Wednesday, February 16th

We're starting off our class today with a discussion on Braid. It's a game in 4 dimensions: space, time, forward, backward. A game doesn't need to be difficult, it just has to be interesting. It has to convince the player that his actions matter. This was spoken by Jonathan Blow, the creator of Braid, in an interview that is referenced in Bissell's book. Laura says you want to rewind your actions to prevent the stalker, not be him. This is one of the most compelling arguments of Braid, that your actions have real moral consequences. Braid introduces doubt, ambiguity (multiple interpretations), uncertainty into the gameplay, making it a very unique gameplay experience. It puts the player into an animal reaction mode, which is beyond survival mode, in that it's what you feel after you survive. They're feelings that are beyond just basic instincts that include reflection and interpretation. These factors are all part of the contextual framework of Braid.

Laura asked us if we think that art is a necessary thing for humans to do, and I have to say that even though I didn't raise my hand, I think that art is absolutely imperative for humans to participate in. Yes, it is not something that is absolutely essential for one's physical welfare, but humans are unique because they are more than that. We have emotions, feelings, personalities, and mental behaviors that require attention and pampering in order to achieve happiness and overall satisfaction. Art is an means to an end in that regard (to me).

Why do cultural validity and respect persist in eluding the video game? In other words, why aren't video games taken seriously? This is a bigger question for gamers than game designers because they have to create these games as cultural texts that will be consumed by as many people as possible. They just want to make money, they aren't necessarily interested in making art. However, what if art and money start to come together? If the consumer wants it, then the only way to make money is to make a great work of art. This is why we are having this class, because Laura wants video games that are great art like the kinds that she grew up with.          

Cade and I talked about the first chapter of Bissell's book, and I think that he brought up something that's really interesting. Fallout 3 is a game in which the narrative is everything, and Cade referenced page 13 on which Bissell says "video games favor a form of storytelling that is, in many ways, completely unprecedented." These games give us methods of talking to some of the greatest ancient writers and philosophers of all time, immersing the player into the story that has been famous and important for centuries.

I found this video of Tom Bissell talking about his book in a NYC coffee shop:

Anna just typed a run-on sentence. She didn't really appreciate it when I informed her about it, and I think she actually took it personally. O well...

"The game is not the experience. The game enables the experience, but it is not the experience." This is a really unique quote that really touches on the fact that two different people can experience the game completely differently from one another, though they're given the same exact game .

The story of Fallout 3 is concocted to carry the player through it. Is this the same in all games? I don't think so, I think that this is a sandbox game in which anything goes and there's really something for everyone in the game. However, other games absolutely require a strict storyline be followed in order for one to "beat" the game. Games like these include Halo and Mario Bros. On the other end of the extreme are games like The Sims and Second Life in which the creators literally create the world, and then give full control to both the structure and gameplay to the gamer himself. In the first category, the playground is built for the player, and the gameplay is defined by one's experiences with that playground; in the latter, the gamer builds the playground for himself, then acts as the creator in how that playground is experienced. Fallout 3 is a game that falls towards the middle of that spectrum.

Chick flicks suck. Laura says so herself. They make us focus on things we shouldn't be focusing on. The narrative makes her sick, and great art doesn't do that. How does one define which art is good and which is bad? What makes one piece of art better than the other? Seriously, I have no idea how the hell you would be able to make an absolute statement about something like this. I also feel like I'm talking about the same things in all my classes... Not complaining, just saying. Laura wants people to experience games like she experiences good art.

Shadow of the Colossus notes:

· o   Whole game constructed around boss fights

o   One of the major games used in the argument that games are art

o   Not much story given, but you get really close to the character

o   5 main characters

§  Wander

·      Main character

§  Dead girl

§  Evil Demon

§  Agro

·      Horse

§  Lord Demon

·      Back story

o   Story

§  Going to a land to resurrect dead girl

§  Must defeat 16 Colossi

§  Uses a sword to do this

o   Created as a spiritual successor to another game from PS1

o   It’s a huge world in which the only living things are Wander and the 16 Colossi