Journey's Jenova Chen and the Art of the Positive Game

The Fourth Curtain

This week's guest is Jenova Chen, creator of Journey, Sky: Children of the Light and other games. A BAFTA winner, he has strong opinions about morality in games and the value of positivity. We discuss the unique way he starts games, GDC's value and being the opposite of GTA - this week!

1. [00:00:00] Music as the Highest Resolution Emotional Medium
   Jenova Chen explains why he believes music is the most powerful emotional communication tool, comparing it to pixel art and poetry.
2. [00:08:00] The Journey of thatgamecompany & Raising $160M
   Jenova shares how Thatgamecompany evolved from a student project to a studio that raised $160 million in venture capital.
3. [00:14:00] Growing Up in Shanghai & Discovering Gaming
   Jenova reflects on his childhood in China, his parents' skepticism of video games, and how he discovered his passion for interactive media.
4. [00:28:00] Pitching a Game at USC & The Origins of thatgamecompany
   Jenova recalls how he pitched a student game to secure funding, which eventually led to the founding of thatgamecompany.
5. [00:32:00] Creating Games as Art & The Success of Cloud
   The unexpected viral success of Cloud and how it convinced Jenova that video games could be a respected artistic medium.
6. [00:41:00] How Jenova Chen Designs Games: Starting with Emotion
   Jenova describes his creative process, starting with imagery and music to establish the emotional tone before designing mechanics.
7. [00:51:00] Comedy & Romance in Games: A Missed Opportunity
   Jenova discusses how certain film genres—like romantic comedies—are underrepresented in gaming and how they could become successful.
8. [00:58:00] Designing the Emotional Journey in Journey
   How Journey’s climactic moment was carefully crafted by contrasting moments of struggle with a powerful sense of freedom.

Thank you for listening to our podcast all about videogames and the amazing people who bring them to life!
Hosted by Alexander Seropian and Aaron Marroquin
Find us at www.thefourthcurtain.com

Join our Patreon for early, ad-free episodes plus bonus content at https://patreon.com/FourthCurtain

Come join the conversation at https://discord.gg/KWeGE4xHfe
Videos available at https://www.youtube.com/@thefourthcurtain
Follow us on Twitter: @fourthcurtain
Edited and mastered at https://noise-floor.com

Audio Editor: Bryen Hensley
Video Editor: Sarkis Grigorian
Producer: Shanglan (May) Li
Art: Paul Russel
Community Manager: Doug Zartman
Featuring Liberation by 505