A First-Hand Look at Video Game Selfies
These days, you’d be hard pressed to find a single person who hasn’t take a single selfie. Everybody’s getting into the action from parents, to grandparents, to even young children and babies. Now, there are even features built into video games where you can take a selfie as your favorite character. Let’s check out a few of the first video games to feature photography in general, and a few of the most radical selfie experiences in video games to date.
The First Video Game Selfies
There have been many games released over the years that tasked you with taking pictures. Leave it to Pokémon to be the innovator here, having lit the torch for in-game picture taking with their First-person rail shooter simulation game, Pokémon Snap back in 1999. This was completely uncharted territory for the gaming industry and even though the game released to mixed reviews, it’s still regarded as a cult classic nearly 20 years after it’s release.
But, people tend to forget about a similar, yet completely different, 2D platformer game called Gekibo: Gekisha Boy (otherwise known as Polaroid Pete) which was released more than 7 years before Pokémon Snap. The premise of Polaroid Pete is just as wacky as the game itself, but regardless, got the wheels turning on gaming’s photography genre which later gave way to in-game selfies (otherwise known as Photo Modes).
Photo Modes Galore
In-game selfies might be considered a fad for now, but they do hold a fair bit of leverage in the social sharing category than other game features have. Photo modes are developer’s tool to break down the fourth wall of video games and give gamers a truly immersive experience. Here are a few recent games that feature Photo Modes:
Spider-Man PS4
The fact that the 2018 release of Spider-Man has a Photo Mode makes the most sense out of any game for one key reason. The main protagonist, Peter Parker (Spiderman), is a photojournalist. So, the game’s developer, Insomniac Games, paid homage to Spiderman in a truly awesome way by giving gamers the ability to swap seamlessly between Free, Orbit, and Selfie photo modes at will. This has lead to a massive amount of hilarious selfies that are now internet meme gold.
Kingdom Hearts 3
Selfies in Kingdom Hearts 3 are a little different than other games as they aren’t positioned as simply an add-on feature for enrichment purposes. Instead, selfies are baked into the game’s storyline. Players are tasked with taking selfies as Sora, the main protagonist, to complete various quests across the plethora of Disney worlds. Those selfies are then featured in the app’s loading screens for gamers to use however they please.
Red Dead Redemption 2
Speaking of striking gold, the developers over at Rockstar Games struck oil when they released Red Dead Redemption 2 in late 2018. The game features impeccable design, controls, and features that gamers can’t get enough of. The cherry on top though, is undoubtedly the game’s photo mode, which allows players to capture a moment with the game’s main protagonist, Arthur Morgan, via the in-game camera. Players can even experiment with Arthur’s expression and pose as you’re positioning the camera or your selfie. It’s not the best Photo Mode available, but it definitely adds an interesting touch to a magnificent game.
Closing Thoughts
Video games have come a long way since the days of Polaroid Pete and Pokémon Snap. We’re now entering the next generation of in-game photography that is set to change the gaming experience for good. Reports are coming in that Pokémon GO developer, Niantic, is going to give players the ability to take AR-enabled selfies with the creatures they find lurking in the world. This could kick off a whole new generation of immersive gameplay in a gaming franchise that has already been the best at honing their craft in that category.
What’s your favorite video game to take a selfie in? Let us know!
