Brainy Gamer Podcast - Episode 14

This edition of the Brainy Gamer Podcast features an interview with Steve Gaynor of 2K Marin (studio developing the next Bioshock game) and author of the Fullbright blog. We discuss game design, the first Bioshock game, and Steve's desire to help create a new vision for interactive expression.

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Related links:

Steve Gaynor's Fullbright blog
Steve's essay "Noir" at Gamasutra
Steve's essay "Wager"
The MDA Framework: A Formal Approach to Game Design and Game Research

Comments

[L.B. Jeffries]

Wow...I was all ready to post comments on Bioshock's failure to address free will and then Gaynor explained all of them eloquently. Good to know he's chipping in on one of the game's that could really push the medium forward.

It's also refreshing to hear that old liberal arts education shaking things up in the industry too. I heartily agree with his criticism of game's mimicking other games. No amount of naming the chess pieces after your childhood friends is going to make that round of chess about your childhood.

Great interview.

[OmarDa]

Really enjoyed this podcast, Michael. I agree with L.B.'s comments and would add that I like the approach you take to interviewing your guests. It's a focused conversation, rather than a goof-off or an interrogation, and you give the person a chance to speak. The interview is about them and their ideas, and I like that you're OK with that.

It's interesting that the 2K Marin team is still being formed. I got the idea that the project was well on its way when Bioshock 2 was announced, but based on what Steve said and looking at the job listings on their website, it looks like a lot of effort is still being focused on hiring the team. Fall 2009? I have my doubts they'll hit that release target.

[Matthew Gallant]

What an interesting interview. I especially enjoyed your discussion about how game developers are coming from all sorts of university backgrounds. I'm starting to believe that this is true of many jobs in and around the gaming industry (take Leigh Alexander going from acting school to becoming a games writer for instance.)

The gaming industry is still so young that it doesn't have a well defined academic infrastructure to support it. Very few schools have created specialized game training curricula, and (from my experience) it seems that many employers in the industry are looking more at personal side projects and passion rather than any particular piece of paper or specific training.

[hobledygoo]

So did he say anything to you "off the air" about Bioshock 2? I'll take a simple yes or no, since I'm guessing if he did you can't talk about it anyway. I'll take any tidbit you can offer. I want this game bad, especially if they figure out how to address the choice/consequences issues with the original game, which was still amazing nevertheless.

[steve]

For those interested in the MDA-focused stuff I mentioned during the interview, check out Clint Hocking's GDC06 presentation "Designing to Promote Intentional Play" (available here: http://clicknothing.typepad.com/Design/hockingc_GDC06_Intentionality.zip) That's what got me headed down the path.

[Daniel Primed]

Another great podcast of course. You sounded pretty stressed out at the start though. :)

What really caught my attention was the discusion on how video games might not evolve past comics. This really blew me away and I couldn't stop thinking about it for a good half an hour. I see this both working and failing, it all depends on how many more games like Wii Fit enter the market and change perception I think.

[Michael Abbott]

Thanks, Daniel. Yeah, I guess I was a little stressed at the beginning. Fortunately, I recorded the interview with Steve the day before the pounding and sawing began. :-)

Thanks for the links, Steve. I hope others will check out the Hocking stuff. At this point, I'll read or listen to anything he has to say about game design.

No, hobledygoo, Steve said nothing more to me about Bioshock 2 off the air...but if he had, I would admit it anyway. ;-)