Play NYC: A Merger Of Art And Technology
by Frank Martin
Conventions usually fall into one of two categories. There are conventions about art. And then there are conventions about technology. Art is pretty straightforward. These are things such as comic books, novels, films, etc. There might be some people who showcase technology revolving around those things, but it’s not a core focus of the show. Conventions revolving around technology can showcase scientific gadgets, but it doesn’t have to be that specific. For example, a trade show about marketing merchandise will still display a product created for a purpose rather than a work of art created for entertainment. However, video game conventions are a true merger of art and technology.
This might not have been true in the early days of the industry, when developers were just trying to create rudimentary games using very simple structures. But as video game capabilities expanded, they were able to tell intricate stories with interesting characters that needed to be displayed in appeasing ways. Developers cannot necessarily do this on their own. They can develop the technology, but art is not science. It requires a certain type of creativity to soften the rough edges of technology and make it palatable for the masses.
This contrast is highlighted in a convention like Play NYC. The majority of developers showcasing their work were not artists. They went for outside help in that regard. In fact, a large portion hired freelance artists to help bring their creations to life. And when dealing with indie developers, it’s not hard to see that barrier between art and technology. They have a certain passion when talking about the mechanics of their creations. The rules of their games are set in stone and the technology side of the work. It’s firm without any interpretation. Because of this, they may feel aloof and disconnected from the art side. Rather than talk about the story or the look of the characters, they dismiss a lot of it as a necessity to the technology that drove them to create the game in the first place. It’s an interesting contrast that really shows how much of a marriage of two different things video games can be.