Core Framework

The foundational concepts of VG101: Gesture, the 4 A's, Aesthetic Heritage, and Permissions.

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Gesture

The surface area of contact between player and videogame. Not a single action, not a fixed size. The sum of everything happening when a videogame is being played. It can be a micro-moment or an entire videogame.

The 4 A's

What compose a Gesture, inseparable when played, separable when analyzed:

• Action: What the videogame has the player do
• Art: Art direction, lighting, staging, camera grammar, composition
• Arc: The amount of time
• Atmosphere: The feeling and vibe experienced

Aesthetic Heritage

Where the choices in each A come from. The lineage. What the videogame inherits, quotes, or transforms from other videogames and other media. All four A's are aesthetic choices with lineages.

Permissions

The limits and boundaries of the experience. What the system allows, requires, and forbids, intentionally or not. Discovered through the 4 A's as we play.