Constellation

It’s late, I’ve got a cold, and it has been a long, liver-rending weekend, but regardless I feel as if I should impart a piece of wisdom into the wilds of the internet instead of writing nothing at all.

Earlier today, Jack sent me a link to the website of retired game designer and lecturer Brian Moriarty, and on this page was a video and transcript of his 1999 GDC presentation on the famous uber-hoax of Paul McCartney’s death. In summary, Moriarty attributes the potency of the hoax to the clue finder’s ability to recognise, what he calls “constellation”, or patterns within events that fabricate a larger picture. Throughout the hoax, familiar images were perpetuated in a way that he describes as “A random piece imagery repeated in random scenarios; creating a motif that rouses the viewer’s attention and contemplation. The particular example within the film was that of the hand above McCartney’s head. The hand was seen as an omen of death or disease, and it is often hypothesised that once the image was identified, the perpetrator contrived the hand motif into as many scenarios as possible.

The use of a random entity repeated in random environments, Moriarty postulates, allows the player to formulate their own ideas, stories and emotions, whilst allowing a low exposition modality; in turn creating a richer narrative. I’ve often thought that the more a game will make the player think about the story, as opposed to handing them a pamphlet at each pause in gameplay, the more likely they are going to become immersed within the game’s environment. The use of the constellation technique, more so the good use of constellation could easily add depth to not only what is disclosed within the game, but to what trailing thoughts and ponderances the player might have towards the game, subsequent to its conclusion.