by Robert Yang, for No Show Conference 2012 at MIT.

1. A People's History of the
First Person Shooter
Robert Yang
@radiatoryang
Parsons the New School for Design

3. Some storylines:
- FPS as institution
- console FPS market
- the death of modding
- eclectic indie scene

4. “... a game that weaves together
image, sound and narrative into
a new form of experience.”

5. “... a game that weaves together
image, sound and narrative into
a new form of experience.”
– “A New Art Form May Arise From the 'Myst'”, 12/4/1994

9. CD-ROM
~6 million
sold
(1993-2003)

10. ART TECHNOLOGY

12. 1993 1993

13. DISRUPTIVE
TECHNOLOGY
DISRUPTIVE
INNOVATION

14. 1972 2010

15. FIRST PERSON FIRST PERSON

17. HARD-CODED MODULAR

18. CD-ROM The “Internet” (?)

19. INNOVATIVE INNOVATIVER

20. DEAD ALIVE

26. DEAD ALIVE

27. Some storylines:
- FPS as institution
- console FPS market
- the death of modding
- eclectic indie scene

28. Mods!
(modifications)
“UGC” (user-generated content)

29. Total Conversion
(“the moddiest”)

30. Total Conversion
(“the moddiest”)

31. Graphics “upgrade”

32. Map pack / map

33. Maps are mods.

34. Maps are mods.

35. Trends / waves

36. Trends / waves

37. Trends / waves

38. Trends / waves

39. Trends / waves

40. Mods were...
- new rules / content
- free, nonprofit
- existing assets, engine
- required retail copy

41. Mods were...
- new rules / content
- free, nonprofit
- existing assets, engine
- required retail copy

42. Mods meant
- a way to “break in”
- a commentary
- a “default audience”

43. MODS
TOTAL CONVERSIONS
NON PROFIT
DEAD

44. MODS MODS
DEAD ALIVE

45. Garry's Mod

50. 2009 2010

51. Some storylines:
- FPS as institution
- console FPS market
- the death of modding
- eclectic indie scene

52. THE INDIE FPS

54. MADE INDIE FIRST PERSON GAMES
BEFORE IT WAS COOL

55. “At A Distance”
Sense of embodiment

56. “Fotonica”
Sense of embodiment

57. “Hockey”
Sense of embodiment

58. “Valentinel Hopes”
Sense of embodiment

59. “MirrorMoon”
Vision / camera

60. “I Can't Find My Glasses”
Vision / camera

61. “Unmanned”
Vision / camera

62. “Perspective”
Vision / camera

63. “Cities of Day and Night”
Perspective / understanding

64. “TRAUMA”
Perspective / understanding

65. “TRIP”
Perspective / understanding

66. “Kairo”
Perspective / understanding

67. “Proteus”
Soundscapes

68. “FRACT OSC”
Soundscapes

69. “Dirac”
Digital mediation

70. “Memories of a Broken Dimension”
Digital mediation

71. “There's sort of
this zeitgeist
of people saying
the first-person
perspective is really
interesting. What happens if
you take out shooting?”

73. MADE INDIE FIRST PERSON GAMES
BEFORE IT WAS COOL

74. Some storylines:
- FPS as institution
- console FPS market
- the death of modding
- eclectic indie scene

75. TAKEAWAYS

76. a takeaway:
the revenge
of Myst

78. a takeaway:
the mod scene was a
proto-indie scene
fragmented by engine-
tech fundamentalism

79. a takeaway:
the “mod” “died”
because engine
licensing and modes of
distribution changed

80. a takeaway:
the indie fps
scene is HUGE and
ADVANCED.

81. THE takeaway:
“Amateur” game
developers have been
deeply involved in the
first person genre since
it first began.

82. NO

83. Game dev history...
●
Tech / engine?
●
Distribution model?
●
Geographic location?

84. WHO WILL
WRITE OUR
WIKIPEDIA
PAGE?

85. Thanks.
Robert Yang
@radiatoryang