What Pixels Wars Brings to Our Thoughts

On July 24, the game-themed comedy film "Pixels" was released in North America. The film has a big-name cast and will be released in China on September 15. The film features a large number of characters from classic games, including "Donkey Kong", "Bee", "Pac-Man", etc. It tells the story of a small team of game otakus fighting against pixel invaders to save the world. The cross-collision between games and reality creates a strong contrast for the film, which has won unanimous praise from the media.

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Different from ordinary audiences, this movie has received more attention and discussion in the gaming circle. Although the film has not yet been released in China, everyone is already curious about whether such a movie can provide some reference for games that are also entertainment.

Pixels ≠ shoddy workmanship, pixel games are timeless

Chris Entertainment Weekly said in his review of the movie "Pixels" that pixels are a kind of energetic fun. It is also the fun that makes pixel games always have a group of loyal fans. As the originator of pixel games, the graphics cannot make it bear the stigma of "shoddy". On the contrary, due to the changes of the times, the pixel style has advantages that 3D realism cannot match. When seeing the 3D Mario, players will say, so new; but when seeing the Mario made up of pixels, players will say, this is the hero who grew up with me in my childhood. It is precisely because of this plot that many developers now deliberately use pixel style to express the game because of the theme of the game.

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The pixel style is unique and incorporates more interactive experiences through simple images. This interactive experience does not only refer to the player using the handle to control the game character, but the inherent blank space of the pixel game gives players more room for imagination. Some people jokingly say that pixel games are the virtual world that the post-80s and post-90s dreamed of when they were lying in bed as children. Although it seems exaggerated, it is not without reason. Due to the simplicity of the expression form, pixel games must rely on the game content to achieve balance. This process of seeking balance has achieved a good chemical reaction, that is, developers can free up more energy to focus on gameplay and content mining, and innovations in pixel games are endless. And this is probably why pixels have always been fun.

Apart from nostalgia, pixel games can be more innovative

The game characters such as Donkey Kong, Bee, and Pac-Man that appear in the film are all classic representatives of the FC red and white machine. When we mention pixel games, we often associate them with nostalgia, and then cite classics to discuss the historical significance of some game works. However, "Pixels" gave us a new direction for thinking - creating a brand new image through the world view structure. It may be biased to describe it as "brand new", but the movie does give Pac-Man and others a new identity, that is, the Earth Destroyer. The image is enriched by the plot of destroying buildings and biting off the fingers of Mr. Toru Iwatani (the father of Pac-Man). In a relaxed and humorous atmosphere, the audience is very happy to accept this new adaptation.

This is a form of "new wine in old bottles", using a carrier familiar to users to complete the grafting and delivery of new content. On the other hand, in games, we can also use the pixel style that players love to make more interesting creations, and many works have confirmed this. In "Minecraft", the entire game world is made up of various pixel blocks. Players can destroy them or use their imagination to build things with their own blocks. There are infinite possibilities here; and the action puzzle game "Superbrothers: Sword and Witchcraft" has developed pixel art to a peak. Although the game is pixel-painted, the details are clear through the hazy color grids, and it has a pointilism painting effect. With the clever combination of music style and stock market plot, its artistic rendering effect is quite shocking; of course, all players will never forget the fear of being dominated by "Flappy Bird" that day.

The movie "Pixels" has brought the pixel games, which have been performing steadily, to the forefront again. The simple form of expression of pixels can leave more creative space for developers to play. What is gratifying is that various game teams have been seeking breakthroughs in this regard. Recent works such as "Crusaders of War", "Ark of the Titans 2" and "Tomb Raiders" have all performed well in the market.

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Virtual reality, pixel games may be more fun

VR (virtual reality) is a difficult problem that the game industry has been trying to overcome. Compared with combining game models with reality, the movie "Pixels" tells us that perhaps using pixels to show surprises in games and integrating them into reality will achieve unexpected results. This is because game images have been pursuing simulation for many years. When this simulation is integrated with real life, we will not have too much conflict; but if pixels and reality are put together, it is bound to form a strong contrast. This iconic method reminds us that we are in the game, and you will suddenly find that the dream you had when you were lying in bed as a child has come true.

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In fact, no matter nostalgia or innovation, virtual or real, the reason why pixels are loved is that they make people feel real fun. And fun is the essence of games. Will the popularity of the movie "Pixels" also bring a pixel trend to the gaming circle? Let us wait and see.