next »

[dmershon]

Non Linear is an experimental game about reality television.  Any feedback would be appreciated.  If anyone thinks this would be a good basis for a longer game I would like to know.

Download the game here:

http://www.universalhappymaker.com/game/non-linear/


Here's a screenshot:




Thanks!

David Mershon
Universal Happymaker
We are building a future where everyone will enjoy our games without exception.

[Lon]

I think black and white can work very well in a game.
If there were any colors in the game they would really contrast with the rest of the world.

I wandered around for a short while.  Edited a couple different Final Cuts together.
Editing together the videos is creative.
I didn't find anything to interact with other than the computer used for editing.
I liked the poster on the wall next to the computer, did a double take.

What would this be like if was made into a bigger game?

[HyperNexus]

This to me feels like a prototype that doesn't flesh out the initial idea. My feeling is that you are trying to say something about reality television but the depth to which I felt that through my experience with the game was rather shallow. All I could figure out was that the stuff about philosophy went over the peoples heads and they seemed to not like shows that weren't consistent. I suspect that they liked the shows of low complexity but I had problems saving and continuing into the next scene on some occasions that I quit in frustration.

Each of the individual film segments seemed too disjointed to properly sit together. I think that if you worked on making the message of each potential segment clearer and if made all combinations nicely flowed into each other then you could be onto something. It's just too muddled and confusing at the moment. I didn't know what I was really trying to achieve or learn.

The 3D part was very stylish. I loved the look. Except it didn't tie into the gameplay so it shouldn't even have been there. Unless you intended to set some sort of context through it. If so then it went over my head.

We are building a future where everyone will enjoy our games without exception.

Really? Is that even possible in a society where people are so different to each other?

[Perrin]

Sorry I couldn't really get into this. Without actual video or voice acting, sitting watching each of the clips play out slowly through text made it hard for me to image interesting edits for them in my head.

[allen]

The 3D part was very stylish. I loved the look. Except it didn't tie into the gameplay so it shouldn't even have been there.

haha what. now that's just silly.

I thought the game was interesting, I played it awhile back so I don't quite remember all my criticisms. The game really didn't pull me in or capitavate me though. Not like baker's dozen which I found much more interesting.

side note, but I played your monster game and it made me smile.

[dmershon]

Thanks for the feedback.  To answer some questions:

@Lon : A longer game would involve trying to pursue truth and artistry in an environment where you also have to make studio execs and audiences happy.  Maybe it would have filming as well as editing.

@Hypernexus : The basic idea was to have a game mechanic that showed the incompleteness of any story.  When you edit down to a few pieces of dialogue you lose the complexity of reality.  I tried to make at least some of the characters display both admirable and unpleasant personality characteristics so you could paint them either way.

I do stand by my assertion that everyone in the future will play Universal Happymaker games without exception.  If they have to give up a little bit of individuality to make that happen then it seems like a price worth paying.

@allen : I'm happy that you played some of our other projects.  Monster was created by my friend Jacob Boyle(also of Universal Happymaker), who was happy to hear that you liked his game.