"This was a way of saying 'we know what you're doing. We're playing back with you, not by AI dodging when you shoot a bullet, but by winking and nodding at you.'"- Steve Gaynor explains how Gone Home's narrative plays games with players by anticipating and responding to their actions -- like, say, leaving every damn light in the house on. During GDC 2014 The Fullbright Company's Steve Gaynor gave a great talk addressing questions -- raised in part by the success of Gone Home -- of what makes a game, how interactivity and player agency provide meaning, and what design philosophy and specific techniques the Fullbright Company used to create an interactive experience that resonated deeply with players and critics alike. Gaynor also spoke to how classical definitions of games and play inform modern video game design, how the design philosophy of immersive simulations can be broadly applied across genres to foster player engagement, and how a focus on accessibility can bring their games to new and vital audiences. It's good stuff, so we've taken the liberty of embedding the free video of "Why Is Gone Home A Game?" above, but you can also watch it here on the GDC Vault.
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Video: Why is Gone Home a game?
Steve Gaynor addresses what makes a game a game, how interactivity and player agency provide meaning, and explains the design of Gone Home during a talk at GDC 2014.