What's cute, and why should you care?

Game developer Jenny Jiao Hsia (Beglitched) answered both those questions very well in a talk at GDC 2017 about the aesthetics of cuteness, and how they make games better.

It was a neat presentation of cuteness as a form of counterculture that dug into how it resists current trends and why it can be empowering, both on an individual and social level. She also talked at length about what she learned working on games like Beglitched and Stellar Smooch, which tap into cuteness as a design aesthetic.

Her talk was a fun, frank look at how using a silly aesthetic in game design can help serious topics resonate with players, and it was well worth watching. If you missed it the first time around, no worries! You now you can watch the whole thing for free on the official GDC YouTube channel!

About the GDC Vault

In addition to this presentation, the GDC Vault and its new YouTube channel offers numerous other free videos, audio recordings, and slides from many of the recent Game Developers Conference events, and the service offers even more members-only content for GDC Vault subscribers.

Those who purchased All Access passes to recent events like GDC, GDC Europe, and GDC Next already have full access to GDC Vault, and interested parties can apply for the individual subscription via a GDC Vault subscription page. Group subscriptions are also available: game-related schools and development studios who sign up for GDC Vault Studio Subscriptions can receive access for their entire office or company by contacting staff via the GDC Vault group subscription page. Finally, current subscribers with access issues can contact GDC Vault technical support.

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