Cosplaying Paraphernalia

“A couple thousand Katsucon attendees sit in line for two hours to guarantee themselves a seat for cosplay, which turns out to be a bunch of skits performed by elaborately costumed anime and manga fans, who were herded into a greenroom and assigned numbers. The Japanese animation scene seems to place the highest priority on participation: Draw it yourself, act it out, become the cartoon.” (Steuver).

The most important word here is participation. Cosplay, shorthand for costume play, is a type of performance in which participants dress up in costume representing their favorite characters from various media, usually video games or anime. Cosplay is not only important to the video game world, but also the performing art world, as not only is it a group activity (Becker), but it also serves as the paraphernalia that supplements the world they are interpreting. Specifically, Cosplayers who are interpreting the Final Fantasy world.

But what exactly is cosplay? The opinions on this vary, but essentially cosplay is the interpretation of a fantasy world in our reality. Much like Picasso looked up into the starry night and interpreted what he saw, cosplayers look into video game worlds and interpret what they see. Sharpe states artists creating game art approach games as tool sets with which they create their own art, rather than a medium unto itself (Sharpe, p.14). Almost all of cosplaying is game art in that sense, participants are using the fantasy worlds as a tool to create their own art.

When you look at the polygon shapes of Cloud from Final Fantasy 7, and compare it to a fantastic cosplay, the difference is as stark as Starry Night compared to your average night sky. This aesthetic interpretation allows us to see more than just nostalgia in the video games we love, it allows us to see something that is real and important to an entire community.

 

In the words of Becker:

“the interaction of all the involved parties produces a shared sense of worth of what they collectively produce. Their mutual appreciation of the conventions they share, and the support they mutually afford one another, convince them that what they are doing is worth doing. They act under the definition of “art,” their interaction convinces them that what they produce are valid works of art.” (Becker).

The community of the cosplay world exists as a group activity, indeed cosplays almost always occur at conventions and gatherings. These communities maintain, and revise aesthetic criteria through which and by which they experience and understand the works they produce (Sharp, p.7). The cosplay community determines what is acceptable, what should be considered part of their universe, and what is important to the cosplay community as it relates to artistic endeavors. Essentially the cosplay community, through judgement and contests, determine what is relevant. This is important because it sets a standard for cosplaying, it gives it definition and relevance in the art community.

The artistic goals might vary from person to person, but the important thing is that these cosplayers are adding to the paraphernalia of the world they love, and thus becoming an important part of it. In her TED speech, Paola Antonelli talked about how she wanted to strip away paraphernalia when putting video games in the MOMA (Antonelli). She wanted to get to the very base of what made video games a design masterpiece, the code. However, when looking at it as a work of art, certainly from the communal perspective of cosplaying, the paraphernalia is the most important part.  Paola mentions that the controllers are part of the experience that cannot be done away with, but this begs the question, where do we draw the line of what is part of the experience and what is not? To say that the base code is the reason one appreciates a  video game, is to say that the reason one appreciates a beautiful painting is because of the brush and oil used. The paraphernalia is essential to our love of art, it is essential to the communities that deem it important, the communities that deem something art to begin with. Cosplaying isn’t simply reviving nostalgia, it is adding to the breadth of the fantasy world from which it is created. The reasons behind why one might cosplay are irrelevant, the important part is that these imaginations and creations are coming to life. They supplement the experience of the video game world, and are equally important in doing so.

Cosplay is important as an art object because it is a community based paraphernalia that enhances the video game world it is based on through aesthetic. If we can conclude from Hegel that aesthetic is both subjective, and dependent on a correlation between content and form, then cosplay is the ultimate form of aesthetic in terms of real world interpretations of games. The amount of work that is put in (the form) is tremendous,  and the end result (the content) is  meaningful in the cosplay/art community. The aesthetic is highly valued in the cosplay community, and while it is heavily subjective, the correlation between content and form is what makes it so important. Cosplayers and their community value fantastical pieces that take many hours of passion and hard work to produce – and their aesthetic can range anywhere from this true to form reproduction,  to something a bit more flattering. The point is, the actual physical look of the cosplay isn’t as important as the content, the form, and most importantly, the passion.

At the end of the day, cosplay holds an important place in the performance art community. Drawing its inspiration in the form of game art, cosplay communities come together to create an art form that they value for a number of different reasons. Whether it is the aesthetic, the paraphernalia that they provide, or the simple interpretation of something they love, cosplayers will continue to play an important role in how we experience video games and art.

References:

Steuver, Hank. “What Would Godzilla Say?” Washington Post. The Washington Post, 14 Feb. 2000. Web. 15 Dec. 2015. <http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/feed/a49427-2000feb14.htm&gt;.

“Transcript of “Why I Brought Pac-Man to MoMA”” Paola Antonelli: Why I Brought Pac-Man to MoMA. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Dec. 2015. <https://www.ted.com/talks/paola_antonelli_why_i_brought_pacman_to_moma/transcript?language=en&gt;.

W. E. Hegel. (1998 [1826]). “Philosophy of Fine Art.” In The Art of Art History: A Critical Anthology, edited by D. Preziosi. Oxford: Oxford University Press: pp. 80-88.

Sharp, John. Works of Game: On the Aesthetics of Games and Art. N.p.: n.p., n.d. Print.

Howard Becker. (1982). “Art Worlds and Collective Activity” in Art Worlds. Berkeley: University of California Press: pp. 1-39.

Machinima and Art

Movies and television programing have been around for quiet some time now. They have evolved throughout the years and are seemingly always looking for ways to better the viewer’s experience. Better cinematography, sound quality, acting, and much more all contribute to a viewer’s experience. Also, there are many different categories of movies and television shows from drama to comedy. There are even award shows that are dedicated to the people in the business of movies and TV. Movies as well as television have been widely accepted. There is no debate really on where these things stand as art due to the fact that they have been around for so long. However for new genres like machinima it is not so easy. Art is to say the least a difficult term to define in itself. It is very subjective and yet at the same time it isn’t. Art is something that is constantly changing and evolving just as humans are because we are the ones creating it. Greek art was very important to the Greeks but most

Modern vs. Classic Art

artists today do not practice the exact same art. Modern art is different from that of the classics; art is divided up into different categories and time periods. There are many different types of art like music, acting, dancing, and so forth. We can call something art but if it isn’t widely accepted by a certain community then it is not really considered art. Therefore what community gets to make this decision and why? What I do know is that art is supposed to make you feel certain emotions, think about certain topics, interact with other beings, and much more. Art can be expressed through almost any medium yet people are still debating on what can be art and what cannot be art.

Video games are a relatively new concept and are continuing to push the boundaries of multimedia productions. As most people already know there is a huge ongoing debate on where video games stand as far as art is concerned and there have been multiple attempts at trying to define them. According to John Sharp there are three major categories of art in video games: game art, artgames, and artists’ games (Sharp, 2015). Each category is defined differently but ultimately all categories contain some form of video games in one-way or another. Machinima is relatively brand-new and not an area that is specifically talked about in Sharp’s book, but it is something that uses video games to create something new. Machinima is defined as “the encounter between a film and a game, in which gamers become film directors. As a technique to produce films, machinima is a new cinematographic genre” (Isabelle Arvers, 2010). I believe that Sharp might categorize machinima as game art because the viewer does not interact with machinima they only view it. However what makes machinima so different is that most game players can create it, which is both good and bad. It is good because it is readily available to the general public and bad because not everyone creates something meaningful. Therefore how can we consider machinima art? Some gamers could just record themselves playing and I would not consider it art unless

Red vs. Blue poster

there was a relevant reason other than personal entertainment. Having meaning and what that specific meaning is carries significance for art. For example Sheik Attack is much more meaningful than say Red vs. Blue. I would not personally consider Red vs. Blue art but it is entertaining. When it first started machinma was video recordings of people or gamers playing video games. It was exclusively meant only for gamers who understood what was going on in the video recordings. It did not have any specific meaning but only to showcase what gamers were doing at the time. Over time gamers began to use this new concept to create more complex recordings of video games. Some made comedies using machinima while others used it as a way to create something more meaningful. One of the most notable works is Sheik Attack by Eddo Stern. Sheik Attack (Stern, 1999) is a video about sixteen minutes long and uses machinima to convey an important message about war. Specifically what we do not see or what mainstream media does not show us. Those who control our media did not consider the war that Stern chose to focus on important. Sheik attack uses music and edited scenes from gameplay to create a video that encourage viewers to question what mainstream media wants us to see. Sheik Attack proves that what we do not see is just as important and is often neglected because it is not shown to the public. It makes the viewer think about the topic and feel certain emotions that they might not have considered before. In this example machinima can be considered art. There has been war in and around Israel for many years but mainstream media chooses not to exhibit it. Eddo Stern chose this particular area of the world because he is Israeli and it is important to him. Sheik Attack builds its storyline from a peaceful beginning to a dramatic ending. In the beginning characters construct what appears to be a new city or town. It shows the city fully built, then it moves to a helicopter

Helicopter in Sheik Attack

scene, and then the shooting scenes begin. The music changes with each scene and the subtitles allow the viewer to understand why each song is specifically placed into each scene. The last scene is the most violent and yet brings the message home. The scene is in first person shooter and the viewer gets the impression of being the shooter. You see the victims and how helpless they appear to be. There isn’t anything you can do to stop the shooter and the victims eventually die. It is a powerful statement that occurs almost daily around the world. War is common in many countries around the world and we choose not to acknowledge it. Sheik Attack exhibits how ignorant we are

and how little we do to help anyone other than ourselves. It does this through using machinima and the artists vision. Machinima is a medium that can be used to create anything from funny videos to game art. It should not be easily disregarded as just one specific genre, but rather a category with various genres within it. Machinima can be fun and games however, artists like Eddo Stern as well as Cory Arcangel are challenging the norms and creating meaningful art through techniques like machinima.

“As genre drawing on games, new media, and art references and techniques, machinima has not only become a rich source for commentary upon these areas, but also a melting pot for rethinking the convergence and boundaries between the disciplines” (Hjorth, 2013).

The issue here is not necessarily about whether or not machinima can be used to create game art or visual art but rather where do we set the barriers for these different areas or styles that use the same techniques? Or should there even be any boundaries at all? Boundaries help us distinguish between concepts as well as ideas so they are useful and we are accustomed to using them. However, as I stated previously we are constantly changing as well as our ideas about art therefore it is getting harder to try to define all the new concepts that do exist. There is machinima meant for comedy, to showcase skill, for game art, as well as other purposes. I am not exactly sure what would be the best way to define these categories and many have argued for different terms. It seems to come down to content and purpose of the artist. What comes to mind for me is the different movie and TV categories that exist. Machinima could also have these various categories within it and be accepted in a similar way. There is a lot of potential in an area like machinima to allow more

Entrance to the Museum

creativity for artists. Artists should not be limited to only a few types of mediums. They should be allowed to freely express their ideas through multiple kinds of mediums. Video games have come a long way in a short period of time. With ever advancing technology, there does not seem to be an end to the potential of video games and machinima. There are still plenty of barriers to be broken down and topics that need to be addressed within the video game community as well as the art community. Gamers play because they enjoy playing. They do not need a reason or ratification from the art community and vice versa. Nonetheless, it can be something exceptional and valid for these two communities to collaborate rather than disregard each other. We still have a long way to go and there are still plenty of people who refuse to recognize the potential in video games as art. Machinima can be art and I would hope to see more examples like Sheik Attack in museums around the world.

References:

Arvers, Isabelle. 2010, p. 225

Hjorth, Larissa.“The Art of Games: Machinima and the Limits of Art Games.” In Understanding Machinima: Essays on Filmmaking in Virtual Worlds, edited by J. Ng. Bloomsbury Academic, 2013.

Sharp, John. Works of Game On the Aesthetics of Gam and Art. Cambridge: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2015. Print.

 

Animal crossing: New Leaf in MOMA!

About the Game    

Today, I am going to introduce one of my favorite games, Animal Crossing: New Leaf, also known as とびだせ どうぶつの森 (Tobidase Dōbutsu no Mori) in Japan. Animal Crossing is a life  and community simulation game for the Nintendo 3DS console and the fourth main title in Nintendo’s Animal Crossing series. In the game, the player takes the role of the town mayor and able to design any public works projects to build your town. Our player as the only human lives in a village inhabited by anthropomorphic animals, carrying out various activities including fishing, bug catching, etc. One of the important elements of the game is the diversity of design, which player can build or design their own town and present it to other player or friends. The town in the game is the digital world you are able to show your personality, culture, and imagination as a gamer and also a designer. Below is the cover of the game, you may see the image of game are nature, animal, conversation, and happiness.

The original goal of the Animal Crossing series is to educate the player how communicate is important. The player is able to communicate to the animal villager and try to make them happy. The 3DS version of the game also has a similar goal of this, it also gains communication between players, which mean they are connected players in this digital world. Although every player is building their own digital world in the game, they do need to interact with other people to gain a sense of accomplishment by showing their digital world. Also, they need to use the Online Connectivity to unlock items or get help in the game. That is one way how the Nintendo force player to communicate with another player. There are also many applied design in the game make this game so unique and special. And, I want to mention some of them. The custom designs which allowing you to design patterns for furniture, flags and pillows. And, this also applies to clothes, which means you are able to design your own clothes. Below is the trailer of the game, it may help you understand more feature of the game.

 

Why should we bring it to the MOMA?

MOMA (The Museum of Modern Art) is the Museum collect and present the modern art, and it has the video game collection, too. The reason MOMA collect the video game because our modern world is change a lot. According to Paola Antonelli who is collecting the video game for MOMA have mention:

We live today, as you know very well, not in the digital, not in the physical, but in the kind of minestrone that our mind makes of the two.

Digital world is also part of the world we live in, and video game is the example how we connect with this digital world. The game put in the MOMA should have an interaction design; In Paola Antonelli’s word that

Interaction is the realm between digital and physical.

Which means the design of the game must create the interaction between the digital game world and our physical real world. I think we should bring the Animal Crossing: New Leaf into MOMA because its applied design and ideas have create a strong connection for player to interact the digital and physical world.

The reason I choose the New Leaf instead of other Animal Crossing in the series because the 3DS console provide a lot new functions to appear in the applied design of the game. First, the visual part, now we are able to play the Animal Crossing in 3D because the 3DS provide this experiences to us. You only need to turn the 3D button on, you will able to see a completely different Animal Crossing in 3D world. Second, the WiFi feature. As the goal of the design of animal crossing is to create the communication. The WiFi system at 3DS provide the experience to connect player in different locations, even though in different countries. We are no longer just communicating the animal in the digital world, we also able to create the communication in the physical world by using the WiFi. Third, the QR scan system, which provide player share their designs by posting their QR code to the internet. Below is the example of how the QR scan work. The player only need to scan those QR codes, they may get clothes that design as Frozen. The player can be a designer and share their designs to another player by share the QR code they have. Those are also the examples how this game can influence our physical world.

However, although the applied design of the game have provided the interaction between the digital world and the physical world. The animal crossing also have another design feature in its aesthetics, space, time, and behavior. Those are all important elements of the game that is in the MOMA.

Space

According to Paola Antonelli’s ideas of the Space in game.

The space in which the game exists and evolves—built with code rather than brick and mortar —is an architecture that is planned, designed, and constructed according to a precise program, sometimes pushing technology to its limits in order to create brand new degrees of expressive and spatial freedom. As in reality, this space can be occupied individually or in groups. Unlike physical constructs, however, video games can defy spatial logic and gravity, and provide brand new experiences like teleportation and ubiquity

As the mayor in the game, Player is able to design their own town and house, you may put in any personality and culture design you want to create your own town. It may be a brand new experience to player to design by using the limit space to build their own digital world in the game. For the moment you become the mayor of the game, you also become the architect and designer in this digital world. The town in the game is basely free to design by your own way. You always can plant as many trees and flower you want in anywhere, or you may build a small park or any public facilities for your villager or just make you town look beauty. Below is the image how player custom their own.

However, the house you own in the game is also able to custom by your own way. The house can be furnished with different types of items. The carpet and wallpaper can be changed out at will, and even a custom pattern can be installed on the floor or the wall. If you still have no idea about this, below is the image how players custom their own house. It is pretty much you can do whatever you want in your house and room, no matter you want to build a normal house, a church in your house, a museum for your digital painting, or just a creepy room to scare your visitor.

Time

According to Paola Antonelli’s ideas of the Time in game.

How long is the experience? Is it a quick five minutes, as in Passage? Or will it entail several painstaking years of bliss, as in Dwarf Fortress? And whose time is it anyway, the real world’s or the game’s own, as in Animal Crossing? Interaction design is quintessentially dynamic, and the way in which the dimension of time is expressed and incorporated into the game—through linear or multi-level progressions, burning time crushing obstacles and seeking rewards and goals, or simply wasting it—is a crucial design choice.

As she mentions that the time design in animal crossing is same as the real time, also the season will change while the season change in our physical world. The reason to design in real time system because it provide different experiences to player while also connects with their real life. It may be the interaction design how this game connects with our reality. Some of the holiday events in reality may happen in the game, too. But, I guess mostly are relative to the Japan traditional culture events instead American holiday event. Because I only have played the Japan version of Animal Crossing, I am not sure about the other version in different countries, but I am sure they will have Christmas and New Year Celebrate in every version.  The game experiences in Animal Crossing are very different in each season.  For sure, you can see how the season changing in different month, but you also may see the different insect and fish in each season.

Below is the image how the town looks like in different season. You can see green trees and Sakura flower in the town during the spring, the sunny and hot summer, the leaves turn yellow, then turn red in the fall, and full of white snow in town during the winter. One thing I want to mention, the season change in the game is very slow in its own pace. In the example of the winter, you may see a little bit snow fall down to your town in the early December, then you will see more snow fall down in the mid December, finally, you may see full of the snow in your town while the Christmas comes. It is just like the season change in reality in its own pace.

Aesthetics

The aesthetics are always important to art and the MOMA because the visual sense is the most common sense to people to understanding art and design. According to Simon Niedenthal, the game aesthetics refers to three parts:

1. -Game aesthetics refers to the sensory phenomena that the player encounters in the game.
2. Game aesthetics refers to those aspects of digital games that are shared with other art forms.
3. Game aesthetics is an expression of the game experienced as pleasure, emotion, sociability, formgiving, etc.

The aesthetics in the Animal Crossing: New Leaf can view in two ways: the aesthetics of the game and the aesthetics create by players.  As I mention the season in the game, we will always be able to see how the natural environment change by season in its own pace. The nature in this digital world has its own aesthetics just like the nature of our reality did. If you look at the image I post on top about the season of the game, you may see how those seasons look like. Some player may feel sensory phenomena to the change of the natural environment in the town they build. And, this art form of the nature is part of the game element belong to the game itself.

Also, as the designer and mayor of the game, we are able to create the aesthetics by building the town and house by ourselves. Custom the town or house in the game is not an easy work, sometimes it takes you all day to work on it. But, after you complete the job as a designer, you may feel a sense of achievement from your work. Although there are no perfect standards to argue what is art because art have too many forms. If we have thousands of people, we may have thousands of different views of art. But, the work you spend time to achieve and include your personal sense, style, and culture, it is definitely the art for you. We must feel the sensory phenomena by building this piece of art. It is also the experience that affects our emotions, you may feel either happiness, a sense of achievement, or tired of this experience. We may feel the aesthetics of our work, and sometimes it also effect other’s view no matter they like or dislike your art. Below is the aesthetics create by other players, and I also feel it is really a piece of art.

 

Behavior

According to Paola Antonelli’s ideas of the Behavior in game.

The scenarios, rules, stimuli, incentives, and narratives envisioned by the designers come alive in the behaviors they encourage and elicit from the players, whether individual or social. A purposefully designed video game can be used to train and educate, to induce emotions, to test new experiences, or to question the way things are and envision how they might be. Game controllers are extensions and enablers of behaviors, providing in some cases (i.e. Marble Madness) an uncanny level of tactility

The goal of the game is to provide and create an experience for the player. The simulation experience of everyday life in this digital world is the most important experience of gameplay. We have interaction between players and villager in the game, enjoy the event and nature beauty of the game. Also, we will mayor and designer of this digital world to create our dream land. Design is always the important element of the game, we are always presenting our culture, characteristic, or ourselves by making the design of the town and house. If you see the images on top, you may see the diversity of design that could happen in Animal Crossing, those players who design may not have a fancy degree of the designer, but they are definitely a designer of their own digital world. According to Paola Antonelli’s idea of design in modern world.

Design is truly everywhere, and design is as important as anything, and I’m so glad that, because of its diversity and because of its centrality to our lives, many more people are coming to it as a profession, as a passion, and as, very simply, part of their own culture.

As she mentions the design in our modern society can be everywhere, even though in game and digital world. Animal Crossing is providing this experience and a chance for us to be a designer.

Also, one of the important experience from the game is create communication between players or between the player and villager in the digital world.  As I mention before, the goal of the Animal Crossing is to create communication. The player is able to connect with friends by using the Online Connectivity. The player can visit their friends’ town, send a gift, exchange items, and receive help from them. Although the player’s town is individual with full of their personal characteristic and culture design, they are able to present those to friend by using this feature. That is one of the experience that Nintendo want player to enjoy about it. It is like after you wrote a long Facebook post, you may also want to post it and receive common or like from your friends.

Conclusion

         I believe the Animal Crossing: New Leaf should go to the MOMA collection because its space, time, aesthetics, and behavior in the game is definitely same as Paola Antonelli believe in video games. The interaction design of the Animal Crossing: New Leaf brings out the digital world connect with our physical world. We are no longer living in a world that is only physical, now we are living in the world that is physical but also digital. And the interaction between physical and digital is easy to see from Animal Crossing. Our player creates the digital world in the game and use this to interact with other player who is also living in the physical world, such like we visit a friend’s house, but this time we may visit their digital house. The communication between players cannot without the digital world which is like the bridge build with code.

Also, the design part of the game is important. Animal crossing: New Leaf provide the diversity of design for player while they also share their design in the physical world.  It is truly the interaction how this digital game influences our physical world, it will keep bringing as much as players being or becoming a designer of this digital world by presenting their personality and culture in this little screen from the 3DS. Animal Crossing: New Leaf has various elements as a game and as a digital world that provide opportunity and experiences to the player to build their dream house and town while a player may present their artwork to other player by internet.Animal crossing is a complicated and funny game that with various element, it is definitely belong to the MOMA. If you like the game,  you always can check out at amazon and bestbuy.

Reference

Simon Niedenthal. (2009). “What We Talk About When We Talk About Game Aesthetics.” InDiGRA 2009: Breaking New Ground: Innovation in Games, Play, Practice and Theory. [http://http://www.digra.org/wp-content/uploads/digital-library/09287.17350.pdf]

Paola Antonelli. (2013). “Why I Brought Pac-Man to MoMA.” TEDSalon NY2013. [https://http://www.ted.com/talks/paola_antonelli_why_i_brought_pacman_to_moma?language=en]

http://www.moma.org/explore/inside_out/2012/11/29/video-games-14-in-the-collection-for-starters/

https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%81%A9%E3%81%86%E3%81%B6%E3%81%A4%E3%81%AE%E6%A3%AE%E3%82%B7%E3%83%AA%E3%83%BC%E3%82%BA

http://www.primagames.com/games/animal-crossing-new-leaf/strategy/animal-crossing-new-leaf-10-game-changing-features

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animal_Crossing:_New_Leaf

http://animalcrossing.wikia.com/wiki/Animal_Crossing_Wiki

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chrono Trigger Should be in the MoMA

 

Background and Thesis

Crono

Chrono Trigger is a J-RPG originally made in 1995 for the SNES. It follows the story of the silent protagonist Crono. He attends the Millenial Fair in celebration of the year AD 1000. During the Fair, his friend Lucca demonstrates a teleporter that malfunctions while teleporting someone and inadvertently creates a time gate. Since the person being teleported fell into the time gate, Crono takes it upon himself to save and bring that person back.

The first time gate in the game.

However, after travelling through multiple different time periods, including the future, he finds out that an Apocalypse occurs in AD 1999 in which the world is destroyed by a being known as Lavos. As a result, it is up to him whether or not he can prevent that future from ever occurring.

 

The Museum of Modern Art currently holds a selection of twenty-one items that consists of video games and consoles, along with a number of other games on their wish list. As it turns out, Chrono Trigger, a game that I believe deserves to be in the MoMA, is included in this wish list of considerable games. If it has yet to be added because of certain doubts of it meeting the criteria for aesthetics, space, time, or behavior, I am here to solidify the reasons as to why it deserves to be included.

For this blog, I will be speaking specifically about the PlayStation edition of Chrono Trigger that was made in 1999.

Aesthetics

Aesthetics – Visual intention is an important consideration, especially when it comes to the selection of design for an art museum collection. As in other forms of design, formal elegance has different manifestations that vary according to the technology available. The dry and pixilated grace of early games like M.U.L.E. and Tempest can thus be compared to the fluid seamlessness of flOw and vib-ribbon. Just like in the real world, particularly inventive and innovative designers have excelled at using technology’s limitations to enhance a game’s identity–for instance in Yars’ Revenge (2).

According to Paola Antonelli, the elegance and graphics of a game are judged differently according to when it was made. As a result, Chrono Trigger can be considered to have very impressive aesthetics at the time. Still employing pixel art, the game is able to display vast worlds and characters that the player is able to easily distinguish.

Maps of the different time periods.

In addition to this, the game draws parallels to our own planet earth in order to allow it more of an identity, as compared to it being just an unknown world. This is done through the different time periods that the game allows the player to travel through. These periods include the prehistoric age that was inhabited by dinosaurs and cavemen, the middle ages that was filled with knights and castles, and the future that is taken over by sentient robots. Even without knowing these periods, the aesthetics of the game itself allows the player to distinguish the setting that he or she is in. This is further advocated by Simon Niedenthal in “What We Talk About When We Talk About Game Aethetics”. He states:

“Game aesthetics refers to the sensory phenomena that the player encounters in the game” (3).

Therefore, if a game is designed in a way that the player perceives the visual, aural, haptic, and embodied phenomena intended by the designer, it has achieved the game aesthetics criteria.

An image from the opening exclusive to the PlayStation version.

The PlayStation version of the game furthered these aesthetics by including animated cut scenes into the game. These cut scenes were made by the game’s artist Akira Toriyama, therefore they display how well the game’s aesthetics do at portraying the original art, despite the limitations in technology.

 

Space

Space – The space in which the game exists and evolves-built with code rather than brick and mortar-is an architecture that is planned, designed, and constructed according to a precise program, sometimes pushing technology to its limits in order to create brand new degrees of expressive and spatial freedom. As in reality, this space can be occupied individually or in groups. Unlike physical constructs, however, video games can defy spatial logic and gravity, and provide brand new experiences like teleportation and ubiquity (2).

Similar to how I explained the aesthetics, the space in the game reflects our own planet through the similar time periods. However, it goes beyond that with the elements of time traveling technology and magic. Both these elements add a new layer of depth to the game that goes beyond what the real world has to offer.  In addition to the spatial defying world that the game takes place in, the unique battle system also offered new perspectives in spatial design. The battles in the game are designed in an Active Time Battle (ATB) system. That means that each character has a timer gauge that when filled up allows the character to make a move. This has been implemented previously in Final Fantasy IV.

Chrono Trigger ATB take place directly on the field map.

Final Fantasy IV ATB take place on a separate battle screen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

However it differs from it, as well as other turn based RPGs, because this game has battles take place directly in the field map where they are encountered, as opposed to on a separate battle screen. The game also adds a unique layer of space by allowing the player to attack enemies according to their positions rather than a simple point and press attack. Therefore, the game advocates that the player take into account the surrounding enemies, how they are positioned on the map, and then choose a method of attack. This game introduced this immersive method of battle that allows the player more options in accordance to spatial freedom as opposed to other battle screens in previous RPGs.

Time

Time – How long is the experience? Is it a quick five minutes, as in Passage? Or will it entail several painstaking years of bliss, as in Dwarf Fortress? And whose time is it anyway, the real world’s or the game’s own, as in Animal Crossing? Interaction design if quintessentially dynamic, and the way in which the dimension of time is expressed and incorporated into the game—through linear or multi-level progressions, burning time crushing obstacles and seeking rewards and goals, or simple wasting it—is a crucial design choice (2).

Time is the main focus in Chrono Trigger. Changes throughout time have understandable effects. For example, the Grandfather paradox is a concept that is apparent within the game. By travelling back in time and preventing an ancestor from meeting their significant
other, they never have children, erasing their existence in the future. This can be accomplished in the game, but at the same time, it can be prevented. Therefore, every action through time in the game has a respectable cause and an effect. This idea is prevalent in the game. The dimension of time is clear, allowing the player free roam of the time periods. John Maeda states:

“As a genre, videogames take our minds on journeys, and we can control and experience them much more interactively than passively – especially when they are well designed” (1).

Physically, this game is around a thirty hour experience, but by giving the player the power to control how and when they spend that time is what makes this game’s quality of time unique.
This leads me to the final criteria.

 

Behavior

Behavior – The scenarios, rules, stimuli, incentives, and narratives envisioned by the designers come alive in the behaviors they encourage and elicit from the players, whether individual or social. A purposefully designed video game can be used to train and educate, to induce emotions, to test new experiences, or to question the way things are and envision how they might be. Game controllers are extensions and enablers of behavior, providing in some cases (i.e. Marble Madness) an uncanny level of tactility (2).

Any game can elicit some sort of emotion from the player, whether that be confusion, boredom, rage, or happiness. But it takes a well designed game to elicit a specific behavior onto the player. The behavior that Chrono Trigger induces onto the player is the realization of a changing future. Although influenced through the concept of time travel, Crono performs a multitude of events in order to change the future for the better. Since the player is in control of Crono, he is a reflection of what the player could do. In reality, he or she is not on a predetermined path. The players have

Bad ending to Chrono Trigger.

control of their own lives, holding the ability to forge their futures into whatever one they desire. This idea is supported by the fact that the world in Chrono Trigger parallels the one we live in. Therefore, it is easier to draw the connection between the player and game. The game itself also has several different endings, depending on what decisions the player makes. Which ending the player chooses will reflect their outlook on their future, whether that ending be a stop to the Apocalypse, or an acceptance of the ‘inevitable’.

Conclusion

Chrono Trigger serves to meet all of Paola Antonelli’s criteria for aesthetics, space, time, and behavior through its unique and innovative additions in game design. These elements contributed to the game becoming one of the greatest video games of all time. They should also be what gets it into the Museum of Modern Art.

References

1. John Maeda. (2012). “Videogames Do Belong in the Museum of Modern Art.” Wired Online. December 4.
2. Paola Antonelli. (2013). “Why I Brought Pac-Man to MoMA.” TEDSalon NY2013.
3. Simon Niedenthal. (2009). “What We Talk About When We Talk About Game Aesthetics.” In DiGRA 2009: Breaking New Ground: Innovation in Games, Play, Practice and Theory.

Antichamber and the MoMA: Questioning the Conventions of Design

Video Games and a Modern Look at Interactive Design

This entire course, we’ve been discussing whether video games can be or are already art.  While we haven’t answered that question definitively, ultimately I’ve come to a larger conclusion: it doesn’t matter.  While there are merits to the discussion of specific video games being considered art to our society, to determine whether the entire medium of digital gaming is art or not art is a foolish pursuit.

Paola Antonelli, the design curator responsible for bringing video games to the MoMA shares my view.  The debate over whether video games are/can be art is just not important in their larger context.  Video games are created to meet an end, sometimes that end carries an intentional message, sometimes it carries an unintentional one, but in each regard, video games are made by designers.  As Antonelli notes in her TED Talk:

“there’s this whole problem of design being often misunderstood for art, or the idea that is so diffuse that designers want to aspire to, would like to be called, artists. No. Designers aspire to be really great designers.”

Whether video games, or anything for that matter, are considered art is a varying definition based on current cultural and societal norms, what we see as art now by no means will necessarily be considered art even a year down the line.  But every object man-made and physical (and everything digital that is physically represented on a screen) carries some element of design interaction, and can be analyzed using a variety of design elements regardless of whether a particular society considers it to be art at that point in time.  This is the emphasis of Antonelli’s argument in her TED talk, and her justification for including this collection of games specifically in the interaction design section of the MoMA.  Where the previous consensus was that design was purely “cute furniture,” “posters,” and “fast cars” Antonelli wants to expand that definition to “everything that is around us in our life.”

Everything man made bears some element of interaction design, whether it is art or not.  Even this Chessboard, which some consider to have no artistic value (in the same way they say a video game wouldn’t) still bears elements of design.

So while everything man-made ultimately has some element of interaction design, what then makes design museum worthy?  Again, this is a subjective term that can be viewed differently to different societies, but I think in the most general definition, an object can be considered museum worthy if it has shaped people’s lives at some point in time.  What is specifically shown varies of course depending on the type of museum: in a history museum, there are objects that show us what shaped the world politically and socially, in art museums we see works that shaped the world culturally, and in the design section of the MoMA, we see works that have changed the way humans interact with the world around them.  In the context of video games in the MoMA, we see works that have changed how we interact with the digital realm: from the Magnavox Odyssey which combined digital graphics with an translucent print out the owner would put on their television screen to Eve Online which has its own massive digital economy ($18 million in 2014) backed by real world currency.  Antonelli further breaks down their criteria for a video game to be included in the MoMA into four categories: aesthetics, space, time, and behavior.

Surely however, the entirety of human interaction with digital gaming can’t be boiled down to just over 20 works?  While the museum has also noted several games it wants to include and that their collection, as Antonelli put it, “would have no gratuitous violence” I still see a gap in their lineup.

Antichamber: A First-Rate Example of Interactive Design

One game I think would make a fantastic inclusion to the MoMA would be a game I’ve previously written about for this course: Antichamber.  Antichamber is a self described “mind-bending psychological exploration game” which was released for the PC in 2013.  It’s received numerous awards and has been largely praised for its level design.  In my personal play though of the game, I was blown away at some of the puzzles this game presented and the way the game challenged me to rethink conventional game mechanics.  Unlike previous puzzle games I’ve played like Portal, where you seem to master the elements of the puzzles by the end of the game, Antichamber allows you to develop a sense of familiarity and then throws a new twist your way.  You’re always guessing what’s next, and despite the fact that there is essentially no story, you are constantly pushing to make your ways through each chamber.  I was amazed, enthralled, and perplexed all at the same time.

In regards to why Antichamber fits in the MoMA’s interactive design exhibit, I’ll again look at the criteria Antonelli listed for the included titles: aesthetics, space, time, and behavior.  After playing this game, I can honestly say that it approaches each of these criteria in a way that no game I’ve ever played or even heard of has. If you haven’t played the game, take a second to watch the above trailer, so you’ll get a sense of what I’m talking about. Now let me explain further:

The Aesthetics

The first element of applied design that Antonelli mentions in her talk is “aesthetics”. Now as with Antichamber, I (along with the rest of the class) have covered aesthetics before, but the definition of aesthetics we’re dealing with here is slightly different.  Previously we’ve looked at scholar’s like Simon Niedenthal who saw aesthetics in a larger perspective, encompassing the “sensory phenomena that the player encounters in the game,” the “aspects of digital games that are shared with other art forms” and the “expression of the game experienced as pleasure, emotion, sociability, formgiving, etc.”  I personally like Niedenthal’s progressive view of aesthetics as more than than the classic view of aesthetics as purely the visuals of a game.  This classic definition is what Antonelli uses here, and although I find this to be an outdated definition, it is valuable when evaluating design and she justifies it well:

Visual intention is an important consideration, especially when it comes to the selection of design for an art museum collection.  As in other forms of design, formal elegance has different manifestations that vary according to the technology available.  The dry and pixelated grace of early games like M.U.L.E. and Tempest can this be compared to the fluid seamlessness of flOw and vib-ribbon.  Just like the real world, particularly inventive and innovative designers have excelled at using technology’s limitations to enhance a game’s identity–for instance in Yar’s revenge.

Antichamber has a truly unique graphical style, with a very geometrical world that uses splashes of bold contrasting colors on the mostly white walls to further its puzzle design.  The game is built upon the Unreal Engine 3, which is the basis of several other popular games such as the Batman: Arkham and Assassins Creed series that have much more photo realistic graphics, so it is clear that the graphical style we see here is quite intentional.  It ultimately adds to the challenge of the game greatly, often allowing doors and passageways to hide in almost plain sight among many other visual tricks.  I was reminded of a style of abstract art, in many ways challenging the conventions of what video game aesthetics have been.

A Non-Euclidean Space

Next, Antonelli tackles the “space” video games (or any design element we are examining) allow us to explore.  Unlike physical objects, digital design allows us to experience space in a way not possible on Earth.  As Antonelli puts it:

The space in which the game exists and evolves–built with code rather than brick and mortar–is an architecture that is planned, designed, and constructed according to a precise program, sometimes pushing technology to its limits in order to create brand new degrees of expressiveness and spatial freedom.  As in reality, this space can be occupied individually or in groups.  Unlike physical constructs, however, video games can defy spatial logic and gravity, and provide brand new experience like teleportation and ubiquity.

Antichamber’s “Art Gallery” where the laws of physics go out the window.

Antichamber completely throws euclidean space out the window, with physics that are completely outside of the realm of possibility in the physical universe or games attempting realism, employing numerous impossible objects throughout the game world.  An notable example early in the game is a room you enter that is seemingly an art gallery of interesting objects in glass cases, except that from each side of the case, an entirely new object appears inside.  There are many more times where Antichamber makes you think outside the box in order to progress. I’ll save you the details as I hope you’ll decide to give this game a shot, but simply put: the laws of physics don’t entirely apply in Antichamber.

Running out of Time?

Another important criteria the MoMA placed on games it was adding to their collection was their use of “time” as a design element.  In this case too, Antichamber stands to be quite unique.  Antonelli explains the importance of time as an element of interactive design:

How long is the experience?  Is it a quick five minutes, as in Passage?  Or will it until several painstaking years of bliss as in Dwarf Fortress?  And whose time is it anyway, the real world’s or the game’s own, as in Animal Crossing?  Interaction design is quintessentially dynamic, and in the way in which the dimension of time is expressed and incorporated into the game–through linear or multi-level progressions, burning time crushing obstacles and seeking rewards and goals, or simply wasting it–is a crucial design choice.

To start, when you begin the game, there is the ubiquitous game clock in the Antichamber, counting down until god knows what.  When you finally reach the end of the countdown (note, this link contains a spoiler), your entire perspective of the goal of game is changed in a way that makes you rethink many of the puzzles (that you at least think) you’ve already solved.  Antichamber also approaches time progression in an unconventional manner with the reset of all game elements every time you return to the titular “antichamber” (which serves as a hybrid main menu, map, progress indicator, and just out of reach view of the “exit door”).  Returning to this game is a main element of many puzzles, but every time you do so, your progress in the rest of the world is completely reset, and you can only return to chambers you’ve visited before as a means of progression.  Unlike many games which feature a linear gameplay and save points, in Antichamber, you always start off in this antichamber, and can jump around to certain puzzles and pathways when they’ve really tried your patience.  It really helps with keeping you interested in the game, as you realize not every pathway is meant to be discovered from the beginning, with time and a gain in knowledge (or an upgraded block gun) you can return to satisfyingly conquer a challenge you once found impossible.

Behavior in the Chamber

The last criteria examined is “behavior”, which is the way that the player acts within the confines of the game.  Behavior is what Antonelli describes as the “core issue of interaction design” and I strongly agree.  The fact that video games push you to behave in a way (using a controller in this case) that further’s their progression is what gives meaning to their stories and challenges.  It is you performing the actions that are seen on screen, and you are much more attached as a result.  Antonelli describes behavior as:

The scenarios, rules, stimuli, incentives, and narratives envisioned by the designers come alive in the behaviors they encourage and elicit from the players.  A purposefully designed video game can be used to train and educate, to induce emotions, to rest new experiences, or to question the way things are envisioned how they might be.  Game controllers are extensions and enablers of behaviors, providing in some cases (i.e. Marble Madness) an uncanny level of tactility.

“When you look beyond the surface, there may be more to find.”
This is a sign you come across in the game that describes Antichamber perfectly.  There are over 100 signs that all feature messages.  Whether these messages should be interpreted in the context of the game or your own personal life is up for you to decide.

In Antichamber, your behavior is quite different than in other games.  Your only control element other than movement is a “block gun” that shoots and sucks up blocks in different manners depending on which gun you have (again, this video contains spoilers), so both movement and the placement of blocks are the primary focuses in puzzle solving: a simple step to the left or placing a block one square higher can make all the difference in progressing to the next chamber.  Over time, you learn to work within the physics of the Antichamber world, guided all along the way by various signs that either give you a subtle clue as to how to solve a puzzle or a cheeky quote as to how the puzzle you just solved has a greater meaning.  Antichamber dictates your behavior in a way I haven’t seen a game do before; the rules and physics it presents develop you to approach these puzzles in an entirely new way.

 

Antichamber as a Part of the MoMA’s Collection and Video Games as a Part of Others’

Like other works that have been included in the MoMA, Antichamber is a game that truly changes how one interacts with the digital realm in the context of aesthetics, space, time and behavior.  Through Antichamber, you are able to immerse yourself in a world that is truly like any other (including those in other video games), and that to me is the pinnacle of superb video game design.

Ultimately however, while I am saying that Antichamber belongs in the MoMA, I would not go so far as to say that the works in the MoMA are the definitive collection of video games.  I personally disagree with a few of their criteria, first and foremost the inclusion of violence.  While I understand this is apparently a taboo in the art world, I think that violent video games have impacted design just as much as both their non-violent counterparts and other physical objects that are designed for violence (such as the  previously mentioned Beretta), and should be included in exhibits on design.

This style of arcade cabinet was particular popular in bars, which ultimately has an impact on how the player experienced the technology.

I also disagree with Antonelli’s point that video game paraphernalia shouldn’t be included.  While not really the case for games like Antichamber, I think games like Pac-Man and Space Invaders should have been included in their arcade form (notably the tabletop variant seen here) where I believe the physical element also had an impact on our interaction with the digital world.

Lastly, I think their inclusion of only video games was a relatively limited view of software interaction design.  A vast amount of software other than video games have also changed the way we interact with technology.  John Maeda, of Wired Magazine, who wrote an article in support of video games in the MoMA, also mentioned that “after videogames, MoMA should consider the categories of mobile apps and productivity applications for its future collections.”  I completely agree, especially when the lines between video games and simulation software can be blurred these days.  I feel that software, like Adobe Photoshop or Microsoft Excel (and most importantly early versions of these) that has had a significant impact on the way we interact with computers should also be included.  Maeda also mentions mobile applications “Clear” and “Solar” which are just a few great examples as how software is becoming more design oriented.  Especially in the age of the Internet of Things, software is going to play a pivotal role in the way we interact with the world around us.

Overall though, I am glad to see collections like this in the MoMA appear.  Hopefully in the years to come, we will see more museums featuring video games of a variety of criteria, (e.g. a museum of music featuring a collection of what they consider to be superb video game soundtracks).  MoMA is in the right mindset though, everything around us should be analyzed in the design elements that it is comprised of, whether a piece of work is “art” matters not.

 

Sources

Antonelli, Paola. Why I Brought Pac-Man to MoMA.
TED Conferences, May 2013. Web.

Maeda, John.  Videogames Do Belong in the Museum of Modern Art.
Wired Online, December 2012.  Web.

Niedenthal, Simon. What We Talk About When We Talk About Game Aesthetics.
Digital Games Research Association, 2009. Web.

“Welcome to Pandora, kiddos”

This is Pandora, where your lives in Borderlands 2 unravels.

When have you ever seen a First-Person Shooter (FPS), covered with cheeky humor and vibrant shade of colors? I certainly have not seen one. Until I enter Pandora for the first time. You may still be fighting for your survival, but it is not all run-and-gun, kill a thing and move on. In Pandora, you often can find some jolly instance where blowing up a wild beast can be something fun, or even just watching tiny human-like enemies gets themselves killed is an enjoyment of its own. Here is where Borderlands 2, a game developed by Gearbox Software and published by 2K Games, inc. separate from most other warfare FPS titles. Where simple shooting and getting mission is not your entity, but simply a railway for your fun train to ride on.

The Art of Sims 3

We have discussed the question if video games are art or if they could possibly ever be considered art by high-brow critics. Since we, as a society have not reached a conclusion, and I am nowhere near an accomplish art critic, I will be discussing how Sims 3 can be artistic. Let’s begin, shall we?

What is Sims 3?

Sims 3 is a life simulation game. It allows the player to go about everyday situation and activities like cleaning, cooking, and making friends through the means of their avatar. This allows the player to, quite literally, escape their reality and create their own new fantastical reality. The game was few limitations. In fact, the player can even use cheats to break the Laws of Physics to create houses that cannot be built otherwise. You can make your avatar of different species or have magical powers. You can be insanely rich or romantically involved with everyone in the town. Really, if the player is skilled or has enough knowledge of how to modify the game, the possibilities seem to become endless.

Why are simulation games important?

Simulation games are being heavily used for educational and training purposes. As technology continues to soar its purposes become hugely diversified. The simulation genre allows for safe and controlled environment, which is the optimal for learning without having to deal with the dangerous and unknown outcomes of real-life hands on experience.

Simulation games allow the player, who is playing for fun instead of learning (warning: learning may accidently occur) to create. The world they make is a passive one and the player has complete control of the Sims. Though the algorithms of the game have some control, they really stand in for the rules of the game because they are the limitations. The player’s control creates a sense of pride with completion of tasks and goals. The game also serves as a medium easy manipulated by anyone. Houses and Sims are easily made and the variables of options seem to be endless. Simulation games allow for direct positivity, which is not easily achieved in reality.

But it seems that this simulation isn’t very game-y…

So how is it a game?

Jesper Juul dissects the pervious definitions giving by thinkers in Half-Real: Video Games between Real Rules and Fictional Worlds and creates his own called the “Classic Game Model”. He begins by defining the example of a simulation game as a “borderline case”.

1. Rules: Regarding economy, careers, ambitions, skills, and social structures

2. Outcome: Few specified outcomes. Leaves the player to decide

3. Value assigned to outcome: The outcomes are left open to the player and what they wish to achieve

4. Effort: The player actually has the choice in allowing the avatar to play out its life, with some limitations. The player must set up the avatar, and if they want them to live, give them the basic tools like a fridge and toilet. Otherwise, the Sim will die and the game will stop.

5. Attachment: Whatever happens is to some extent the players fault, but this is loosely defined.*

6. Consequences: The consequences differ player to player depending on the investment emotional or time wise.

*His definition exactly, no need to change.

So, following Juul’s definition of a game, Sims 3 is indeed a game. Meaning, we can move along with the argument that games can be artistic.

What is art?

Art has always directly represents a culture, no matter how big or small. The artwork stands as a thought or feeling that a member of that culture is experiencing. Art has “a strong antecedent identity, that one could tell [it] apart from ordinary things” (130, Danto). There is something within us that says “that is art, that is not” and that is influenced by those in a power position. Like in Becker’s art worlds, it takes groups of individuals at different levels of authority to define a piece as art. Critics, the people with the most power when defining art, start with the authorization of art. While the creators and audience can also say if they believe a piece is artistic, but their voice holds less authority.

How is Sims 3 artistic?

Part of the Sims series has already been defined as art when critics and curators put the game in the Museum of Modern Art. Sims is in the MOMA under four elements: aesthetics, space, time, and behavior. If Sims falls under all four of those categories as worthy for the MOMA, that should mean that Sims 3 does too because it just has additions to the original game; Sims 3 evolved from Sims and there are very few differences besides updated graphics and new additions.

So what are Sims 3 artistic elements?

Aesthetics: The game’s style is closely related to that of the Pixar creators. The shading and drawing of the Sims and other parts are realistic, but still comfortably cartoonish. The makers of the game didn’t try to force a realistic look to the game, because that would not fit the feel of the game. The feel of the game is fantastical; not at all realistic. It adds to the

We all wish it was this simple.

comedy and real fun of the game. Sims 3 also allows the player to replicate many artistic mediums in the virtual world. The player becomes an architect or interior designer of their own world. The “Ambitions” expansion pack allows the Sims to be literal artist—tattoo artists, a designer, or a painter/sculptor (seen in first picture) top.

Space: Obviously, space is a huge part of the game. The player creates the space and use of space. Sims 3 on the PC allows the player to create their own town—the roads, lights, where the commercial building and residential buildings should go in order to create a social city center. The space is easily manipulated and individual to the player.

Time: I, and I’m quite sure others, have spent many hours playing this game. Each time you play it you can choose do play it a different way. Do you want to design a huge house with a perfect flow? Or make your Sim the Leader of the Free world and spend the whole time gaining skills? Either way, it’s going to take a while. Also, the Sim go about their lives aware of the time; they have to go work on time and so on.

Behavior: Sims 3 allows the player to test the limits of their imagination–that is the game’s main purpose. And this leads to many different outcomes, some that are hilarious and some that are a bit demented.

Game as a Medium:

One of the most interesting parts of the players of Sims 3 is their creations of Machinima. One particularly interesting works that I found was “Towers”. The film follows the thoughts of the female protagonist as she either fantasizes or remembers her meeting and starting a relationship that seemingly fails (like many Sim relationships do). The film uses shots that are used in films we see today. There are overall themes of loss, disappointment, and chances not taken that are illustrated through the body language of the Sims. The creator even uses weather to show time past. It is obvious that the film is very thought out and probably took a long time to produce. I cannot think of a different medium or “canvas” that allows the “artist” (really player) to create art from their previous creations.

Conclusion:

       Sims 3 is my favorite game. Hands down. I am able to play it in any mood I find myself. In fact, I think I played it so much that now I have to wear glasses. I love the fact that the Grim Reaper shows up when one of the Sims dies and then the cat can negotiate to bring him back to life. That’s insane and it’s fantastic!  I love that people are able to create and share their work. Machinima, like “Towers”, even comes out of it which becomes a whole other genre. This is a whole new canvas that anyone can create and participate in. It is art that produces art and I can’t think of another example of something else that accomplishes that.

 

 

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References:

1. Antonelli, Poala. “Transcript of “Why I Brought Pac-Man to MoMA”” Paola Antonelli: Why I Brought Pac-Man to MoMA. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Dec. 2015.
2. Danto, Arthur C. “The Art Of Meaning.” An Introduction To Meaning And Purpose In Analytical Psychology (1988): 237-50. Web. 14 Dec. 2015.
3. Juul, Jesper. “Half-Real: Video Games between Real Rules and Fictional Worlds.” Mit Press, n.d.
4. “MoMA.” Will Wright. The Sims. 2000. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Dec. 2015.

 

Portal is Art and it Belongs in the Museum of Modern Art

Portal is a 2007 first-person puzzle game created and released by Valve Corporation for Windows, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3. It is considered art because it engages players emotionally, gets them invested in the outcome of the game, has a narrative, and is visually appealing. Portal is currently on display at the New York Museum of Modern Art’s Applied Design collection along with 13 other games. It is rightfully in the collection due to its unique game design which involves the use of portals to create new spaces and to solve puzzles.

Opposing views:

For the past couple of decades videogames have been the subject of an ongoing ‘art versus not art’, debate. The continuous pattern of dialect has been whether the sole purpose of video games are to provide entertainment or if they should be taken into serious consideration within the realm of art.

The video game showing at MoMA has been an achievement for Paola Antonelli (senior curator at MoMA), her colleagues, and the world of video games. However, displaying the 14 games in the Applied Design collection has brought a lot of criticism about whether they should be in the museum at all.

Aperture Science Weighted Storage Cube

According to Jonathan Jones, art critic for The Guardian, “A work of art is one person’s reaction to life…it has to be an act of personal imagination…[with games] there is no artist, and therefore no work of art.[1] His idea of art and artworks is that they must have one singular artist whose personal views are represented in the work. However, it’s important to realize that it’s possible to have shared authorship, a concept explained by author Howard Becker in Art Worlds and Collective Activity, “All artistic work…involves the joint activity of a number, often a large number, of people”.[2] Sharing the authorship of a game is a common trend within video game design; wherein the persons employed by the game design company share the authorship over the creation of the work because they all played an equally important role in the production of the game. Thus, the game design company would essentially be viewed as the artist of the work.

Portal:

Portal is a first person puzzle game that involves puzzle solving through the use of teleportation via an Aperture Science Handheld Portal Device, commonly referred to as a portal gun. The main character of the game is Chell, a female test subject in the Aperture Science Laboratories-Computer Aided Enrichment Center, or Aperture Science for short. During the first half of the game Chell is tested in various test courses with minimal instruction from GLaDOS (Genetic Lifeform and Disk Operating System) an Artificial Intelligence entity. Chell later realizes that unless she attempts to escape the facility, she will be exterminated by GLaDOS.

Aperture Science Handheld Portal Device

 

Dynamics:

Chell’s primary tool/weapon is a Portal gun that shoots a blue portal; which is used as an entrance; and an orange portal, which is used as an exit to the blue portal. Chell can launch portals towards walls that are made out of specific materials and use them to teleport herself or objects to different regions of a room. The game also uses unique physics that allow Chell to gain momentum when she jumps directly into a portal from a high platform, ultimately being able to cover longer distances of space.

Some of the puzzles Chell has to solve often involve getting an Aperture Science high energy pellet (or energy ball), which is released from a launcher, onto a catching mechanism to open doors and to raise, lower, and activate platforms in order to advance to further levels. The use of weighted storage cubes and a weighted companion cube are also used to complete test courses by weighing down heavy duty super buttons to open doors, or to climb on to higher platforms. The cubes can also be used against enemies at different levels of the game.

Throughout the game GLaDOS continuously challenges Chell to complete all the test courses with an end reward of cake and counseling.

Storyline:

The game’s storyline is ambiguous and humorous throughout the first half of the game as it is difficult to understand what GLaDOS’ true intentions are. However, at level 16 of 19 it becomes apparent that GLaDOS plans to kill Chell when she is led to a test course filled with Turrets, small android robots armed with laser machine guns and an apparent endless

Turret

supply of ammunition. The game then becomes more sinister, as Chell begins to notice writings on the walls that are cries for help and passages denouncing the credibility of GLaDOS.

During the second part of the game, Chell is able to escape the test rooms and go into lab offices and back rooms, eventually reaching GLaDOS at which point she must attempt to disintegrate her.

Why it is Art:

Art has been defined as the “application of human creative skills and imagination, typically in a visual form…producing works to be appreciated primarily for their beauty and emotional power”. [3] By this definition Portal can be considered art since it’s presented in visual form and is the product of the creative skills and imagination of the game designers at Valve Corporation. The uniqueness of its dynamics and visual appeal of its graphics are appreciated by players, creating emotional experiences within them.

Even when analyzing the definition of a game, specifically Jesper Juul’s Classic Game Model the importance a game’s effect on its audience is clear.

1.Rules: The rules of the game have to be sufficiently well defined…that    players do not have to argue about them every time they play.

2.Variable, quantifiable outcome: the rules of the game must provide different possible outcomes.

3.Valorization of outcome: Some of the possible outcomes of the game are better than others.

4.Player effort: The players’ actions can influence the state of the game and the game’s outcome.

5.Player attached to outcome: The emotional attachment of the player to the outcome.

6.Negotiable consequences: A game is characterized by the fact that it can optionally be assigned real life consequences. [4]

More specifically, the player’s valorization of certain outcomes within the game lead them to consider the game more thoroughly and to select the outcome that is best for their game play experience. For example, this can be the player choosing where to place portals throughout the game. Closely tied is the player’s efforts to advance to the next test course of the game and how much time and effort the player is willing to invest in order to ultimately pass the game. And also, how the player becomes emotionally attached to the outcome; what the game play experience will ultimately represent to them.

Another way Portal is art is in considering the aesthetics of the game in accordance to Simon Niedenthal’s definition of what game aesthetics refer to:

• The sensory phenomena that the player encounters in the game.

• Those aspects of digital games that are shared with other art forms.

• An expression of the game experienced as pleasure, emotion, sociability, formgiving, etc. [5]

The visual and aural sensory information that players get from Portal, for

GLaDOS

example, where the story takes place. The mostly white rooms that are representative of a lab setting where every now and then the player will run into eerie notes written in red liquid, calling for help. Or the malevolent feedback they get from GLaDOS as Chell continues to defy her expectations and successfully solves each puzzle, are all part of the game aesthetics that make Portal art.

writings on the walls

 

The similarities that Portal has with other art forms is another reason it is art. Like art, Portal was also made through the creative skills of people, with a narrative, for audiences to ponder.

And lastly, the pleasure that Portal brings to audiences that engage in it and the form that is given to the game by the players is another reason it is art.

Why it belongs in the MoMA:

Portal is on exhibition in the Applied Design collection of MoMA which is distinct from its fine arts collection. The reason for this is the role that video games play in interaction design. Paola Antonelli and her colleagues aimed to show various qualities of the games such as the aesthetic experience, the code that forms the games, and the dynamics of the game which determine the behavior of the player within the game and overall the quality of the interaction design of the games.

More specifically, Antonelli used 4 elements of interaction design to assess and present the collection which are; Behavior, Aesthetics, Space, and Time:

Behavior
“The scenarios, rules, stimuli, incentives, and narratives envisioned by the designers come alive in the behaviors they encourage and elicit from the players…A purposefully designed video game can be used…to induce emotions, to test new experiences…”. [6]

Essentially the element of behavior can be extracted from the dynamics and mechanics of the game. The attributes that the game possesses; solving puzzles, avoiding death, and escaping Aperture Science through the use of the Portal gun and weighted cubes. As well as, the ways that all of these actions are able to be completed such as the code, controllers, and platform; Windows, Xbox 360, and PS3. Although, Antonelli has made it a clear point that the exhibition aims to present the games in the clearest form possible, thus eliminating any paraphernalia which may cause nostalgia; such as the consoles and physical game copies. In the end displaying the game against a blank background with, the controller; which is essential to experiencing the game; and the code, which is what the game is made out of.

In Portal, the game designers’ most unique added characteristic was the use of teleportation using the Portal gun. This was an important factor for Antonelli and her colleagues in deciding to add it to their collection because not only was it uncommon and original, but it allowed them to bring in a game which is arguably centered around a gun, that is not used for killing; it does not contribute to gratuitous violence. Equally important to understand, according to Antonelli is that, “…when you see a gun, it’s an instrument for killing in the design collection. If it’s in the art collection, it might be a critique of the killing instrument”,[7] thus providing another reason Portal is art.

Aesthetics
“Visual intention is an important consideration, especially when it comes to the selection of design for an art museum collection. As in other forms of design, formal elegance has different manifestations that vary according to the technology available. The dry and pixilated grace of early games like M.U.L.E. and Tempest can thus be compared to the fluid seamlessness of flOw and vib-ribbon. Just like in the real world, particularly inventive and innovative designers have excelled at using technology’s limitations to enhance a game’s identity—for instance in Yars’ Revenge.”[8]

According to Antonelli’s criteria of aesthetics, the overall visual quality of Portal was analyzed when being admitted to the video game collection. This would be the graphics for its time, the use of colors to relay ideas; for example, the vast use of white to indicate a lab setting or a neutral area, whereas red and darker colors were used in the game to indicate danger and frightening behavior of the A.I. and her army of robots.

Aperture Science Enrichment Center

Space
“The space in which the game exists and evolves—built with code rather than brick and mortar—is an architecture that is planned, designed, and constructed according to a precise program, sometimes pushing technology to its limits in order to create brand new degrees of expressive and spatial freedom…Unlike physical constructs, however, video games can defy spatial logic and gravity, and provide brand new experiences like teleportation and ubiquity.”[9]

The most extraordinary use of space within Portal is teleportation. The use of portals to teleport the character from one space to another, regardless of where the portals are placed is what the game is most known for. The game allows the player to even place portals next to each other on the floor, from which Chell would then be falling in and out of in a continuous loop. The uniqueness of the game due this dynamic is undoubtedly a reason Portal is in MoMA and why it is art.

Time
“Interaction design is quintessentially dynamic, and the way in which the dimension of time is expressed and incorporated into the game—through linear or multi-level progressions, burning time crushing obstacles and seeking rewards and goals, or simply wasting it—is a crucial design choice.”[10]

In the essence of time, Portal is primarily a linear game which the player progresses through as they successfully complete each test. However, it can also be considered a mutli-level game as the beginning of the game is spent going through the test courses in the Enrichment Center, while during the latter part of the game the player spends their time finding an exit from the building; and in the final level of the game, the player must defeat GLaDOS.

What’s unique too, is that although the game is relatively short and can be passed within one day with practice, a new comer may take days or even weeks to solve the puzzles, depending on their effort and how invested they are on the outcome.

In conclusion:

Portal is a unique game that possesses qualities from both the video game and art worlds. It attracts audiences with its composition of graphics; its narrative—its characters, their roles and their significance to the player. The dynamics and the ability to create new spaces and contemplate new ideas. The requirement to solve often challenging puzzles. And overall the emotional response that it evokes from its audience is what defines Portal as art.

 

Notes

[1] Jonathan Jones, “Sorry MoMA, video games are not art,” The Guardian. http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/jonathanjonesblog/2012/nov/30/moma-video-games-art

[2] Howard Becker. (1982). “Art Worlds and Collective Activity” in Art Worlds. Berkeley:University of California Press: p. 1.

[3] Art, ­Google, https://www.google.com/search?q=art+define&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8

[4] Jesper Juul. (2005). “Video Games and the Classic Game Model” in Half-Real: Video Games between Real Rules and Fictional Worlds. Cambridge: MIT Press: pp. 37-44.

[5] Simon Niedenthal. (2009). “What We Talk About When We Talk About Game Aesthetics.” In DiGRA 2009: Breaking New Ground: Innovation in Games, Play, Practice and Theory. http://www.digra.org/wp-content/uploads/digital-library/09287.17350.pdf

[6] Paola Antonelli. (2015). “Video games: 14 in the collection, for starters.” In MoMA. http://www.moma.org/explore/inside_out/2012/11/29/video-games-14-in-the-collection-for-starters/

[7] Paola Antonelli. (2015). “Video games: 14 in the collection, for starters.” In MoMA. http://www.moma.org/explore/inside_out/2012/11/29/video-games-14-in-the-collection-for-starters/

[8] Paola Antonelli. (2015). “Video games: 14 in the collection, for starters.” In MoMA. http://www.moma.org/explore/inside_out/2012/11/29/video-games-14-in-the-collection-for-starters/

[9] Paola Antonelli. (2015). “Video games: 14 in the collection, for starters.” In MoMA. http://www.moma.org/explore/inside_out/2012/11/29/video-games-14-in-the-collection-for-starters/

[10] Paola Antonelli. (2015). “Video games: 14 in the collection, for starters.” In MoMA. http://www.moma.org/explore/inside_out/2012/11/29/video-games-14-in-the-collection-for-starters/

 

Flappy Birds in the MOMA

Have you ever played a game that was so simple, yet very difficult at the same time? Flappy Bird is that type of game that will challenge your skills and patience. The game was created in 2013 by a Vietnamese developer and published by Gears Studios. It became the most downloaded free game in the Apple ITunes store and Google Play, in early 2014. The object of the game was to fly a bird between two cylinders by tapping the screen. The bird would sink if you did not tap the screen to make it fly, so the player has to have really good timing and control to precisely fly the bird between the pipes. Passing through each pipe would give you a point and hitting any object would end the game immediately. If your score was lower than ten, you would get no medals. But if your score was between ten and twenty then you would get a bronze medal. Silver medals were given if you scored between twenty through thirty, gold medals were giving from thirty to forty, and platinum for scores above forty. There is no variation to the game, the pipes remain the same distance throughout the game play and no end besides achieving the highest score. The game is simple, but it is very  difficult at the same time like the developer intended it to be. It is a day and age where video games are becoming more and more complex. According to Jesper Juul, Flappy Birds would fit right into his model of classic games because it includes rules, variable outcome, player effort, etc. Flappy Birds is very simplistic and easy to play therefore I believe it should be in the Museum of Modern Arts(MOMA).

Flap Flap Flap

The Museum of Modern Arts has acquired a selection of fourteen video games to add to its’ Applied Design collection. The exhibition includes video games like Pac-Man, Flow, Tetris, and The Sims that features its original version of the code, but some people believe that video games should not be next to Picasso and Van Gogh. These people are wrong because including video games in the MOMA collection will be best thing to happen in the exhibit. An artist uses the oil paintbrush to create the artwork on a canvas just like video games are played on mediums, which is not important. But what is important is the code itself and how it was created internally. “What we want, what we aspire to, is the code. It’s very hard to get, of course, but that’s what would enable us to preserve the video games for a really long time, and that’s what museums do. They also preserve artifacts for prosperity.” So the code and design of the game is important and video games should be able to co-exist alongside incredible artwork like Picasso and Van Gogh. In the next few years, the Museum of Modern Arts is hoping to expand their Applied Design collection and I believe Flappy Bird would make a great fit because of its originality and design.

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Aesthetics
“Aesthetics are really important…So the kind of interferences that you see here that look like beautiful barriers in the game are actually a consequence of the processor’s limitedness, which is fantastic. So aesthetics is always important.”

Flappy Birds uses a similar background like the ones you see in Super Mario Brothers. The blue sky, clouds and green pipes gives players a sense of familiarity because of the visual similarity to games that we are familiar with.  The aesthetics are very simple with bold colors to make important figures pop, so it does not blend into the background. So you can focus on the Flappy Bird and flap in-between the green pipes. The aesthetics are so simple that it is reproducible like the many that were recreated after Flappy Bird’s eventual removal, but none could imitate the original version.

Super Mario Brothers

Time
“The way we experience time in video games, as in other forms of interaction design, is really quite amazing. It can be real time or it can be the time within the game, as is in Animal Crossing, where seasons follow each other at their own pace.”

In the game, the seasons do not change nor does the time. So the time in the game is not relative, but what is relative is the time it takes to play one session of Flappy Birds. This game was intended for players who are always on the go and wants to enjoy a quick game to pass by time. One session can take anywhere from one second to a minute at most, unless you are really good at flying a bird through green pipes then it can take a few minutes. The game was invented for those who are too busy to play games like Angry Birds or Clash of Clans throughout the day. So to kill time, they can play Flappy Birds for a few seconds, which can turn into minutes after a few tries. This game is also great to kill time when they are waiting in the doctor’s office or in-between schedules because it is so simple and quick. I believe that is what makes the game enjoyable, from its simplicity and time it takes to play one session.

Space
“So is space, the spatial aspect of games. You know, I feel that the best video games are the ones that have really savvy architects that are behind them, and if they’re not architects, bona fide trained in architecture, they have that feeling. But the spatial evolution in video games is extremely important The real core issue of interaction design is behavior. Designers that deal with interaction design behaviors that go to influence the rest of our lives. They’re not just limited to the interaction with the screen.”

Pass the green pipes to score

The game is a 2-Dimensional space where you can tap the screen to move upwards to avoid the green pipes. In the game the space is limited, but the interaction you use with the space you have is crucial. Players have to maneuver in-between two long green pipes without touching them or else the game is over.

Behavior
“The real core issue of interaction design is behavior. Designers that deal with interaction design behaviors that go to influence the rest of our lives. They’re not just limited to our interaction with the screen. In this case, I’m showing you Marble Madness, which is a beautiful game in which the controller is a big sphere that vibrates with you, so you have a sphere that’s moving with this landscape, and the sphere, the controller itself, gives you a sense of the movement. In a way, you can see how video games are the purest aspect of interaction design and are very useful to explain what interaction is.”

Flappy Birds has a specific sound or tune when you tap the screen of your smart phone. There is another tune when you score by maneuvering through the pipes. These two tunes are uniquely different sound that you are able to distinguish between flying upward and when you score. The sounds and visual effects helps you get into a rhythm with the game. Personally, the rhythm has not been in my favor because my scores are all low. But for others, it is very helpful for them to hear and see the effects so players become involved in the game and try to achieve a high score.

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Early 2014, the developer decided to remove the game from the ITunes app store and Google Play, due to the rise in legal tensions with Nintendo with Flappy Birds being too visually similar to Super Mario Brothers. The removal of the game caused a huge outbreak of people selling their personal smart phones with the original game on it to be sold for a thousand dollars or more. People who did not download the game could not get the original copy anymore and that led to a high demand for the video game.

The removal also cause a huge spawn of remakes and copycats of the original game. Games like Sesame Street’s Flappy Bert, Flappy Birds Family, and my very own creation Happy Flappy Turtle. The game was removed at the pinnacle of its success and many developers, like myself, tried to recreate that magical game. My version, Happy Flappy Turtle, was aesthetically better and has great sound effects that keeps your mind engaged on the game, in my opinion. Sadly, like all remakes, it failed to do one thing, which was to capture players with it’s familiarity and difficulty that tested the skill of many players. The coding behind game is incomparable, but it made the game very simplistic and very hard to fly upward through the green pipes at the same time. Remakes of Flappy Birds did not succeed like the original. The copycats of the game failed to appeal to players who demanded the game and flopped compared to Flappy Birds. People still want the original version of Flappy Birds, not the counterfeit. In conclusion, I believe Flappy Birds should be in the Museum of Modern Arts Applied Design exhibition, due to the popularity, design, simplicity, and unique form of its coding where no other developer could duplicate.

 

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References

• http://www.moma.org/explore/inside_out/2012/11/29/video-games-14-in-the-collection-for-starters/
• Antonelli, Poala. “Transcript of “Why I Brought Pac-Man to MoMA”” Paola Antonelli: Why I Brought Pac-Man to MoMA.
  https://www.ted.com/talks/paola_antonelli_why_i_brought_pacman_to_moma/transcript?language=en
• Jesper Juul. (2005). “Video Games and the Classic Game Model” in Half-Real: Video Games between Real Rules and Fictional Worlds. Cambridge: MIT Press: pp. 37-44. https://catcourses.ucmerced.edu/courses/3484/files/folder/Resources?preview=96044
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Mario_Bros.
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flappy_Bird

Making it into the MOMA

For this final blog of ours, I kept thinking what would be the best game to be considered to be put into the MOMA. Of course I to go through the games I have played ever since I was a little kid. The game I finally came across was FromSoftware’s  “Dark Souls”. Those not familiar with the game may ultimately see the game as usual hack and slash which is pretty much a game that has your character kill enemies, while allowing more emphasis on the combat aspect. Those who have played the game know of how famous it is for its grueling difficulty as a game. The game itself though is more than a usual hack and slash as it creates in itself a genre of games that rely on skill rather than button mashing. The game itself is a spiritual successor to a previous game called Demon’s souls but has made itself a name that many gamers have come to know. My reason for choosing Dark Souls rather than its spiritual predecessor, successor, or even sequel is due to the game’s world. The game itself seems dependent on describing what makes your character human which in itself speaks volumes by how we choose to play the game. Though I could talk more about this I will leave it at that and continue to describe it within the behavior of the game. Its narrative alone would be able to give insight into the behavior of the game which John Maeda would agree on. I’ll explain the story in the next part.

What is Dark Souls?

To understand how this game belongs in the MOMA we must first know what the game is. The game has been found to have a sort of minimalistic plot which does drag the game down at all due to the hidden lore you find within playing the game. Basically, your character is part of a group of people who are undead but eventually try to follow a story in which every npc has been known to have heard. The story is that as the chosen undead you have to rekindle the first flame to continue the “Age of gods.” Along the way you will come across plenty of unique enemies along with npc’s who appear to be on some sort of quest similar to yours. As you progress through the game, you begin to learn more and more about the people you have met along with your goal. Eventually you will come to a final decision within the game which will be to sacrifice yourself to continue the age of gods which you have come to known as being grueling world that has people suffering or begin the dark age. The dark age which you come to know by the end of the game as the “age of humans.”

Co-op gameplay

The definition of a good game is therefore “one that teaches everything it has to offer before the player stops playing.”-Raph Koster

The Game’s Behavior

Unlike most hack and slash games, this game requires a more subtle approach when playing. If one were to run into an enemy in dark souls and just start mashing the attack buttons you learn to understand that you are wasting stamina for each hit. If you ever seen gameplays of the game you would note that the game requires specific timing to attack rather than wasting all of your stamina. Once your stamina is depleted your character suffers from penalties that allow movement and actions requiring stamina to really leave you wide open to incoming attacks. Basically it’s best to run the game being more cautious than ever as enemies have varieties of attacks that range from magic to poison. Also where games that utilize a more damage dealing approach, it is sometimes best to stick with weapons that are instead lighter and fast so that dodging or blocking can be used to shield yourself from damage. The way the play plays the game is b all means there own choice but tactics must be change on the fly when playing dark souls. A way they allow you to do this is through the use of switching your stance when fighting. You could hold a shield and weapon or two weapons in each hand, but with a simple press of one of the buttons you put your offhand weapon away in favor of using your primary hands weapon with 2 hands. Now you might ask yourself, how and why is this important? Allowing to be able to switch two hand would work similar to how it would seem in real life. Two hands means more force can be applied making damage stronger but losing the opportunity to use your off hand for any other purpose. What also is pretty unique about the game’s behavior is how they deal with multiplayer. Essentially, multiplayer in this game has pvp and cooperative elements. For those who are unaware of the term “pvp”, it refers to the mode of players competing with other players and in this case it is by invading their world. Invasions tend to happen anywhere but some place are more likely to have it happen do to the areas intended purpose. This is odd as invasions allow for the play to invade any person’s world in the similar area to battle them to obtain humanity as well as rewards. Humanity is needed to utilize any multiplayer elements within the game. This can happen at anytime though and may come up as an ambush of sorts. Cooperative play works in a similar manner but requires the player to set up a marker asking for help so that a play could join you. The person of course who joins you is random and most likely will not be a friend of yours. This is purposefully made just to resemble an aspect of life in some way. The game itself has ups and downs with the player succeeding eventually similar to how in life the only way to get through would be to play it smart or learn from our mistakes. Raph Koster himself would agree with these words on how it makes it a game and a great one at that. The random cooperative players that join you as well as ambush you show an aspect of life with the people you meet. Some might be knowledgeable about the area while others are as lost as you. Those who ambush you want something from and in their actions forsaken their humanity(which you actually need to have in-game) to bring you down a peg. One last important thing about behavior is how the game teaches you about your decisions. Of course how we play the game is what I am getting at. Besides the way we fight, there are decisions that we can choose to do when meeting up with npc’s. When we meet them we could attack them but that eventually lead to consequences making us think before we act. For example there is a character within the game who tempts you to free him and in doing so will help you in a boss fight. Of course this sounds great but you begin to learn that he wishes to harm innocents. He eventually kills a very helpful npc without you knowing. The game like many others has decisions and way to go about the game giving it more freedom than most but forces us to be cautious when making these decisions.      

… “a narrative replaces the act of physically getting you from point A to point B. A narrative that you, the player, gets to drive and live through until it’s game over. This is where videogames become an art-like act of “personal imagination.”-John Maeda

The Game’s Aesthetic

The game’s looks and feel can both be described as eerie and unique in away for a fantasy genre placed in the dark ages. The areas that the character visit all have different themes that create different challenges. As you explore, many of the places are dimly lit to give a sense of caution and confusion that one slip can result to a sudden death to force you to restart . Places that you find in the game look old and decaying giving a notion that this place existed for possible hundreds of years while its survivors are slowly losing their insanity one by one. That these places were once ruled by great rulers who once settled within these lands but then left to dust. Little is known about the place you come across, no narration or sign to tell you anything about where you are in the game. Many of the enemies look like they’re straight out of a nightmare,like mimics in the game. In many fantasy genre games chest contains an assortment of loot and gear to progress, but sometimes a chest can be placed in the weirdest areas and players don’t think twice about opening them. Mimics are monsters disguised as chest but simply opening them can end to a quick death. Mimics in this game are unique compared to other games similar to this genre. Instead of the generic mimic that is just a chest that just hops around and has a giant mouth inside. Mimic in this game have long slender bodies that pop out of the chest and elongated tongues when provoked. Npc’s in the game also create the feel for the game through various dialogues. Many of the characters that your character interacts with have a sense of hopelessness. A npc named the

A mimic in Darksouls

“Crestfallen Warrior” is met when making to Lordran which if it hasn’t been said yet, is the setting of the world. Even in his name it is obvious to see that this npc is already in despair. In this world he is clearly one of many people who have an outlook into the world which adds to that feeling of despair. Though their is one outcast amongst the sorrowful undead his name is “Solaire of Astora”. This particular character is not affected by the state of the world he’s in and is the most iconic character in the game.

The Game’s Space

Within the world of Dark Souls, space is a big part of the game. As the game doesn’t throw the story on you, it allows for the player to go about the world in search of the story. Exploration within this game is key as it allows for better loot while also having an understanding of how the world in which your character is in. Along with this is how every dungeon is built. Most places are built in a way that causes it to be dangerous slowing the pace of the game. Sometimes purposely place items tricky into believing that without hesitation its simple to retrieve an item yet there is always another way. Besides the exploration there is also the combat aspect in which space is useful. When battling a monster space allows the player to be aware of his surroundings and without knowledge of that space one may find a trap or enemy hidden away in a corner. It also allows for battle to be fought more or less favorably. For example, a small alleyway would hinder you due to the lack of movement capable within the area allowing enemies to encircle you or keep you away from an enemy’s weak spot. While a big open area allows for more movement and more options for attack.

Conclusion

It is due to these aspects that I believe Dark souls has a chance of getting into the MOMA. The game itself has also led to many inspiration within the gaming world such as Bungie’s Destiny, Lords of the Fallen, as well as the game Shovel Knight. The MOMA might see violence as something they must clearly go against, but similar to how Paola Antonelli describes why a beretta could fit into the MOMA and Dark Souls in its own way is a critique about life and its struggles.

“>“So when you see a gun, it’s an instrument for killing in the design collection. If it’s in the art collection, it might be a critique of the killing instrument.”-Paola Antonelli

 

References

John Maeda. (2012). “Videogames Do Belong in the Museum of Modern Art.” Wired Online.December 4. [http://www.wired.com/2012/12/why-videogames-do-belong-in-the-museum-of-modern-art/]

Koster, Raph. Theory Of Fun for Game Design 2ed. New york: O’reilly, 2013. Print.

Paola Antonelli. (2013). “Why I Brought Pac-Man to MoMA.” TEDSalon NY2013. [https://http://www.ted.com/talks/paola_antonelli_why_i_brought_pacman_to_moma?language=en]