What Is the New Games Movement and Its Global Impact?

TL;DR

The New Games movement, founded by Stuart Brand and others, emphasizes changing game rules to foster collaboration and creativity. It highlights the significance of physicality in play and suggests creating a long-term global game, using the concept of an 'earth ball' to unite players worldwide for a common goal over a decade.

Transcript

I drink hi Stuart so this is very exciting for me to be having a conversation on stage with you because I spent the last year having a conversation with you in my mind while I was writing my book the last chapter of my book it's called saving the real world together and it's looking at big future forecasting games and getting gamers to think long t... Read More

Key Insights

• 👾 The new games movement was driven by the desire to change the rules of games to create more interesting and collaborative experiences.
• 👾 Contact and physicality are important elements in games, especially for young people.
• 👾 Online games have allowed players to design their own levels, opening up opportunities for more people to engage with game design.
• 🎮 There is potential for game designers to create games for developing markets using simple technology like educational game consoles.

Questions & Answers

Q: What was the inspiration behind the new games movement?

The founder of the movement was inspired by a conversation about the limitations of the theory of games and the need for a game that could change the rules to create a more interesting and collaborative experience.

Q: How have online games changed the way players engage with game design?

While players still cannot change the rules of most major online games, they can design their own levels and receive feedback from others to improve their designs. This has made game design more accessible to a wider audience.

Q: Are there opportunities for game designers to create games for developing markets?

Yes, there is a movement to design games for educational game consoles being sold in developing markets. This presents an opportunity to create new games and introduce them to communities that may not have access to more advanced gaming technology.

Q: How can a 10-year global game using an earth ball as a metaphor encourage collaboration?

The designers propose different versions of an earth ball game, including one where the goal is to keep the ball in the air as long as possible. The game would require personal involvement from players and could serve as a symbol of the earth being held up by everyone.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• The discussion focuses on the origins of the new games movement and the idea of changing the rules of games to create more interesting and collaborative experiences.

• The designers talk about the importance of contact and physicality in games, as well as the potential for online games to allow players to design their own levels and share them with others.

• They propose the idea of creating a 10-year global game, using an earth ball as a metaphor, to encourage collaboration and a planetary-scale perspective.