Thatgamecompany is working on another game, and developer Jenova Chen thinks as the industry gets older, games will become more sophisticated.
Co-founder of thatgamecompany, Jenova Chen, charted new territory with games like Flow, Flower, and most recently Journey. In a market of many other games published by Sony, thatgamecompany explores the subtleties and complexities of emotions. In an interview with [ a ] list, Chen said the greatest opportunity for game designers is the ability to explore emotions.
“That feeling of killing someone used to be some pixel changed color, now it’s some guy’s guts are falling out,” he said. “Other emotions can go a lot deeper…The new emotion that was not possible in the past should be possible in the future. What is the equivalent in a video game of a romantic film? A documentary? A drama?”
Chen remarks that to find an audience, his company relies on the game itself. Thatgamecompany wants to spark interest in their games by fostering an emotional, personal connection between the game and the player. “If people are truly moved, they will share it with other people,” Chen said. He looks forward to when directing a game is similar to directing a movie, including an importance on animation, music, people, and all of the emotions involved in telling a story.
Games have changed greatly, but the industry is still young. With the company’s contract with Sony finished, thatgamecompany will self-publish their next game. There are still many seas to explore in what he calls the “blue ocean” of gaming markets.
Source: [ a ] list
