Critical Path Project

Critical Path Project
Type of site
Interview Archive
Available inEnglish
HeadquartersLos Angeles, CA
OwnerArtifact
Created byDavid Grabias
URLwww.criticalpathproject.com
LaunchedJuly 23, 2012; 12 years ago (2012-07-23)
Current statusActive

The Critical Path Project (stylized CRITICAL///PATH) is a video archive of interviews with video game designers and developers.[1]

Launched on July 23, 2012, Critical Path contains over 1,000 videos of interviews with over 100 developers, conducted between 2010 and the present.[2][3][4] According to director David Grabias, the project's goals include:[5]

  • To provide a documentary-based venue for critical discussion about the art of making video games.[6]
  • To provide developers with a place where they can come for inspiration.
  • To provide players with insight into their game experience.
  • To make gamers aware of the great minds behind the great games.[7]
  • To document the current state of game development for future generations.

Topics covered in the interviews include violence in games,[8] methods of storytelling,[9] game mechanics,[10] player interaction, psychology behind playing games,[11] commercialism in the industry,[12] and the future of video games, among others.[13]

All clips on the site are available for free viewing online, and there are plans to release a full-length documentary in the future.[14]

  1. ^ Critical Path /// insights from the greatest minds in videogames
  2. ^ Critical Path /// About Us
  3. ^ Tipps, Seth "Games industry luminaries to feature in new documentary" Archived 2012-07-26 at the Wayback Machine, Develop-Online.net. July 23, 2012.
  4. ^ Gilmore, Dave "Critical Path project provides introspection and institutional memory to game design" Archived 2012-08-15 at the Wayback Machine, The Baltimore Sun. July 25, 2012.
  5. ^ Conditt, Jessica "Critical Path, more than an archive of interviews with your favorite devs", Joystiq.com. July 23, 2012.
  6. ^ Cocke, Taylor "Developers Talk Games in Critical Path" Archived 2012-07-27 at the Wayback Machine, GameSpy.com. July 23, 2012.
  7. ^ Duryee, Tricia "Game Gurus Finally Get Some Screen Time in Documentary Interviews", AllThingsD.com. July 23, 2012.
  8. ^ Plunkett, Luke "Gamers “Really Loved Killing” Lara Croft, Because She Was a “Strong” Character" Kotaku.com. July 25, 2012.
  9. ^ "Creators of 'The Sims,' 'Monkey Island,' 'Halo,' 'Gears' speak in Critical Path interviews" Yahoo.com. July 24, 2012.
  10. ^ Cifaldo, Frank "Have game designers failed when players are cheating?", Gamasutra.com. July 23, 2012.
  11. ^ Corriea, Alexa Ray [1] TheVerge.com. July 23, 2012.
  12. ^ Cifaldo, Frank "How to know when your game idea is good enough to make", Gamasutra.com. July 24, 2012.
  13. ^ Rigney, Ryan "Video Game Auteurs Define Their Industry In Critical Path" Wired. July 23, 2012.
  14. ^ Kuchera, Ben "Critical Path shares insight from the industry’s leading minds, tackles “wall of white dudes”", Penny-Arcade.com. July 27, 2012.