New Vegas director Josh Sawyer says games can and should pull on artistic inspirations from ‘anywhere and everywhere’: ‘Greek plays, they knocked it out of the park thousands of years ago—why not look at them?’
Obsidian Entertainment’s design director Josh Sawyer advocates for drawing artistic inspiration from proven sources across all media, including classical works. In a recent YouTube video, Sawyer emphasizes that if game designers want to evoke emotions or provoke thought in players, they should study media that has already successfully achieved these goals.
Sawyer highlights classical Greek theatre as an exemplar, noting that playwrights thousands of years ago perfected techniques for engaging audiences emotionally and intellectually—a foundation games can build upon. Rather than treating game design as entirely novel, Sawyer suggests the medium should embrace time-tested artistic principles from literature, theatre, film, and other storytelling forms.
The philosophy reflects a broader approach to game design that prioritizes emotional resonance and meaningful player experience. Sawyer uses specific examples, including cowboy narratives and thoughtful resource-management gameplay, to illustrate how games can create both emotional and intellectual engagement. This perspective positions classical and historical artistic works as valuable reference material for modern game developers seeking to create more impactful gaming experiences.