As someone who works in the industry, my thoughts during the first half of this essay were 'this is normal, Players ALWAYS find ways around the rules'. I was shocked that the designers didn't instinctively get this and pronounce him the winner.
Yes, I was surprised this wasn't exactly what they wanted. I would have been delighted with the kind of outcome.
I think he also made a deft mind flip, turning it into an example for his own talk. I'd have thought the entire thing pre-staged, if I'd been in the audience, it's so brilliantly full circle.
I guess it's a good example of human behavior in general: If someone doesn't play how we want them, as "Owner" of an event or product or game, we get pissy. And then, from outside, it just looks sad. Of course the author could simply be an unreliable narrator.
