time it's come up, and it certainly won't be the last, but it's important to know why everyone is talking about it.

The yellow paint referenced is a common game design technique used to show players the path they can and should take.

Climbable areas are marked with bright yellow paint to attract the player's attention and warn them where to go.

However, many gamers don't like this technique because it reminds them that they are playing a game and ruins their immersion in the world.

It also makes some players feel like game developers think they are stupid and can't figure it out themselves.

The “yellow paint virus,” as people call it, has nothing to do with players' intelligence and more to do with their attention spans.

Research shows that only 10-20% of gamers finish the games they start.

This number has decreased over the years thanks to the instant gratification of apps like social media and short videos.

When testing games, developers have discovered that gamers quickly become bored if the next step towards progress is not immediately clear.

Developers also often fight against the experiences of many players from other games when they try to make something different.

For example, when playing 2D games, the vast majority of people will go right, even if that path is clearly blocked.

While games like Super Metroid, Axiom Verge, and most recently Ultros have bucked that trend by moving the player to the left, people still expect to travel to the right.

Another example is exploding barrels in games, where the expectation for gamers is that exploding barrels are colored red.

If they are a different color, players won't expect them to explode and won't use them to clear obstacles.

The yellow paint seems quite new, but markings in video games have been around for a long time.

The Uncharted series is a classic example of this, as walls are highlighted in white to show players where Nathan Drake can hold on.

When people watch the original Final Fantasy 7, they notice how difficult the terrain can be to navigate.

There was a button you could turn on and off that told you where the entrances and exits were.

While the paint may not always be yellow, it has been there for decades and will likely stay.

If you want to read more about Final Fantasy, check out our Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth preview.

Written by Georgina Young on behalf of GLHF.

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