Week 2: GDoC Inspiration
*Repost from my blog and link to Original post sans forum access
https://vr.rachelbazelais.com/wp/2017/06/25/gdoc-inspiration-week-2/
Zero Days VR[/caption]
SuperHot VR[/caption]
Sunset Reflections[/caption]
*Repost from my blog and link to Original post sans forum access
https://vr.rachelbazelais.com/wp/2017/06/25/gdoc-inspiration-week-2/
I'm finding myself doing more research and playing more VR Games. I spend a great deal of time analyzing what worked and what stood out to me. I also watched some 360 Video films like Zero Days VR and Dear Angelic. It's been awhile since I actually played with something so new and fun that I have a permanent grin on my face while i'm fiddling with new technology.
Zero Days VR[/caption]
Onward with the ideation and studying mechanics. At one point I was in the lab until 9pm learning the applications of VR from an investment point of view. Learning about companies that craft stories using the medium. Where there's applications do well and where it can fall short. A lot of which hinges on execution and actual use of the headset. Where You're in a tight spot pinned down by enemies and you need to find a weapon while dodging several bullets and trying not to leave your in real world play area. When you duck for cover and get there just in time before you can grab the next pistol. This was my thinking while I was playing Super Hot VR. It was phenomenal but also not the first time I played super hot. This VR version transformed it into an entirely different experience.
SuperHot VR[/caption]
I played more than just shooters. I spent a great deal of time in my Oculus home menu whenever I gotten fatigued. Spending my down time in Tilt Brush painting a room I want to be in with bright neons and unmistakable brushes that became a visualization of what I would dramatize photoshop to do. Despite all of these game and incredible experiences I was still shaky in the narrative of my own work and my paper prototypes were giving me mechanics that were working together..
This weekend came and swept me off my feet. Attending the 2nd annual Game Devs of Color Expo aka #GDoCExpo organized by Brooklyn Gamery reminded me why I put my application in for launch pad in the first place. Sure learning new tech can be daunting but it was about making games for myself. That might sound selfish but it helps me hone in on what I want people to feel when they play my games. The whole day was about celebrating POC in games, making them, sustaining a career in games industry and playing the large selection of incredible games.
One of our fellow launchpadders Hessvacio gave a talk there that helped me understand the learning curve coming into VR. He also divulged some tips and tricks like about keeping consistent and high frame rates in between 60-90 fps. Since the camera is so close to our faces that it can cause motion sickness if those frame rates drop. He focused on how to create a better virtual reality experience and how to get started from there. He also demoed don't look away at the expo giving me a feel for his style of game play. That was only one of many great talks. Something that really sunk in for me was Auriea's description of her game Sunset as she looks back on the games they made. In the game you play as a character who's a cleaning woman of a very rich and powerful man but he's never there. You only get to know him through rearranging his things in his apartment and cleaning up his mess. Auriea goes on to say...
"I looked at it and I felt like this war, that's happening outside, which was actually sort of a sublimation for the relationship that you were having with this person who's never there- all this convoluted stuff couldn't fit into a game. I felt that all the things we had to say about being a black woman trapped in a world that she didn't understand and the only time you see this character that you are is through reflections. I felt like all of these things were probably something Ii couldn't say in a game."
Sunset Reflections[/caption]This resonated with me because I had been digging to find the right mechanics for the game I'd make for launchpad but instead i'd gotten stuck on my narrative and why it was necessary to make what i'm making. At the end of the day I want to make an game that draws a connection with someone but I also know that drawing from personal experiences can make it hard audiences beyond the scope of being a black woman in any setting to relate. Like she said she wanted everyone to like her games. In the end they're just not for everyone. We can have a high level of intimacy in VR but how far do I want to go with it? What will these reflections show us? I'm starting to narrow down answers to these questions and paper prototype along the way. Its coming together.
Attending the Game Devs of Color Expo was a breathe of fresh and and a revitalization. It shows what happens when we stop asking if we should be here as women non binary and poc and celebrate what we all contribute to the space. If I work hard maybe my VR game will make there next year.