Love. Let’s face facts. Video games have done a pretty piss poor job of representing it. But is it possible to represent love in a video game and, if so, how can it be done? This was the question that was asked at a GDC panel in 2004, and this is how Will Wright and Warren Spector answered.
Will Wright’s solution? A first person kisser. The world needs this game. I need this game. Warren Spector’s solution? Well, he doesn’t really have one — but discusses how difficult it is to make characters fall in love with virtual characters.
But I’m not entirely sure. I definitely feel as though I’ve fallen in love with video game characters before — even badly written, uninteresting ones. Interactivity often hides a multitude of sins, and I’ve found myself really empathising with poorly crafted characters in video games, whether I was playing as them, alongside them, or rescuing them.
It’s an interesting topic, and the full video is well worth watching if you have an hour to kill.
Video: Famous designers attempt to make a game about falling in love [Gamasutra]
Love picture from Shutterstock
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