Video+Game+Storytelling

=Cox, Alex. "Video Game Storytelling"= []

=Abstract=

Heated debate surrounds the topic of storytelling in videogames. While this argument extends beyond the scope of this paper, its existence indicates the need for an examination of the underlying problem of storytelling quality in game media. Researching the topic of interactive storytelling, this project sought to use innovative new techniques – such as story ‐ enabling – to create a story ‐ centric game ‐ prototype. This prototype was then play ‐ tested by a small focus group to determine how effectively these techniques told a story and how the use of these techniques effected the game’s entertainment value. Technical limitations resulted in an overall tepid reception of the prototype. Scores in the areas of storytelling and immersion, however, were substantially higher. Additionally, the concept of storytelling in video games was universally identified as an important component to the gaming experience. These results indicate not only an overwhelming desire on the part of players to experience stories in games, but also demonstrate the ability of story ‐ enabling techniques to engage and immerse players.

=Argument=

This article focused on storytelling in video games obviously. Where this article stands out over the others dealing with the same subject matter is the fact that it takes newer video games into consideration (Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty, Bioshock, etc.). It was interesting that the author also touched on various things such as the methodology, aesthetic qualities, the team involved in producing, level of detail put forth and the respective results of video games. It was interesting that he talks about presenting the games to a panel of people to oversee whether or not it would make for a suitable video game and story. In the end the author clearly sees video games as an excellent source of storytelling.

= = =Key Passages= = =

Stories communicate information from a source (i.e. a “teller” or a “narrator”) to a destination (i.e. the “audience” or “player”). Specifically, the communication depicts or is expressed as a result of causality (Krawczyk & Novak, 2006). Causality is the presentation of a series of sequential events wherein one event causes the next, which causes the next, etc. Causality is a common element in all stories.

In stories, these causal events are represented as plot points (Krawczyk & Novak, 2006). Plot points are the events that must occur to reveal a story to its audience. These plot points are typically character ‐ driven (D. Freeman, GDC presentation, March, 24, 2009). When the story experience is viewed in this light, then the story becomes the over <span style="font-family: 'Cambria Math','serif'; font-size: 16px;">‐ <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">arching meaning assigned to these character <span style="font-family: 'Cambria Math','serif'; font-size: 16px;">‐ <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">driven events. In linear storytelling this meaning is most often presented by the narrator to the audience through the representation of the characters’ causal experiences (Krawczyk & Novak, 2006).

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">This model conflicts with the non <span style="font-family: 'Cambria Math','serif'; font-size: 16px;">‐ <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">linearity present in games (Crawford, 2004). Games are interactive, the player has a degree of freedom to act as he or she desires. Because of this freedom, game designers cannot know how a player will react to any given stimulus. They cannot know what a player will experience. The more interactivity a game includes, the more it dilutes the story’s meaning because the player’s actions cannot be known in advance (Crawford, 2004). As previously stated, many games attempt to circumvent this problem by introducing linear storytelling techniques, such as cinematics. The advantage of employing a cinematic comes from its preplanned video sequences. Because these scenes are produced by the development teams, the actions of the characters within are known. This knowledge allows causality to be established from sequence to sequence. The characters’ actions make sense. Videos, however, are non <span style="font-family: 'Cambria Math','serif'; font-size: 16px;">‐ <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">interactive media. The player must relinquish control of the video game characters when these sequences play out (Krawczyk & Novak, 2006). This is not interactive storytelling. The interactivity has been removed to tell story rather than the story unfolding naturally from the interaction.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty is one game that makes extensive use of cinematics. This game utilizes a string of video sequences at the beginning of the game to introduce the characters, establish back <span style="font-family: 'Cambria Math','serif'; font-size: 16px;">‐ <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">story, introduce the game’s controls, and introduce the initial level. These sequences total over 14 minutes of back <span style="font-family: 'Cambria Math','serif'; font-size: 16px;">‐ <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">to <span style="font-family: 'Cambria Math','serif'; font-size: 16px;">‐ <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">back footage. This implementation received substantial criticism (Kasavin, 2001).

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Bioshock is one game that allows story to develop from a player’s experiences. In this game, players are placed into a world without cinematic sequences to provide information. Players are expected to use environmental clues and “set <span style="font-family: 'Cambria Math','serif'; font-size: 16px;">‐ <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">pieces” (pre <span style="font-family: 'Cambria Math','serif'; font-size: 16px;">‐ <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">planned, scripted events that occur within the game world) to determine their next course of action, and ultimately, what meaning the story holds for them. This implementation received praise, being called “a unique and compelling work of interactive fiction (Gerstmann, 2007).”

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">In order to test storytelling in video games, a story was needed. Inspiration came from the science fiction films of the early <span style="font-family: 'Cambria Math','serif'; font-size: 16px;">‐ <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">twentieth century, using such intellectual property as Buck Rogers and Flash Gordon as reference. These films are known for their uncomplicated and often over <span style="font-family: 'Cambria Math','serif'; font-size: 16px;">‐ <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">the <span style="font-family: 'Cambria Math','serif'; font-size: 16px;">‐ <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">top heroes. It was decided that this element would be capitalized upon for the story.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Using early twentieth <span style="font-family: 'Cambria Math','serif'; font-size: 16px;">‐ <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">century science <span style="font-family: 'Cambria Math','serif'; font-size: 16px;">‐ <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">fiction films as a point of reference afforded the project one major advantage; a monochromatic aesthetic. By creating an entirely black and white environment, the prototype immediately conveyed the genre from which the story sprung. This aesthetic was unique to the prototype and shared by very few other video games.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">To design the prototype, a team with a variety of skill sets was required. The development of art assets required team members knowledgeable in digital painting, three <span style="font-family: 'Cambria Math','serif'; font-size: 16px;">‐ <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">dimensional (3D) modeling, and UV coordinate mapping. The development of the environment required team members knowledgeable in binary <span style="font-family: 'Cambria Math','serif'; font-size: 16px;">‐ <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">space partition (BSP) mapping, lighting, and technical effects. The development of interactive elements required team members knowledgeable in Kismet™ scripting. The development in sound assets required team members knowledgeable in screenwriting, sound recording, voice acting, and sound effects.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">To execute the story <span style="font-family: 'Cambria Math','serif'; font-size: 16px;">‐ <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">enabling model outlined above, the level needed to present an uninterrupted interactive experience to the player. This would occur by presenting all in <span style="font-family: 'Cambria Math','serif'; font-size: 16px;">‐ <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">game events to the player while he or she remained in the first <span style="font-family: 'Cambria Math','serif'; font-size: 16px;">‐ <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">person perspective. Rather than accomplish a task, and then observe the results of that task in an accompanying non <span style="font-family: 'Cambria Math','serif'; font-size: 16px;">‐ <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">interactive cinematic, the player would witness the results of their actions in real <span style="font-family: 'Cambria Math','serif'; font-size: 16px;">‐ <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">time from the perspective of their character. The intent of this method is to not only preserve the interactivity provided by the game media but also use that interaction to create a deeper sense of immersion, drawing the player deeper into his or her role within the story.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">To test the success or failure of the prototype, a survey was crafted that would gauge players’ responses to the experience (See Appendix A). This survey would determine whether or not the story <span style="font-family: 'Cambria Math','serif'; font-size: 16px;">‐ <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">enabling techniques in the prototype effectively communicated a story (causally and visually) and whether or not the prototype was “fun.” To determine whether or not the prototype was fun, participants would be asked directly their opinion of the experience. To evaluate the quality of the storytelling, however, more specific criteria were needed. Long (1977) found that to successfully evaluate a script, the following questions were useful: 1) Does the script possess unity, 2) Are the materials being used representative of the concept, 3) Does the script contain interaction between the characters and the audience, 4) Does the story possess a dramatic framework (a beginning, a middle, and an end), 5) Does the story progress clearly through its framework? Once these questions were answered, the survey asked participants to rate the prototype on a scale of one to ten, with one being the worst possible experience and ten being the best possible experience.

= = =Selected Works Cited=

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Betts, M (2008). Video Game Storytelling: Is it Really a New Medium. Retrieved April 10, 2009, from WordPress.com web site: http://mikebbetts.wordpress.com/2008/08/22/video <span style="font-family: 'Cambria Math','serif'; font-size: 16px;">‐ <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">game <span style="font-family: 'Cambria Math','serif'; font-size: 16px;">‐ <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">storytelling <span style="font-family: 'Cambria Math','serif'; font-size: 16px;">‐ <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">is <span style="font-family: 'Cambria Math','serif'; font-size: 16px;">‐ <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">it <span style="font-family: 'Cambria Math','serif'; font-size: 16px;">‐ <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">really <span style="font-family: 'Cambria Math','serif'; font-size: 16px;">‐ <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">a <span style="font-family: 'Cambria Math','serif'; font-size: 16px;">‐ <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">new <span style="font-family: 'Cambria Math','serif'; font-size: 16px;">‐ <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">medium/

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Campbell, J (1949). The Hero with A Thousand Faces (2nd ed). Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Crawford, C (2004). Chris Crawford on Interactive Storytelling. New York, NY: New Riders Games.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Davie <span style="font-family: 'Cambria Math','serif'; font-size: 16px;">‐ <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Brown Entertainment (2009). DBE: Davie <span style="font-family: 'Cambria Math','serif'; font-size: 16px;">‐ <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Brown Entertainment. Retrieved April 10, (2009), from DBE.com web site: http://www.daviebrown.com/

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Gerstmann, J (2007). Bioshock Review. Retrieved April 10, (2009), from Gamespot.com web site: http://www.gamespot.com/pc/action/bioshock/review.html?om_act=convert&om_clk=gssummary&tag=summary;read <span style="font-family: 'Cambria Math','serif'; font-size: 16px;">‐ <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">review

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Hendershot, C (2003). Anti <span style="font-family: 'Cambria Math','serif'; font-size: 16px;">‐ <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Communism and Popular Culture in Mid <span style="font-family: 'Cambria Math','serif'; font-size: 16px;">‐ <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Century America. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Jefferson, NC: McFarland & Company, Incorporated.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Kasavin, G (2001). Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty Review. Retrieved April 10, (2009), from Gamespot.com web site: http://www.gamespot.com/ps2/adventure/metalgearsolid2sonsol/review.html?om_act=convert&om_clk=gssummary&tag=summary;read <span style="font-family: 'Cambria Math','serif'; font-size: 16px;">‐ <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">review

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Kelly, T (2003). Is Innovative Gameplay a Dead End. Retrieved April 10, 2009, from Blogspot.com Web site: http://particleblog.blogspot.com/2003/11/is <span style="font-family: 'Cambria Math','serif'; font-size: 16px;">‐ <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">innovative <span style="font-family: 'Cambria Math','serif'; font-size: 16px;">‐ <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">gameplay <span style="font-family: 'Cambria Math','serif'; font-size: 16px;">‐ <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">dead <span style="font-family: 'Cambria Math','serif'; font-size: 16px;">‐ <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">end.html

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Krawczyk, M, & Novak, J (2006). Game Development Essentials: Game Story & Character Development. Clifton Park, NY: Delmar Cengage Learning.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Long, B W (1977). Evaluating Performed Literature: Studies in Interpretation (Vols. 1 <span style="font-family: 'Cambria Math','serif'; font-size: 16px;">‐ <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">2) (2nd ed). <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Rodopi, NY: Esther M Doyle and Virginia Hastings Floyd.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Ng, K (2009). Braid Dev: Story <span style="font-family: 'Cambria Math','serif'; font-size: 16px;">‐ <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Based Games are Bogus. Retrieved April 10, 2009, from “The Escapist” web site: http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/88905 <span style="font-family: 'Cambria Math','serif'; font-size: 16px;">‐ <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Braid <span style="font-family: 'Cambria Math','serif'; font-size: 16px;">‐ <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Dev <span style="font-family: 'Cambria Math','serif'; font-size: 16px;">‐ <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Story <span style="font-family: 'Cambria Math','serif'; font-size: 16px;">‐ <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Based <span style="font-family: 'Cambria Math','serif'; font-size: 16px;">‐ <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Games <span style="font-family: 'Cambria Math','serif'; font-size: 16px;">‐ <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Are <span style="font-family: 'Cambria Math','serif'; font-size: 16px;">‐ <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Bogus

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Novak, J (2008). Game Development Essentials (2nd ed). Clifton Park, NY: Delmar Cengage Learning.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Nutt, C (2008). Storytelling at id Software: The Experience Matters. Retrieved April 10, 2009, from Gamasutra.com web site: http://www.gamasutra.com/php <span style="font-family: 'Cambria Math','serif'; font-size: 16px;">‐ <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">bin/news_index.php?story=20290

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">Walker, J (2008). Ragnar Tørnquist on… Storytelling. Retrieved April 10, 2009, from RockPaperShotgun.com web site: http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2008/08/18/ragnar <span style="font-family: 'Cambria Math','serif'; font-size: 16px;">‐ <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">t%C3%B8rnquist <span style="font-family: 'Cambria Math','serif'; font-size: 16px;">‐ <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">on <span style="font-family: 'Cambria Math','serif'; font-size: 16px;">‐ <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 16px;">storytelling/ = =

= =