Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/77744
■ ■ ■ ■ Gaming M pany, the only audible sound comes from the hypnotic music that plays throughout the title, the sounds of sand and wind, and a singing "call" sometimes emitted by the players. Journey is an adventure game, downloaded via Sony's PlayStation Network service. As Matt Nava, the title's art director, explains, Jour- ney does things diff erently from other games by challenging traditional gaming conventions. For example, there is no text, online chat, or char- acter dialog. "Everything is communicated with imagery, color, sound, and design," he explains. ost games are fi lled with dialog or, in the case of many fi rst-person shooters, characters barking commands amid the perpetual sound of gunfi re. In the online game Journey from thatgamecom- In Journey, the players are driven on their quest by their emotions and curiosity—not their ability to cut down countless enemies. In fact, when thatgamecompany designs one of its titles, the studio begins by deciding which type of emotions and feelings they wish to invoke in the player—not the type of weapons and game mechanics they want to include. And those emotions extend beyond the usual excitement and fear invoked by other games. Journey players fi nd themselves in an unknown desert world without a map or instructions to guide them. Rather, they see a large mountain in the distance and are compelled to begin moving toward it. "You are there, but you're not sure why," says Aaron Jessie, lead modeler, of the player's initial reaction. "Th e focal point is the mountain in the distance, and you realize that is your goal, that you need to get there. You are try- by Karen Moltenbrey 40 June/July 2012