Archive for February 8, 2011

Tim Schaefer is supposedly a “funny guy”. He’s got a massive resume of games that incorporate humor, and are as known for their levity as they are for their plot or mechanics. In a recent interview with CVG, Schaefer talked about the lack of humor in the game space, placing the blame squarely at the feet of censorship. We’re used to games that blow stuff up, slash stuff, shoot stuff and even race stuff, but the layer of laugh out loud humor has been lost somewhere along the line.

I can’t really recall a time that I was unable to continue a game because I was laughing too hard. I’ve snorted, guffawed and certainly smirked, but I’ve never had a moment in a game that compares to the time I had to pause Pulp Fiction during Christopher Walken’s segment because I was laughing too hard to breathe. Is it even possible for games to summon humor on that level?

Should they is more to the point. We don’t all play games to laugh or cry or get angry (in multiplayer games, the part of the angry spark is usually played by other gamers). Many of us play for the mechanics, the achievements and on some level, a visceral experience that is more base then the emotions listed above. If we find a segment that makes us chuckle or remorseful, then it’s like a welcome surprise. If we expect the whole game to be this way, then it loses it’s overall emotional punch.

Would a rise in the “no holds barred” comedic video game be something that would be welcome in the community, or is humor so subjective to make even trying to make a truly comedic game a fool’s errand?