It’s good to be reminded now and again (and always) how important play is; and how it can be used as a force for change, for good (and evil), and also “just” for fun! 247G reminds us of this, and embodies its spirit, too.
Before taking 247G, I think I had returned to a sort of operating baseline: games are important, of course, but I wasn’t thinking too deeply or critically about them. And I think I had sunk into that toxic ever-present grindset, play-as-a-distraction from other more worthwhile pursuits– one worth taking once in a while, of course, but to be doled out a bit like candy. The idea of creating a video game was something on my bucket list, but not something to be realized for a long time; and I wasn’t playing them critically, either. This is one of many things I’ll take away from this class as I continue my game-playing (and game-making!) journey: playing like a game designer. I really liked the way that Extra Credits video we watched worded it: finding the ability to be in the experience at the same time as you’re observing yourself in the experience.
Another key takeaway was how the systems that drive games and game development are as dynamic as humans are; it reminds me of some of the key takeaways from CS278 (social computing), in the way they are complex– and how the best way to grow them is through just jumping in and testing testing testing testing testing! I think P1
really drove home for me how carefully crafted these systems needed to be; I experienced firsthand what it was like to have a “cool idea” and then see it fall super flat on its face as soon as it was put in motion. Meanwhile, P2 I think said a lot about how hard it is to find cohesion (of all kinds) in a video game; we pivoted several times, and it was so easy to get off track– it feels a lot like trying to pick something up with your eyes closed, it’s possible to feel so close without quite being able to get there. My respect for game designers was always high, but it’s even higher having attempted it myself (writing narratives in games, especially!). As hard as that was, I’d like to think I’ve grown, too, understanding some strategies and that it’s a lot about testing-testing-testing-testing-testing!
Next time I work on a game– and I want to– I think I want to try for something more concrete; for Keeper’s Memoriam, we tried to keep it bite-sized but still abstract, and a bit mysterious; I think this worked for what it was but it made that “searching with your eyes closed” feeling even stronger. Next time, I want to try maybe a more classic story with some kind of twist– I guess we’ll see when I get there! Maybe some kind of game that invokes the same kinds of player-character connections that With Those We Love Alive or games like OneShot do…
