Following David Edery’s harsh yet valid criticism of the Next Generation editorial The Road to a Universal Platform, I would like to lend a hand to deconstructing that road.
The author of the editorial, Eric-Jon Rössel Waugh, writes:
The most essential problem is that unlike film or music, videogames have yet to come into their own. Before anything resembling standardization is appropriate, there are still tremendous problems in interface, design theory and craftsmanship to address — none of which, I feel it safe to predict, will be solved any time soon, given that at the moment no one seems to have a clue what to do about them.
As someone who has worked in music, games, and television, I feel obligated to describe the stages of the creative process used in the production of any artistic media.
- Preparation
The creator researches the problem, analyzes and interprets data, and establishes a hypothesis to be tested further down the line. We often call this the discovery stage or simply research. Sound familiar? In this day and age, everyone should be acquainted with the scientific method.
- Incubation
Although the we can draw parallels between the creative process and the scientific method, this process begins to rapidly differ at this point. The creator lets the problem settle, breathing in the relevant issues, and perhaps even taking a break from work. Songwriters typically write lyrics and prototype a possible song, but then they put the music away. They file the lyrics in a drawer, or toss them in the trash, to be retrieved days or even months later.
- Illumination
And then in a sudden outburst of inspiration, the songwriter will continue working with rough lyrics and short riffs here and there toward an idea of the completed song. When I pick up my guitar and start plucking away at the strings, revising old tunes, I never know what I will play next. I have noticed, however, that when I do create new music that a certain pattern arises from the fret board and everything begins to make sense. Every string, every fret, and every pluck complements each other in perfect harmony. The creative juices are flowing.
- Verification
A sometimes turbulent river of passion brings the creator to finally produce the work. Whether the solution is what was imagined constantly surprises. Now the creator can share the work with others, and others can engage in peer reviews bringing us back to the scientific method.
(Adapted from Cognitive Mechanisms Underlying the Creative Process.)
There is a sense of order to the creative process; however, following the act of original creation is similar to blind mice navigating a maze.
In the production of a television show, a number of creative personalities converge. The set, or sets, are engulfed in chaos but a disciplined crew can appear to be ordered in their approach. Given the number of people involved with such a production, the approach can appear to be standard and efficient. Yet, the real reason why entire jobs in these companies consist of one or two simple tasks is precisely due to the chaotic act of creation. Knowing that there is a person who is an expert at holding the microphone boom above the actors or that there is a person to instruct extras when and how to cross a sidewalk provides the entire team a sense of relief. That sense of everyone knowing what they are doing masks the reality that everyone is blindly swinging into space hoping to make contact with something worthwhile.
As a musician, I have worked with a number of electronic-music DJs, metal and rock bands, blues players, alternative popular rock songwriters, rappers, and even guitarists-turned-game designers. In the course of collaborating on music with many experienced, inexperienced, amateur, and otherwise versatile musicians, I have discovered one ultimate truth of music production: nothing works the way you want. The music never comes out just right. The vision is always distorted. Strings break. People crack. There is zero standardization in music. Each instrument is aesthetically and tonally unique. I have spent hours in Guitar Center playing every guitar to find that “right” sound. Each amplifier functions intuitively or not. Volume and Gain controls are on the left, right, bottom, or the top. The controls are switches, knobs, or buttons. Sometimes the On-Off switch is impossible to find. There are hundreds of different packages of guitar strings because each is only suitable for certain styles of play. There is no standardization in music.
There is no standardization in any act of original creation. The author of the aforementioned article characterizes the most essential problem of video games as one of lacking standardization. Waugh claims that video games have not “come into their own” because of the apparent lack of standards. If this claim is true, film and music have also not “come into their own”. Film and music are fringe products, too. They are underdeveloped and unready for popular consumption.
Fortunately, the claim that video games have not “come into their own” is untrue. The reality is that video games have already come into their own. They are already all grown up, accepted into society, and clearly worthy of regulatory attention. In September 2006, my friend Raph Koster announced to the world of interactive entertainment that, “The meteor has hit already. It’s just that the debris cloud is spreading very slowly.” It’s a brave new world. The future is already here. Now is nigh time that games are recognized by the mainstream and gaming press as legitimate media. Now is nigh time that we start looking to the future of games instead of the safe, cold environment of the distant past.
