Speaker

Toronto, ON July 11, 2015
Feelings and Videogames

From problematic and hurtful depictions of mental health in popular videogames to extremely personal alt games, feelings have been a huge factor in evocative works, yet the conversation rarely moves from the actual content of the game to how feelings are communicated and produced through the interactivity of the medium. This talk will delve into ways in which gameplay mechanics regulate somatic and emotional responses. Videogame content often try really hard to make us scared, but when we show that fear in ways like twitchy fingers or freezing, we are punished. This talk is to inspire thinking about game content as well as gameplay mechanics as a mode of expression rather than repression. We will explore ways in which to approach game design as an emotional flow from the body rather than a fixed movement, devoid of embodiment.