Initial Research Ideas
This week I had a discussion with my tutors about where I wanted my research to go, my areas of interest and what my initial ideas were. As a result Josh mapped out my thoughts as a mind map seen below:
Jim set me the task of creating a street scene which incorporated the South Asian elements I had discussed about (in terms of what I thought was lacking in current games) and how I would go about constructing this fantasy world. I have 2 weeks (from 02/10/19) to do this which I am excited about and looking forward to exploring. So far I have researched references of video games which manage to incorporate South Asian elements (whether done successfully or not). The references are:
Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: India by Ubisoft (2015)
Ubisoft made an attempt to use a historical period of India which on the surface would seem like a very good example of what I personally want. Although I am a huge fan of the series overall (certain games not so much of a fan e.g. Unity, Black Flag), I think that Ubisoft ultimately tried to play it 'safe' by using a period which centres white English people through the British Empire's colonisation of India. I feel that this is a reduction of South Asian history as personally it comes across like Ubisoft went with what felt comfortable to them (as they had previously done in AC3) and chose a more popular history in favour of more intriguing.
Unrest
by Pyrodactyl Games (2014)
Pyrodactyl Games are an indie developer based in India who attempted to create a mythological setting for a character-driven, choice-based game. I feel that this game successfully used South Asian elements to create a new world with relatable characters who have experiences and stories bespoke to the setting and culture. Although the game mechanics vary from the previous example, I find that as a South Asian woman myself, I could enjoy this game much more as the environment felt more authentic and integral to the story and less like a drape covering a set game.
This, I believe, is down to the team themselves who come from the culture and thus perhaps were able to reflect more on the culture they chose to represent. This also ties into my theory of why I believe other games do not quite succeed in representing these cultures authentically, as having people who come from the culture as well as those who care deeply about the culture they are researching are important in creating an enriching and immersive environment.
In conclusion I feel like this is a good starting point for me as I can compare the relative success of each game and review what I personally liked and disliked. This is useful in knowing how I go forward from here to develop fantasy settings that can be used in different game genres and still feel authentic to the cultures that inspired it and avoid feeling gimmicky.
Jim set me the task of creating a street scene which incorporated the South Asian elements I had discussed about (in terms of what I thought was lacking in current games) and how I would go about constructing this fantasy world. I have 2 weeks (from 02/10/19) to do this which I am excited about and looking forward to exploring. So far I have researched references of video games which manage to incorporate South Asian elements (whether done successfully or not). The references are:
Ubisoft made an attempt to use a historical period of India which on the surface would seem like a very good example of what I personally want. Although I am a huge fan of the series overall (certain games not so much of a fan e.g. Unity, Black Flag), I think that Ubisoft ultimately tried to play it 'safe' by using a period which centres white English people through the British Empire's colonisation of India. I feel that this is a reduction of South Asian history as personally it comes across like Ubisoft went with what felt comfortable to them (as they had previously done in AC3) and chose a more popular history in favour of more intriguing.
Pyrodactyl Games are an indie developer based in India who attempted to create a mythological setting for a character-driven, choice-based game. I feel that this game successfully used South Asian elements to create a new world with relatable characters who have experiences and stories bespoke to the setting and culture. Although the game mechanics vary from the previous example, I find that as a South Asian woman myself, I could enjoy this game much more as the environment felt more authentic and integral to the story and less like a drape covering a set game.
This, I believe, is down to the team themselves who come from the culture and thus perhaps were able to reflect more on the culture they chose to represent. This also ties into my theory of why I believe other games do not quite succeed in representing these cultures authentically, as having people who come from the culture as well as those who care deeply about the culture they are researching are important in creating an enriching and immersive environment.
In conclusion I feel like this is a good starting point for me as I can compare the relative success of each game and review what I personally liked and disliked. This is useful in knowing how I go forward from here to develop fantasy settings that can be used in different game genres and still feel authentic to the cultures that inspired it and avoid feeling gimmicky.
Comments
Post a Comment