Influenced by his education journey, Aidan Strong redefines what video games can be
Influenced by his education journey, Aidan Strong redefines what video games can be
Influenced by his education journey, Aidan Strong redefines what video games can be
By Leydi Cris Cobo Cordon
June 11, 2023
Summary
As graduation approaches, Aidan Strong's educational journey fuels his game design.
During his second fall quarter, which was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, Strong took a leave of absence, which he said he spent making games for hackathons known as game jams.
With his new identity as a mathematics student, Strong said he found more time to create games and absorb gaming-related content in the form of books as he immersed himself in the medium's culture.
"He could go and make a simple shooter game, or he could make something that has no political message or desires to be apolitical, but he really is trying to see what games can do, what can they say and really asking the question if games can be art in some sense," Roca said.
Past collaborator of Strong and third-year computer science student Ray Hsiao said discussions about design are important for finding better ways of conveying a message through games.
Drawing on the examples of "Fortnite" and "Call of Duty," Strong said that although games have a reputation as violent and competitive, this is not all they can be.
"Most people don't have the same amount of respect necessarily for games, and they can include all of that. There are things that can be done in games that can't be done in movies or other mediums. So that's what excites me about games - that we're still kind of finding ways to truly utilize what a game can be."
Reference
Cordon, L. (2023, June 11). Influenced by his education journey, Aidan strong redefines what video games can be. Daily Bruin. https://dailybruin.com/2023/06/11/aidan-strong-uses-game-development-to-question-morals-of-tech-industry