Why don't we see game designers as artists? We call musicians artists, movie directors artists, artists artists. Why not game designers? They usually stay hidden in the shadows, but is this because the games take centre stage or because gaming is not really respected as an art form? By Michael Games can take years to design and develop, just like a novel or a music album. Animal Crossing: New Horizons, for example, took eight years to finally be released. Top level game designers are not only thinking of entertainment. They want players to have the best experience possible, socialize with others in an engaging way and maybe even learn something about life. As the developer of Metal Gear Solid Hideo Kojima states in a New York Times interview, “you will attempt to bridge the divides in society and in doing so create new bonds or ‘Strands’ with other players around the globe. Through your experience playing the game, I hope you’ll come to understand the true importance of forging connections with others.” Game designers who create games set in historical contexts also need to learn about history so that they can make their games as realistic as possible. For example, the Assassin's Creed games take place during events like the Peloponnesian War and The God of War series is based on the rivalry between Athens and the Spartans. Gaming has come a long way as an art. We can go all the way back to the first generation of games like Tennis for Two, a simple couch co-op game for two friends to play together, that was released in 1958. It was designed by William Higinbotham and Robert Dvorak and surely they should be seen as pioneer artists when we think about how gaming has developed since they showed the world what was possible. Photo by Ivan Mercado on Unsplash They had the vision and modern day developers have taken this to a whole other level, adding more and more complex layers and creative decisions about things like: the size of the game, the graphics, cross platform use, compelling narratives, realism and fantasy elements, and how they can make the player feel empathy for the characters. And it works. Players really feel sad when someone like Arthur Morgan dies in Red Dead Redemption.
Art forms take time to develop, but hasn't gaming arrived by now? Modern day games are on the same level as other kinds of art and why would people might argue with this? Is it because there is so much negative talk all the time about games being a bad influence on children or turning people into couch potatoes? But they are separate issues. Maybe it's time we challenged our misconceptions about gaming and game designers.
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Heading into this year's ISSEA Drama and Visual Arts Festival, the vibe was a mix of excitement and nerves. ISSEA Drama and Visual Arts is different from other ISSEA events in the sense that it is not a competition. We are there to contemplate each other's artistic and theatrical creativity and skills, before working together to unify them in one last piece. By Sharlen This year the festival was hosted by the International School of Kenya. The Lions are a very welcoming and beautiful community, providing us with unforgettable experiences. As a Drama student, the moment of stepping on to the stage and showcasing our piece was a real test of nerves. Yet we went there and performed to the best of our abilities, although we missed a couple of lines from our script. In that crunch moment, teamwork shone through. We improvised and turned a potential flop into a standout moment, and it felt...awesome. After the performances, we headed to our workshops to experiment with new forms and interactions. I got to "fly" in a drama workshop, experiencing a whole new level of artistic expression. It's something I'd never done before, and it was exhilarating. Plus, exchanging ideas with people from different cultures and artistic backgrounds in a setting outside of our normal school routines was a priceless experience. What stood out during the ISSEA fest were the performances and art from other participants. It was like a showcase of the best young talent around, each piece or performance more impressive than the last. It was inspiring to see what people can create when they're passionate about it. In one of the performances the students navigated through “parallel realms” by exploring different cultural dances and how they often alienated from each other, denying us access to new "realms" of thinking and feeling about life. It was fascinating to watch the artwork evolve throughout the festival. You could see the progress - the shifts in creativity and skill - right before your eyes. It was a testament to the power of learning and experimenting in a supportive environment. And let's not forget the food—it was incredible. Nothing bonds people quite like sharing good meals, and ISK provided it in spades. As the festival drew to a close, the final drama performance showcased everything we'd picked up over our time there, such as the "fly", storytelling modes and dance "realms" from the workshops. It was a powerful demonstration of skill, creativity, and learning, leaving everyone in awe of what had been accomplished in such a short time.
The ISSEA Drama and Visual Arts Festival was an incredible event to be a part of. Despite the initial uncertainties and the sleepless start, it was a whirlwind of creativity, learning, and amazing food, which proved to be a fantastic opportunity to meet other young artists, learn from them, and be inspired by their work. Like all my fellow participants, I can't wait for the next one! Reporting by Ashton and Connie Grade 8 students got to grips with intertextuality as they produced creative interpretations of Shakespeare’s play Macbeth. As part of a unit called Why Shakespeare? developed by Mr. Nick and Mr. Rui, students explored the play Macbeth. They discussed and analysed the written play and the movie, while additionally answering the question of whether or not international students in 2023 should be studying this kind of “classic” literature. Macbeth is a story about a brave warrior that receives information about his fate from witches. He essentially uses that information to form his own fate, causing chaos for himself, and others around him. Students were asked to produce an intertextual piece that conveys a deep understanding of the play, meaning an interconnection between 2 or more texts that are creatively interpreted. “My aim with this intertextual project was to give everyone the freedom to explore and any prompt from the play that intrigued them and to take it wherever they wanted to take it” said Mr Rui. “We should celebrate our individual interpretations and have the space, freedom and validation to explore them and express them. That's what education should be about in my view.” The G8 learners certainly made the most of this space and produced various remixes of the Macbeth story, such as:
The variety of student products was a sight to behold and made for a compelling series of presentations. It turned out that most students were turned on to Shakespeare’s 400 year old story. “We got to gain another, deeper level of understanding of Macbeth and Shakespeare's writing”, said one of the students, Laia. “It’s the stories that count.” Reporting by WadanaVisual art learners in Grade 10 are exploring the Unit “Off The Wall”. This is an inquiry into the emotional effects and social changes of murals. To start off the unit, 10th graders were invited to consider placement, subject matter, responsibility for their mural ideas, and research on muralists and murals. Nevertheless, you are bound to find fascinating artwork when walking around school. When asked about the purpose of the fish mural in front of the Math block, the muralists say “This is where the 10th Graders reside, thus, we believe painting a fun animal, a giant fish, with a patterned background using our school’s color will build on to our grade’s spirit!”. Muralists responsible for the mural in the tunnel which connects science and math blocks say “We decided to add color to a dark tunnel, to give it that sense of light and you look at lots of different pieces from different artists. Then you learn about them and expand your own knowledge. Which can spark some interest in art for people”. Other groups have similar statements and opinions about this unit and their work. Everyone collectively agrees that this unit is an opportunity to create a spiritful environment on our campus. |
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