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06/13/2006 Archived Entry: "Joost Raessens video on doc games"

Just found a new online talk from Joost Raessens: Reality Play. Documentary computer games beyond fact or fiction.

Raessens arguments against games as docs:

1. A docugame creates its own object and by doing so its own 'truth' (although doc film also constructed)

2. Since docugames are simulations of reality, they would lack every kind of legitimization to a documentary status (although the indexical status in photographs not as solid as in the past)

3. In a docugame historical 'fact' and 'fixity' give way to the historically inconsistent and ludic (assumes stable fixed historical facts)

Arguments for:

1. Documentary not supposed to be straight port to reality

2. Games that we call 'documentary' do not only contain textual (not exclusively on the film itself) but also contextual information (mind of the spectator) that indicates that we must switch to a "documentarizing lecture" (Odin). Example: watching fiction films not for the story but to look for historical clues peripherally documented by the work.

In many of these games, game designers have researched a "truth", and are willing to some extent to stand behind the reality of their representation.

Documentarizing effect disappears when presenting as 'just a game'. Primarily argues the documentary argument lies externally. However design constraints can resist a "fictionalizing lecture".

3. Docugames challenge the notions of 'objective' and 'authority'. History is always a present day construction.

Raessens pleas in favor of games being accepted as docs:

1. There seems to be no reason to exclude games from the documentary mode.

2. In the context of Micheal Renov's 4 tendencies in doc practice: to record, reveal, preserve (911 Survivor); to persuade or promote (Escape from Woomera); to analyze or interrogate (JFK Reloaded); to express (Waco Resurrection)

3. Docugames are capable of opening the area of the historical documentary to a large audience and may become very popular. Raessens cites the active discussion surrounding games such as JFK Reloaded.

4. One of the biggest challenges of game design is precisely this difficult task: how to make maximum use of the opportunity to communicate with the audience? Challenge of making a satisfying and engaging game (of course, this is a problem with documentary film as well). Instead of combining fact and fiction as Raessens suggests, doc filmmakers tend to favor stylistic techniques that are not commonly seen as 'fictional' per se.

Many of these arguments and points are similar to ones Ian Bogost and I made in an upcoming book chapter in Games Without Frontiers, although our approach was a bit more speculative and took its theoretical lead from Bill Nichols.

Raessens is also hosting a breakout session at the Games for Change conference this year, but sadly, I can't make it this time. Too far. Sigh.