Cyber Ninja Psychic Killers
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Author/Creator ORCID
Date
2006
Type of Work
Department
Computer Science
Program
Bachelor's Degree
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Collection may be protected under Title 17 of the U.S. Copyright Law. To obtain information or permission to publish or reproduce, please contact the Goucher Special Collections & Archives at 410-337-6347 or email archives@goucher.edu.
Abstract
Most people who think about art never consider a computer. Indeed, art in its most primitive form is meant to impress but one of the 5 senses. There are sculptures, paintings and architectural creations to pleasure our eyes; music to satisfy our ears; culinary arts to tantalize our tongues and noses; and things like massage therapy and acupuncture to tickle our sense of touch. But even in the earliest times, there was theatre, an art form capable of entertaining both sight and sound simultaneously. The whole effect of a good theatre performance, it may be argued, it greater than the sum of its parts. By combining sight and sound, audiences were emotionally moved. They laughed, cried, and experienced catharsis. While there have been other art forms that involve 1 or 2 senses, few have been able to satisfy more. Computer games and computer simulations have. In a computer game, like in a movie or theatre performance, the creators are able to control what the player sees and hears to a degree. But computer games go beyond that; they react to the player. In a computer game, what you see, hear, and actually physically feel through feedback is both a product of the game designers and the player. You can only see the final level of the game if you are able to take the actions that get you to the final level. Or in other words, the player can only experience all of my world if he or she is able to explore it all. This interactivity isn't exactly a sense, but it gives players something that other art doesn't: a chance to use what they gain from their senses. They react to what they experience, and in turn the game reacts to them. A designer builds in rewards for certain actions and punishments for others. One could even say that a relationship forms between the game's designer and the player, and that's the magic of making a computer game. While this game is nowhere near as advanced as a modern video game, it's a start. It's my first attempt at creating a world for you, the player, to experience, and I hope that our journey is fun and successful.