Play The Game Over

Play The Game Over – Esports, videogames and society.

Videogames’s phenomenon is the identity card of our society.

My project raises issues related to prejudice, sociability, identity and business, focusing on what is real and what is not.
I chose to use a visual chromatic synthesis that connects to the world of sport and gaming, to emphasize the similarities between the two areas and stimulate the observer to wonder about the future virtualization of his own identity.

The last few years have brought new habits and lifestyles because of the pandemic. In the future, the use of virtual environments for many activities will be increasingly common. This has been happening for years with videogames becoming the true reflection of contemporary society and the testing ground for everything that is going to happen.

The gaming environment has evolved dramatically. The competition has led many videogames to turn into real sports. Esports were officially declared Olympic sports in 2017.
Behind an Esports team there are many professional identities: managers, coaches and trainers, who come together within dedicated gaming houses.

Contemporary culture is hugely influenced by video games. The vocabulary of new generations includes terms coming from the videogame language. Music and cinema show continuous references from the gaming. In 2020/2021, the videogame industry generated revenues higher than all other entertainment sectors. New jobs were born such as streamer, commentator and many others.

Inside families, a generation gap has been created due to disinformation. But parents themselves were born and raised with videogames and are gamers as well. Smartphones have in fact brought gaming into everyone’s hands.

Play The Game Over is an ever-evolving project began in 2017, like video games themselves as well as the resulting photography I realize.
A continuous research that has received several awards and publications over the years and which, in 2023, became my first photobook.

Videogames hit our homes in 70’s.
In the 80’s the first “Space Invaders” Championship.
In 2014 the “League of Legends” tournament is played in the Seoul Stadium.
Esports has been officially declared Olympic Sport in 2017.
The american superstar Travis Scott launched his new single inside the videogame “Fortnite” in a dedicated virtual event.
During the Covid pandemic, the videogame market grew by 20%, exceeding the value of other sports and cinema combined.

Awards, Recognitions and Exhibitions

You can buy the photobook in the shop.

Tearsheets:

From the blog:

• Start
• Red Vs Blue
• Level Up
• Pause
• Resume
• GG (Good Game)
• Game Over