a people's history of the first person shooter

A People's History of the First Person Shooter

Robert Yang@radiatoryang

Parsons the New School for Design

Some storylines:- FPS as institution

- console FPS market- the death of modding

- eclectic indie scene

“... a game that weaves together image, sound and narrative into a new form of experience.”

“... a game that weaves together image, sound and narrative into a new form of experience.”

– “A New Art Form May Arise From the 'Myst'”, 12/4/1994

CD-ROM

~6 million sold

(1993-2003)

ART TECHNOLOGY

1993 1993

DISRUPTIVE TECHNOLOGY

DISRUPTIVE INNOVATION

1972 2010

FIRST PERSON FIRST PERSON

HARD-CODED MODULAR

CD-ROM The “Internet” (?)

INNOVATIVE INNOVATIVER

DEAD ALIVE

DEAD ALIVE

Some storylines:- FPS as institution

- console FPS market- the death of modding

- eclectic indie scene

Mods!

(modifications)

“UGC” (user-generated content)

Total Conversion(“the moddiest”)

Total Conversion(“the moddiest”)

Graphics “upgrade”

Map pack / map

Maps are mods.

Maps are mods.

Trends / waves

Trends / waves

Trends / waves

Trends / waves

Trends / waves

Mods were...- new rules / content

- free, nonprofit- existing assets, engine

- required retail copy

Mods were...- new rules / content

- free, nonprofit- existing assets, engine

- required retail copy

Mods meant- a way to “break in”

- a commentary- a “default audience”

DEAD

MODSTOTAL CONVERSIONS

NON PROFIT

DEAD ALIVE

MODS MODS

Garry's Mod

2009 2010

Some storylines:- FPS as institution

- console FPS market- the death of modding

- eclectic indie scene

THE INDIE FPS

MADE INDIE FIRST PERSON GAMESMADE INDIE FIRST PERSON GAMES

BEFORE IT WAS COOLBEFORE IT WAS COOL

Sense of embodiment

“At A Distance”

Sense of embodiment

“Fotonica”

Sense of embodiment

“Hockey”

Sense of embodiment

“Valentinel Hopes”

Vision / camera

“MirrorMoon”

Vision / camera

“I Can't Find My Glasses”

Vision / camera

“Unmanned”

Vision / camera

“Perspective”

Perspective / understanding

“Cities of Day and Night”

Perspective / understanding

“TRAUMA”

Perspective / understanding

“TRIP”

Perspective / understanding

“Kairo”

Soundscapes

“Proteus”

Soundscapes

“FRACT OSC”

Digital mediation

“Dirac”

Digital mediation

“Memories of a Broken Dimension”

“There's sort of this zeitgeist

of people saying the first-person

perspective is really interesting. What happens if you take out shooting?”

MADE INDIE FIRST PERSON GAMESMADE INDIE FIRST PERSON GAMES

BEFORE IT WAS COOLBEFORE IT WAS COOL

Some storylines:- FPS as institution

- console FPS market- the death of modding

- eclectic indie scene

TAKEAWAYS

a takeaway:

the revengeof Myst

a takeaway:

the mod scene was a proto-indie scene

fragmented by engine-tech fundamentalism

a takeaway:

the “mod” “died” because engine

licensing and modes of distribution changed

a takeaway:

the indie fpsscene is HUGE and

ADVANCED.

THE takeaway:“Amateur” game

developers have been deeply involved in the

first person genre since it first began.

NO

Game dev history...●Tech / engine?

●Distribution model?●Geographic location?

WHO WILLWRITE OURWIKIPEDIA

PAGE?

Thanks.

Robert Yang@radiatoryang