Fulcrums for the Mind

I am going to start using this blog more as a muse on the nature of video game design and production rather than an investigation of fractal concepts. Note that I will most likely continue to mention fractals here and there, as I feel strongly that the nature of fractals is inextricably linked to game theory.

As our little game progresses (mySims for those who don't know what I am working on), we are starting to see some very profound developments in terms of overall message and theme. I was having some interesting discussion with our lead designer about the nature of feedback from a game system and the unique educational possibilities that emerge from the unique relationship between player and game. Here is what I believe to be an important excerpt from that conversation:

"I think games have the power to be compelling and enlightening beyond the point of anyone’s wildest expectations. “Karma” is an extremely sublime concept, but it is true and real and exists in a very real sense, on a personal, societal, and universal level.

Real life karma comes in a few flavors, depending on how spiritual you are willing to go, but, at the most grounded, personal level, it exists as an internal pressure that comes from inherent recognition of morality in our choices. When we do bad things (destructive, chaotic), it poisons us from the inside, making us feel worse about ourselves and further disconnecting us from future choices (I have a theory that all chain-reactions are either positive or negative feedback loops. True self-regulation is generally temporary). This has the effect of introducing additional chaos and decay into our lives. On the other hand, when we do good things (constructive, orderly), it enforces order internally as well, which increases our ability (and, I would argue, tendency) to maintain balance and further refine the structure of our thinking.

This is what interests me as a game developer. If I can produce art which both increases people’s ability AND tendency to create and order their environment, I can affect the order of reality as a whole far beyond my small physical limits as one human being. Thus we can use games as a FULCRUM to multiply the power of our minds.

If we make games that act as caricature for karma, we can help people to realize the intricate, interlocking system of dependency that is their daily existence. Through this illustration, we can introduce the realization that not only do choices matter, but that 1) the nature of choice is deeply entwined with the fabric of reality and 2) even the simplest of choices can affect massive change throughout the system."

What I am getting at here is, basically, that games are in a unique position to act as a mirror for a player. Think back to Ender's fantasy game. That game acted at once as a playmate and counselor, providing fun experiences each packed full of intense purpose and significance. Art in other mediums can be profound, but it is always static with respect to its viewer. Considering that choice is such a significant element of our existence as human beings, very few forms of art really have the ability to reflect the potency and duality of a dilemma. Because of the unique nature of the medium of interactive video games, we DO have the ability to reflect this significance. In games, we have unique methods to present the player with his/her own dilemma, and then show the aftermath of changes and evolution of states that follows.

Using dilemmas, game developers can truly illustrate existence without predisposition. Instead of warning against the dangers or extolling the virtues of a specific choice, we can instead show the very nature of choice itself, and provide more of a TEMPLATE for thinking rather than a library of example data. This is the difference between a flight manual and a simulation.

-Max