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For some of you, hearing the word "documentary" might immediately bring on a yawn. I know, I felt the same way — that was until I saw several of these films on videogames.
Now, High Score and The King of Kong are both very good infotainments, but their focus is still on classic, competitive titles with an obsessive-compulsive look at the world of gaming. Underdog Steve Wiebe taking on the fiendish Billy Mitchell is a fascinating watch, but it wasn't until I saw Penny Arcade: The Series, that everything fell into place.
Somehow, I found myself watching the series, and it took my breath away. It's a fly on the wall documentary filmed by 2 Player Productions that reveals the exploits of not only Mike Krahulik and Jerry Holkins but also Robert Khoo and the other employees of Penny Arcade.
It's like watching The Office (U.K.) and replacing every character with David Brent. Sometimes meaningful, sometimes maniacal, which leads to a good-humored office space and fewer tears.
So, what about a documentary series that films the goings on inside a game development studio while they work on a game? Let that sink in for a minute…. Right. Got it? Incredible, huh!?
I'm one of those guys who watch behind-the-scenes features and listen to the commentaries on DVDs. I love that kind of stuff. But movie studios carefully construct all of that. I want to see a no-holds-barred approach that films the entire creative process from design meetings to crunch mode. Let us experience what it's like to make a game for a living.
Development studios are pretty big these days. Instead of focusing on the game itself and having everyone appear as worker drones, I want the documentary to highlight several key individuals: the Mike and Jerry behind the game.
Perhaps the lead designer or creative director. Focus on the people. Pop in some talking heads for the programmers and artists to tell their side of the story.
Are you excited? I'm buzzing just writing about all of this. Of course, an idea is nothing without action.
To any developers reading this: Think about the exposure your company could get. Think how many more sales your game could make with this sort of promotion.
Air it on HBO, or do it like Penny Arcade and put it online. Make money from advertising.
A documentary like this would put the games industry in a much better spot. We don't have to keep on filming high-score setters. It would show once and for all that the industry — our industry — is something creative and worth nourishing. Plus, it would have a great story to tell.
Which developer would you most like to see have a documentary filmed inside its walls? For me, Valve or Naughty Dog would be my preferred choices. But the special thing about this is that it could work for any studio with a creative process worth sharing.
Michael Gray writes for Button Masher and Game Console magazine over in a far away land that isn't part of Australia (hint: it's New Zealand). You can follow his endeavours over at his personal blog or Twitter.