HARDSCOPE

HARDSCOPE is a split screen multiplayer first person shooter that is focused on performative player behavior through trick shots and wacky physics weapons. Part Super Smash Brothers, part Call of Duty, part SSX Tricky HARDSCOPE attempts to bring huge spectacle to the FPS genre while attempting to reduce negative competitive emotions between players through wacky physics and a an emphasis on the spectacular and the absurd.

HARDSCOPE has been my MFA thesis project at USC. The aim of HARDSCOPE is to explore different modes of competitive competition in the first person shooter genre. HARDSCOPE attempts to lower the negative emotions players may feel in a competitive FPS game without diminishing the excitement of competition. Ultimately, HARDSCOPE is an investigation into whether game design can influence and reduce toxicity in competitive game communities.