The second interview in our series about the design and appeal of games is with designer-theorist Celia Pearce. We knew her best for her fascinating reserach into an online community of players that migrated from Uru to other multiplayer environments. Her findings show that people play games for a multitude of reasons that designers often neglect but that mean a lot to the audience. In the interview we find out about her background as a theme park attraction designer, her current work with a group of students on an innovative mmo called Mermaids, built on the Multiverse platform, her activist tendencies and enthusiasm for the indie scene, as expressed in Indiecade, a showcase of independent games that will take place at the next E3.

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Photo by Tracy Fullerton.