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.
1 Comment
Terry
29/3/2024 13:04:12
Michael this is a well-written, persuasive post on why we should hold the art of game design in higher esteem! 🙂
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