VIDEOGAMES: Design/Play/Disrupt
Its fair to say the current computer games and gaming is lost on me. The last computer console i actually brought was in 1997 when I brought a limited edition see-through blue N64 that came with Zelda: Ocarina of Time. To this day I still think Zelda, Goldeneye, and Star Wars: Rouge Squadron are the best games I’ve played. Its probably from a nostalgic point of as as I’ve rarely played on any new consoles apart from FIFA 19 on the Xbox. In fact its been so long that the N64 is now starting to become ‘retro’ and i imagine the N64 will follow the same path as the NES, SNES and Sega Master System where you can buy a miniature version of the original console but with loads of games on it.
Speaking of retro games, on a recent trip to Amsterdam I popped into a place that combined craft beer and food with retro arcade games called the Ton Ton Club. The neon lit bar had numerous pin ball machines, shoot ‘em ups, driving games and a stack of old board games. After my fix of retro nostalgia, I reminded myself i needed to get down to the V&A as the video game exhibition ‘VIDEOGAMES: Design/Play/Disrupt was on and ended at the end of February so i booked my ticket pretty sharpish.
Im kind of glad I booked my tickets in advance as once i got to the V&A they were turning people away as it was sold out. Once i was in, the place was rammed. I had to queue 10 minutes to get into a position to read the opening introduction to the exhibition. Admittedly i didn’t do much research on this exhibition as i though it would be afternoon of playing retro games and finding out more about the cultural impact and inner history of some of the most well know video games ever created etc. This wasn’t the case, the introduction informed me that it was only concentrating on a selection of games from the last couple of years and how technology such as broadband and also social media effects game design and how these elements have forged game designed into an art form. In a way i was a bit disappointed but then again i was quite intrigued to to learn and get an insight to gaming in the 21st Century as i was still stuck in 1997.
The first half of the exhibition focused on eight different video games named Journey, The Last of Us, Bloodbourne, Splatoon, Consume Me, Kentucky Route Zero, the Graveyard (Tales of tales), and No Mans Sky. Each game not only brings its own innovations in design but also how it effects the gamer emotionally. The combination of big budgets, countless hours of research, even more hours coding, writing musical scores, character development, script development, scene development, and a splash of artificial intelligence all contribute to the release of a game that can only compare to a block buster movie. I was taken back by the eye watering sums of money and passion that game studios put into to making modern video games, however the finished article is nothing short of incredible. The stunning visuals of backdrops and landscapes that urge you to explore, the music scores that create the mood, and the addictive story lines that keep you playing were all there to see from initial idea through to the release of each game. As mind blowing as the first half of this exhibition was there was one particular fact from the game ‘No Mans Sky’ that was particular interesting in that due to an AI algorithm, players are free to roam a universe, which includes over 18 quintillion planets! Thats right, quintillion. Mind blown.
The second half shone light on examples of how violence, sexism, racism, ageism and all sorts of other isms can effect video game development and how cultural boundaries are pushed by studio heads and developers in their own words. But by far the most interesting aspect of the exhibition, which was a running theme throughout, is how the evolution of the internet has played a pivitol role in the social gaming explosion by connecting (sometimes anonymously) people from all over the globe to the point where stadiums and arenas are sold out to simply watch gamers play and battle it out live.
As much as I’d like to continuing playing my N64 and sticking to what i know, I can’t help but feel I’m missing out on this gaming phenomenon that has been developing in the ether. How much is a PS4 again??
Although the exhibition has now finished i’m glad I managed to catch it.