The Videmus Game
Video games, as a medium, are younger than the sitting United States President. In that time, the industry has moved from blinking dots on an oscilloscope to fully-rendered three-dimensional worlds that offer hundreds, if not thousands of hours of content. Yet, as video games have moved forward, their greatness has not evolved in a similarly linear fashion. Rather, in that brief window, video games have approached their zenith, only to enter a period of recession that persists to this day. Indeed, to paraphrase the great Joni Mitchell, video games paved their paradise and put up a parking lot.
But what was this pinnacle of play and where has it gone? What were the salad days of sprites and screens? Many have firmly-held opinions on this topic, yet only this humble narrator possesses the truth. No greater video game experience can be offered than that enjoyed by players sharing a physical space. These experiences, often referred to as local multiplayer games, remain the sole forms within the medium that have approached the realization of the medium’s full potential. If we are to stop the bleeding and return to the promised land, now proves the precise moment to carry out this corrective action. Yes, it is imperative that we elevate these games to their proper position of prestige, posthaste. That is to say, designers must recognize the development of the local multiplayer game as their greatest possible prize. This style of collective play, the form of game best suited to offer meaningful engagement and develop community among players, must be understood to stand alone, atop the video gaming mountain. For that reason, they will hereafter become known as something separate, something greater--the Videmus Game.
The Videmus Game offers a new path forward for the video game industry by looking at the very root of the naming convention. Video itself comes from the Latin for “I see”. From this point onward, our focus must shift from the solitary, disparate experiences to collective experiences. From this point onward, we leave “I” behind and pursue the “we”. Hence, “we play”...Videmus. The Videmus Game.
