Sentry Down

Ian Bogost recently published a paper in Gama Sutra on the importance of gestures in games – a topic I’ve been itching to write about for a while now. Generally, what he talks about is helpful in starting the ball rolling, and there a number of interesting places to dig in, particularly for those of us that are interested in topics like embodiment, meaning, and action. For example, he explains how “gestures … can also alter an actor’s own thoughts or feelings about the world or himself. These sensations can be complex, and they can evolve.” While all of this is true, I think that much more can be said in order to provide traction and utility for designers by being clearer, and elucidating more explicit implications as well as applications for gesture. More to come on this later.