Earlier this year the fine folks at Serenade Games invited us to present a talk and showcase Anticitizen Red at their event. It was an amazing night and we got to meet some real cool people. Among many other talented people, our very own Sam gave a talk about the real truth of art. We really went straight for the jugular on Art as a concept out the gates here. For the archive, here’s Sam’s talk from Serenade Games’ showcase.
“Whats up gamers? My name is Sam Lovell and I’m one of the three people making Anticitizen: Red, the only game you can play tonight where you can shoot someone in the balls so hard they explode. I say this even though I have not played all the games here yet, so if I’m wrong, please don’t tell me, I want it to be a surprise.
(Editor’s note: we were the only game with ball shooting, but the rest of them were cool as hell)
Today I’m here to talk to my fellow artists about art and the duality of making it. The two truths that all artists hold at the same time while we create. One truth is a spectrum, all art is valid. One is a binary, its either good or it isn’t. We all live these two truths, no matter your skill level, time you’ve done this or if you put money into it or not. Its human nature to make art, but also its human nature to wonder if your art is any good.
The concept of two conflicting truths exist even in the design of video games. video games are considered an art and a product. A bad painting doesn’t exist, its just not to your taste, but a video game can actually be bad, a bad video game can blow up your computer, and lets not forget that Monet has never had to put a battlepass onto his sunflowers.
In one truth, game development can be anything and everything, you aren’t just making a story, you’re making a world, its like a fart, you force it, it becomes shit.
The other truth however, is programming, it either works it or it doesn’t, there are limits based off computing power, or skill in your language of choice, you will not get divine inspiration like you will for art. Programming just kinda has to happen, you have to do it.
This is why I think video game designers struggle with the two truths of knowing they’re valid but wondering if they’re worth it. We’ve been conditioned to think that way by having to balance the technical and artistic. One is freeform, its story, tone, art. One is rigid. Its programming, its numbers. There is a right answer, there is an optimal way to do something.
These two truths also comes in when you’re trying to secure funding, or even find an audience, some things just don’t seem safe to invest in, and some things just don’t seem to make an audience excited. We’ve had this problem with our game, I’m sure everyone has. All art is valid, but also, you’re dealing with gamers, you’re dealing with investors and publishers, its either an IGN 8 or its an IGN 7, it seems sometimes that nuance doesn’t factor in.
Theres a lot of games, and only so much time for a regular person to play them. What makes you better, whats your value, whats your time to beat, are you replayable, they ask these questions, as if it denotes quality depending on the answer. But also, thats not true, is it?
So, which one is the real truth? Is it the truth that says that all art is valid, or the truth that says you gotta know the value of what you’re making? Are we a spectrum or a binary? Now, I’m sure in your head, you have an answer. But sometimes its worth just asking yourself the question every now and again, it changes. It did for me.
My game, Anticitizen: Red was a hobby that is transitioning into a job. I’ve had to deal with the real time change of ideals. What I once was making for fun, became something that I realised other people wanted to play. I started to shift my mindset, its not just art, its now a product to be consumed, to be bought, to be judged.
Its scary. I’m not gonna lie. Anticitizen: Red is cyberpunk, with emphasis on the punk, its about people doing terrible things to eachother, sure, we have the harbour bridge in it, but also, we have four levels in black town and three in Parammata, I love that part of Australia. I love rough people, I love the less loved cities, but I was scared that some people wouldn’t
I started regretting some of these aspects and themes I had in the game, I started second guessing having the C-bomb in the difficulty select screen. Was the gore system going to upset someone? The swear count? The Shinzo Abe pipe gun you can pick up? It could, it might, but also, getting rid of it would get rid of the reasons I liked making the game. Luckily, or unluckily depending on your world view, all these things are still in there, but I had to have that conversation with myself and with the other people making the game with me, these things may seem stupid, but its what we think makes it art, in its own crooked way.
That being said. Game development has become democratised to a point that we’ve never seen, we have free engines, free tutorials, free resources. Its not all an even playing ground, but its way better than what its was before.
With this broadening of artists, there is also a broadening of art enjoyers. In the olden days, your best bet of finding an audience was hoping the church paid you to paint a weirdly buff Jesus on top of a church ceiling. Now you can become a known entity by drawing really buff wolves ripping their shirts off. Its similar, but different.
The internet is full of freaks, but thats good, you can find your freaks. I talked about the two truths. Well now the binary of “is it good or is it not” doesn’t seem to matter as much, there is an audience somewhere for you.
Your art might be niche, but one percent of all people who have the internet is still a lot of people. You can actually have your cake and eat it too. You don’t necessarily have to worry about Screen Australia, or publishers like people had to ten or twenty years ago. You can do it all yourself, a steam page is 100 dollars, an Itch page is free. You can find some like minded weirdos like you who may be even willing to part with their hard earned dubloons for your art. Its not easy, but its as good as its ever been.
This democratisation of art and the freedom of living outside the boundary of “will it be good or not” is why I think places like this exist, because who determines what is is good? The people that are currently bleeding money repackaging your systems and slapping a loot box on it? Indie is the solution to a lot of this industries current woes.
We can afford to be niche, we don’t have to be broadly appealing. A game for everyone is a game for no one. Make your art, make it weird, make it for you. Others will follow. Be cringe. Be free.
Thank you for your time and enjoy your night.”
Thanks once again to the beautiful people at Serenade Games for all the opportunities they have allowed us, and for giving a (cinderblock) platform for us to showcase Anticitizen: Red.
You can find them on twitter or instagram and make sure to keep an eye out for their next event, they really dont miss!
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