Q&A with Ryan Green
Earlier this month, I had a chance to review That Dragon, Cancer. The game's developer, Ryan Green, had a conversation with me about his experience developing the game and the public's response to it.
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Earlier this month, I had a chance to review That Dragon, Cancer. The game's developer, Ryan Green, had a conversation with me about his experience developing the game and the public's response to it.
by Jake Doolin Earlier this month, I had a chance to review That Dragon, Cancer. The game's developer, Ryan Green, had a conversation with me about his experience developing the game and the public's response to it. ____________________________________________________________________ Byte: When I first heard about the game, my reaction was, "how could someone make a game about this" but after playing it I felt like it all clicked so well. Did you run into that kind of reaction when you first started pitching the game? And was there a turning point, that you saw, for people who might not have understood right away? Ryan Green: This is usually the first reaction we hear. In some cases the reaction is so negative, that people start to deride us as tasteless and opportunistic or morally corrupt and delusional. I believe the strong reactions relate to the baggage that comes with the term “game.” In society our videogames are pastimes, and feed our most basic appetites. However, I have never heard anyone make those accusations once they played the game. Play is how we interacted with Joel. It was our great joy to make him laugh, and no one looks down on an adult for being silly with their child. Play, laughter and tears are all part of the human experience and we think that videogames reflect that truth very well. B: Do you play a lot of video games in your home? Were they a big part of your lives before the development of That Dragon, Cancer? RG: Surprisingly I think I am the least prone to play games in the house. Amy has a weekly board game night, the boys are obsessed with minecraft and let’s play, though they’ve also shown a desire to make games and become creators. My entertainment diet is usually Netflix, and I love making games. Though some of the most interesting games I’ve played in recent memory are Davey Wreden’s work in the Stanley Parable and Beginners Guide, Kentucky Route Zero by Cardboard Computer, and Brendan Chung’s short but visually striking and stark first person immersive theatre of games like Thirty Flights of Loving. B: You mention games like The Beginner's Guide and Kentucky Route Zero as ones that interested you. What about these games drew your attention, and did they factor into the development of That Dragon, Cancer RG: What I love about both projects is the Theatrical settings. Often the sets are sparse, with theatrical lighting, and often minimal animation is present, but the richness of the audio in Kentucky (part 1) really brought the scene to life. I think we've borrowed from that sensibility in our work. Sometimes a replica isn't what is needed. Sometimes just a feeling will do. B: One thing that really stuck out to me when I first played the game was how beautiful some of the quieter moments were, like the segment where you lay with Joel as the gloves float above you especially sticks with me. How did you come to choose the specific moments for the game? RG: I wanted to communicate the juxtaposition of the beauty of the hospital, the intimacy of caring for Joel and the horror of Joel being sick. Time doesn’t pass at the same speed within a hospital. We were often isolated because Joel couldn’t leave the room due to infection, we made toys of hospital items like styrofoam cups and blown up medical gloves and food syringe rockets. So I wanted to express how all of those feelings and all of those hospital stays felt, in one scene. Rather than focusing on the details of Joel’s illness, we tried to meditate on the feelings of being in each of those spaces. And so our narrative became less linear and more experiential. B: Have you been surprised about some of the more extreme reactions the game has gotten? Did you expect it? RG: A little surprised. We are amazed that people won’t give us the benefit of the doubt. We hope that they play what we have created and that it changes their mind. Until then, we are ok with people not being ok with it. For everything there’s a season, and this season might not be the right one. B: On Twitter you been tweeting that you've been watching people stream the game on Twitch where they have been sharing their own cancer stories. Was this kind of connection something you planned on when developing the game, or did it come about as people were able to relate to the subject manner? RG: Yes, we’ve actually been showing demo scenes of the game for three years now. We were well accustomed to players sharing their personal stories with us, and giving us big hugs, and crying with us about everything we shared in common. It has been neat to see that people want to experience the game, even if it scares them, and if they can’t bring themselves to approach it by themselves, then they seek a group of people to experience it with. We always wanted the game to provide a safe space to talk about hard things like loss and disappointment and helplessness and even joy. B: Do you have any plans for future games? RG: We would love to be able to work together as a studio for many more years, and we have many ideas of games we want to make. Time will tell if we’ll be able to continue. -------- Images: That Dragon, Cancer
The board is back and they're talking movies! Check out their opinions on Star Wars, The H8tful Eight, and their New Year's Resolutions! Check it out!Hosts: Chase Streetman, Aidan Hall, Jacob DoolinEdited By: Aidan HallLogo By: Meaghan DuffyMusic By: Lex Bravary
The guys are back and they're talking about their favorite TV and film of the holidays. Highlighting the Making a Murderer phenomenon and their thoughts on Star Wars The Force Awakens. Check it out!Hosts: Aidan Hall & Jacob DoolinMusic by: Lex BraveryEdited By: Aidan Hall
@ClingtoaschemeThere is a good chance that when you saw a game titled That Dragon, Cancer, someone popped into your head. Be it your family member, friend, or acquaintance, cancer is all too familiar for many of us nowadays. We all have some kind of personal connection to cancer; for me, it was my Aunt Sandy. Because of that, cancer has become something of a hard subject to discuss broadly. We know the pain and confusion that cancer brings on a singular level because we see it, we felt it, but when the statistics of cancer come up, (13,000,000 living with the disease in 2012 alone) it becomes hard to comprehend. This is the challenge that That Dragon, Cancer tackles head on, attempting to tell not just the cancer story of Joel Green, but manages to tell a story that encompasses cancer as a whole. And while the game is inconsistent, it still manages to soar.
by Byte's Editorial Board It's the end of 2015, which means it's time to select the best games of the year. To celebrate, members of Byte's editorial board picked their favorite games to highlight. The games below are the favorites of Jake Doolin (@clingtoascheme), Byte's Managing Editor. 5. Downwell “Further down into the darkness." Everything you need to know about Downwell is in the name. Yet even though its description is simple, the game is anything but. Developed by Ojiro Fumoto, Downwell is a rougelike vertical shooter, that tasks players with making their way down a well (see what I mean about the title?). With only gunboots to guide you, the game is incredibly fast paced but offers enough control to pull off some impressive combos as you blow away enemies. Structured similarly to games like Spelunky or Rouge Legacy, players will find new items and upgrades the further they go down. And just like those games Downwell is the type of game that invites you to lose hours to it as you make your way further and further into the darkness. 4. Splatoon “You’re a kid now, you’re a squid now.” If you were to tell me a year ago that Nintendo would mange to not only create a successful multiplayer shooter, but also mange to create one of the best online communities I would of thought you were joking. But with Splatoon, Nintendo has accomplished just that, providing what maybe the most consistently entertaining online experiences this year. With its bright colorful design and rocking soundtrack, Splatoon immediately sets it apart from usually military shooters that populate the genre. There is a dash of Nintendo’s usual humor and heart in Splatoon, making for a game that doesn’t take itself too seriously. And why should it, when you’re swimming around as a squid while ink is sprayed all around you just lose yourself to the games intense sense of fun, which hasn’t weaned since it’s release. 3. Her Story “Can you arrest someone who doesn’t exist?” It’s the little things that make Her Story the wonderful little mystery that it is. From the whirring computer screen to the grimy look of the VHS interviews, the games design perfectly captures an early 90’s vibe. It feels amateurish in the best way, like we, as the player just happened to stumble upon it while digging through our old games. This isn’t to say that we have seen anything like Her Story before, in fact that couldn’t be further from the truth. Digging though old police interview tapes while piecing together the mystery of just what happened a husband who disappeared feels so completely unique and offers up probably the truest feeling of being a detective that I’ve experienced in a game. But all of this would be null if the performances didn’t work, and thankfully Her Story manages to hit it out of the park. Viva Seifert is excellent as Hannah managing to craft a character that is at times completely empathetic and brutal. And that’s the key to Her Story’s success, it doesn’t go for the easy solution instead challenging the player to dig deeper and discover more until they are ready to make the final judgment. 2. The Beginner's Guide “It’s about how things looks messy up close...” The magic of The Beginner’s Guide comes from the way the game makes the player feel like an audience member to a theatrical production. In fact one of the standout scenes in the game is set in an empty theater. Even though the player is in complete control during this scene, which details the difficultly one of the characters has with communicating with people, it feels as though they really have no control at all. All of this is just a roundabout way to say that The Beginner’s Guide is a game about depression, and that feeling of being unable to control the characters is deliberate. Depression isn’t an objective to beaten, and The Beginner’s Guide knows this, and because of that the game doesn’t shy away from the harsh truths that depression brings. 1. Undertale “A long time ago, a human fell into the ruins.” Undertale made me want to be a better person. Now that’s something that I never thought I would be able to say about a game, but after experiencing Undertale there really is no better way to describe it. Developed by Toby Fox, Undertale is a game so full of heart, humor and yes determination that sets it apart from every other game to come out this year. From it’s colorful cast of characters, which includes perhaps the best pair of brothers since Mario and Luigi, to a story that rewards player actions both good and bad, Undertale is a game that surprises no matter how many times you play it. But perhaps best of all, Undertale fills the player with a kind of hopeful optimism that is seemingly non-existent in this world of AAA gaming. Undertale dares to be positive in a world so filled with negativity, and as I play it over and over again I feel that positivity starting to rub off on me.
On the final Button Mash of the year, the gang says farewell to one of the founders. Plus they talk about their GOTY selections. Check it out!Hosts: Jacob Doolin, Nick Dowell, Lucas SchmidtEdited By: Aidan HallLogo By: Meghan DuffyMusic By: Lex Bravary
In their year end wrap up, the Editors come together and break down their 10 favorite albums of the year and their honorable mentions. Check it out! And feel free to listen to their music picks here!Hosts: Briana Marvel, Chase Streetman, Jacob DoolinEdited By: Aidan HallLogo By: Meghan DuffyMusic By: Lex Bravary
Jake and Aidan sit down and talk about some of the best endings and the brightest beginnings on their mid season finale. They cover their favorite movies and shows of the year and breakdown some of the hottest comic book trailers. Check it out!Hosts: Aidan Hall & Jacob DoolinEdited By: Aidan HallMusic By: Lex Bravary
After months of development and a troubled production, Fullbright has announced that Gone Home will be making it's console debut in 2016. Fulbright developer Steve Gaynor made the announcement today that the game will see release on PS4 and Xbox One on January 12.
The Ed Board sits down and discusses the Paris Games Week, GLAAD list and Life is Strange. Hosts: Jake Doolin, Chase Streetman, Courtney TuchmanEdited By: Matt TurnerMusic By: Lex BraveryLogo By: Meghan Duffy
@clingtoascheme Nina Freeman does not make simple games. For years now Freeman has been quietly releasing short, autobiographical flash games that have been equal parts dazzling and heartbreaking in their introspection. No topic has proven too great for Freeman, as her explorations of sexuality and gender have been some of the most thoughtful to come from the medium in some time. For her newest game, Cibele, Freeman has set her sights on the topic of online relationships, and, while her tact for dealing with complex topics remains, the delivery is disappointingly stale.
After years of speculation, including rumors of a surprise release this week, Hello Games's No Man's Sky has finally been given a release date at Sony's Paris Games Week conference. Playstation fans eager to jump into deep space will finally have the chance sometime in June 2016. No word yet on if the PC version will launch at the same time as the PS4 edition of the game.
This week Jake and Aidan begin their breakdowns of the hit shows Fargo and Crazy Ex-Girlfriend as well as talking about their thoughts on Green Inferno and Crimson Peak. Check it out!Hosts: Aidan Hall & Jake DoolinEdited By: Matt TurnerMusic By: Lex Bravery
Fans of Adult Swim's darkly funny Venture Brothers have been given their first tease of the upcoming sixth season through a new trailer posted to the official Adult Swim facebook// (function(d, s, id) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js#xfbml=1&version=v2.3"; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);}(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk'));// The wait is almost over. Early 2016.Posted by Adult Swim on Monday, October 19, 2015 The show has been on hiatus since 2013, returning last year for a TV movie, All This and Gargantua 2. The show's sixth season is set to start airing on February 7, 2016.---------Source: Adult SwimImage: Animation Magazine
This week, the editors sit down and discuss Battlefront, Micro-transactions, and just konami as a whole. Check it out! Hosts: Aidan Hall, Lucas Schmidt, Chase Streetman, Jacob DoolinEdited By: Matt Turner
This week Aidan and Jake break down Leftovers, AHS Hotel, Empire, and so much more! Check it out! Hosts: Aidan Hall & Jake DoolinMusic By: Lex BraveryEdited By: Matt Turner
@ClingtoaScheme You know that old saying that the No. 1 thing people fear is public speaking? I’ve always taken that with a grain of salt. I mean, sure, being in front of people and speaking about something that is often times personal is incredibly scary. But I would much rather give a lecture over something I didn’t know, than dance. Why? Because no matter how much I flub my words, at least I’m confident that I’m not making things worse by popping and locking. Dancing is a full body message of emotion and requires more courage because there’s no hiding behind a podium when you do it. You’re out there for the world to judge, every leap and twist expressing something words can’t. This makes dance the perfect avenue to explore the Persona series further. Where past Persona games explored these issues with Sims-like social links or by beating the crap out of one another, Persona 4: Dancing All Night uses dance to explore themes of teenage angst and the need to belong.
A recent trademark filing from Konami might mean more Metal Gear games are coming, but not in the way players might expect. The trademark Konami is pursuing is for "Big Boss", the name of one of the more important characters in the Metal Gear lore.What might come as a shock to some players, though, is that the company plans on using "Big Boss" in the promotion of Pachinko machines. This isn't the first time Konami has taken one of their series and made a Pachinko machine out of it. Earlier this year, Silent Hill was given the same treatment.Besides Pachinko, the trademark also mentions using the "Big Boss" name for smartphone games, board games, slot machines and console video games.-----Source: KotakuImage: Konami
@ClingtoaschemeI’ve always had a problem opening up to people. I tend to joke around, acting up the more “pleasing” aspects of my personality when I’m around others. And it works, people like me because of that, but when I think about how much I’m hiding from them I start to wonder if we really connect at all.We all do this; we want connection but when it comes down to it, I think we just prefer to hide. It hurts less. It’s that struggle that is the focus of Davey Wreden’s (The Stanley Parable) new game The Beginner’s Guide which tackles that along with other issues of identity and acceptance to create one of the most unique gaming narratives of the year.