First, let’s get some background: The Many Pieces of Mr. Coo is a Spanish point-and-click game based on the art of Asturian illustrator Nacho Rodríguez (also the game’s director) and developed by Gammera Nest. Gammera is a studio known for its approach to institutions and companies (Nubla, which it developed in collaboration with Thyssen, or Tadeo Jones y Malnazidos, with Mediaset). Rodríguez, for his part, is a renowned illustrator who has been nominated for the Goya, among other awards.
The game’s release was marred by controversy: Rodríguez, the initiator of the project for more than a decade, made a statement on the networks upon the release of the game in which he accused Gammera, the developer he worked with (Rodríguez started developing the game himself and in Flash, but for the multiplatform launch and expansion of the content he needed help), of releasing the game with errors have. This medium spoke to both parties in detail. To summarize the conflict, Rodríguez talks about a release date that he did not agree with (Gammera claims that the date was dictated by the distributor), that the game has flaws (Gammera understands the author’s perfectionism but defends the quality of the product and says that many of these bugs have already been fixed) and that development has been bumpy. The truth is that the version of the game that this author played is sophisticated, although Rodríguez points out that this only applies to the latest version and that Gammera would not have solved many of them if he had not made his public complaint problems. Bug already fixed. It’s possible that it is. Furthermore, Rodríguez continues in his statement and Gammera (director Daniel Sánchez) takes his share of the blame, especially when it comes to not clearly delineating the functions of each involved.
A moment from “The Many Pieces of Mr. Coo.”
It’s a shame that this conflict is brought up (though perhaps that’s what made the game’s impact greater), because – and this is what this column wants to focus on – the game is simply wonderful for anyone who subscribes to it. That is, leaving aside the aspects that could be improved (there is no game that does not have them), Mr. Coo is a breath of fresh air in an interactive panorama that presents the great formal and mental breakers in the most independent games schemes . The game is not too innovative mechanically, but its artistic concept and the abstract narrative that allows everyone to develop their own meaning manage to take it to a higher level. It is a universe that could be described as Dalinian, full of humor and violence, thoughtfully thought out and with a unique flavor that leaves you wanting more. All in all, it’s a good game: a welcome spark of local talent.
Maybe what happened with this game is not the best example (Rodríguez is a programmer and points out certain points where the opposing party failed), but this controversy is related to a conflict between two forces that are sometimes opposite, sometimes complementary, but certainly condemned to understand each other: traditional artists and video game developers. The art of the future will be digital and tend towards interactivity. And it will be part of an ecosystem in which these two forces will have to learn to live together, collaborate and make personal concessions so that works are created that, due to their collective nature, may not fully satisfy all members, but which will undoubtedly satisfy players. . Art changes as the world changes, and the key players must work together if they don’t want their creative potential to be scattered all over the world like Mr. Coo with their body parts. You have to row in this direction. And you have to play this game.
A moment of the game.
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