The Importance of Story in Finishing Your Game

Over the past few weeks, I’ve come to appreciate the value of story in games from a different perspective.

I’m not writing this blog post to argue what aspect of a game is more important. Of course, gameplay is what makes a game a game, even though many game experiences don’t have gameplay at all, and even though the measurement of “fun” is still debated among critics. My games focus on visual design first, for that’s the first thing most people see in screenshots and video, and if a game doesn’t look good or unique, then really, what’s the point of making it for pubic release against a sea of millions of other games? Music is the most elemental way to create emotional ties and memories, and can make a game more accessible when designed the right way. And story gives the player context, and gives them reason to press forward, to play for just a few minutes longer.

But these are common observations from a player’s perspective. What about from a developer’s perspective?
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Are Video Games Really Art?

It’s silly that I felt the compulsion to write my own opinion on whether or not video games can qualify as forms of art. Even after almost two decades of convincing arguments in favor of it, one can still find new articles written by seemingly everyone online bringing up the argument; few people are still against classifying games as art, so these arguments are likely brought on by people wanting to make a point, even if it means making the point to an inanimate brick wall. The reason I bring up the subject now (in 2018) is because, by chance, I was able to attend a local academic symposium dedicated to whether or not games are art, and examples of their role in society. While I thoroughly enjoyed the event and learned a lot from viewpoints I typically don’t get a chance to converse with, the conference actually took me a step backwards in my thinking rather than forwards towards their thesis.

Should games be shown alongside paintings?

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“True King” Development – Painting The World

It’s been over two months since my last post… I’m slacking off!

Of course, I haven’t slacked off at all, I’ve just been busy. As far as game development goes, I’ve just about finished painting the landscape textures for “True King,” and made some discoveries along the way.

The Kingdom is in sight...

The Kingdom is in sight…

 

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