Summary
Stardew Valley’s 1.6 update added a lot ofexciting new content to the game, but one of its new features may have unintentionally made players a little more like JojaMart. JojaMart is a store in town run by the Joja Corporation which makes some pretty underhanded moves to disrupt Pelican Town’s local economy. At one point, Morris - JojaMart’s manager - bursts into Pierre’s local store to offer huge price cuts, causing Pierre to lose business.JojaMart are clearly the villainsofStardew Valley, but players may accidentally be following in their footsteps.
InStardew Valley’s introduction, players are established as someone who is fed up with the corporate grind and wants a simpler life. However, the game’s latest update may make them feel less like they are escaping to a simpler life in the country. In fact, it may even make themfeel like they are still part of a large corporation.
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Having Eight Farmers Makes The Players’ Farm Feel Like A Bigger Business
Players' Farms Start To Feel Less Like A Getaway And More Like A Business Operation
Nobody is denying thatStardew Valleyexpanding its multiplayer to accommodate more players is a good thing. It is great that there are fewer limitations on how to play the game. However, having an eight-person operation can start to make it seem like everyone is part of a larger business. Sure, eight is far from the number of employees a major corporation has, but in contrast to the rest of the town,an eight-person farm is one of the largest operations around.
When players start seeing their large farm as its own company, it can quickly become apparent that their relationship with Pelican Town is very similar to JojaMart’s.
Pelican Town is home to 35 people. That means, if eight players move in, they suddenly account for about 20% of the town’s entire population. Suddenly, players feel less like individuals who decided to get away from city living, and instead feel like a part of an organized effort to establish a new business in a small town. When players start seeing their large farm as its own company, it can quickly become apparent that their relationship with Pelican Town is very similar to JojaMart’s.
Players’ Have A Transactional Relationship With Pelican Town
Players Only Help Pelican Town In A Way That Furthers Their Interests
When playingStardew Valleyindividually, or with just a few other players, it’s easy to ignore the largely transactional way in which players interact with Pelican Town. However, once players start to feel like a larger business entity instead of a few individuals trying to make a living, their dealings with the town start to feel a bit less innocent. Just like JojaMart, it feels likethe player is only there to profit off the locals.
Now, it could be argued that the player infuses some money into the local economy by buying tools from Clint or unreasonably priced backpacks from Pierre. However, the way the game is set up, players will always be making more money off the town than they are spending on it. Similarly, JojaMart may help Pelican Town’s residents in some ways, like providing Shane and Pam with a job, but it is ultimately just there to profit from them.
Even something that seems altruistic, like fixing up the community center, rewards the player for doing it. Obviously, the game has to incentivize players to do it, but it’s still hard to ignore that this is no true act of charity on the player’s part. They’re fixing up the community center for the benefits it will have for their business. Again, this was all true for the base version ofStardew Valley, but it just feels slightly more icky now that players can be part of a larger operation.
