Photography game

A photography game is a video game genre in which taking photographs using the in-game camera system is a key game mechanic. Photography games often employ mechanics similar to a first-person shooter, but rather than using a gun to kill enemies, the goal is to use a camera to take photographs of things in the game world.[1] Depending on the game, the act might incapacitate or defeat enemies, or the player might receive points or experience according to the composition of the photograph.[1][2] The earliest game in the genre is Nessie, published for the Commodore 64 in 1984[3] and in 1985 for Atari 8-bit computers,[4] in which the goal is to take a photo of the Loch Ness Monster.

Photography elements can be the only significant mode of gameplay, as in Pokémon Snap or Afrika, or they can be used in combination with other gameplay modes such as action-adventure in Beyond Good & Evil or survival horror in Fatal Frame and Dead Rising.[2][5]

  1. ^ a b Gordon, Lewis (23 March 2021). "Games Like Umurangi Generation Bring the Moment Into Focus". Wired. Archived from the original on 26 April 2021. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
  2. ^ a b Jensen, K. Thor (2 May 2021). "Take a Picture, It'll Last Longer: The History of Photography Games". PC Magazine. Archived from the original on 5 May 2021. Retrieved 6 May 2021.
  3. ^ Halfhill, Tom R. (1984). "Nessie" in "Compute!'s second book of Commodore 64 Games". COMPUTE! Books. ISBN 0-942386-64-7.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference nessie_atari was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Lum, Jessica (18 November 2009). "8 Video Games that Feature Photography". Petapixel. Archived from the original on 7 May 2021. Retrieved 6 May 2021.