Jordan Magnuson – Travel Games to Depict a Trip Around the World

TT: On what do you plan to focus your games: fun or learning through travel?

JM: “Fun” in and of itself isn’t a huge focus for me. Don’t get me wrong: I love playing fun games, and I like having a good time. But we already do that pretty well, in that most games are about fun, and the best games tend to be good primarily because they are fun.

I’m interested in breaking down boundaries, and trying new things, so my focus is going to be on something different… on expressing ideas, emotions, experiences… the power of travel, the power of place, the uniqueness of culture around the world. I don’t think a creation has to be fun to be valuable… that’s not true of any of our other art forms, and I don’t see why it should be true of games just because they’re interactive. I hope some of my games end up being fun, but for many of them, that’s not even a concern I have.

Some people may question the use of the word “game” to describe the things I’m making, if they don’t end up being fun, and I think that’s fair. My focus is on the interactive, rather than the game-like… I even label some of my creations “notgames” in an attempt to allay some of the confusion.

TT: Who would they mostly address? Children and teenagers just learning about the world, or grown ups?

JM: It sounds kind of shallow and foolhardy to say that one is aiming to create something universal, but really, that’s sort of my hope and goal. I know that the things I make won’t be for everyone, mind you… some people might be affected, other people won’t be… but still, I hope that the division doesn’t fall so cleanly along established lines like age, or race, nationality, or gaming culture. If I can make something that a Korean middle school student can play and appreciate (and maybe learn something from), and also a grandmother in Sweden, then I’ve met my goal, to a large extent.

TT: Why should people support your plan?

JM: Ultimately, of course, that’s up to every individual. I’m certainly not interested in strong-arming anyone into supporting me. That being said, I think that creativity and imagination are vital parts of a good life, and of the human experience, and my project is about pushing those things as far as I can push them… about using a new and exciting medium in a way that’s never been used before, and maybe–just maybe–helping to increase global awareness and understanding at the same time.

I realize that I’m in a rather unique place of freedom at the moment, and that not everybody can drop what they’re doing and go trekking around the world. But by supporting me, people can become a real and vital part of the journey that I’m making, and follow along with me every step of the way. Everything I make becomes not just mine, but theirs as well… my contribution towards promoting creativity, imagination, and awareness in the world, and also their contribution. To me, that’s exciting, and I hope it is to others as well.

TT: Are companies in the travel industry showing interest in sponsoring your trip in exchange for exposure on yours and other travel blogs?

JM: None as of yet.

TT: How many stages will your trip have and when is it supposed to start?

JM: I’ve divided the trip up into a few phases. If I can meet my Kickstarter goal of $5000, that should cover most of my expenses through Southeast Asia, China, and Japan. The trip will start at the end of October, and last for at least six months… longer if the money holds, and/or I can get more funding.

TT: Which countries/cities are a must on your trip?

JM: As of now, the countries I’m planning on visiting are Taiwan, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, China, and Japan; possibly Singapore, Indonesia, and Burma. I’m hoping to spend at least a month in each country (so you can see why I’ll be traveling for at least six months, as there are more than six countries there), and do as much walking and overland travel as possible. Capital cities and famous sites are of course on the must-see list, though I’m also hoping to get off the beaten track as much as possible, and that’s perhaps what I’m looking forward to most… walking through the countryside for days at a time, spending the night at a small Buddhist monastery, having tea with a stranger, getting lost… those sorts of things.

TT: Where will you stay? Hostels, friends, relatives?

JM: I travel with camping gear and tent, so I’ll be doing a lot of that. Also hostels, friends, and couch-surfing acquaintances. Cheap and close to the land is the name of the game.

TT: When do you plan to develop the games? During or after the trip. And if it’s after, how do you plan to document your ideas?

JM: A bit of both. I’ll be traveling with my laptop in tow, and will definitely be developing along the way. Of course I can’t actually do any programming while out in the countryside somewhere, so I reckon I’ll be going some days just documenting things with pen and paper and camera, mixed with bouts of intense, city-bound development.

TT: What gadgets and techie devices are a must on your trip?

JM: Because I’m determined to develop as I go, a laptop is a must for me. I’ve got a small and light, fairly tough, 12-inch Lenovo with long battery life, along with a Japanese Zeroshock III protective sleeve made of ultra-dense foam.

Photography is also fairly important to me, but I couldn’t spare the space for a large SLR, so I’m packing a pocket-able, wide-angle, 10x optical zoom, Panasonic DMC-TZ5, which I’ve used for the last couple of years and been fairly happy with.

Also a Nintendo DS. Partially for the game playing, but also because of the excellent home-brew applications that turn the thing into a pocket-sized music player and eBook reader… reading is what I use it for most.

If you want to learn more about Jordan and his trip and watch his project, you can do so on his website, GameTrekking.com, on Facebook or on Twitter.