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Critical Path: 5 years of videos taking on the issue of games as art

by: Nathaniel - posted: 3/2/2015 2:19:00 PM
More On: Critical Path

Artifact Studios has released 5 years worth of videos (that's 46 new videos today and 280 videos in total) in its Critical Path documentary project about the artistic side of games.

You can find them all on the Critical Path YouTube channel where you'll be presented with a multitude of relatively short videos featuring many luminaries in the games development industry.  If you've never watched any Critical Path videos, I've included four videos, each featuring a different speaker, so you can get started on the whole set. Try not to think so hard about the fact that they're are 280.

 Learn more after the jump.

 

 

 

CRITICAL PATH: THE FIVE-YEAR-LONG (AND COUNTING) CONVERSATION
ABOUT THE ART OF MAKING GAMES

Artifact Studios to Release 280 Videos on the Public Archive in 2015

LOS ANGELES ????March 2, 2015 ?? Artifact Studios marks its fifth year of production on CRITICAL PATH, celebrating the milestone by releasing 46 new videos today. Since 2010, CRITICAL PATH has been the definitive videogame documentary archive project, encompassing the minds of industry luminaries who discuss the power and culture of the medium, daring to explore deeper conversations about art, philosophy, diversity, creative processes, social issues, and politics.

??It??s been fascinating to watch the industry evolve with the rise of indie games and the emergence of amazing new game makers, who I think we??re going to be hearing a lot about in the future,?? says Director David Grabias.

??There??s also been the impact of new monetization models, mobile, expanding communities and platforms coming and going. But you can also see how when it comes to bringing a game to life, the basic principles never go away. I think the insights we got from Will Wright, Cliffy B, Todd Howard and many others five years ago will always be relevant to the craft of making games. We??re showing a lot of what was true for Nolan Bushnell with Pong is going to be true for the next generation of game designers.??

CRITICAL PATH provides a platform for voices and topics in games that often go unheard, ultimately working towards humanizing the industry. In the coming weeks, videos of Keiji Inafune (Mega Man), Ron Gilbert (Monkey Island), Robin Hunicke (Journey), Don Daglow (Neverwinter Nights), Steve Gaynor (Gone Home), Laralyn McWilliams (Free Realms), and over 20 more game experts will be released.

Subjects covered this year include gameplay mechanics, game controllers, player experience, empowerment fantasy, level design, empathy, education, systems, emergent gameplay, storytelling, character design, and more. CRITICAL PATH has grown to become a great resource for developers and students looking to expand their knowledge on the craft of videogames, on an interactive website with tags that make it easy to navigate based on specific topics.

A total of 280 new videos will be released on the public web archive between March and June of this year, coinciding with the Game Developers Conference (GDC) and the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3), respectively. The videos can be found at http://criticalpathproject.com or https://www.youtube.com/user/CriticalPathProject.

Currently in development is a full-length CRITICAL PATH documentary film on diversity in the disciplines of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers within the videogame industry.

ABOUT ARTIFACT
Located in Los Angeles, Artifact is home to award-winning and emerging filmmakers specializing in targeted video content for communities. Documentary credits include the HBO feature ??Koran By Heart??; PBS-funded ??Operation Popcorn?? and ??Sentenced Home??; and ??Behind the Wall: The Making of Skyrim?? for Bethesda Softworks.
For more information and to view the CRITICAL PATH trailer, visit http://artifactla.com