So where do we use it?

For the most part, using color as a way to communicate meaning will come into play in the broad UI rather than the actual game art itself, though many games have done a brilliant job integrating the two.

For those of you who are interested, I would recommend looking at Elder Scrolls: Oblivion.  There they use pallet choice not only to drive the mood (i.e. to convey emotional meaning) but also to delineate gamespaces (thereby conveying logical meaning).

Private Language

The greatest danger in developing a system like this is the possibility of developing a private language, a secret cant that only those in the know will understand.  We must be wary of sacrificing accessibility for information content.  Almost every science does this (law and medicine are excellent examples) but sciences aren’t meant to have mass appeal.  We can’t end up developing a new method of conveying meaning only to have it enable us to be more exclusive than before.

This can be avoided though.  First we must take our cues from the ordinary and the everyday.  We must root our meaning in things which our users encounter on a daily basis (greying out is a good example as that was common in computer UI before it became prevalent in games).  Second we can use color to reinforce meaning conveyed in other ways (this has the added benefit of teaching the interactor the “meaning” of the color schema).  Third, much in the way film audiences have become accustomed to the language of film simply due to exposure, so too will our audience become accustomed to such a language as games become a societal constant (though this is something we cannot rely on).

Conclusion

As our art form matures we need to develop new tools to use to keep expanding what we can do.  Color is only one of many such tools, but it is a powerful one.  With any luck this article has at least sparked thoughts on how it can be used and what it means to actively develop such a tool.  

Please share your thoughts, experiences and anecdotes here.  I ask only that you try and reference where you can.

As always, I’m reachable at jportnow@gmail.com.