Indie Devs In Love: Auriea Harvey and Michaël Samyn of Tale of Tales
April 18, 2011 9:00 AM | Cassandra Khaw
Ideas often have a life of their own.
I first came up with this notion of writing about couples within the industry when I met up with Dave Gilbert and his wife in New York. After listening to the story of how they met, I decided I wanted to see if there were similar heart-warming tales out there. More importantly, I wanted to know how much of a factor a relationship could be in the development of a game.
Unsurprisingly, one of the first couples I turned to for an interview was Auriea Harvey and Michaël Samyn, the creative minds behind Tale of Tales. I asked them about how they met, about what it was like to learn of a similar love in video games, of development, of perspectives and the role their mutual affection might have played in their work. Now, initially, I had expected to write a one-piece about couples in love. After seeing their eloquent response, I think this might end up a monthly column sort of thing.
What follows after the cut is the answer, raw and unedited, that I received.
We met in hell. On an internet domain called hell.com to be precise. This domain was the playground for a group of artists who used the internet and the web as their medium. During an group experiment with video conferencing software, we started chatting in private. The next day we started our collaboration through an exchange of love letters in the form of web pages. We called this exchange Skinonskinonskin and made it public (http://entropy8zuper.org/skinonskinonskin).
That was in 1999. We were both designing websites and creating net.art at the time. Certain games had influenced our ideas about interaction, and here and there a game-like element was introduced in some of are work. But we didn't even consider making games ourselves, ever. That happened when the hordes invaded the Internet around 2002. Web 2.0 destroyed the beautiful romantic utopia that we and our colleagues had built in cyberspace. And we didn't feel our artistic work still worked within this new shopping mall-like environment. So we switched to a new medium: video games.
Our web-based work was extremely personal and even a bit exhibitionist. Especially The Godlove Museum (http://entropy8zuper.org/godlove) where we combined stories from the Bible with our personal love stories, cultural conflicts and political issues. Our weekly online performances in Wirefire (http://entropy8zuper.org/wirefire) were also very intimate. We used it as a tool to talk about things that were hard to discuss in words. This project is actually the great-grandmother of the first game we released, The Endless Forest (http://Tale-of-Tales.com/TheEndlessForest).
We didn't really start working together because we had things in common, but more because we felt we complemented each other. We both felt that the other could do things that they could not do and really wanted to be part of their work. We did share an interest in creating computer-based art that was about people, about warm and sensual things, about real things (unlike most of our colleagues at the time, who were far more interested in systems and pixels). We used to have a slogan on our home page that said "Technology is not the future. We are." We have many slogans.
When we developed an interest in the creation of video games, we quickly learned how important it was to be a couple. Because video games -certainly back then, in 2002- were mostly these rather childish things that were squarely aimed at teenage boys. We figured that, as a multi-gender design team, we could bring something new to the table. From the beginning, we wanted to make video games for people who don't play them yet (if only to show our friends what we found so interesting about games). We wanted our games to be gender-inclusive. And being a hetero couple made that very easy. We never had to think about "how can we make games for girls" or worry about offending women.
Another advantage of being a couple working together is that we basically function like a single person with a double-sized brain. It's not that we never have arguments about our work, but we do aim in the same direction, artistically, and there's a lot of underlying stuff we know we agree about. We also have different skill sets and even cultural backgrounds, which adds to the feeling of being a multi-armed giant capable of much more than any individual.
We work together from the beginning to the end. On some tasks one of us does most of the work, and often gets the final say (Michael does the programming, Auriea does the modeling, Michael does the sound, Auriea does the graphics). But that's all busy-work. It's not important. We just need to get it done. And we often do it for each other, to help each other. What's more important is the continuous thinking and evaluation that goes on, and the continuous soaking up of other art and philosophy. And this is very much a shared thing, and it greatly defines our work. We talk a lot. About all sorts of things.
Oddly, Michael is probably both more grounded in reality and romantically ambitious. While Auriea is far more lyrical and experimental, yet very practical. So while Michael often has these strange far-fetched ideas about The Future Of The Medium, Auriea comes up with the strangest ideas for projects that Michael then needs to drag down to the reality present-day technology and audience. Auriea is the native English speaker but Michael writes most of the text that accompanies projects. Michael has had a graphic design education but Auriea takes care of typography and web design. It's like we're constantly trying to do each other's job and then need to correct the other. This can be frustrating, but it's probably also a strength. If the both of us can agree on the value of a project, there may be a better chance that more people in the audience will too.
We recently came out of an experiment that was based on being a couple. We developed a prototype of a game whose design was in fact the combination of two ideas (one of Auriea, and one of Michael). We often combine multiple ideas in a single game in a vain attempt to reach the end of our to do list before we die. But in this case, we separated the production as well: Auriea worked on her part of the game, and Michael on his. It was a very exciting idea. But in the end, we feel the process has failed. We did not manage to realize the potential we saw in the design. And one of the reasons was probably that we worked separately as little individuals, instead of combining our strengths and continuously confronting our thoughts with the other.
Being a couple has greatly influenced all of our games. Even the ones that originate mostly form an idea that one of us had. Because then, our love for each other motivates us to simply help the other person realize their idea. Since we have very similar preferences most of the time, this isn't very hard. But we have learned in the mean time, that our best ideas are the ones we agree on. Being a couple is not simply influential, it's essential.
Categories: Features
27 Comments
Get a room u2!
Dink | April 18, 2011 9:11 AM
Really cool read.
Aaron | April 18, 2011 1:23 PM
After seeing the quality of The Path and other such nonsense, they really shouldn't be allowed to have kids.
Anonymous | April 18, 2011 10:11 PM
You guys looks like a nice couple,
but please stop making games,
all your games sucks.
And to deceive everyone by calling it art game is just tasteless.
James Taylor | April 18, 2011 10:39 PM
Well, as a couple, together, you made "The Path" (TM). So, if you could just stop making games, together or apart, that would be great.
Anonymous | April 18, 2011 11:24 PM
people are so nice...
michael | April 18, 2011 11:38 PM
Stay classy, internet.
Anonymous | April 19, 2011 12:19 AM
I never played these games, but to be dead honest I could care less about which indie devs are dating. Please for God's sake don't make this a regular feature, because really, it has as much to do with indie gaming as finding out whether that guy who made World of Goo really likes furry porn or something.
Anon | April 19, 2011 12:43 AM
If you took any time to read this at all, you'd see it isn't an indie games gossip blog post.
The piece is about the influence of a romantic partnership on a creative one, which is objectively interesting almost regardless of the individuals being examined and their particular works.
moniker | April 19, 2011 1:05 AM
Turn off the trolling faucet, guys. Regardless of what you think of Tales of Tales games, this was a moving read. These are people doing games that, by nature, are not aimed in pleasing everyone. We can say that they suck, that's all right; but please, don't say they should not exist.
Leo | April 19, 2011 1:17 AM
I was curious to see the face of Michaël Samyn..
Firesword | April 19, 2011 1:50 AM
Their games should not exist, nor should this terrible article. Please don't let us know about the dating habits of indie gaming developers anymore. Thanks in advance.
Signed,
Pretty much everyone
Prettty much everyone | April 19, 2011 2:25 AM
"If the both of us can agree on the value of a project, there may be a better chance that more people in the audience will too."
Haha | April 19, 2011 2:27 AM
@Pretty much everyone: I'm ashamed of you everyone... your parents did a lousy job of teaching you some manners and respect.
I for one, quite enjoyed this piece. And while The Path was an utter failure in inducing a sense of fun or motivation to continue, it was a surreal and novel experience. I am certain these two are not done innovating :)
I hope to some day find and snatch up a girl that will love me, share my love of video games, and share my fascination with the development of video games... although from what I've seen so far, that will require a great deal of patience.
Samuel Batista | April 19, 2011 3:27 AM
@Samuel Batista: So you're saying that despite the fact that The Path and their other games are "failures at being fun or motivating", their story gives you a glimmer of hope of finding a girlfriend one day, and so we should somehow respect or honor their relationship or their games?
Okay, you've got priority issues.
Go Outside | April 19, 2011 4:33 AM
Protip: If you don't want to read the article...don't read it!
The more you know!
Anonymous | April 19, 2011 6:21 AM
After looking at some the websintes they designed, I feel they are better web designers than game designers (despite the horrible music in one of them). Some of their sites look and feel great. But that aside, what's with that snobish feeling of being superior these guys have? "After the hordes invaded the internet in 2002" pfff. Cataloguing other people as such is pretty insulting. Hetero-couples make games more inclusive? What a homo can't make games inclusive? If two agree in a project then the more people will like it too? Uh yeah, whatever. Nice story, but with regards to game design I don't see much value, it is full of fallacies.
Seamus | April 19, 2011 7:21 AM
People who says an artist should not exist, shoud not exist. All you angry nerds, get your own lifes and stop wasting your lives trolling like hordes in the net.
Great read, could be interesting to hear the same approach for male-male couples :) like 2D Boy or Meat Team.
Anonymous | April 19, 2011 7:39 AM
Cassandra, your initiative may not seem to be appreciated much seeing the vocal peanut gallery. But i thank you, keep up the good work.
Someone that is Not everyone | April 19, 2011 8:07 AM
Dear Tale of Tales
I like the games that you make, just because they're different. They are hard to control though. At least they are... i cant put my finger on it but i guess thats the point.
Thanx.
Bob | April 19, 2011 9:11 AM
you can tell the response was written by michael; everything from his insufferable sense of self-importance, to his baffling unprovoked condescension of things he does not like or understand.
this couple clearly has talent, but one of the two has an ego the size of a small planet.
ropeo | April 19, 2011 9:58 AM
Wow, what staggering ego this couple has.
Anonymous | April 20, 2011 3:27 AM
i think it's a lovely idea. please keep this up cassandra!
Anonymous | April 20, 2011 6:33 PM
"The Path" was bad because you were expected to pay for essentially a quick message on life. This isn't like traditional canvas or even film based art because games do not currently hold the same monetary value and generally you are expected to enjoy the game as a game first and foremost. Would you watch a movie with a great message even if it was really bland and hard to sit through? Of course not. It's not what you say, it's how you say it. The Path spoke in bland monotones.
Anon | April 20, 2011 8:24 PM
As for the article, I don't feel one way or another about it. I stopped reading it maybe 1/4 through as I got the impression of "just another self-absorbed person" but hey, it's a blog. I can skip it and move on to the next article easily so I don't mind.
Anon | April 20, 2011 8:29 PM
A remarkable article! The people behind tale of tales are just as irritating, misguided, and narcissistic as their barely-interactive software toys. Truly, these two have mastered the art of self-expression.
hipster scumbag | April 21, 2011 6:44 PM
Hipster Scumbag nailed it.
Anonymous | April 22, 2011 12:18 PM