Thursday, 26 October 2017

Video game comparison: Aesthetic

Compare meditation apps/ calming games to apps where they're quite stress inducing, particularly video games such as GTA and Modern Warfare.

Recently I've been playing Tap Tap Fish as I find it really therapeutic, nothing goes wrong and you constantly make 'new fish friends' and everything is visually beautiful. The audio is a key aspect of this soothing effect that blends with the visuals. The colours are vibrant and the sky different shades of blue pink and purple, everything about the visuals have been tapered to be relaxing.


I want to consider how I can achieve the same soothing sensations as this game does, the sounds and ripples of the ocean is a commonly used audio in calming down / meditation tapes. The pallets used I will also explore and experiment with my app. Muted tones and pastels work well and are heavily featured in this game.


Contrasting this, GTA uses far more vivid tones and explicit graphics of violence.


I hope to get gameplayers to play these kind of games before I do my creative experiment, getting them to draw whatever comes into their mind after gameplay. I feel the rush of adrenaline and exposure to virtual violence may have some kind of impact on them emotionally to some degree.
As well, the sound effects are similarly align to the aesthetic, with shouting, gunshots and a radio station selection often full of fast tempo music to get you going.

Even more disturbing however is Modern Warfare and their hyper-realistic modern warfare visuals, arguably army propaganda, and I can see why.


The choice of weaponry is eerily specific, as well as the matching sound effects, visuals and all round experience. Talking to people internationally as you play this game is another feature, I was shouted abuse at while I partook in this and was shocked to hear many of the voices coming from young teenagers. These kind of games leave you feeling the opposite of relaxed unlike Tap Tap Fish, I can only imagine what long term implications these games could have on users. 





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