Whilst trying to build a background knowledge of video game theory, I stumbled across Jesper Juul's book Half-Real, which serves as an introduction to the difference between the rules we abide by in reality with the fictional aspect of video games. In companion to his book, there is a website dedicated to the themes and definitions he alludes to in the book:
http://www.half-real.net/
From Juul's theories, it seems that what we would be trying to create is a form of 'abstract game,' whereby our main protagonist will abide by the 'rules' of the real world, but is not placed in a fictional, game-like environment. What we aim to maintain is a real life narrative of a character who is on a journey of some sort, and all the video-game stuff will just be a small part of that journey. My initial idea was that the journey would be to retrieve something, and the most relevant thing, to me, is his video game collection. We'll see.
Thursday, 17 March 2011
Development
Ok, so now it's time to further explore what it is that has really inspired me with this project. So far, we know that we want to make a video that introduces a brief history of video gaming with a contemporary, linear narrative. We have also briefly discussed the video games that we think we could plausibly include in this. If it were purely up to me, I think the contenders would be:
1980s:
1980s:
- Pong
- Pacman
- Tetris
- Space Invaders
1990s:
- Street Fighter
- Doom
- Sonic The Hedgehog
- Super Mario Bros.
2000s:
- The Sims
- Football Manager
- Call of Duty
- Halo
Sonic's chaos emeralds: Well if it was worth a journey for him..?
I think that all of these games have some kind of iconography which we could realistically work into a real-life narrative. Whether it's a Chaos Emerald from Sonic, Mario's hat and moustache, Ryu of Street Fighter's headband, the first person viewpoint in Doom, I think it could be realistic. Whilst trying to cover various aspects and concepts used in these games, it will be important to maintain a sense of narrative, so we can't let some of the more difficult/questionable conventions get in the way. This may prove an obstacle when approaching something like Pong, which is so pixellated or from such a specific perspective that some improvisation may be best advised.
Drafting
It's the first week of drafting for our practical project, and our group has begun exploring possible ideas as to what to produce. As usual, the three of us have been full of ideas, and we bounced them off each other quite well. It's good to be part of a group where you feel you can voice your opinion.
My initial idea was with all of the projects I've been a part of to date at UWE, I think it's important to try and challenge the definition of what it is we've been asked to do. With this project, the brief itself is rather broad, and almost simply has to relate to ideas and discussions we've had with Web Media in mind, in a produced form.
The initial idea was obviously that most people would make a website, but within our group, we quickly established that we like the idea of video games and how they might relate to the theoretical side of things. Foremost, we are intending to make some sort of interactive video, but with our limited skills in Flash and all of the programs needed to make things work, it may prove difficult.
The key elements to make the video game idea work will be in how we present them in relation to reality. We have established that we think all of the iconography and a sense of exemplifying where the games we choose lie in relation to the timeframe they were released is important. As long as the viewer/user/whatever it is we decide the audience is can easily recognise what it is we're trying to represent, I'll be happy.
With the video itself, I thought it might be a good idea to start off with everything quite blocky and choppy, as if it's of a low pixellation, and as the games move through history, the 'definition' becomes clearer. But this might turn out awful, we'll see. We've spent some 'research time' on watching some bizarre Russian(?) animations on Youtube which pit video game/film characters against eachother in stick-man style fights. I could get used to this...
Next week we are aiming to have a definitive proposal, but for now, I need to put my thinking cap on. Not long until we have to present our ideas to the group.
My initial idea was with all of the projects I've been a part of to date at UWE, I think it's important to try and challenge the definition of what it is we've been asked to do. With this project, the brief itself is rather broad, and almost simply has to relate to ideas and discussions we've had with Web Media in mind, in a produced form.
The initial idea was obviously that most people would make a website, but within our group, we quickly established that we like the idea of video games and how they might relate to the theoretical side of things. Foremost, we are intending to make some sort of interactive video, but with our limited skills in Flash and all of the programs needed to make things work, it may prove difficult.
The key elements to make the video game idea work will be in how we present them in relation to reality. We have established that we think all of the iconography and a sense of exemplifying where the games we choose lie in relation to the timeframe they were released is important. As long as the viewer/user/whatever it is we decide the audience is can easily recognise what it is we're trying to represent, I'll be happy.
With the video itself, I thought it might be a good idea to start off with everything quite blocky and choppy, as if it's of a low pixellation, and as the games move through history, the 'definition' becomes clearer. But this might turn out awful, we'll see. We've spent some 'research time' on watching some bizarre Russian(?) animations on Youtube which pit video game/film characters against eachother in stick-man style fights. I could get used to this...
Next week we are aiming to have a definitive proposal, but for now, I need to put my thinking cap on. Not long until we have to present our ideas to the group.
Introduction
Hello world.
I realise it's quite late to begin my blog now, but I have maintained documentation of what it is that I'd like to share with you. So I know the timestamps of posts will be off, but it's better late than never.
Basically, for anyone who accidentally stumbles across this, this particular blog is dedicated to my participation in a group project for part of my University course at UWE in Bristol, England. The particular project is in my Web Media module, in which me and my colleagues Abi and Amy are trying to re-imagine the conventions of videogames and intertwine them with reality, all in a lovely something-minute video package. But I'll explain that later.
Adam
I realise it's quite late to begin my blog now, but I have maintained documentation of what it is that I'd like to share with you. So I know the timestamps of posts will be off, but it's better late than never.
Basically, for anyone who accidentally stumbles across this, this particular blog is dedicated to my participation in a group project for part of my University course at UWE in Bristol, England. The particular project is in my Web Media module, in which me and my colleagues Abi and Amy are trying to re-imagine the conventions of videogames and intertwine them with reality, all in a lovely something-minute video package. But I'll explain that later.
Adam
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