Game storytelling

So to prepare to for the narrative of the future, we have to have a solid footing in the ancient craft of storytelling. The conundrum is the fact that in gaming, as in sports, it is assumed the outcome is not predetermined.

That uncertainty and the gamers knowledge they have an influence on the outcome is what maintains the engagement of the player. Narrative engages through the way in which the story is told.

The viewer knows the outcome is predetermined but remains engaged because of the illusion of uncertainty and due to the way the story is told. I think it is possible for this to be solved, but not sure how at this point. Most games hinge on the player NOT being empathetic.

The goal is usually to win and that presupposes the need to objectify or dehumanize the opponents in the game. Kids go to games as a release from the burden of the social dictate to be empathetic.

Empathy takes effort. The key would be that the success of the gamer must depend upon them making choices that are based on empathy rather than domination. Yes, I think this is possible but must be worked into the design. Instead of learning math through a game the person develops empathy in the artificial construct of the game. In this way games can function like narrative art — theater or fiction or film etc. Those art forms also develop empathy in the viewer.

A writer knows the viewer must become empathetic with characters or they will lose interest in the work. Games also develop a kind of empathy for the hero in the game, the substitute for the player. Games like fiction must also find a way to develop empathy for other characters. I think this is possible but there must be incentives in the game itself to encourage this. Best to look at recent research into empathy and how it is coded into DNA and from there create game structures that reward choosing empathetic response over self-interest response.

And depends on what is meant by the word effective. The differences in both are obvious and if the goal is partly to encourage empathy then the strategies for that would need the games to structured differently depending on first or third person.

Also it is quite possible to have a game that has player shift between first and third. Then you have a kind of Brecht model of identification and distance. Do you focus on building the story world, the rules, the stakes, the architecture and let the stories emerge organically from the community? Part of the joy of watching a show is we cannot change the outcome so must accept the tragic elements of life. The basic game is to pick two yellow cards to create a main character, and a blue card for a situation.

I love that this teaches kids about character arcs. The cards come in themes — forest, animal village, volcano island, and fairytale — and show characters, actions, settings, and objects. Our favorite way to play with the cards is to randomly pick five and use them to narrate a story. My growing writers also like to choose one card from each story element to inspire a fictional tale. Small enough for on-the-go, roll nine six-sided story dice to prompt individual stories or create a group-shared story.

The black and white images leave room for interpretation, which is a great way to develop out-of-the-box thinking. For example, the clock image could be many things, including the general concept of time, a school clock, or an alarm clock.

Thank You! The perfect book picks are on their way. This will help bring the characters to life within the game. Interactivity in games has reached new heights and gamers will want to spend most of their time interacting with the characters and the world around them. Keep cut scenes of the main playing character to a minimum.

Players enjoy the power they have in controlling their character. When a gamer sees their character walking and talking without being in full control they may feel robbed. Halo and Gears of War are two excellent games that build suspense by using smart cut scenes. Good game development is based on keeping the players engaged by creating a game that keeps them actively involved. Mastering this subtle technique will take time and practice.

The Legend of Zelda franchise has managed to nail this aspect of game development on the head — designing games with clever puzzles that require the gamer to solve by thinking for themselves.

The latest chapter in the franchise, Breath of the Wild, has received top reviews so they are obviously on to a good thing again! Games like The Elder Scrolls and Half Life 2 really pushed the boundaries when they were released by incorporating all the little details of the world into the design. To keep a player engaged you must hold their focus on the unfolding story. Building challenges is obviously important but they must never take over completely and become so challenging that the gamer loses interest.

If you are interested in learning great game development techniques and getting more involved in game design, we run a number of specialist courses — both full-time and part-time.