My name is Chris Commisso and I grew up in Yonkers, NY. Seeking out the novelty in everything is my nature. I believe that if you don't like something, you probably just haven't figured out how to appreciate it yet. As a kid I had a lot of trouble focusing on things that did not interest me.
Games gave me an outlet which I enjoyed that allowed me to focus on higher level problem solving. When I focused, I felt I could conquer anything. The biggest question in my life quickly became; How can I assure that everything in life is fun? What even is fun? I pondered this until I realized that fun is all in your head. If you relax you can enjoy whatever you do. I learned to find novelty in complexity. I began taking unraveling concepts I wanted or needed to know more about.
I am now in school for Game Design and Development at Rochester Institute of Technology(RIT). There, I have met some of the most interesting minds I've ever seen. People from all over gather in one place to study and disect the very concept of fun. I am humbled to be in the presence of some of these individuals and many of them have been able to turn my perspective on its head. I genuinely love problem solving. The approach to fun as a problem to solve at RIT has been eye opening for both my life and career. I hope to design games that help people discover new and interesting things about themselves and the world. Not just the world they see but all the worlds we can imagine. I find this kind of discovery beautiful.
To the left you will see my two custom controllers. I customized the arcade stick myself. I have always loved to compete. I started with sports but quickly moved to e-sports in highschool. The school's Smash Bros. club became my favorite training grounds. Week after week I'd set new goals and break new boundaries. I went home everyday to read framedata and learn all of my options and follow-ups. I practiced them on all of the weight classes and trained my muscle memory to never mess up. Eventually, I reached my goal of beating everyone in the room at least once.
I began going to local tournaments only to find out how severely unprepared I was. I lost faster than I could have ever imagined. I got to play against some incredibly good players in my region and I went home with a lot of knowledge. I kept practicing and eventually hit my skill wall. To most this is devastating, but I couldn't be sad. As a firm beleiver in not being upset at what you cannot change I moved along. I did what I could to have fun.
Weeks later, a new game was brought to club. The game was called Skullgirls. It reminded me of one of my earliest memories playing Marvel Vs. Capcom while waiting for the dentist. Suddenly I was faced with a brand new set of problems and details. The thing that made this game so different is that there is so much less variance. I could precalculate so much more about this game. Although, there was a bigger problem; I was awful at Skullgirls. Everyday after school, I'd practice motions and combos until I could do them without struggle. Eventually, I'd reach a point where I could do them with my eyes-closed. Skullgirls opened my eyes to design with intent. The game was so clearly made for competition and optimised for user experience. Skullgirls made me want to make games. It made me see a progression in myself, through play, that I never would have found otherwise.
I've always thought the world needed more passion. Growing up I'd see people doing what they could to make a living. These people were, more often than not, completely complacent in the fact that what they were doing didn't necessarily interest them. No one cared to see a better world because they thought that what they "liked" was to trivial or novel. These people simply line up to whatever job will support their lifestyle. To that I say more power to them. Although, I can assure that it doesn't get much more trivial or novel than games. Even still, I find that games can have an incredibly meaningful impact on a persons life in a way that is unique. Moreover, I feel that the uniqueness of their impact necessitates their place in the world.
As a designer or even a programmer, I want to make things that help people see progression in themselves. I want people to see themselves shine in ways they never knew they could. It is this kind of self discovery that drew me to games and what drives my firm belief that games have a necessary place in the world. Games provide a space with as little or as much pressure as you'd like to solve problems. Additionally, you set your own pace. Plainly put, I want people to use the things I create to discover their best self.
The notion that abstract problem solving can be therapeutic in nature and aid in self-growth is widely supported and used in treatment of kids with tons of developmental conditions. When I was young I went to a therapist who would use chess to keep me focused and loan me board games every week. Over time, I learned focus, discipline, problem solving, conversational skills, and even empathy all through the carrot and stick of chess. To sum up my passion; games offer us an intimate connection to ourself and others that is unique and I owe them everything.
