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The Future of Videogame Aesthetics

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the games-people-play dept.

daniil writes "Here's another look at the 'Realism vs Style' debate. David Hayward, a level designer involved with UT2004 mod Alien Swarm, among others, has written an interesting essay on the aesthetics of videogames, suggesting that, similar to other art forms, the peak of realism in computer games might also be a plateau that acts as precursor to wider experimentation: "We've come a long way since the flint-carved figures of early 3D games, but there's still progress to make before we're producing the game equivalent of sixteenth century marbles. Though it makes for a myopic obsession when compared to the vastness of the picture plane, photo-realism is nonetheless a worthwhile technological achievement to aim for, because it is through this that games will attain the sensation of a lucid dream.""

10 of 359 comments (clear)

  1. Video games as lucid dreams. by mpathetiq · · Score: 5, Funny

    The only lucid dreams I have are where either

    a) I am a "water baron" in India. (not sure what that means)
    OR
    b) I'm back in high school as an adult going for my second diploma as if it were a bachelor's degree.

    I don't think I would want to play those types of video games.

    --
    Post-rock/Ambient/Drone and other noise.
    1. Re:Video games as lucid dreams. by Tezprice · · Score: 5, Funny
      Venturing further off-topic, I once had a dream where I was being chased by the Predator. I decided to barracade myself in a room by piling shit infront of the door. To my horror the door opened in a Star Trek style and swooshed up into the door frame.

      The predator killed my sorry ass.

      A lesson was learned.

    2. Re:Video games as lucid dreams. by OakDragon · · Score: 3, Funny

      Ah, yes - Sid Meier's "Water Baron." What a classic! Played it for hours...

      --
      Dark Reflection
    3. Re:Video games as lucid dreams. by elgatozorbas · · Score: 3, Funny
      I am a "water baron" in India. (not sure what that means)

      I had them too until I turned 4 or so. Mind you, my mother wasn't too pleased...

    4. Re:Video games as lucid dreams. by kurosawdust · · Score: 5, Funny
      a) I am a "water baron" in India. (not sure what that means)

      Curse you, water baron! We have no money for our daughter's dowry because of your predatory price-gouging!

      NOW WE MUST DANCE!

  2. Speaking of dreams and video games by pHatidic · · Score: 5, Funny
    Back when I used to play video games I noticed that if I played before bed then I would actually dream in the graphics of the videogame sometimes. At first I would have dreams where I was in Ultima Online and someone was robbing my house, so I would wake up in a cold sweat and go to check on my character (who was macroing on the computer next to my bed).


    The all time low was definitely when I got into nethack. You've never had a nightmare until you've had a nightmare in ASCII.

    1. Re:Speaking of dreams and video games by Rinnt · · Score: 3, Funny

      I noticed the same effect: games before bed usually carried into my dreams. But one night I had the unusual experience where games were crossed with dreams AND sleepwalking.

      My wife tells it better since she was conscious during the whole ordeal, but I'll try to recap it as she did. It started after a night of Counter-strike and Enemy Territory. Normally I go to sleep first since i have to wake up ealier. Anyway, my wife came into the room after I'd been asleep for about an hour or two. Suddenly, I launched myself out of bed and screamed "Go! Go! Go!". Next I proceeded to sneak through the living room (hiding behind certain objects like chairs, then scrurrying behind another) and approached the kitchen where I intended to "plant the dynamite". I kept looking back at my wife, saying things like "What are you doing?! Get down or u might get hit!". All the while she's just looking at me trying not to burst out laughing. It was close to this point where my dream started to fade and consciousness started to set in. "Oh man, did I just act out that whole senario?", I thought to myself...

      I took a break from FPSs after that episode.

  3. Re:Realism IS a style! by WormholeFiend · · Score: 4, Funny

    Well, I'm still waiting for a post-modern abstractist style FPS

  4. Hmmm.. by borawjm · · Score: 3, Funny

    Eventually, the mods are going to post a story and, at the end of it, comment "btw, this is a dupe" or, a little more subtle, "this was previously covered here".

  5. Re:Adult games? Go to Japan. by Thud457 · · Score: 3, Funny
    What's that? The Japanese have strange tastes in video games?

    They just Think Different over there.

    --

    the preceding comment is my own and in no way reflects the opinion of the Joint Chiefs of Staff