Monday, March 7, 2016

Play Theorist Research

Eric Zimmerman

Research / Define

  • Game designer/ game theorist
  • Co-founder and CEO of the computer game development company Gamelab
  • Each year Zimmerman hosts the Game Design Challenge and the Game Developers Conference
  • Co-author of 'Rules of Play' (2004) with Katie Salen
  • Large scale games for art galleries and public space
  • Examples of physical games - Sixteen Tons, Cross My Heart + Hope To Die, Starry Heavens - shown at the MoMA in New York
  • PLAY futurestates short film - explores the future where the lines between the game world and reality are blurred - makes you wonder who are the players? Who are the game designers? What is the purpose of these games? Can you win? Can you lose? Are the games never-ending? Where is it all leading? How do they stop playing? Is there a score? Are there games inside games? Allows people to live different lives - but causes identity crisis

  • Zimmerman focuses more on physical games and installations, paper games and digital games - as well as writings and essays
  • The large scale installation Cross My Heart + Hope To Die is based on the myth of the Minotaur, Theseus and Ariadne for the Come Out and Play Festival in New York 2010
  • Follows The Magic Circle concept of play - meaningful and a safe play space to explore and leave the outside world in the back of our minds
  • Believes in meaningful play - Ludology

No comments:

Post a Comment