A People's History of the First Person Shooter
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A People's History of the First Person Shooter Robert Yang @radiatoryang Parsons the New School for Design
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by Robert Yang, for No Show Conference 2012 at MIT.
Transcript of A People's History of the First Person Shooter
A People's History of the First Person Shooter
Robert Yang@radiatoryang
Parsons the New School for Design
Some storylines:- FPS as institution
- console FPS market- the death of modding
- eclectic indie scene
“... a game that weaves together image, sound and narrative into a new form of experience.”
“... a game that weaves together image, sound and narrative into a new form of experience.”
– “A New Art Form May Arise From the 'Myst'”, 12/4/1994
CD-ROM
~6 million sold
(1993-2003)
ART TECHNOLOGY
1993 1993
DISRUPTIVE TECHNOLOGY
DISRUPTIVE INNOVATION
1972 2010
FIRST PERSON FIRST PERSON
HARD-CODED MODULAR
CD-ROM The “Internet” (?)
INNOVATIVE INNOVATIVER
DEAD ALIVE
DEAD ALIVE
Some storylines:- FPS as institution
- console FPS market- the death of modding
- eclectic indie scene
Mods!
(modifications)
“UGC” (user-generated content)
Total Conversion(“the moddiest”)
Total Conversion(“the moddiest”)
Graphics “upgrade”
Map pack / map
Maps are mods.
Maps are mods.
Trends / waves
Trends / waves
Trends / waves
Trends / waves
Trends / waves
Mods were...- new rules / content
- free, nonprofit- existing assets, engine
- required retail copy
Mods were...- new rules / content
- free, nonprofit- existing assets, engine
- required retail copy
Mods meant- a way to “break in”
- a commentary- a “default audience”
DEAD
MODSTOTAL CONVERSIONS
NON PROFIT
DEAD ALIVE
MODS MODS
Garry's Mod
2009 2010
Some storylines:- FPS as institution
- console FPS market- the death of modding
- eclectic indie scene
THE INDIE FPS
MADE INDIE FIRST PERSON GAMESMADE INDIE FIRST PERSON GAMES
BEFORE IT WAS COOLBEFORE IT WAS COOL
Sense of embodiment
“At A Distance”
Sense of embodiment
“Fotonica”
Sense of embodiment
“Hockey”
Sense of embodiment
“Valentinel Hopes”
Vision / camera
“MirrorMoon”
Vision / camera
“I Can't Find My Glasses”
Vision / camera
“Unmanned”
Vision / camera
“Perspective”
Perspective / understanding
“Cities of Day and Night”
Perspective / understanding
“TRAUMA”
Perspective / understanding
“TRIP”
Perspective / understanding
“Kairo”
Soundscapes
“Proteus”
Soundscapes
“FRACT OSC”
Digital mediation
“Dirac”
Digital mediation
“Memories of a Broken Dimension”
“There's sort of this zeitgeist
of people saying the first-person
perspective is really interesting. What happens if you take out shooting?”
MADE INDIE FIRST PERSON GAMESMADE INDIE FIRST PERSON GAMES
BEFORE IT WAS COOLBEFORE IT WAS COOL
Some storylines:- FPS as institution
- console FPS market- the death of modding
- eclectic indie scene
TAKEAWAYS
a takeaway:
the revengeof Myst
a takeaway:
the mod scene was a proto-indie scene
fragmented by engine-tech fundamentalism
a takeaway:
the “mod” “died” because engine
licensing and modes of distribution changed
a takeaway:
the indie fpsscene is HUGE and
ADVANCED.
THE takeaway:“Amateur” game
developers have been deeply involved in the
first person genre since it first began.
NO
Game dev history...●Tech / engine?
●Distribution model?●Geographic location?
WHO WILLWRITE OURWIKIPEDIA
PAGE?
Thanks.
Robert Yang@radiatoryang
