Comments on: Auteurship, Indie Games, and Out of this World/Another World http://www.artfulgamer.com/2007/08/06/auteurship-indie-games-and-out-of-this-worldanother-world/ in search of the poetic and lyrical in video games Wed, 20 Aug 2008 03:19:19 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: The Artful Gamer · Death in Video Games http://www.artfulgamer.com/2007/08/06/auteurship-indie-games-and-out-of-this-worldanother-world/#comment-1176 The Artful Gamer · Death in Video Games Tue, 11 Sep 2007 17:05:53 +0000 http://www.somatoware.com/chris/2007/08/06/auteurship-indie-games-and-out-of-this-worldanother-world/#comment-1176 [...] instance, if you’ve played Out of this World (which I reviewed recently), character death is featured prominently and frequently using rather gruesome and vivid [...] [...] instance, if you’ve played Out of this World (which I reviewed recently), character death is featured prominently and frequently using rather gruesome and vivid [...]

]]> By: chris http://www.artfulgamer.com/2007/08/06/auteurship-indie-games-and-out-of-this-worldanother-world/#comment-802 chris Wed, 08 Aug 2007 03:39:44 +0000 http://www.somatoware.com/chris/2007/08/06/auteurship-indie-games-and-out-of-this-worldanother-world/#comment-802 Indie maybe? Indy always makes me think of Indiana Jones :) I'm not sure if there's any solid category there - but it definitely has that indie feel to it (after all, most indie music is commercially sold!) Indie maybe? Indy always makes me think of Indiana Jones :)

I’m not sure if there’s any solid category there - but it definitely has that indie feel to it (after all, most indie music is commercially sold!)

]]> By: Michal http://www.artfulgamer.com/2007/08/06/auteurship-indie-games-and-out-of-this-worldanother-world/#comment-799 Michal Wed, 08 Aug 2007 01:58:24 +0000 http://www.somatoware.com/chris/2007/08/06/auteurship-indie-games-and-out-of-this-worldanother-world/#comment-799 Indeed. I agree that it’s an indy game (is it indy or indie anyway?), but it is a gray area and I wasn’t entirely sure on account of it’s commercial success. Though I suppose there have been other indy titles picked up for commercial release and we still consider them indy games. Indeed. I agree that it’s an indy game (is it indy or indie anyway?), but it is a gray area and I wasn’t entirely sure on account of it’s commercial success. Though I suppose there have been other indy titles picked up for commercial release and we still consider them indy games.

]]> By: chris http://www.artfulgamer.com/2007/08/06/auteurship-indie-games-and-out-of-this-worldanother-world/#comment-793 chris Tue, 07 Aug 2007 22:26:42 +0000 http://www.somatoware.com/chris/2007/08/06/auteurship-indie-games-and-out-of-this-worldanother-world/#comment-793 Sorry that I wasn't more clear - It would seem to me that even if an indepedently-created game is released commercially, it should retain its indie status, since 'indie game' really just means independently created. Grey area I guess. Sorry that I wasn’t more clear -

It would seem to me that even if an indepedently-created game is released commercially, it should retain its indie status, since ‘indie game’ really just means independently created. Grey area I guess.

]]> By: Michal http://www.artfulgamer.com/2007/08/06/auteurship-indie-games-and-out-of-this-worldanother-world/#comment-790 Michal Tue, 07 Aug 2007 21:16:31 +0000 http://www.somatoware.com/chris/2007/08/06/auteurship-indie-games-and-out-of-this-worldanother-world/#comment-790 Thank you for the reply Chris. My question was actually just whether this game should be classified and an independent game, or a commercial game. The reason I ask is because it was released commercially (i.e. for major commercial platforms) yet it was developed independently. At least, that's how I'm understanding it. So does this mean its a commercial game or an indy title? Probably the latter, but I thought I'd check and see what your take on this is. Thank you for the reply Chris. My question was actually just whether this game should be classified and an independent game, or a commercial game. The reason I ask is because it was released commercially (i.e. for major commercial platforms) yet it was developed independently. At least, that’s how I’m understanding it.

So does this mean its a commercial game or an indy title? Probably the latter, but I thought I’d check and see what your take on this is.

]]> By: chris http://www.artfulgamer.com/2007/08/06/auteurship-indie-games-and-out-of-this-worldanother-world/#comment-786 chris Tue, 07 Aug 2007 16:01:08 +0000 http://www.somatoware.com/chris/2007/08/06/auteurship-indie-games-and-out-of-this-worldanother-world/#comment-786 I'm not sure what would fit the criteria for an Indy Art category (I think you had mentioned that you wanted to articulate some criteria for Indy Art at some point), but I think there are few better examples of it than Out of this World. I think the game demonstrates fairly consistently that its vision wasn't focussed on commercial success (since it didn't fit into any genre particularly well), but instead on realizing an artistic vision period. The craftsmanship is stunning - and now that Chahi posted the 'making of' on his website, I'm impressed by the creative process that he went through to make the game.. it more resembles the work of a filmmaker and less a commercial design team. I didn't finish the DOS version, to be honest. I couldn't figure out the final scene in the game (how to hit the levers in the right sequence). It was so frustrating at the time, but I loved every minute of it. I finally finished the game using the Windows XP edition. Great stuff! The poster/box cover art is amazing. Wish I'd see more of this stuff in other commercially released games...... Thanks for the comment. I’m not sure what would fit the criteria for an Indy Art category (I think you had mentioned that you wanted to articulate some criteria for Indy Art at some point), but I think there are few better examples of it than Out of this World. I think the game demonstrates fairly consistently that its vision wasn’t focussed on commercial success (since it didn’t fit into any genre particularly well), but instead on realizing an artistic vision period. The craftsmanship is stunning - and now that Chahi posted the ‘making of’ on his website, I’m impressed by the creative process that he went through to make the game.. it more resembles the work of a filmmaker and less a commercial design team.

I didn’t finish the DOS version, to be honest. I couldn’t figure out the final scene in the game (how to hit the levers in the right sequence). It was so frustrating at the time, but I loved every minute of it. I finally finished the game using the Windows XP edition. Great stuff!

The poster/box cover art is amazing. Wish I’d see more of this stuff in other commercially released games……

Thanks for the comment.

]]> By: Michal http://www.artfulgamer.com/2007/08/06/auteurship-indie-games-and-out-of-this-worldanother-world/#comment-782 Michal Tue, 07 Aug 2007 11:19:11 +0000 http://www.somatoware.com/chris/2007/08/06/auteurship-indie-games-and-out-of-this-worldanother-world/#comment-782 I am actually very happy to see that you wrote about this game. I actually got really excited when this was re-released for PC, and <a href="http://mentisworks.blogspot.com/2006/12/another-world-reborn.html" rel="nofollow">posted it</a> myself. The backgrounds really impressed me in the new version. I had considered including this game in my list, and I'm still wondering if it should go into the next version of my list. Initially, I left it out of the Indy Art Games list and put it into a different post on Commercial Art Games (not yet posted), since the game was released commercially. What do you think, does this fall into the Commercial or Indy game category? Your insights in what makes this game good are right on Chris. I had actually played it on my 3DO, back in about '96 I think. I was inspired by the visual style, but never got very far in it. Being young, I tried and tried again, yet the game was simply too hard for me. I confess I still haven't finished it, though I did attempt it again years later on the homebrew GBA port, and the Zodiac port. But when the XP version came out I knew I would have to buy it. Now, I just need to do that (and I will) and only hope that I can actually get through it somehow ~_^. Anyway, I don't think I can say much more than you have written already. So I'll just leave you with the one image that I am particularly fond of, the poster for the game: <a href="http://www.anotherworld.fr/images/fondecran/AnotherWorld_960.jpg" rel="nofollow">link</a>. I am actually very happy to see that you wrote about this game. I actually got really excited when this was re-released for PC, and posted it myself. The backgrounds really impressed me in the new version.

I had considered including this game in my list, and I’m still wondering if it should go into the next version of my list. Initially, I left it out of the Indy Art Games list and put it into a different post on Commercial Art Games (not yet posted), since the game was released commercially. What do you think, does this fall into the Commercial or Indy game category?

Your insights in what makes this game good are right on Chris. I had actually played it on my 3DO, back in about ‘96 I think. I was inspired by the visual style, but never got very far in it. Being young, I tried and tried again, yet the game was simply too hard for me. I confess I still haven’t finished it, though I did attempt it again years later on the homebrew GBA port, and the Zodiac port. But when the XP version came out I knew I would have to buy it. Now, I just need to do that (and I will) and only hope that I can actually get through it somehow ~_^.

Anyway, I don’t think I can say much more than you have written already. So I’ll just leave you with the one image that I am particularly fond of, the poster for the game: link.

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