An ascpect of abstraction--as the author points out--is that it forces the player's mind to complete or imagine game details... much like how a good book demostrates how delightful one's imagination is. Because imagination seems to be primarily visual, visual mediums like movies and video games give your mind little space. How can a visual medium attractively give space for the imagination? Also, how can perceptual abstraction be a stimulate the way words or concepts are to the imagination? Once I see an image I hold it in my mind... when a read a description of an image my corresponding visuals are completely fluid.
Comments (1)
Interesting. Is abstraction, then something between writing and realistic visual representation? Although I think there is a lot of scope for the use of abstraction in the video game, I don't know whether games like Donkey Kong are good examples of it. Because the graphics are primitive (abstract?) I don't find myself filling in lots of details. I just see a pixelated character running up some pixelated girders dodging pixelated barrels trying to save my pixelated girlfriend.
Posted by Andy Cox | September 20, 2006 11:40 PM
Posted on September 20, 2006 23:40