Will Wright’s Krazy! Lecture

On June 4th, Will Wright spoke at the Vancouver Art Gallery.  He had much to say on games in general in which he classifys them as a form of art.  It’s an interesting read, so check it out.

Game designers suffer from film envy,” postulated Wright, “and many of them want to be film directors.” (More than a few prominent designers have explicitly indicated as such.)

The designer pointed out that the film director knows the future, and can show a relevant causal chain. Games do not tell linear stories in the same way films can, because of the player’s involvement.

“Groundhog Day is one of the most game-like movies I’ve seen,” he said. “It features a glimpse of infinity, and the ability to restart reality.” Drawing a contrast to games, he pointed to an example of how schema can be manipulated in movies: “For example, all the gunfire in the new Indiana Jones movie, but no one was hit.”

Gamasultra Exclusive: Will Wright – Video Games Close To ‘Cambrian Explosion’ Of Possibilities