Almost as much as actually playing the games, an important part of loving video games is often becoming part of the community that grows around them. In fact, finding a way to discuss this shared passion with strangers plays an important role in many of our formative online experiences. This might mean browsing social media or comment sections, or lurking on forums or even – for my generation – bulletin boards. While its story may take place in 2003, Videoverse speaks to a more universal experience by being set in its own digital world that exists on its own but adjacent to all these real virtual spaces.
You play as 15-year-old Emmett, a huge fan of the Kinmoku Shark gaming system and especially its killer app Feudal Fantasy, an epic historical JRPG about ninja wars. Therefore, you are a regular visitor to Videoverse, the console’s built-in social network. But with the impending release of a new game system, Kinmoku’s hardware is facing obsolescence, and with it, Emmett’s online community. Of course, this is more or less the story of the Wii U’s long-dead Miiverse, but Videoverse’s pixelated, lofi presentation feels more like a throwback to AIM, MSN, Bebo, MySpace, and other fading internet giants of old.
old school education
Given these nostalgic reference points, we weren’t surprised when game developer Lucy Blundell (alias “Kinmoku”) revealed the title of Videoverse’s project: Memories. Memories began production in 2017, alongside the console port of Brendel’s debut feature One Night Stand, and will be a “semi-autobiographical” story about a young woman reflecting on her life. She hopes the story will tackle some heavy topics, including bullying and the character’s journey of discovering his asexuality. (Brendel himself identifies as gray asexual.) Beyond that, play could take many forms. At first, Brundle thought the young woman might be back in her home, with old items reminding her of her past. Another version is more conversational, having the characters talk to a therapist. “I realized that in the process of making this game, I found myself,” she reflects. “Because of that, it’s always changing.”
At the same time, Bondel’s personal situation also underwent significant changes. “I became ill in 2019 and became disabled,” she said. “It didn’t stop me from developing the game, but it was in the back of my mind because I was sick and I didn’t really work much that year.” On top of that, when COVID-19 hit, Brundle realized : “Oh, I’m telling a very heavy and sad story.” I’m not saying there’s no place for stories like this, but in my heart, I just felt like I couldn’t do it in this world. In 2020, everything feels bleak. Looking for a more positive approach, Brundle found inspiration in one aspect of this difficult time. “At the time, we were communicating primarily online via Skype and Zoom. I think, you know, the internet gets a bad rap, but I think it’s saving us all right now. ”
As a result, Brendel’s collection of works, ideas and personal reflections for Memories were redirected into the Videoverse and centered around a new online focus. Particular influences on gaming include virtual pet site Neopets and Habbo Hotel, a virtual space that allows users to chat, play games and buy room furniture. (Both sites, despite their age, are still active today.) “To me, the biggest site is really DeviantArt,” Blundell said. “I have an artist background and I was always drawing and uploading. I loved it and made some friends there.”
Emmett has also contributed his own fan art to the Feudal Fantasy Forum, which draws on Brendel’s experience with online fandoms. “When I was little, I loved riding horses, so I went on horseback riding forums,” she said. “Then I moved on to Pokémon, Sailor Moon and Final Fantasy. I played that for a few years. But the one that had the biggest impact on me was World of Warcraft because I was obsessed with it throughout college. .actually, it’s pretty bad – I’m addicted to it. A lot of the characters in the Videoverse are like people I’ve met in World of Warcraft. ”
Many chapters of the game begin with Emmett playing clips of the game, then heading to the forums to scroll through posts and chat with friends, which is where rumors of the Videoverse shutting down first began to circulate. Even without the title’s acknowledgment, the real-life similarities are pretty obvious, but they don’t tell Brendel as much as you might think. “I’m a regular Miiverse user, so I don’t use it that much,” she said. “But I do like it. I like the vibe of it. I like the energy of it. I like the shared drawings.” This is Blundell’s main interaction with Miiverse, along with the many users who post drawings made with Wii U hardware. Although Blundell is an occasional visitor and not a full-time devotee, he has “logged in over the last few days just to see what people were doing.” She remembers the outpouring of messages celebrating and praising the platform. “The warmth and heart of the community is radiating out. It’s great to see that.”
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Miiverse may be long gone, but its legacy lives on—and not just in the memories of its users. The graffiti post feature was replicated in later Splatoon games, and many of the actual posts have been archived on the Archives website, a resource Blundell utilized when creating Videoverse’s in-universe reviews. “They have 17 terabytes of posts, so for me it’s like a huge gold mine to pull references.” So perhaps the fact that the Videoverse feels so real, reflecting our online past back to us with astonishing accuracy, Not surprising. This also applies to the aesthetics of the Shark console itself, with its large, chunky screen and two-tone visuals, not to mention the electronic whirring and quiet hum of the machine as it powers up (designed by sound designer Alexandre Carvalho), and Ambient soundscape (composed by Clark Abboud). Even the way Videoverse users type is nostalgic, with unconventional spelling, oddly flowery language, and a complete disregard for capital letters that will be familiar to anyone who regularly engaged in text chats from that era.
Then we can see ourselves in the Videoverse. But in the end we get a tightly plotted character, Emmett, a 15-year-old who recently immigrated to Germany from England, certainly influenced by Brendel’s own experiences as an adult. For Emmett, at least, it made him feel a little disconnected from his roots. “He’s looking for that deeper connection online,” Blundell said. “He was very sweet, innocent and a little bit anxious at first. He was a little worried about uploading his drawings, but with the support of his friends he said, ‘Okay, I’ll do it again’. In the end, he got over it. This obstacle, that’s great. But he’s also a character where the player can choose where they go, so [one person’s] Emmett won’t be the same as anyone else. ”
There are no paths to dark impulses here; no matter what dialogue options you choose, Emmett remains a force for good, reporting malicious comments and pushing other members of the Videoverse community. However, his story can unfold in many directions – as can the relationships he develops with other online users. Perhaps most notable is Vivi, a new Videoverse user who first noticed Emmett when he started posting his own feudal fantasy artwork. She reached out via chat after he made a supportive comment about her art, and is almost as crucial to the Videoverse’s story as Emmett himself.
Although Vivi is shy and closed-off at first, we learn more about her as she and Emmett get to know each other: she’s also 15, lives in London, and is (naturally) into art and feudal fantasy Fans, but not that much fighting. Over the course of the game, the two become close friends—or become romantically involved, if you want to go in that direction. It’s important to Blundell that both options are available to players and are equally viable. “I like romance, but I don’t like forcing romance on people. I like those things, but not everyone does,” she said. “In my opinion, if you play a platonic game, you get more out of it because you don’t [often] Check out male/female friendships in games. It probably added another six months of work, or something stupid, because I kind of underestimated how much it would change. But it’s worth it. ”
As the relationship between the two deepens – whichever way you choose – Emmett learns that Vicki is disabled, which is another way that Brundle incorporates her personal experience into the game. “Viv is very unlikeable at first because she’s been through a lot of pain. She doesn’t really hide it. She doesn’t fake a smile, it’s almost like she doesn’t want to be there – which is true. She wants to out, just like living her old life. Vicki’s story reflects very closely how I feel about my newfound disability. My frustration, lack of understanding, and how suddenly you are treated as a smaller People. You don’t really realize how bad it is until it happens to you.”
Blundell worked to soften Vivi and ensure players found the character “likeable.” But her reaction to these new, difficult developments, as seen in the final game, seems similar to Brundle’s own reaction: immediate confusion at the change in circumstances, followed by a sense of helplessness. “You don’t know: ‘Am I going to go back to my old health, or am I going to be like this now?’ I hope that’s the same for Vivi. Like, how do you live with this? Sometimes you get a clear diagnosis —” A year later You’re going to be okay”—but sometimes it’s not so clear-cut and you just don’t know.” During this difficult time, Vivi found comfort in her friendship with Emmett, as the two formed a support system, far and wide. It goes far beyond a shared love of gaming. “Even if something really bad happens, you still have a future, you still have something worth living for, and I needed to create that for myself,” Blundell said. “I think [Videoverse] Be happy. Even though it has some heavy moments, I hope it’s uplifting and happy and makes people smile. ”
Ultimately, that’s what all these real-life reference points bring to the Videoverse. Their familiarity allows Brendel to tell an emotionally rich, honest story about what these virtual spaces mean to us, and the human friendships and support networks that thrive because of them. If you’re looking for evidence of how common these sentiments are, look no further than Blundell’s inbox a few months after the game’s release. “I still get a lot of kind messages and emails, people saying it moved them and they cried,” she said. “It’s like, okay, you’re crying? Now I’m crying.”
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