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The Undiscovered Country: Clint Hocking on Exploration

By Pierre Boudreau

“The play’s the thing...” - Hamlet

In preparation for the upcoming GDC, Clint Hocking gave us locals a preview of his presentation entitled: "Exploration: From Systems to Spaces to Self". (Disclaimer: due to the "sneak peek" nature of his presentation, details are deliberately vague and, hopefully, spoiler-free. Interested parties can expect some follow-up post-GDC.) The event drew a healthy turnout for the man who puts chaos theory into practice.

It doesn’t take a detective to figure out that Clint Hocking enjoys pushing the boundaries of gameplay; his work provides ample clues to support that. Nor are his motives any great mystery: as design tools continue to evolve, so too does our appetite for new experiences. But the twist comes with Hocking attempting to challenge the familiar paradigms by putting some of the power of game design into the hands of the player. Thus, our heroes become truly responsible for the direction of their respective journeys.

Most games encourage spatial exploration of their virtual worlds using some variation of the challenge/reward system: the more you explore, the more you can score (in perks if not points). However, regardless of how immersive the environment, the player is aware on some level that they are remapping charted territory. Clint Hocking appears to want to throw away the map altogether in favour of, say, a divining rod or moral compass.

If Hocking is any indication, the next wave of Game Designers and Creative Directors will not only encourage us to explore outside the box, they will provide us with the tools to break on through to the other side. Whether this leads to the discovery of hitherto unknown worlds or simply a better understanding of self, the future looks bright.

Let us boldly go.

Congratulations to the IGDA for hitting the 12 000 member mark. You don't look a day over 10 000.