Video Games and StoriesVideo Games and Stories

Building a better union Building a better union

An observation by Jonathan Brewer

We play video games and follow stories for similar

reasons

We play video games and follow stories for similar

reasonsAn escape from realityA chance to connect with new

places and new peopleA chance to experience painless

thrill and drama

An escape from realityA chance to connect with new

places and new peopleA chance to experience painless

thrill and drama

There is a key differenceThere is a key difference

When a person reads a book or watches a movie, they are a passive entity; their actions have no impact on what happens in the story

When a person reads a book or watches a movie, they are a passive entity; their actions have no impact on what happens in the story

When a person plays a game, their actions are what make the game progress. The player is an active entity.

When a person plays a game, their actions are what make the game progress. The player is an active entity.

Are the mediums incompatible?

Are the mediums incompatible?

When a person plays a video game, they expect everything that happens to be a reflection of the actions they take.

Having a story that doesn’t reflect the player’s actions can be frustrating.

Branching the game for every conceivable decision is impossible.

When a person plays a video game, they expect everything that happens to be a reflection of the actions they take.

Having a story that doesn’t reflect the player’s actions can be frustrating.

Branching the game for every conceivable decision is impossible.

The key components of a story

The key components of a story

The settingThe charactersThe eventThe developmentThe climaxThe ending

The settingThe charactersThe eventThe developmentThe climaxThe ending

How to familiarize the player with the setting and

characters

How to familiarize the player with the setting and

charactersPre-game techniques

Opening scrollAll in the manual

In-game techniquesInformation dumpingDiariesA mix of bothTutorialsAudio recordings.

Pre-game techniquesOpening scrollAll in the manual

In-game techniquesInformation dumpingDiariesA mix of bothTutorialsAudio recordings.

Having the PC be amnesiac, or a stranger in a distant land makes the in-game process a lot less awkward.

The development can be linear

The development can be linear

Easier to designEasier to

integrate a storyLess replay valueLess flexibility

Easier to designEasier to

integrate a storyLess replay valueLess flexibility

The development can be semi-linear

The development can be semi-linear

Harder to designHarder to make a

plausible storyGives the player

more freedom, feels less contrived

Harder to designHarder to make a

plausible storyGives the player

more freedom, feels less contrived

Developing with the playerDeveloping with the player

As video games get more sophisticated, players expect to play a bigger role in shaping the story.

Good stories often make observers wish that they could be a participant, video games can take advantage of this.

Taking control away during a crucial moment is a guaranteed way to ruin any sense of immersion the player might have been feeling.

As video games get more sophisticated, players expect to play a bigger role in shaping the story.

Good stories often make observers wish that they could be a participant, video games can take advantage of this.

Taking control away during a crucial moment is a guaranteed way to ruin any sense of immersion the player might have been feeling.

Example: Chrono TriggerExample: Chrono Trigger

Why are my characters just standing around while this happens?

The endingThe ending

Above all, the ending should reflect the time and the effort that the player put into the game.

Nowadays, players expect more than a simple “You won!” screen.

Above all, the ending should reflect the time and the effort that the player put into the game.

Nowadays, players expect more than a simple “You won!” screen.

Multiple EndingsMultiple Endings

Two advantages of having multiple endings are:Making the player explore the game to its

fullest extent to ensure that their first ending is the best one.

Extra replay value as the player can explore the different outcomes of his/her decisions.

The disadvantages? Anticipating all possible branches and canonical sequels.

Two advantages of having multiple endings are:Making the player explore the game to its

fullest extent to ensure that their first ending is the best one.

Extra replay value as the player can explore the different outcomes of his/her decisions.

The disadvantages? Anticipating all possible branches and canonical sequels.

Bad endingsBad endings

Detailed bad endings can be more powerful than good endings for multiple reasons: Most gamers expect a happy ending when they complete

the game. Usually a bad end simply involves your character lying

dead, and your connection with the setting terminated. This can promote apathy, especially when death occurs often.

Tragedy is not usually an everyday component of our lives.

Bad endings give the player a fate to avoid in addition to the normal goals of the game.

Detailed bad endings can be more powerful than good endings for multiple reasons: Most gamers expect a happy ending when they complete

the game. Usually a bad end simply involves your character lying

dead, and your connection with the setting terminated. This can promote apathy, especially when death occurs often.

Tragedy is not usually an everyday component of our lives.

Bad endings give the player a fate to avoid in addition to the normal goals of the game.

Bad ending: IHNMAIMSI Have No Mouth And I Must Scream

Bad ending: IHNMAIMSI Have No Mouth And I Must Scream

Adventure game where you control five humans who are being kept alive indefinitely for the amusement of an insane global computer.

The good ending results in you saving the world. Huzzah.

The bad ending involves the human you’re controlling suffering a fate worse than death.

Adventure game where you control five humans who are being kept alive indefinitely for the amusement of an insane global computer.

The good ending results in you saving the world. Huzzah.

The bad ending involves the human you’re controlling suffering a fate worse than death.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TR8wYSdkx0o

Bad ending: Chrono Trigger

Bad ending: Chrono Trigger

Popular RPG made on the SNES.

Time travel is a central theme.

Most of the time, a game over involves your party members lying on the ground dead while sad music is played.

If you fail at the final boss, you get an extra cinematic that shows just how badly you failed.

Popular RPG made on the SNES.

Time travel is a central theme.

Most of the time, a game over involves your party members lying on the ground dead while sad music is played.

If you fail at the final boss, you get an extra cinematic that shows just how badly you failed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5OxMNRB89Fo

The conflict between tragedy and player control

The conflict between tragedy and player control Stories often add tragedy to engage the player

on an emotional level. Unfortunately, this can be hard to translate into video games. If the tragedy is perceived as avoidable, then the

player may feel like they should have been able to do something.

If the tragedy is perceived as unavoidable, the player may simply not care.

Having a tragic end be the main ending can make the player feel cheated, unless it’s a setup for a sequel.

How can we include tragedy in our games and ensure optimal player engagement as well?

Stories often add tragedy to engage the player on an emotional level. Unfortunately, this can be hard to translate into video games. If the tragedy is perceived as avoidable, then the

player may feel like they should have been able to do something.

If the tragedy is perceived as unavoidable, the player may simply not care.

Having a tragic end be the main ending can make the player feel cheated, unless it’s a setup for a sequel.

How can we include tragedy in our games and ensure optimal player engagement as well?

Detailed example: Tsukihime

Detailed example: Tsukihime

Bestselling visual novel released in 2000.

Has 9 endings overall, with at least one per heroine.

You cannot reach all endings initially, some endings must be done before others.

Bestselling visual novel released in 2000.

Has 9 endings overall, with at least one per heroine.

You cannot reach all endings initially, some endings must be done before others.

Tsukihime: Basic InfoTsukihime: Basic Info

You play as Tohno Shiki. You were sent away from the Tohno mansion long ago by your father, Tohno Makihisa.

Makihisa has just recently died, and your sister Akiha has summoned you back to the mansion.

[Spoilers] You real name is Nanaya Shiki. The real Tohno Shiki (called SHIKI in game) went insane long ago and is now on the streets killing people and sucking their blood due to his heritage. You were hypnotized to forget all of this by Makihisa.

The first two paths you can take have you team up with vampire hunters to kill SHIKI.

The latter three paths remain centered around the Tohno mansion, its dark past, and the horrible curse the Tohno family suffers from. You have to deal with SHIKI in these path too.

You play as Tohno Shiki. You were sent away from the Tohno mansion long ago by your father, Tohno Makihisa.

Makihisa has just recently died, and your sister Akiha has summoned you back to the mansion.

[Spoilers] You real name is Nanaya Shiki. The real Tohno Shiki (called SHIKI in game) went insane long ago and is now on the streets killing people and sucking their blood due to his heritage. You were hypnotized to forget all of this by Makihisa.

The first two paths you can take have you team up with vampire hunters to kill SHIKI.

The latter three paths remain centered around the Tohno mansion, its dark past, and the horrible curse the Tohno family suffers from. You have to deal with SHIKI in these path too.

Tsukihime: ArcueidTsukihime: ArcueidTrue ending: After an intense battle where both of you were almost killed, Arcueid informs you that she no longer has the power to resist her desire for blood, and that she must never see you again.

After seeing her True ending, you are allowed to go back and make a choice that leads to her…

Good ending: She gets better! And you both live happily ever after!

TsukihimeTsukihime

We have a match! Let’s give back that ribbon!

Oops…

…but there’s no time for this, we must go and help Akiha fight SHIKI!

That girl gave you a ribbon, and asked you to return it to her when you came back to the mansion ->

TsukihimeTsukihime

Oh dear…

TsukihimeTsukihime

It gets worse.

TsukihimeTsukihime

So much worse.

TsukihimeTsukihime

Then it points out that this is really all your fault.

TsukihimeTsukihimeAfter suffering through that ending, you are allowed to make a choice near the beginning that will let you…

Discover her tragic past early on,

Keep your promise,

And see her true smile.

EvaluationEvaluation

Tsukihime makes you go through the more tragic endings before you can experience the happy ones.

This “tragedy before triumph” method makes the happy endings even happier.

Unfortunately, the effect is diminished by the fact that you cannot reach the happy endings first, and thus they don’t feel as genuine.

Can we combine this technique with the triumphant nature of reaching a happy ending first?

Tsukihime makes you go through the more tragic endings before you can experience the happy ones.

This “tragedy before triumph” method makes the happy endings even happier.

Unfortunately, the effect is diminished by the fact that you cannot reach the happy endings first, and thus they don’t feel as genuine.

Can we combine this technique with the triumphant nature of reaching a happy ending first?

SourcesSources

http://news.bigdownload.com/2008/07/02/big-ideas-the-role-of-story-in-video-games/

http://www.lingualgamers.com/thesis/story_video_games.html

http://www.gamestudies.org/0202/smith/ http://gamestudies.org/0701/articles/simons http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exposition_

%28literary_technique%29 http://www.letsplayarchive.com (images)

http://news.bigdownload.com/2008/07/02/big-ideas-the-role-of-story-in-video-games/

http://www.lingualgamers.com/thesis/story_video_games.html

http://www.gamestudies.org/0202/smith/ http://gamestudies.org/0701/articles/simons http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exposition_

%28literary_technique%29 http://www.letsplayarchive.com (images)