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I’m talking at this 12 months’s GDC, and the speak shall be one thing of a sequel to GDC 2010’s “Theme Is Not Which means” (which was the lecture model of two Recreation Developer columns I wrote earlier that 12 months). I reconstructed the speak from my slides and the recorded audio right here:
In 2010, I argued that we have to cease assuming {that a} recreation’s theme offers its which means and, as an alternative, that which means comes from the mechanics themselves. Since then, I’ve seen many individuals level out that we must always cease referring to a recreation’s setting as its “theme” because the phrase “theme” ought to have a much wider, and extra vital, which means than whether or not a recreation is about “historic historical past” or “an alien invasion” or no matter. Ideally, after all, a recreation’s setting ought to mesh effectively with its theme, however we have to cease conflating the 2 by being careless with our language.
This time round, I’m tackling whether or not our video games truly succeed at addressing their true themes and, moreover, if now we have any thought what we’re doing as recreation designers. To be blunt, I’m swinging for the fences with this speak, am in all probability going to get out over my skis, and [feel free to suggest other sports-related disaster-prone metaphors in the comments]. So, if you wish to see me doubtless crash-and-burn (or possibly pull it off), come to Room 2016, West Corridor, on Thursday at 4:00. Hope to see you there!
Official GDC Description:
https://schedule.gdconf.com/session/you-have-no-idea-how-hard-it-is-to-run-a-sweatshop/893596
Can video games educate us about our ourselves? Can a recreation be a press release in regards to the world? Can we design video games deliberately or by chance?
This speak addresses these questions and far more—together with Voros McCracken, Ottoman fratricide, fancy hats, Le Corbusier, nuclear holocaust, Mt. Rushmore, and the 1994 Caribbean Cup. Come learn how onerous it’s to run a sweatstop. Keep for a hopeful and skeptical have a look at methods to make video games that say what we would like them to say.
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