DOCSLIB.ORG

Several Developers About Their Own Opinions On

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text

Load more

Index About the Project and KeenGamer ….....……………………………………………………. 1 Past and Present An Introduction to the Future of Gaming ………...……………...…… 3 Chapter 1 The Future of Video Games Distribution .…...………….……………. 8 Chapter 2 The Future of Virtual Reality Games ….…………………………….. 27 Chapter 3 The Future of Gaming for Social Good ……………………………... 41 Chapter 4 The Future of Video Game Platforms .................................................. 51 Chapter 5 The Future of eSports ........................................................................... 59 Chapter 6 11 Companies that May Build the Road to the Future ......................... 75 Chapter 7 Additional Interviews ........................................................................... 90 Afterword ............................................................................................................. 106 Credits ............................................................................................................. 109 www.keengamer.com © KeenGamer s.r.o. About the Project and KeenGamer I am sure that you are wondering what KeenGamer is and who wrote this eBook. And why should you read it, am I right? Firstly, you are already reading it, which is great and we thank you for your interest. Let‘s be short here and let you dive into more interesting chapters than this one. KeenGamer is just a website for gamers, where you can find all the things you would expect: news, reviews, guides, interviews and much more around great AAA games but also about unknown indie titles. One day, we asked ourselves with the team about what else we could do to enrich our content and differentiate us from our competitors. And because we love games and are all keen to know the future, we realized that everyone is asking all the time what the heck will happen in gaming in few years from now. Certainly there are many theories. That is where we stepped in and tried to provide the most optimistic, pessimistic and realistic points of view on several aspects of the gaming industry. I hope that you will find our thoughts and theories, based on deep analysis and statistics, at least worth reading and, if your mind will be drifting around our ideas before you fall asleep, we did our job well. As we wrote this eBook only for the good feelings of it, all the authors engaged would appreciate your support. If you like this project, please send us your thanks and love via PayPal. Even a few dollars would mean a lot, if hundreds of you would send them. Our PayPal account: [email protected] Thank you, Karel Vik, Founder and CEO www.keengamer.com 1 © KeenGamer s.r.o. Past and Present An Introduction to the Future of Gaming Written by Caio Sampaio Credit: Irishhip (DeviantArt) The evolution from Wolfenstein 3D (1992) to Wolfenstein: The New Order (2014). Credit: Rik Henderson ichael got on the school bus, wondering if his father would keep his promise. Wearing five layers of clothing, Michael held on to his report card and watched M the snow falling on every house that went by. He was anxious to get home and show his grades to his dad. He craved for his reward. The ride seemed to last an eternity, but when his place of comfort appeared on the horizon, Michael‘s heart raced. He was eager to walk through the front door and show the A+ he had gotten in every exam, but he questioned if his dad would stay true to his word. When the bus stopped, Michael rushed to get out. Snow and frozen wind tried to stop him, but he was a child on a mission. He stepped inside his home and yelled for his dad, who walked downstairs holding a box. Michael`s father had already called school. He knew about the good grades and had the money to honor his promise this time. He handed the package to Michael, who opened it with voracity. Inside, he found his reward – a PlayStation. Sony had released it in North America 15 months before, on September 9, 1995. Michael spent the following years immersed in magical universes, defeating the greatest foes. He infiltrated Shadow Moses in Metal Gear Solid, survived the horrors of a zombie-infested mansion in Resident Evil and tamed the world‘s fastest racecars in Gran Turismo. Video games had become an extension of his self and with every new title, his passion continued to blossom. However, despite Michael`s fascination, some people opposed gaming. Even before his birth, controversy had already begun. www.keengamer.com 3 © KeenGamer s.r.o. In the 70s, politicians started to attack video games, saying they provoke violent behavior. For example, in 1982, Marshfield, USA, banned arcade machines in the city to reduce crime. Only in 2014, citizens voted and overturned the decision. This and other cases of politicians vs. gaming started a trend. Patrick Markey and Christopher Ferguson, in their book Moral Combat: Why the War on Violent Video Games is Wrong, say that the media began to use the fear some people had of gaming to get higher ratings. This strategy climaxed in the late 90s. FOX News reports an alleged link between video games and real-life violence. Credit: Timothy Johnson On April 20, 1999, 2 shooters killed 12 students in the Columbine massacre in Colorado, USA. The media tried to make sense of the situation and it linked gaming to violent behavior, when news outlets discovered that the gunmen played Doom and Wolfenstein 3D. The war on gaming had begun. Over the next years, politicians, journalists and authors continued to accuse video games of creating violence. Dave Grossman is an example. In his book Assassination Generation: Video Games, Aggression, and the Psychology of Killing, he writes: ―In military training, our armed forces use psychological conditioning to help their troops turn off the safety catch inherent in most healthy human beings that produce a natural aversion to killing other members of our species. The video game industry indiscriminately applies these same techniques to the consumers who play their games.‖ www.keengamer.com 4 © KeenGamer s.r.o. After Columbine, the media stereotyped gamers as social outcasts, who wanted to escape reality – or plan shootings. Authors also questioned the artistry of the medium. In 2010, Roger Ebert (right), American film critic and winner of the 1975 Pulitzer Prize for Criticism, said that “games will never be art” and that playing them is a fool`s errand. ―But for most gamers, video games represent a loss of those precious Roger Ebert in his 2011 TED talk. Credit: TED hours we have available to make ourselves more cultured, civilized and empathetic.‖ Mr. Ebert died of thyroid cancer in 2013, holding on to his belief until the end. While his accomplishments as a pundit in the film industry are remarkable, he was wrong about gaming. Al Gore shares his opinion on gaming in the 8th Games for Change Festival. Credit: Empire Entertainment In 2011, the American government conferred legal protection to video games under the first amendment of its Constitution, which grants freedom of speech. A Supreme Court statement said: ―Video games communicate ideas — and even social messages — through many familiar literary devices (such as characters, dialogue, plot, and music) and through features distinctive to the medium.‖ Notorious personalities commented on the topic. ―Games are the new normal,‖ said Al Gore (above), former vice-president of the United States, during the 8th Games for Change Festival, held in June 2011. Although his endorsement is encouraging, it is also an understatement. Gaming is more than just ―the new normal.‖ www.keengamer.com 5 © KeenGamer s.r.o. Canadian network CBC shares a video showing the use of video games to solve real-life conflicts. Credit: CBC In December 2016, UNESCO published a research conducted by Paul Darvarsi titled Empathy, Perspective and Complicity: How Digital Games Can Support Peace, Education and Conflict Resolution. The paper states that the interactivity of video games can make people more empathic and handle their emotions better. This conclusion counters Roger Ebert, but there is more to the potential of gaming. Due to the branching narratives of titles like The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and Life is Strange, the author Janet Murray says that video games are the next evolution for the ancient art of storytelling. As she writes in her book Hamlet on the Holodeck: The Future of Narrative in the Cyberspace: ―Not only is the computer the most capacious medium ever invented, but it also allows us to move around the narrative world, shifting from one perspective to another at our own initiative. Perhaps this ability to shift perspectives will lead to the technical innovation that will rival the Shakespearean soliloquy.‖ The medium which the public perceived as a refuge for people who lack social skills has become the future of storytelling, thanks to the efforts of developers and the love of players. Now, more than 2 decades after Michael received his PlayStation, graphics can look almost identical to a film, narratives are as intricate as a novel and worlds continue to grow. Holding his PlayStation 4 controller, Michael saved humanity from a rogue artificial intelligence in Horizon Zero Dawn, discovered ancient treasures in Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End and wandered through a post-apocalyptic Boston in Fallout 4. As Michael recalls these journeys, he looks back at what video games were, what they are and wonders – what will they become? www.keengamer.com 6 © KeenGamer s.r.o. Credit: The Portrait Ezine Michael is a fictional character, created for this introduction, but real discussions can come from his question. To answer it, KeenGamer hired video game journalists worldwide to discuss the future of gaming. To create this analysis, we split this project into different chapters, each covering a major facet of the industry. The writers will approach every subject in three ways. First, they will present a pessimistic prediction, describing the worst scenario for the future.
Recommended publications

  • Expo Hall Expo Hall

    EXPO HALL EXPO HALL 1985 Games . 8118 Cloudapult . 25006 . Fitchburg State University . .14079 . Mercury Learning and Info . 30031 Pure Arts . .28076 . Super Spin Digital . 32032 1UpOnCancer . .32120 . Cloudfire Studios . 32080. Flaming Toast . 24076 Merge Games . .32036 . Q-Workshop . 25002 Sweet Bandits Studios . 28043. 32122 32120 32116 32112 32110 32108 32106 32104 32102 32098 32096 32094 32088 32086 32084 32082 32080 32078 32072 32052 32050 32048 32046 32042 32036 32032 32028 32024 32022 32018 32014 32010 32006 3BlackDot . 18047 Coatsink Software . .16075 . Foam Brain . 22003 . Meta Threads . .27017 . Qing Feng Tech . 31079 . Table Titans . 8120 . 3D Generation . Codename Entertainment . 29071. Focus Home Interactive . 29017 . Metallic Dice Games . 24003 . Quantum Astrophysicists Guild . Tabletop Tycoon . 26003 31081 31080 30081 30080 29080 28081 27080 26080 25080 24081 19068 18069 18068 17069 PLATINUM 15080 14081 13080 12081 12080 11081 11080 32104 27077 29081 26081 23081 13081 3XR . 32078. Command D . 32048. For Fans By Fans . .8082 . Metro VR Studios . .12004 . Rainway . 12003 Tahoe Games . 22034. 24078 BLUE GAMES 31079 30077 30078 28079 28076 27077 25077 23076 22077 19066 18067 18066 17067 16081 SEAGATE 15078 14079 13078 12079 12078 11079 Computer Lunch . Forked Lightning . MiHoYo Limited . Team D-13 . MAMMOTH 562 Interactive . 12002. 30047 31077 25035 Rapt Interactive . 30080 . 14081 31076 29076 27076 26076 25076 24077 TECHNOLOGY 31077 29077 26077 23077 GAMES 9th Level Games . 31006. Contigo Games . .24038 . Frostbox Studios . 32086. Mixer . 12039 . Rebellion . .29037 . Team17 . 14003. 30077 30076 28077 24076 HYPETRAIN COATSINK 15075 ARENANET 11074 19075 EKWB DIGITAL SOFTWARE 15074 14075 13074 12075 12074 11075 Academy of Art University . 27063 . Controller Chaos . .8040 . Furious Tree Games .
  • It'sallfight Onthenight

    It'sallfight Onthenight

    60 ............... Friday, December 18, 2015 1SM 1SM Friday, December 18, 2015 ............... 61 WE CHECK OUT THE ACTION AT CAPCOM CUP NEW TRACKLIST MUSIC By Jim Gellately It’s all fight 1. Runaway 2. Conqueror LOST IN VANCOUVER Who: Jake Morgan (vocals 3. Running With The /guitar), Connor Mckay (gui- Wolves tar), Brandon Sherrett (bass/ vocals), Tom Lawrence on the night 4. Lucky (drums). Where: Kirkcaldy/Edinburgh. 5. Winter Bird For fans of: Stereophonics, 6. I Went Too Far Catfish And The Bottlemen, Oasis. 7. Through The Eyes Jim says: Lost In Vancouver Of A Child only recently released their first couple of singles, but 8. Warrior their story goes back around 9. Murder Song (5, five years. They first got together at GLOBAL rivals in the By LEE PRICE By JACQUI SWIFT 4, 3, 2, 1) their local YMCA in Kirkcaldy, which runs a thriving youth world’s top fighting and T-shirts emblazoned A COFFEE shop in 10. Home music programme. game went toe-to- with the logos of their vari- Gatwick Airport’s 11. Under The Water Jake told me: “From the toe as they battled ous sponsors. age of 13, Brandon, Connor And the response from departures lounge 12. Black Water Lilies and myself had been getting to become Street the audience, who paid £25 is not the most guitar and song-writing les- Fighter champion. a ticket, was deafening. sons from a guy called Mark Before a sell-out crowd, At one point, the audito- glamorous setting Burdett. He got us playing in and hundreds of thousands rium chanted “USA! USA!” bands around the town.” following the action online, as a home favourite stepped to meet a fast-rising Jake and original drummer 32 gamers competed for a up, only to be silenced by James Ballingall were previ- share of £165,000 last week.
  • 14 Apple Arcade Games to Play on Launch Day from Strategy to Action to Puzzle Games, Here’S Where You Should Head First

    14 Apple Arcade Games to Play on Launch Day from Strategy to Action to Puzzle Games, Here’S Where You Should Head First

    APPLE MOBILE GAMING 11 14 Apple Arcade games to play on launch day From strategy to action to puzzle games, here’s where you should head first By Russ Frushtick @RussFrushtick Sep 19, 2019, 9:40am EDT Simogo Games Today’s launch of Apple Arcade might be overwhelming to some players. Subscribers who drop $4.99 a month get unlimited access to a large swath of games, and scrolling through the list can feel a bit like trying to find something good to watch on Netflix. The initial launch line-up includes over 50 games, but we’ve gone ahead and narrowed them down to 14 titles you’d do well to check out first. WHAT THE GOLF? Triband/The Label While there are plenty of thoughtful, story-driven games in the Apple Arcade collection, What the Golf? goes another way. What starts as a simple miniature golf game quickly evolves into a bizarre blend of physics-based chaos. One level might have you sliding an office chair around the course while another has you knocking full-sized buildings into the pin. The pick-up-and-play nature makes it an easy recommendation for your first dive into Apple Arcade. ASSEMBLE WITH CARE It makes sense that Apple would work with usTwo on an Apple Arcade release title. After all, the developer is known as one of the most successful mobile game makers ever, thanks to Monument Valley and its sequel. usTwo’s latest title, Assemble with Care, taps into humans’ love of taking things apart and putting them back together.
  • The Star of a Fantasy RPG Adventure

    The Star of a Fantasy RPG Adventure

    SPOTLIGHT ON INDIE RPGS NOV./DEC. 2020 THE MAGAZINE FOR PHYSICAL GAME PLAYERS $0.00 or Zeboyd Games’ Robert Boyd, the “RPGs give a lot of bang for your the idea to make each battle self-contained Eldritch Enterprises! appeal of the role-playing genre isn’t buck—at least 20-30 hours, as with no long-term resource management was Zeboyd’s RPG hits! hard to pin down. “As a kid, JRPGs opposed to an action game” inspired by Final Fantasy XIII. Desperation really appealed to me,” he says. “They mode—negative HP—was inspired by Bor- had fun stories and characters mixed “With Cosmic Star Heroine, we were trying derlands. Having cooldowns instead of MP Dragon Fantasy... Fwith strategic gameplay, in an era where to make a spiritual successor to Phantasy was inspired by the Xenoblade games. Items F You Got Your most games had minimal stories and action- Star IV with visuals reminiscent of Chrono that recharge after combat may have been focused gameplay.” That made them an easy Trigger,” Boyd says. “Our upcoming magical inspired by Paladin’s Quest or Dark Souls— Quest in My buy, despite their often being more expensive girl RPG, This Way Madness Lies, is heavily and ailment HP was definitelyinspired by Final Trigger! than other 8- and 16-bit games: “They gave inspired by the later Persona games, while Dark Souls.” a lot of bang for your buck, with the average having combat visuals reminiscent of the It can be tricky to navigate the one being 20-30 hours, as opposed to an ac- Shining Force & Golden Sun games.” line between homage and retread, but games ALSO IN THIS ISSUE tion game that might only last a day or two.” At the same time, Boyd says, like Cosmic Star Heroine and Cthulhu Saves “The star of a RPGs no longer need to ship on there’s much to be learned about modern Christmas prove it’s possible.
  • Game Oscars, Recap, and Evaluation

    Game Oscars, Recap, and Evaluation

    "Every creative act is open war against The Way It Is. What you are saying when you make • “Everything should be as simple as something is that the universe is possible, but not simpler.” – Einstein • Occam (of Razor fame – parsimony, not sufficient, and what it really economy, succinctness in needs is more you. And it does, logic/problem-solving) actually; it does. Go look outside. • “Entities should not be multiplied more You can’t tell me that we are than necessary” • “Of two competing theories or done making the world." explanations, all other things being equal, -Tycho Brahe, Penny Arcade the simpler one is to be preferred.” • Mikhail Kalashnikov (of AK-47 fame) • “All that is complex is not useful. All that is useful is simple.” • “Perfect is the enemy of good” • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perfect_is_ the_enemy_of_good Course Recap & Game Oscars 2019-11-25 CIOS: The Course Instructor Opinion Survey • Please do CIOS: http://gatech.smartevals.com • Disclaimers: https://www.academiceffectiveness.gatech.edu/resources/cios/ • Please complete. I take them seriously and use them to improve my methods • Should only take 10 to 15 minutes, tops. • Surveys are anonymous, and instructors do not see survey results until 5 days after grades are due. Also, please address comments directly to your instructors. Comments for your regular instructors are shared only with those instructors (not with school chairs or other administrators, as they see the numerical results only), while comments for your TAs are shared with both the TA and their supervising instructor. Announcements • HW 8 due December 2, 23:55 • FINAL EXAM: • Friday, December 6, here.
  • Tokyo Jungle Convergence Between the Historical Reality of Anti-Nuclear Discourse and the Increasing Self-Reflexivity of a Maturing Narrative Form

    Tokyo Jungle Convergence Between the Historical Reality of Anti-Nuclear Discourse and the Increasing Self-Reflexivity of a Maturing Narrative Form

    Introducing Japanese Popular Culture Edited by Alisa Freedman and Toby Slade 1 Routledge 1~ Taylor&. Francls Group LONDON AND NEW YORK First published 2018 by Routledge 2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN and by Routledge 711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017 Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business © 2018 selection and editorial matter, Alisa Freedman and Toby Slade; individual chapters, the contributors The right of Alisa Freedman and Toby Slade to be identified as the authors of the editorial material, and of the authors for their individual chapters, has been asserted in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or To our students reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe. British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data A catalog record for this book has been requested ISBN: 978-1-138-85208-2 (hbk) ISBN: 978-1-138-85210-5 (pbk) ISBN: 978-1-315-72376-1 (ebk) Typeset in Bembo by codeMantra Visit the companion website: www.routledge.com/cw/Freedman Every effort has been made to contact copyright holders for their permission to reprint material in this book.
  • DESIGN-DRIVEN APPROACHES TOWARD MORE EXPRESSIVE STORYGAMES a Dissertation Submitted in Partial Satisfaction of the Requirements for the Degree Of

    DESIGN-DRIVEN APPROACHES TOWARD MORE EXPRESSIVE STORYGAMES a Dissertation Submitted in Partial Satisfaction of the Requirements for the Degree Of

    UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA SANTA CRUZ CHANGEFUL TALES: DESIGN-DRIVEN APPROACHES TOWARD MORE EXPRESSIVE STORYGAMES A dissertation submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY in COMPUTER SCIENCE by Aaron A. Reed June 2017 The Dissertation of Aaron A. Reed is approved: Noah Wardrip-Fruin, Chair Michael Mateas Michael Chemers Dean Tyrus Miller Vice Provost and Dean of Graduate Studies Copyright c by Aaron A. Reed 2017 Table of Contents List of Figures viii List of Tables xii Abstract xiii Acknowledgments xv Introduction 1 1 Framework 15 1.1 Vocabulary . 15 1.1.1 Foundational terms . 15 1.1.2 Storygames . 18 1.1.2.1 Adventure as prototypical storygame . 19 1.1.2.2 What Isn't a Storygame? . 21 1.1.3 Expressive Input . 24 1.1.4 Why Fiction? . 27 1.2 A Framework for Storygame Discussion . 30 1.2.1 The Slipperiness of Genre . 30 1.2.2 Inputs, Events, and Actions . 31 1.2.3 Mechanics and Dynamics . 32 1.2.4 Operational Logics . 33 1.2.5 Narrative Mechanics . 34 1.2.6 Narrative Logics . 36 1.2.7 The Choice Graph: A Standard Narrative Logic . 38 2 The Adventure Game: An Existing Storygame Mode 44 2.1 Definition . 46 2.2 Eureka Stories . 56 2.3 The Adventure Triangle and its Flaws . 60 2.3.1 Instability . 65 iii 2.4 Blue Lacuna ................................. 66 2.5 Three Design Solutions . 69 2.5.1 The Witness ............................. 70 2.5.2 Firewatch ............................... 78 2.5.3 Her Story ............................... 86 2.6 A Technological Fix? .
  • Staying Alive Fallout 76

    Staying Alive Fallout 76

    ALL FORMATS EXCLUSIVE Staying Alive Far Cry 4’s Alex Hutchinson How the British games industry survived its on his “louder, brasher” game turbulent early years Fallout 76 Bethesda, BETA and “spectacular” bugs Issue 1 £3 wfmag.cc 01 72000 GRIS 16 7263 97 Subscribe today 12 weeks for £12* Visit: wfmag.cc/12issues to order * UK Price. 6 issue introductory offer In search of real criticism an games be art? Roger Ebert judge – the critic is a guide, an educator, and an argued that they couldn’t. He was interpreter. The critic makes subtext text, traces C wrong. Any narrative medium themes, and fills in white space. Put another can produce art. But I’m not sure way, the critic helps the audience find deeper we’re producing many examples that meet JESSICA PRICE meaning in a piece of art. Or: the critic teaches that definition. Let’s be honest: everyone keeps Jessica Price is a the audience the rules of the games artists play producer, writer, and talking about BioShock because it had something manager with over a so that they’re on a level ground with the artist. to say and said it with competence and style, decade of experience One only has to compare movie or TV reviews in triple-A, indie, and not because what it had to say was especially tabletop games. in any mainstream publication, in which at least profound. Had it been a movie or a book, I doubt some critical analysis beyond “is this movie it would have gotten much attention.
  • Fighting Games, Performativity, and Social Game Play a Dissertation

    Fighting Games, Performativity, and Social Game Play a Dissertation

    The Art of War: Fighting Games, Performativity, and Social Game Play A dissertation presented to the faculty of the Scripps College of Communication of Ohio University In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Philosophy Todd L. Harper November 2010 © 2010 Todd L. Harper. All Rights Reserved. This dissertation titled The Art of War: Fighting Games, Performativity, and Social Game Play by TODD L. HARPER has been approved for the School of Media Arts and Studies and the Scripps College of Communication by Mia L. Consalvo Associate Professor of Media Arts and Studies Gregory J. Shepherd Dean, Scripps College of Communication ii ABSTRACT HARPER, TODD L., Ph.D., November 2010, Mass Communications The Art of War: Fighting Games, Performativity, and Social Game Play (244 pp.) Director of Dissertation: Mia L. Consalvo This dissertation draws on feminist theory – specifically, performance and performativity – to explore how digital game players construct the game experience and social play. Scholarship in game studies has established the formal aspects of a game as being a combination of its rules and the fiction or narrative that contextualizes those rules. The question remains, how do the ways people play games influence what makes up a game, and how those players understand themselves as players and as social actors through the gaming experience? Taking a qualitative approach, this study explored players of fighting games: competitive games of one-on-one combat. Specifically, it combined observations at the Evolution fighting game tournament in July, 2009 and in-depth interviews with fighting game enthusiasts. In addition, three groups of college students with varying histories and experiences with games were observed playing both competitive and cooperative games together.
  • Game Narrative Review

    Game Narrative Review

    Game Narrative Review ==================== Your name: Kate Olguin ​ Your school: Worcester Polytechnic Institute ​ Your email: [email protected] ​ Month/Year you submitted this review: December 2018 ​ ==================== Game Title: What Remains of Edith Finch ​ Platform: Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, XBox One ​ Genre: Mystery Adventure/Walking Simulator ​ Release Date: April 25, 2017 ​ Developer: Giant Sparrow ​ Publisher: Annapurna Interactive ​ Game Writer/Creative Director/Narrative Designer: Ian Dallas ​ Overview What Remains of Edith Finch is a hauntingly beautiful game that explores of life, death, ​ and acceptance, and how one family deals with (or in some cases, doesn’t deal with) all 3. The Finch family is a creative and talented family of people who live in a gigantic, twisted mansion in the Pacific Northwest. Despite their skills and generally happy livelihoods, the Finches shoulder a terrible burden. Legend tells that the family is afflicted by a terrible curse--a curse that takes the lives of family members well before their time. Over the years, the family curse has claimed the lives of Finches young and old alike, until late 2016, when only one Finch remains. The player controls Edith, the last surviving Finch, as she travels back to her childhood home, the mansion where Finches lived and died for almost a century. Edith, whose (now deceased) mother had taken her away from the house as a child, has returned to find out the truth behind the tragedies that befell her family for as long as they can remember, the stories her mother would never let her hear. When Edith finds clues about the deaths of her deceased relatives, the player plays through the last moments of these relatives’ lives.
  • LUDIC VISUALS the Visualizations of Game Mechanics

    LUDIC VISUALS the Visualizations of Game Mechanics

    LUDIC VISUALS The Visualizations of Game Mechanics Laura Laakso Master’s Thesis Master of Arts in New Media New Media: Game Design and Production Department of Media School of Arts, Design and Architecture Aalto University 2019 P.O. BOX 31000, 00076 AALTO www.aalto.fi Master of Arts thesis abstract Author Laura Laakso Title of thesis Ludic Visuals: The Visualizations of Game Mechanics Advisor Laura Valojärvi Supervisor Miikka Junnila Department Department of Media Degree program New Media: Game Design and Production Year 2019 Number of pages 167 Language English BSTRACT A There is a lot of systemic information in games, but its visual expression has been a relatively under-researched phenomenon. Earlier research tends to pair the visual presentation of games together with the game narrative. However, game mechanics can also be expressed visually. In this thesis, game mechanics are the parts that form the game system such as the rules, the events, and the pieces of a game. This thesis studies how game mechanics are visualized. My research hypothesis suggests that there are components that consist of both game- mechanical and visual aspects. I have named them ludic visuals. This research identifies and explores the presence of ludic visuals in games from the perspective of what is available for a player. This thesis is largely based on previous game research and various theories of perception and experiencing. The experience of being inside a gameworld is deemed similar to the experience of being inside the real world, which made it possible to approach ludic visuals as functional parts of gameworlds.
  • Dissertation Full 2

    Dissertation Full 2

    Sympathetic Imagination: Posthumanist Thought in Electronic Literature and Games by Kent Aardse A thesis presented to the University of Waterloo in fulfilment of the thesis requirement for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in English Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, 2016 © Kent Aardse 2016 Author’s Declaration I hereby declare that I am the sole author of this thesis. This is a true copy of the thesis, including any required final revisions, as accepted by my examiners. I understand that my thesis may be made electronically available to the public. !ii Abstract Martha Nussbaum insists on the power of “sympathetic imagining” for considering the lives of nonhuman animals. Literature, for Nussbaum, is a powerful site for imaging the lives of animals. This study extends Nussbaum’s “sympathetic imagining” into the realm of digital art–– namely, electronic literature and digital games. I explore how digital art intersects with posthumanism, via three distinct areas: biopolitics, animal studies, and eco-criticism. Posthumanism rejects anthropocentrism in favour of considering our own affinities and similarities with all living creatures in the world. It is a call to pay strict attention to our shared finitude and vulnerability with nonhumans, and change our ways of thinking and being accordingly to ensure the continued survival of our world and its inhabitants. I argue that digital media affords us the ability to think past our anthropocentrism, opening up a space for us to consider our relationship to nonhuman animals, other humans, and the ecological world. I provide critical readings of electronic literature and digital games, which I believe illustrate the sympathetic imagining power of digital media.