Paola Antonelli: Why I brought Pac-Man to MoMA
In this fascinating talk held last month, Paola Antonelli, Senior Curator of Architecture and Design at MoMA, discusses her passion for game design, which titles were added to MoMA’s collection last year, and why she’s determined to obtain codes to preserve games for the future.
Five things we learnt at the Games Journalism Debate
On 29 May at BAFTA HQ, we were joined by Keith Stuart, Leigh Alexander, Kieron Gillen, Guy Cocker and Jon Hicks to debate the issues surrounding games journalism. Here are five key points that came out of the discussion:
1. It’s not just what you write about, but how you write it
Whatever topic or game you’re writing about, the panel stressed the best way of standing out is to find your own original style and unique viewpoint on things.
2. Write, write and write some more
Jon Hicks explained that when he’s sees job applications, he expects people to be “fully formed.” As Leigh Alexander stated, “don’t promise you can write, show me what you’ve written.”
3. Find ways to avoid writing traps
While the complex history surrounding games journalism and PR companies has been well documented, the panel said there are always ways to avoid certain pitfalls and to write from a different angle. The challenge is to “outsmart the product cycle.”
4. Online criticism has the potential to be liberating
When Keith Stuart brought up the issue of negative feedback on Twitter, Alexander described it as giving her more freedom in her writing. Knowing that people will “always find aspects of my work to criticise”, she feels it gives her license to write about whatever she wants.
5. Always have a Dictaphone handy
Hicks stated that some of his best insights have come from casual conversations he’s had with game developers that have led to revealing insights. He suggested keeping your ear to ground and a Dictaphone close at hand.
You can listen to Guy Cocker’s video games podcast, which discusses the Games Journalism Debate, on www.guycocker.com.
Ken Eklund: Transmedia Q&A held at BAFTA
On 2 May, BAFTA were joined by Ken Eklund, Nina Steiger & Robert Pratten to discuss the concept of interactivity, collaboration and “authentic fiction” in games.
In 2007 Eklund created World Without Oil, an interactive game where players had to imagine what would happen if oil supplies ran out. This idea of addressing a social problem and asking participants to discuss possible solutions drives Eklund in each of his projects. By posing ‘what if?’ questions, Eklund hopes that a “qualitative change in people’s live” can be brought about by experiencing one of his games.
His last project Ed Zed Omega explored the concept of education. Described as a “collaborative thought experiment”, six high school students were cast as drop outs. They would play these characters online, explaining their reasons why they had decided traditional education wasn’t right for them. Online audiences would be able to interact with them through Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr, giving a voice to those most affected by the education system. It is this collaboration process which gives his game their “authentic fiction”, with multiple players driving the narrative.
Stating that games can be a “force for social good”, it is evident that Eklund is exploring new ways of engaging audiences. Through his work, he hopes to ultimately develop social change through stimulating debate about the biggest issues that society faces.
To find out more about Ken Eklund’s latest projects, visit his website www.writerguy.com.
Keep up to date with all the latest BAFTA Games news and events on BAFTA.org.
BAFTA and Warner Bros. to support new Prince Wiliam Scholarships in Film, Television and Games
This morning we launched the Prince William Scholarships in Film, Television and Games supported by Warner Bros. The scholarships will assist talented people in need of financial support to study a post-graduate course in one of the three industries.
Noah Hughes: Big Questions
The Creative Director of Crystal Dynamics (Tomb Raider, Legacy of Kain), discusses how his career began as a summer job, the importance of working your way up the industry ladder, and why Zelda is the game that influenced him the most.
Game Developer Q&A: BioShock Infinite
On 11 March 2013, BAFTA welcomed the creative director and co-founder of Irrational Games Ken Levine to discuss his company’s latest game, BioShock Infinite. The Princess Anne Theatre at 195 Piccadilly was jam-packed with people eager to hear Levine’s thoughts on storytelling, character development and taking risks in games.
In the first half of the evening, Levine gave a presentation outlining his main aims for BioShock Infinite. He stressed the importance of “emotionally connecting gamers with the characters”, something he sees as a hallmark of the BioShock series. Levine then showed the complex process of creating the range of emotions for the AI Elizabeth; from voice actress Courtnee Draper taking her role to new emotional extremes (watch the video here), to footage showing motion-capture actress Heather Gordon getting Elizabeth’s dance movements exactly right.
In the second part, The Guardian’s Simon Parkin interviewed Levine on how his career in gaming developed, and what advice he could offer to those trying to stand out in the industry. Levine was keen to emphasise the good fortune he has had in his career. First, his discovery that he had a gift for writing, “a feeling like finding out you could surf for the first time”. Secondly, the opportunity he got to work on Thief: The Dark Project having never written for games before.
However, he also underlined that new developers must be willing to work incredibly hard: “an important part of a developing game designer is a desire to learn the un-fun stuff, to love every process of creating a game”. Responding to a question on writing from an audience member, he suggested that it’s very rare that “you get a great idea out of nowhere. It took us four months of talking before I wrote BioShock Infinite over two drafts”.
As the evening drew to close, Levine began to speak more generally about Irrational Games’ main aims to never compromise on ideas, themes and storytelling. It is clear that their latest game BioShock Infinite will be taking his company’s mission to its most ambitious point to date.
A podcast of this event is available to listen to on BAFTA Guru.
The BAFTA Podcast #7: At The Games Awards 2013
Whether you’re an old-school gamer or just curious about what’s going on in a rapidly evolving industry, you’ll find food for thought in this new episode. We sent host Dave Green backstage at the British Academy Games Awards to chat to the makers of XCOM: Enemy Unknown, Dear Esther, FIFA 13, Clay Jam and more. Along the way he bumps into avid gamer Jonathan Ross, who offers some thoughts about a winners list dominated by innovative indie titles. Recorded on 5 March 2013.
