serial consign

I can't seem to get away from gaming, it just seems that there is so much interesting thought going on in and around the field. One of my favourite sources of information pertaining to gaming is grand text auto, an excellent blog run by a bevy of theorists and developers. Two of these authors are Andrew Stern and Michael Mateas, the developers behind Facades, the non-linear, text driven interactive game that won the grand jury prize for guerilla game development at the 2006 Slamdance Festival. The duo are a refreshing presence in the gaming industry and are currently pushing for the exploration of narrative as a goal for gaming.

Facades is an interesting counterpoint to the virtual consumer culture of The Sims and the emergent logistics of Second Life. Rather than build and personalize a world, you step into one where roles are quite clearly defined. In Facades, you play the friend of an unhappily married couple. Your character is invited over to have a drink by the lovebirds and over the course of the visit tensions rise and you mediate (or provoke) the escalating conflict. While we wouldn't think twice about a disintegrating marriage driving a film, it is quite a radical statement in gaming.

If you are interested in learning more about Stern and Mateas' outlook on the (near) future of gaming, they were just interviewed in Games for Windows. The pair is currently working on The Party, a follow-up to Facades.