The Horror, the Design-Thought Horror

 

"One of the other key aspects of horror for me is the concept of ‘small victories’," says Hope. "Small events or achievements that, if the player manages to make it to the next one, they might just ultimately survive."

 

 

This from the design of a video game.  Though why should we think of it as just a video game?  We don't question the amount of emotional truth and narrative planning that can go into a Hollywood movie any more, do we?

 

Entertainment of all kinds is stretching its fine-motor muscles, exploring the ketchup-world of multi-sensory experience - and as an audience, we're increasingly demanding this.

 

Yes, there is still a strong appetite for Sun News and bad talk-radio, but more and more, we want experiences rather than cheap emotional tugs.

 

There's a bigger narrative emerging here that is, undoubtedly, a frightening one.  A bright white canvass of the unknown awaits us, one that is about more than survival, more than quick, selfish thrills.

 

The horror, indeed.