Character Design and Customization in Video Games

In the realm of video games, the art of character design and customization is fundamental to shaping player experiences. From the specifically crafted protagonists of games like Assassin’s Creed Valhalla and Assassin’s Creed Mirage to the diverse characters in Lord of the Rings Online, character design is more than mere aesthetics; it influences game immersion, emotional engagement, and player agency. 

Characterization in video games serves as a channel for players to interact with virtual worlds; it is a tool that allows players to shape their virtual identities. One example is in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, where players assume the role of Eivor, a fierce Viking warrior navigating the landscapes of 9th-century England. Eivor’s gender, hairstyles, and tattoos can all be customized, allowing players to tailor their experience to align with their preferences and identities. Additionally, players can acquire various weapons, armor sets, and skills to suit individual play style. The ability to customize Eivor’s settlement further enhances player agency as you invest resources to construct buildings and unlock new services. This level of customization offers players a sense of agency over their character’s journey and the world around them. 

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla

In contrast, Assassin’s Creed Mirage lacks certain aspects of character design and customization. When Assassin’s Creed Mirage was released in 2023, I was excited to play the next installment of the series. While researching the game, I noticed that it lacked many customization features seen in previous Assassin’s Creed games. The most notable is that you cannot choose to play as a female character; there is only one male protagonist, Basim. Additionally, the game focuses more on gameplay customization, such as upgrading skill sets, than appearance. In my opinion, removing these customization aspects takes away from the player’s ability to fully engage with the character’s storyline. Players may feel less invested in Basim’s journey, as their ability to project themselves into the character is limited to predetermined traits and appearances. As a result, the game experience may feel more similar to passively observing a story unfold rather than actively participating in the world as the character. 

Assassin’s Creed Mirage

Unlike the Assassin’s Creed games, Lord of the Rings Online (LOTRO) offers a comprehensive and immersive customization experience that extends beyond appearance. Players are granted complete control over their characters’ visual appearance and other aspects of gameplay, enriching immersion and emotional engagement. Players even have the opportunity to design their characters from a wide selection of races, like Hobbits, Elves, and Dwarves, each with their own unique traits and visual aesthetics. Players can further customize their avatars by adjusting any aspect of their appearance, from facial features to body proportions. This level of customization allows players to create avatars that can resonate with various aspects of their personality; players can even design a character to look similar to themselves. Another notable aspect of LOTRO’s customization is the housing system. Players can purchase and decorate their homes in various locations throughout the map. This feature gives players a creative outlet for self-expression and fosters a greater sense of belonging and attachment to their virtual world and community. 

Lord of the Rings Online

The depth of customization in LOTRO contributes to the emotional impact on players; it fosters a sense of ownership and investment in the game world, helping players make personal connections and memories that continue outside the game. Compared to the Assassin’s Creed series, LOTRO’s emphasis on extensive customization sets it apart, offering players unparalleled opportunities for self-expression and immersion. While both franchises excel in creating immersive gaming experiences, LOTRO stands out through its player-driven customization and community-building mechanics, fostering deep emotional engagement and lasting connections. 

• Sterling

Exploring the Untapped Potential of Educational Gaming

In a world dominated by rapidly evolving technology, gaming has become more than just a form of entertainment. It’s a dynamic space where imagination and interaction converge, offering experiences that extend beyond the boundaries of traditional media. One facet of gaming that has gained attention, particularly in recent years, is its potential in education. As we continue to navigate the digital realm, educational gaming emerges as a novel and promising approach to learning.

Breaking the Mold – Video Games as Learning Tools

Jesper Juul’s concept of video games having “real rules in fictional worlds” takes on a new dimension when applied to educational gaming. While traditional education often involves strict memorization and passive learning, video games immerse individuals in an interactive environment where they actively engage with subject matter. It’s not just about absorbing information; it’s about applying knowledge to a dynamic setting. 

Consider the impact of games like Minecraft in the educational landscape. Beyond its reputation as a sandbox game, Minecraft has the potential to find a place in classrooms as an educational tool. Teachers can leverage such games to teach subjects ranging from math to history. In the virtual realm of Minecraft, students don’t just read about historical architecture; they build it. The game transforms the learning experience into a hands-on, collaborative adventure. 

Unlocking History – A Personal Experience with Assassin’s Creed

Amidst the vast array of video games, one that has left a lasting mark on my gaming journey is Assassin’s Creed Odyssey. Transported to ancient Greece, I found myself not only immersed in the captivating storyline but also on a historical journey that transcended the confines of traditional learning. My virtual footsteps echoed in the Acropolis, my eyes beheld the beauty of Athens, and I navigated the tumultuous waters of the Aegean Sea. Assassin’s Creed Odyssey was not just a game; it was a portal to a lost era. 

As I delved into the game’s rich narrative, I realized that I was inadvertently absorbing historical knowledge. The meticulous attention to detail in creating ancient Greece transformed the game into an interactive history lesson. From political intrigues to cultural nuances, each facet of the virtual world reflected the research that went into its creation. 

In encounters with notable figures like Socrates and Hippocrates, I wasn’t just a passive observer; I engaged in philosophical debates. Without realizing it, Assassin’s Creed Odyssey became a catalyst for self-directed learning, bridging the gap between entertainment and education. 

Assassin’s Creed Odyssey

Confronting Skepticism

However, not everyone shares the belief that video games can be powerful tools for learning. My dad, a persistent critic of video games, often questions their real-world value. He raises his eyebrows at the hours spent exploring virtual worlds, wondering if there’s any tangible benefit. It’s a sentiment echoed by many who view gaming as a frivolous pastime. 

Yet, what many fail to see is the educational potential embedded in the very games they criticize. Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, for instance, goes beyond mere entertainment. It cultivates critical thinking, problem-solving skills, and a deep appreciation for history. The game prompts players to make moral choices that impact the narrative, fostering ethical decision-making and empathy.

Educational games, when designed thoughtfully, have the capacity to engage players in a way that traditional learning often fails to achieve. The interactivity, the sense of agency, and the immersive experiences contribute to a unique form of learning that caters to diverse learning styles. 

A Dual Reality – Merging Entertainment and Education

In the clash between skepticism and belief in the educational value of video games, I’ve come to understand that they can represent a dual reality. They can be a source of entertainment, providing a much-needed escape into fantastical realms, but they can also be powerful educational tools, fostering curiosity and knowledge. 

Video games are not a diversion from learning; they are a parallel universe where learning takes on a new, interactive form. 

Sources: 

• Juul, Jesper. Half-Real

– Sterling

Se magnifique!

Art is one of those words that just can’t be defined, or, rather, as a million different definitions.  A visitor to the Art Institute of Chicago, gazing at the “Portrait of Daniel-Henry Kahnweiler,” would surely not protest if I called it art.  On the other end of the spectrum, a football fan would heartily agree if I described Barry Sanders an artist.  Scores of outsiders, however, would.  And there is the beauty of art.  Every individual can, and is expected to, describe it for themselves.

I present, for your consideration, the following screenshot from the wildly popular 2010 Game of the Year, Red Dead Redemption.

Are you kidding me?  That’s gorgeous.  Just try and tell me that’s not art.  I WILL FIGHT YOU.  Alright, chance to redeem yourself…try this.

That’s what I thought.  These two games, RDR and the Assassin’s Creed series, have taken my breath away on multiple occasions, as have plenty of others.  The amount of time the designers put into these games is staggering, as are the results.  Can we please show the respect deserved?

Deathly Hallowed

It’s impressive, but still not art

With the game industry expanding at an incredible rate, it is now a challenge to identify how much respect the creators and designers get in comparison to people who create other forms of media.  Some may argue that the designer of an immensely popular game should get as much respect for his work as James Cameron gets for his blockbuster films.  In reality, however, there is still an impression with the general public that video games are a somewhat juvenile form of media.  This is why they do not receive as much exposure as some other forms of media, and as a whole are not considered “art” in the same way a captivating movie or a classic novel is.

The definition of art is very broad, and can stretch to encompass many things such as: painting, sculpture, architecture, writing, film, etc.  When I look down this list, however, I am not inclined to put games in with the rest of these examples for the following reason.  Let’s take Assassin’s Creed II, set in renaissance Florence, Italy.  (I apologize for continuing to bring this game up in my posts, but it’s just a great example of everything).  A beautifully done digital reconstruction of the Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore (the Duomo) is part of the world within the game:I think you’ll agree that it’s incredibly well done.  Some may say that this is art, but when you consider the effort and the time required to build the cathedral in real life (approximately 140 years), it is obviously a much more impressive feat than constructing something digitally.

I do realize that countless hours are put into the development of a video game, but the problem is that the general public do not universally respect the gaming genre, making it difficult to call it an art form when the group of people that it appeals to is still so small.

Stumpy367

Gaming Art

In order to identify whether or not video games can be considered art, one must first consider what qualifies as art. According to most sources, art is a division of objects or things that are subject to certain aesthetic criteria, or the expression of human creativity and imagination.

From this definition, video games certainly qualify as artistic expression as they, just as much as any other art form, demonstrate a wide range of imaginative ideas.  From games like Dead Space to Assassin’s Creed, creative genius is at work creating an array of different possibilities and ideas never thought of before.  Gaming, in my opinion, sometimes even takes art to whole new levels that contemporary and ancient art does not, as it demonstrates levels of creativity far beyond the levels achieved by what is traditionally considered art. The range of games is virtually unlimited, and game designers are constantly expanding the variety of available games.

Furthermore, many games also create artistic landscapes, scenery, and backgrounds. For example, in the Assassin’s Creed games, entire cities are constructed that retain intrinsic beauty and complexity. It takes serious artistic talent in order to construct these multifaceted landscapes that come together seamlessly and create entirely new worlds to explore.  To not consider this art would be to ignore the aesthetic beauty and unbelievable creativity required to construct these backgrounds and landscapes.

However, I doubt video games, in my lifetime, will ever be seriously considered artistic by modern society.  Society tends to view gaming as simply escaping from reality, and it thus receives a negative connotation. It also is typically viewed as a medium that can really only provide base pleasure for the gamer as many popular games are warlike and do not engage the gamer cognitively. As long as games like Saints Row and Grand Theft Auto exist, however fun to play they may be, games will likely not be considered art. However, games can be cognitively engaging and have artistic storylines, even though the most popular ones do not. For instance, Lord of the Rings Online retains a deep and complex story that, if placed in the form of a novel, could easily be considered an artistic masterpiece. The game medium simply hasn’t become appreciated within modern society, and the artistry within some games is not appreciated as it sometimes should be.  Maybe one day society will see that some games retain intrinsic artistic value and beauty, but that day is not likely to come soon.

Who says game designers aren’t artists too?

The debate of whether video games should be considered art is still hotly contested. How can an interactive form of entertainment such as a video game be called art? It seems that it would be much like calling tic-tac-toe or solitaire a form of art as well. However, it is not the playing of the video game that should be up for consideration, but rather the game itself.

With many of today’s video games, it can be difficult to distinguish the setting from the area it is based on. For example, in playing any of the Assassin’s Creed series games, the cities and building are so incredibly life-like that the gamer almost has to think he’s there. The original builders of these cities are (and if they aren’t. should be) considered artists in every sense of the word, so why not the remediators that created these structures within video games? It is arguably every bit as challenging to create 15th century Italy in a video game as it was to build it the first time. Yet we call the the latter designers “artists” while the former remain only designers.

One’s argument could be that these designers did not originally create this setting but copied it from the real artists, and therfore are not artists themselves. This is nonsense. Throughout history, artists have redone the works of previous artists, often in different forms (such as paintings of wood-prints, and vice versa), and both works are still considered art. How is the case of video games any different? Furthermore, many video game designers create worlds entirely of their own imagination, and create them with such detail and care that they too could pass for real.

For all this, video game designers are too talented (usually) and have worked more than enough to deserve the title of “artists.” Their form of art is judged by many of the same characteristics that other forms of art are, in many cases combining the crtieria for several forms (i.e. novels, architecture, etc.) and still qualifying as masterpieces.

blankster

We Don’t Appreciate Art

“What emotions does it evoke?” asks every high-school English teacher of a painting upon reaching the “art section” of that year. “What does it make you feel? What was the intention of the artist?”

If the purpose of art is to convey an emotion and or an experience, then video games along with books, movies, sculptures, architecture, and paintings, should be considered art. When playing Assassin’s Creed II, I experienced the intended emotions; the excitement when racing across the roofs of Florence or the sadness when Ezio and his family are betrayed.

But art is more than just the communication of emotions. Art has countless purposes—communication, symbolism, expression, entertainment, and many, many more. With this broad purpose, how can video games not be art?

Consider again Assassin’s Creed II. The setting alone is art. If someone were to paint a beautiful scene of Renaissance Italy it would be accepted as art. Then why when entire cities are rebuilt in Assassin’s Creed II is it not considered art?

I think the crux of the issue is that once again video games get a bad rap. But this time, its not about those who play video games, but those who makes video games. I believe that when the general public sees a video game they do not understand the sheer amount of work that went into making that game. They fail to recognize that every detail they see, down to the tiniest crack in a stone wall, was placed on purpose, for them, the gamer. That huge game maps took just as much time if not more as creating a model representation. That great musical scores were written for their gaming experience (Hans Zimmer writing music for Modern Warfare 2 comes to mind.)

If many of the game aspects were taken out of context, and shown individually, I believe people would easily consider them art. But once there is intense interactivity and it becomes a “game” people automatically lose sight of the art. They see games as simple and mindless. All games are certainly not art. Most aren’t art. But as technology advances and more money is being spent of video games, I believe more video games will cross into the realm of art the same way movies did. People just need to understand that not all video games are a waste of time, and then they will begin to see the art in them.

Gr33n3ggsAndSam

One Game to Rule Them All

Over my many years of experience with console gaming, I’ve noticed a trend in the way I play most games.  Below is a brief summary of what happens when a game that I have been waiting for for months is finally released:

1. I put aside all other things that I should be doing so that I can go out and buy the game when it is released.

2. I forget about every other game that I’ve ever purchased for a month or two while I focus exclusively on whatever game I’ve just bought.

3. After about a month I begin to tire of the so called “new game”, and begin the search all over again for the next addicting title.  Meanwhile, the game that I was so obsessed with fades into oblivion.

I thought that this trend would continue forever until I was introduced to what I now consider to be the greatest game franchise ever produced: Assassin’s Creed.  For those of you reading this post, if you have never played Assassin’s Creed, I pity you.  It will change your life.  I know most of you will understand where I’m coming from when I say that the plot lines of most adventure games on the market are anything but compelling. Not so with Assassin’s Creed.  It is nearly impossible to not get emotionally invested in the plot, because the game is just that realistic.  There’s nothing more satisfying than running through a near perfect reconstruction of renaissance-era Florence avenging the death of your family by locating and assassinating the man who had them hanged.  Interested yet? You should be, but in case you aren’t, I will leave you with this.  A glimpse of what the new Assassin’s Creed (coming in November) will look like, and perhaps the most badass game trailer ever released:

stumpy367