An ensemble of influential game designers share their insights in a free video series.
Compared to their filmmaking counterparts, videogame developers are relatively obscure. Sure, there are a handful of vocal developers that many people can name – Cliff Bleszinski, Hideo Kojima, and of course Peter Molyneux – but designers like Irrational Games’ Ken Levine, BioWare’s Greg Zeschuk and Ray Muzyka, and Blizzard’s Rob Pardo aren’t as easily recognizable. Despite their games’ popularity, the developers themselves don’t usually get a lot of facetime with the general public. A new documentary is aiming to help change that, though, with a series of videos interviewing over 30 major game designers and writers.
The endeavor is called CRITICAL///PATH, and several of the bite-sized videos are already available for free on YouTube. The list of interviewees runs of the gamut of major developers, from old hats like John Carmack and Richard Garriott to upcoming stars like Ian Bogost and Jenova Chen. They discuss their games, issues in the industry, and why they do what they do. Each video is one developer – or two, if they’re on the same team – talking about one issue that interests them. You can watch just the developers behind your favorite games, but all the videos should be of value to anyone interested in game development.
Besides being on YouTube, CRITICAL///PATH has its own website, which will eventually archive all the interviews. Series creator Artifact Studios, an LA-based film production company that makes game documentaries and other videos, lists the project’s goal as aiming to “give game designers their due as innovators and influencers of culture.” The project is two years in the making, with more interviews planned based on user feedback. The company also promises a full documentary film and even an accompanying mobile app.
Source: Gameranx
