The more I become a part of the indie games world, the more a realise that originality is highly prized. This is what drives innovation, and it’s part of why indie games are so brilliant. Without big corporate baboons calling the shots, we’re free to make whatever our minds can conjure.
Whilst I’ve been working on freelance projects, as well as my own non-game apps, I’ve been thinking a lot about what to do for my next game, and what will make it something special. Originality is certainly something that’s important, but I think there is something far more valuable — magic!
When I talk about magic, I don’t just mean wizards conjuring spells, but that sense of awe, that thing that makes you gasp in delight. Sort of like the way that Apple talk about the iPad as being magical, but more other-worldly than that. A great example of this are the Studio Ghibli films — without doubt some of my all time favourite films. If you’ve never seen a Studio Ghibli film, stop reading now, go to your local rental store, and come back when you’ve earned my respect…
Back? You see what I mean, right? It’s not just the fact that supernatural things happen (unless you chose Grave of the Fireflies) — it’s the scenes portrayed, the gorgeous landscapes, the characters, the sense that you’re being transported to another world and taken on a journey into the imaginations of the film’s creators. Surely these are some of the most original films of all time?
In many senses, yes they are. But at their core — which for any film is it’s story — no, they’re not. Because I’m obsessed with Studio Ghibli, I’ve been reading up on their films, and I was surprised to learn just how many of the plots are retellings of existing stories. Grave of the Fireflies is an adaptation of a novel by the same name. Only Yesterday is based on manga of the same title. Ocean Waves was based on a novel. Whisper of the Heart is based on manga. My Neighbors the Yamadas is based on Nono-chan. Howl’s Moving Castle was originally a novel. Tales from Earthsea is based on a series of books. Ponyo is a retelling of A Little Mermaid. And The Borrower Arrietty looks kind of familiar too! I think you get the idea. The same can be said for the majority of Disney movies — not original stories, but the way they’re told is magical and inspiring.
In the games industry, you only need to look to the masters themselves i.e. Nintendo to realise that magic overrides originality. Mario, for example, is a character that has been the star of countless titles for 29 years, yet the latest offering, and a sequel at that – Super Mario Galaxy 2 – has had critics raving about it’s imaginative and fun gameplay. Just take a look at the first few minutes of gameplay – not only is their transition from 2D to 3D so finely executed that it could educate the inhabitants of Flatland, but it’s also a high dose of magic. There’s Star Bits falling from the sky as you run and jump around, picking them up to satisfying sparkly noises and shouting “Wahoo!”. What does it do? Nothing really, except bring a massive smile to your face!
So coming back to where my focus is on my next game project. It’s all too easy to get caught up in making originality the thing you care about the most, particularly in this indie games scene, which can lead to you getting so originality obsessed that you never create anything because it’s not original enough. What I’m not saying is that I want to throw out the notion of original gameplay – far from it, it’s a key element of indie games. But I don’t believe it should be king. What I want to reign supreme in my future games is a sense of awe, a wonder at what’s taking place on screen, the thing that brings a smile to your face and changes your perspeective on the real world. Perhaps more of a challenge in casual games market, but not impossible. With Miyazaki and Miyamoto as my inspiration, I’m determined to make the next game truly magical!
