Greetings from Gothenburg

[Hugo Bille]

Hello NotGames!

I'm a recent graduate from the game design program at the university of Skövde, Sweden. While waiting to be registered, I actually made a blog post about the events leading up to me coming here, so if want to read that, check it out at my site: www.hugobille.com

In short, I'm fighting to free myself from the rigid academic notions of what a game is that I've been fed the past three years. I'm still a passionate gamer's gamer and fan of general popular culture, but I'm also very eager to deepen the appeal of what we do, and make mature software for mature people. I'm here to learn and find new ways of connecting with the audience.

At the moment, I am working with my Gothenburg-based studio (www.theworkingparts.com) on a horror game set in the homes of certain people who share a tragic secret, and also on a "duet" project with graphic artist Lili Ibrahim in which we try to use exploration as a metaphor for a romantic relationship - an adventure in your boyfriend's inner world. For now, I make my living outside of games.

[Michaël Samyn]

Welcome!

Interesting notion in your blog post:

Most of my previous ideas, I realized, required too much cooperation from the player to work

I think this is an important issue for us all to take very seriously. While I am completely in favour of the existence and the creation of works of art that only truly release their impact after significant effort by the spectator/reader/player, I believe that the interactive medium is special. I believe that we can build works of art that are both profound and accessible. The unique properties of this technology allow us to engage with our audience on a level that has never been possible before. This is not easy, nor is it intuitive often for an artist's mind. But I feel it is very important that we put effort in this, because it may be the key to reconnect the arts to society.

[Albin Bernhardsson]

Seems to be a lot of fellow swedes here for some reason.

Anyhow, welcome! I hope you'll feel at home here. Don't worry, we don't hate games. Games are perfectly fine for what they are and you'll find other people here who love games as well. The problem isn't that there are games; the probem is that they're pretty much the only territory we have yet explored out the vast field that is the interactive medium. We can do so much more!

[Thomas]

Glad you like my talk! And really glad that you will try and pursue similar ideas.

And yeah weird how many Swedes are here

[Michaël Samyn]

And yeah weird how many Swedes are here

As Kellee Santiago would no doubt exclaim: "It's because of the funding!"

[Hugo Bille]

Glad you like my talk! And really glad that you will try and pursue similar ideas.

I was a bit worried about how to approach my studio with all these new "radical" ideas, but it turned out they'd spent the time I was away mostly reading your blog. Now all we need to do is figure out how to really differentiate our work from "the scary game", which would likely have been a problem for anyone in the current state of this genre, even if they were completely uninspired by Amnesia. But don't worry, we've got our own thing going. 

As Kellee Santiago would no doubt exclaim: "It's because of the funding!"

Alright, I confess, my funding for the upcoming year will come from studying. Drama, this time. I have spent some time on a proper job while handling the arts on my spare time though, and must say it worked out well for me then. Though I suppose studying will always be easier than working.

[KnifeFightBob]

Talking about Swedes I met Hugo today by total chance at a seminar on game culture in Gothenburg. Looking forward to indie beer night on Monday!

[Jeroen D. Stout]

Hello Hugo, nice to see you here

(I shall be meeting my audience right at their doorstep - and another audience I shall hardly meet at all! - By which I mean to say, I think some of the notgames games *cough* are creating audiences too.)

Good to hear you are picking up acting, by the road, I always feel that has much influenced me in how I see what I want to do give as a role to the player; hence the linear games; making your own 'big choices' is the last interesting aspect of being an actor and subtle expressions is everything.

I am getting it into my mind I should visit Sweden - perhaps when I visit my friend in Copenhagen next year

[Hugo Bille]

Good to hear you are picking up acting, by the road, I always feel that has much influenced me in how I see what I want to do give as a role to the player; hence the linear games; making your own 'big choices' is the last interesting aspect of being an actor and subtle expressions is everything.

That makes us two, then. Though I'm actually not so much picking up acting as returning to the the stage after my long journey to gameland. Theatre was the reason I rediscovered the joy of creation and decided to do it professionally. I've never been that influenced by the acting itself though. I think I understand Dinner Date better with your description, and I should probably play it again with an actor's mindset. What I bring with me from the theatre is mostly my role as a writer for a "physical" art form, which makes me try to see the dramatic armatures of everything from Planescape Torment to Street Fighter.