Finder Love: Aki Hoshino (Capcom, 2006).
Finder Love: Aki Hoshino is a photography game in the Finder Love series, a PSP dating sim game. The game is yet another addition to simulation of photographic practices that objectify women and perpetuates the male gaze in computer games’ representation and mechanics (see the whole “paparazzi/model photo shooting/Japanese idol photography” theme of photography simulations). What is interesting however in terms of mechanics is the use of a “gamification of the decisive moment” that is reminiscent of music and rhythm games (e.g. Pop’n music, Guitar Hero…). There is also an aesthetic evaluation of the pictures taken and a “Tension” level. Finally it also to note that the game does not use CGI to create the subjects of the photo shoot, but recorded video footage – and snapping pictures is here made equal to capturing still frames from a moving image that can’t be stopped or rewinded.
in-game photography 