Yellow Plaid

November 24th, 2008 by industria | Posted in Uncategorized |

I’ve been in a “no one on the internet cares, Bryan” mind set, and as such have been avoiding the social side of the internet.  I do want to get something out, at the moment though.

I’ve just recently finished playing Jonathan Blow’s Braid.  This is interesting for a few reasons.  First, it means I now have an X360 (8D), but more importantly Blow also spoke at the Montreal Game Summit that I just got home from, and some of the things he said there struck a chord with me.

Blow is a very interesting figure in the industry right now because he had outright chosen not to work for larger companies but to instead independently develop his games.  It became glaringly apparent as soon as he started to state his views about game development and even gaming in general.  The current industry would simply not allow him to make the game he wanted to make.  Which is odd, considering that in the end that game he made is the highest rated XBLA game on meta-critic and has been very critically acclaimed.  It’s just an interesting point, considering his views and ideals.

He feels very strongly about gaming being an art form, but it’s not quite there yet.  I can see where he’s coming from and I kind of agree, but I’m not in the same boat as him, per se.  He feels if gaming is to affect people on a profound level the need to be approached differently.  Their “dynamical meaning” must match the narrative meaning.  It’s all very interesting stuff that I strongly suggest you listen to directly from Blow in his Montréal International Games Summit keynote, which you can find here.  It’s an Incredibly interesting listen even if you’re not too much into gaming.

When I was playing through Braid, I’m not really sure the feelings it was giving me.  It may have been the situation I was in.. I’d have much rather played it alone than with someone who had already completed it watching me, but I feel it was more than that.  It was simply that it caused an overload of sensation, I suppose.  There were bouts of satisfaction, frustration and solace and many other emotions.  There was something else there, as well.  I feel it struck me in a much more subconscious yet vivid way.  After I had finally completed the game (collected all the pieces and stars) and gotten the “real” ending, I guess I was a little disappointed.  It didn’t seem as fulfilling as I had wanted.  Upon giving it more thought that’s simply the reaction programmed into me by every other game.  The goal of the game is the ending.  That’s not the case with Braid, at least not for me.  The goal of Braid is the experience in its entirety.

Once I had completed it I went to the internet for others’ thoughts and theories and again I was slightly disappointed.  There are things I hadn’t taken into consideration and things that were simply beyond the scope of my knowledge.. but to me it felt as though many people who felt they knew what Braid was were only looking at the game at face-value.  For me it was so much more than the atom-bomb theories and the relationship theories.  Those are all strong aspects of the game, yes.  However, when I take into consideration what Blow himself has said it is something much larger than that.  Something much more meaningful and vague.  He’s said something along the lines of, if you could easily sum up the story or meaning of a book, movie or game than that’s what you should do:  write five paragraphs explaining it.  But to look at something more profound is to base your ideas in something that you yourself don’t understand.  All you can do, then is point to the sort of fuzzy image of your understanding and let others take it from there.  And that’s so much more meaningful for me.  A much stronger concept than what’s being tossed around.

I can’t say I know for certain what Blow was pointing at with Braid, though I can say that it’s led me to something overwhelming inside of me that I can’t help but ponder.  In that aspect, Jonathan Blow succeeded in making a true piece of art.  I’m compelled to study and look into Braid more.. rather, my feelings and emotions attached to it.  It’s interesting that I’ve been taught through my years in school to look at works, novels, etc. and attempt to analyze what the authors’ intentions were, why they used certain symbols and so forth.  I find it much more interesting to examine my own reactions and feelings to further myself as an individual.

Although, I’m weird.   You’ll probably hear me more from me on this, as I’m a lame and boring kid.
If you haven’t played Braid and you own an X360, then I strongly, STRONGLY suggest picking it up.  It’s very worth it in my opinion.  For all you PC kids, hold strong.  It’ll be here soon~

thoughtful

Tags: braid, jonathan blow, Montreal internation games summit