Aesthetics of Play - Redefining Genres in Gaming - Extra Credits

How do we define game genres? Turns out, we do so very haphazardly and imprecisely. What exactly makes up a game genre, and how does that understanding limit or enhance our game design?

(Original air date: October 17, 2012)

Read the full MDA paper here!

_______

_________

_________

♪ Intro Music: "Penguin Cap" by CarboHydroM

♪ Outro Music: "Bra Relocating" by Justin Tense

[BearsThatCare]

I so wish I could have played Minecraft before the Internet. Imagine a pokemon red type of community, where you only really learned new things like the nether, or the end, or new crafting recipes through friends at school. The sense of wonder and discovery would be insane.

[tasoganedude]

1. Sense pleasure
2. Fantasy
3. Narrative
4. Challenge
5. Fellowship
6. Competition
7. Discovery
8. Expression
9. Abnegation 

[MarcusNorton]

Just rewatched this video again.  I think this is one of your best episodes.

[kelenloth]

Just two days ago, I asked someone if they had played Portal, and they responded "I'm not really a fan of first person shooters". I was taken aback for a moment, thinking "Is Portal a FPS? Oh, I guess it kind of is..." I explained to my friend that while portal is first person and I guess you have a gun, there is no running and gunning, and no killing people - it's all puzzles and physics. She was surprised and interested. This is what happens when we mislabel games. I hope she plays Portal soon.

[RolandHaller]

Dear ExtraCredit team,
It’s been more than A year that I listen to you. And you repeatedly blow my mind.
You guys are awesome.
Thanks.

[maxkeogh]

It amazes me how conversational you guys are in each episode. You never come across as 'giving a lecture' to people. It's like you're talking to us directly in an intelligent, respectful way. That's what I love about this show. Keep up the great work!

[TheNetherlandDwarf]

I love this art. The derp faces are hilarious, the scenarios look really pleasant

[Shaztrot]

"So, Steve! I see you've been playing a game called "Last Dream" a fair bit recently. What is it?"
"Oh, it's a Submission-Discovery game with Fantasy aspects!"
"This is why we aren't friends."

[tasoganedude]

Dear Extra Credits team,
I would be interested in that topic episode you suggested; Difficulty VS Challenge.
You've done an episode on Depth VS Complexity.

[jan_loathlove]

oh my god, you have no idea you much my face just lit up when you said "the incredible machine." Back when that had just come out, it was all I used a computer for!! I spent HOURS on that game making the coolest most complicated machine imaginable!
I even managed to make 1, my favorite, which produced different results each time it was set off. It was a game of ball on ball dodgeball/tag/hockey which utilized the mechanics of altering specific balls' attributes.
Best memories right there.

[GameBoyBlueATGMAIL]

I think it's worth noting that, when Bethesda began the Skyrim project they first created the logo you see in the game. "What does this game feel like" they asked themselves. So it is definitely possible and has worked wonders where a developer ALSO approaches the game from an aesthetic perspective.

[EntropicUsername]

I just gotta say, I find the way the hands are drawn in this episode adorable.

[makkon]

This was right up my alley! Just what my small team needed. Thank you!

[HalcyonSerenade]

Man, you people are amazing. I know this video (amongst others) is old, but I've only recently been introduced to the channel yet it's like you're reading my mind. Even when you take a different approach to a subject compared to what I have, you wind up coming to almost the same conclusion. (The differences are usually that yours are much more coherent, insightful, and well-articulated). I don't know whether to feel validated for having these thoughts or humbled by not arriving at any particularly original or groundbreaking conclusions, lol.

[CaityRaindrop]

I recently went over this in my Game Design class, and the idea for the word Submission was that human's like to be told what to do, and not have to think about it, which is pretty much similar like zoning out.

[lifewithbeats]

As a computer science student with no intention of getting into game design.... I still watch and love all these videos <3

[SturFriedBrains]

Honestly, this is the most interesting and helpful episode in your entire channel. This helped me so fucking much.

[wavelength]

Out of a lot of great Extra Credits videos out there, this might be the single most useful one.

[LinkEX]

-1:15-- If both the challenge (which is about skill and ambition) and the aspect of playing as someone in this world (which is about emotion and imagination) form the Aesthetics, I'd probably split them up further rather than blending them together, as those two are such vastly different experiences.-

-It works as one of the three cornerstones in this model, but I think splitting them up and looking at them seperately should be done when looking at some more particular aspects.-

Nevermind, should have watched the whole video first before commenting :P

[Krystamyth]

"We can do a whole episode on the difference between difficulty and challenge..."

...well, please, do that. :3