NPR: Native Stories From Alaska Give Gamers Something To Play With

By Heather Bryant
August 23, 2014

Until recently, no video games on the market have told the story of an indigenous people from their perspective. A group of Alaskan natives have partnered with a game developer to change that.

Their game is called Never Alone, and its creators hope it will set a new standard in video game development.

As in movies, native characters in video games tend toward stereotype. Few of them are heroes, but this game is different. Never Alone is based on a traditional story known as Kanuk Sayuka and the experiences of Alaska elders, storytellers and youth. The story follows a young Inupiaq girl and an Arctic fox as they go on an adventure to save her village from a blizzard that never ends.

Game developer Sean Vesce has 20 years of experience in the industry working on action titles like Tomb Raider. He recently went to Barrow, in far northern Alaska, to watch the students play a demo of the game. He says that day was his most memorable experience from the project.

Read the full article here: http://www.npr.org/blogs/alltechconsidered/2014/08/23/342554915/native-stories-from-alaska-give-gamers-something-to-play-with

Posted September 17, 2014 3:06 PM PST