Snapshots and The Personalization of Media

In Bogost’s chapter on snapshots, he reveals the fascinating similarity and difference between snapshot photographs from 19^th and 20^th century Kodak and today’s various game making software. When Kodak developed the snapshot beginning with the Brownie camera in 1900, it changed the way photography was used by consumers as a medium. These personal, affordable cameras made photography available to the public and introduced the snapshot – which allowed for regular people to capture the precious moments in their lives with practically no photography skills needed. Today’s game making software allows for regular people with practically no computer or gaming skills to create games and use media the same way that Kodak’s snapshots did. The fundamental difference between Kodak’s snapshot camera and today’s game making software is that game making can never be fully automated like the camera. Cameras are a mostly automated process while computers and game making require uncommon skills and programming of some sort. Snapshots personalized photography and cameras in the sense that regular people could take personal photos of moments of their lives that are significant to them, in a simple and affordable way. Today’s snapshot games and media allow personalization in multiple ways. Social media is very personalized. Some games like Sims Carnival deal with personalized topics and allow for users to interact and personalize the game itself. It is fascinating that snapshots and snapshot games aren’t simply just pictures or games but are pictures and games that can be personalized and used for a variety of different purposes.