On the Relevance of Video Gaming in Human & Social Sciences – Interview with Sébastien Genvo, game design expert
Sébastien Genvo is an expert in game design who has tenure as an Assistant Professor at Paul Verlaine University in Metz (France). Here are his anwers to a bunch of questions asked by Thierry Lehmann, Head of the research unit in Tangible Interfaces of L’École de design Nantes Atlantique. Their conversation is centered on augmented reality and vidéo games seen as means of expression and of questionign reality. Thierry Lehmann introduces us to Immersive Rail Shooter an application developed as part of a final degree project by David Arenou, with the keen support of his tutor, Sébastien Genvo. IRS was awarded several prizes at most renowned Japanese competitions IVRC and Siggraph 2010.
Sébastien Genvo, Assistant Professor at the University Paul Verlaine in Metz (France) - game design expert
Thierry Lehmann: Could you explain the reasons why you devote so much reflection to video games? Were you a gamer yourself?
Sébastien Genvo: Indeed, I started playing video games when I was six, way before I became a researcher. I obtained a Master’s degree in Film Studies. At the same time, I was in charge of a short-film festival, and Vice President of an association that organized LAN parties, events that brought together around a hundred gamers during a 24-hour period. After graduation, I applied to Ubisoft, a multinational video game manufacturer, and ended up being hired as an in-house game designer for a year and a half. Afterwards, I decided to pursue doctoral studies in Communication and Information Science at the Mediation Research Center of the Université Paul Verlaine in Metz, France.
My Ph.D. centered on an intercultural approach towards game design. I sought to find a way of rallying players from different cultural backgrounds in the same game by rethinking the way messages and ideology are conveyed. What are the mechanisms of game design? What makes game design a means of expression? What are the narrative specifics of game design?
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