I’m talking at this yr’s GDC, and the speak can be one thing of a sequel to GDC 2010’s “Theme Is Not Which means” (which was the lecture model of two Sport Developer columns I wrote earlier that yr). I reconstructed the speak from my slides and the recorded audio right here:

In 2010, I argued that we have to cease assuming {that a} sport’s theme supplies its which means and, as a substitute, that which means comes from the mechanics themselves. Since then, I’ve seen many individuals level out that we should always cease referring to a sport’s setting as its “theme” because the phrase “theme” ought to have a wider, and extra vital, which means than whether or not a sport is about “historical historical past” or “an alien invasion” or no matter. Ideally, after all, a sport’s setting ought to mesh properly with its theme, however we have to cease conflating the 2 by being careless with our language.

This time round, I’m tackling whether or not our video games really succeed at addressing their true themes and, moreover, if now we have any thought what we’re doing as sport designers. To be blunt, I’m swinging for the fences with this speak, am most likely going to get out over my skis, and [feel free to suggest other sports-related disaster-prone metaphors in the comments]. So, if you wish to see me probably crash-and-burn (or possibly pull it off), come to Room 2016, West Corridor, on Thursday at 4:00. Hope to see you there!

Official GDC Description:

https://schedule.gdconf.com/session/you-have-no-idea-how-hard-it-is-to-run-a-sweatshop/893596

Can video games train us about our ourselves? Can a sport be an announcement in regards to the world? Will we design video games deliberately or by accident?

This speak addresses these questions and far more—together with Voros McCracken, Ottoman fratricide, fancy hats, Le Corbusier, nuclear holocaust, Mt. Rushmore, and the 1994 Caribbean Cup. Come learn the way onerous it’s to run a sweatstop. Keep for a hopeful and skeptical take a look at how you can make video games that say what we would like them to say.