Develop 2009: Jenova Chen offers some insight on games and art, and explains why reviewers are approaching games in the wrong way
Released in February of this year and garnering many positive reviews for its innovate use of motion control, Flower, the PSN game that has players controlling a pelt on the wind, is known for inducing sensory-relaxation thanks to its simplicity. Jenova Chen, creative director and co-founder of thatgamecompany, flew from sunny San Francisco to windy Brighton to give a talk on the making of his eponymous games and share a few personal quibbles about the games industry.
Speaking to the assembled audience at Develop, Chen said “I still feel a little surprised to consider myself as a game developer.” He recounted his time growing up in China, playing early NES games to today’s more graphic-intensive shooters. Game design wasn’t a career path he gave much thought to until he moved to the USA to study computer science at USC. At university he worked on several student projects such as Ocular Ink, Dyadin and Cloud. Cloud was well received by a number of mainstream publications and ended up being downloaded over 400,000 times, which also netted Chen and his colleagues a $2,000 fine for exceeding server-traffic limits.
Having successfully created flOw and Flower, titles which defy the common perception of experiences a video game can offer, Chen wants to see game developers design more “mature” experiences.
“As a grownup gamer I really don’t want to see the games that I’ve been playing with, that I loved, become a toy.”
Not vulgar interpretations of mutilation (Manhunt) or distasteful examples of titillation (Dead or Alive), but intellectual works that “touch the player’s emotion.” He gave the example of a parent reading the fairytale The Little Prince to a child, noting that the literary work provides an engaging stimulus that can be enjoyed by adults and children alike.
Remarking on a survey he undertook in 2003, Chen stated that “most [game reviewers] were commenting on technical features, as if they’re describing a car.” He feels that game reviewers should be focusing on “what the game feels like” – particularly in relation to the user interface.
“At any mood, you probably can find a film that you want to watch. For games, right now, it’s not the case,” said Chen. He reckons that games, as an entertainment medium, are only exploring a small slice of the emotional spectrum. The majority of games are currently evoking “primal feelings” like survival and conflict (similar to the days of early film). Chen expects developers to unlock the rest of the spectrum over time, as he believes “variety is the sign of a mature medium.”
Moving on to the making of Flower, Chen described that the endless green fields of California gave him a sensation that he wished to communicate to others. Using his skills as a computer engineer, he hoped to convey an artistic message through interactive experience.
thatgamecompany began prototyping several ideas such growing your own flower and landing a seed in the ground. Eventually they found that controlling a cluster of petals on the breeze was both fun to manoeuvre and visually arresting. When given the go ahead from Sony to build a full game, Chen revealed they tried deepening the experience by adding gameplay abilities, collectables and a timer.
Ultimately it was decided that overcomplicating the gameplay would sacrifice the sense of peace and harmony it had had to begin with. Also a student of film school, Chen drew on his narrative talents to shape the visual story of Flower. A script writer had also been involved a one point, but was no longer required when the story arc was distilled to its essence. He showed several slides depicting a journey from bright countryside to dark city. Composer, Vincent Diamante was brought in to help finish the game’s musical arrangement. The levels were arranged to affect the emotional intensity, with rising action, a climax and denouement.
Underlining part of his talk on games as art, Chen said, “the value of art is how much the audience actually read from it.”
We were lucky enough to interview Jenova Chen at Develop, and you can find out more about his creations on his website.
Aaron Lee
Tags: develop, flower, jenova chen, thatgamecompany
