Eamonn Anderson ENG 104 Mr.

Balk 4/3/2013

Interactive Storytelling
Introduction What is a man but the sum of his memories? We are the stories we live! The tales we tell ourselves! (Shelling 2011) Knowing this is a quote from a work of fiction, is it apparent what medium its from? Can something like that be determined from the syntax alone? Well, the quote clearly is from a story that questions what constitutes a human being. It also seems to hold stories and storytelling in high regard, going so far as to say they are the epitome of a persons existence. Is it, perhaps a cerebral novel? Or maybe a critically acclaimed independent film about self-discovery? In actuality, the quote is from a video game by the name of Assassins Creed: Revelations, a game that throws players into early 1500s Istanbul, and tells a story of humanity and soul-searching at the end of the life a man defined by the Italian Renaissance. Novels allow players to read the exploits of characters and convey thoughts through written language alone, which allow readers to use their imagination to picture what has been described to them. Radio uses a similar style, but uses the auditory rather than the scripted. Film, however, uses actors, sets, and props to convey their plots and stories displayed on the other end of a screen, while also using audio in the form of dialogue, sound effects, and musical

scores. Each of these mediums has added another dimension to the previous style, bringing their own, special talents to the table of storytelling. Video games expand upon its storytelling predecessors by using a system of audience interaction called gameplay. Also, as home console video games move toward single player as per player demand (Sheridan 2013), better scripts will be made to more adequately satisfy the need. A well written script, used in conjunction with solid gameplay mechanics, enhance a video games story and characters in ways other formats cannot do, making them a valid storytelling medium. Defining Storytelling Something that video games have done fairly well since their creation is plot. Plot is simply the layout of the story, or when a character moves from point A to point B. Story, on the other hand, is what makes the movement important. Story can often be summed up in one or two sentences, such as, A teenage boy discovers who he is and becomes a man, or, A man overcomes his faults and sacrifices himself for the good of the many. A plot cannot be simplified as easily and usually requires several sentences. The better constructed either are, the harder they become to discern. According to Joan Scott (2011), stories come from our histories. This does not mean all stories are set in the past; just that stories arose from a need to depict events gone by. Sometimes the purpose of doing so was to point out what went wrong, other times it was to put good examples on a tall pedestal. From here, we have what Joseph Campbell (1949) called, the monomyth.

The monomyth, according to Campbell, could simply be described as The Heros Journey, which is a moniker for a characters arc or story. Some arcs bring characters down from their origins, while others raise them up, but there must be a change for there to be a true story. This change doesnt necessarily have to be from zero to hero, the journey can take place entirely within a characters mind, but as Campbell details in his book The Hero with a Thousand Faces, will all contain common steps. Sometimes bits are skipped; others may simply be out of order. First, the call to adventure, followed by a mentor or guide that will bring the hero through the first threshold, a boundary in the story that signifies the end of the heros pre -story life. Then the hero goes on to saves the day and acquire all of that which he sought out. At this point, it is time the hero must return, regardless of whether or not he wants to, and become the master of both realms. Many novels, films, and other storytelling media use this, even if it isnt always obvious. Sometimes this is due to a late onset approach, which throws the audience into a later part of story, or an early onset, which often is used to set up the world(s) and elements of the plot that will be seen in the main story. Each format uses different methods to effectively tell stories in ways unique to them. How its Done If video games are to be considered a storytelling format, they must prove themselves using methods that other mediums have difficulty with, or simply cannot do. This opportunity lies in gameplay, a combination of control scheme and user interface that the audience uses to

interact with objects in the game. Well-constructed gameplay mechanics are the most important part of the video game experience. And the most important aspect of wellconstructed gameplay is, like all storytelling devices, understanding your audience. Slot machines, like video games, use gameplay. A physical input device is used to interact with objects that movie and give feedback to the user. The audience for slot machines wants to have fun and make money. As such, the interface and input mechanics need to be such that they promise both entertainment and money. Much of the gratification comes from sound and effect designs portion of the interface, such as using the sounds of jingling money despite the fact no coins are moving within the machine, or to use enticing lighting displays to attract a player. A small trick done in slot machine algorithms is to stop the final slot just before it lands on a jackpot in order to keep the player invested in the game. Video games that have the sole purpose of addictive, time-passing gameplay, such as mobile games for SMART phones, use similar means to enthrall players during the down-times of a persons day. (Harrigan, Collins, Dixon, & Fugelsang 2010) Gameplay, though critical, is only one side of the coin. In order to have a good story, there needs to be a well written script. In the podcast Irrational Interviews (2012), Irrational Games Ken Levin (creative director behind Bioshock and the recently released Bioshock Infinite) and Naughty Dogs Amy Hennig (creative director behind the Uncharted series) discuss their roles as creative director at their respective studios. As creative directors, they serve a dual purpose of working in conjunction with the gameplay and level design divisions while simultaneously being responsible for the writing of the script. Both Levin and Hennig agree that

the script and story need to be the most flexible aspects of the game, and that the story needs to come from the gameplay itself so that they are intertwined from the very start. What is really surprising, though, is that the script as it is seen in the final product does not come about until the final days of the games production. By doing this, the story can shift easily when an area of production has to be shut down due to production issues (technology constraints, budget, etc.) The most important parts of the games script are also decided upon early in production so that design and creation for those scenes can begin immediately and be spotless before production. In Levines Bioshock (2007) one of those chosen scenes was the confrontation with the games main antagonist, Andrew Ryan. After an extended dialogue sequence that puts the games story into a new perspective where Ryan does not deserve to die as you once thought, your character picks up a gold club, and the player is prompted to kill Ryan using the club. There is no option not to. The player cannot simply walk away. You, as the player, must repeatedly strike Ryans head with the club until he is dead and beyond facial rec ognition. The gameplay portion of the scene was simple: only one button was used. But actually pressing the button, and committing the act regardless of whether you wanted to or not, is far more powerful than watching the murder unfold in a movie, or even reading about the character committing the act in a novel. In the past year, games like Spec Ops: The Line (Pearsey 2012), which is based on Joseph Conrads famous book Heart of Darkness, had a story that criticized current military practices as well as the video game audiences infatuation with military themed games. This was done by

placing the player in control of a seemingly standard military hero character who is driven to madness as the game progresses. Like in Bioshock, the character begins taking actions that the player is not comfortable with, but ultimately have to commit if they wish to continue playing the game. Game writers are learning how to use the concept of gamers choice against the player in a way that conveys intense emotions that make the characters and story clearer. Other games, however take a bit of a different approach to gamers choice by actually allowing the player to piece together their own narrative by choosing the main characters dialogue and actions. In David Cages Heavy Rain (Fondaumiere 2010), gamers choice was taken to a fluid extreme. Some sections were a simple do-this/dont-do-this, but others featured a more complex system where it was not always clear that there were things to do, or that something was happening, and if you moved on with the story and left the area, that opportunity was missed. Another key feature was that any of the main characters deaths were final. There was no infamous GAME OVER page, their story simply ended as if they had died in real life. I observed someone who was familiar with games, but had only basic knowledge of Heavy Rain, in an attempt to see just how well they felt the gameplay and story melded as well as some over-all impressions with the games storytelling. Even though reporting high expectations going into the test, he found the story to be extremely impressive. Though he spent the entire game not knowing that if a character died they were gone for good, he kept all of the playable characters alive long enough to reach the climax. The gameplay itself he found a bit simple, but also rather fitting since the focus of the game was on character, storytelling,

and moral conundrums. The user interface, which consisted of button names flashing up on the screen when they needed to be pressed by the player, made up for any gameplay faults by being visible, yet not so distracting that it was difficult to see what was happening in the game. After a particularly emotional scene where the player must choose if he will cut his finger off to save his son, and if so, using what method, he stated that the gameplay, user interface, acting, and level design came together so perfectly that there wasnt a single thing he would consider changing. Later, at the end of the game, he became rather concerned when several of the characters narrowly evaded death. He also reported that, on several occasions, the plot and characters often threw him off balance, leaving him asking many questions. (Anderson 2013) Criticisms Despite the obvious improvements made to storytelling in video games over the past few years, many still question their ability to join the ranks of cinema and literature as true, storytelling art forms. The most famous of those of this opinion was the famous film critic Roger Ebert. In a blog post on Chicago Sun Times website, Ebert (2010) details exactly why he is of this opinion: One obvious difference between art and games is that you can win a game. It has rules, points, objectives, and an outcome an immersive game without points or rules ceases to be a game and becomes a representation of a story, a novel, a play, dance, a film you cannot win [them]; you can only experience them.

The way he phrases his argument is almost unapproachable: he thinks that video games have clear objective, rules, and point system, and that any game that does not adhere to that is not actually a game but a representation of another storytelling media, such as film or literature. Therefore, no matter what may be proposed to such a line of thought, would be immediately shot down. Being able to win or beat a video game by mastering the gameplay is actually a feature unique to video games; a feature that lets them stand on their own two feet instead of being pushed under other mediums as sub-categories as Ebert might suggest. For the rest of his life, Ebert never changed his mind on the subject. His opinion stirred up controversy again in 2012 when he tweeted Boones (2012) article regarding what Boone believes to be a flaw in many video games. In the article, Boone asserts that, The video game industry is currently in a war that the movie industry fought and decided last decade. Its a struggle between loud, assaultive, photorealistic game design that rewards wispy attention spans while demanding minimal problem-solving skills of its players. What appears to be the problem here is that Boone isnt a fan of realism, which is a genre that strives for just that: the most real way to tell a story, even if it is fantasy. Every medium has a version of it, from painting to literature. Video games have just now achieved the technical power to achieve realism/hyper-realism, so of course there is lots of experimentation in that genre. Not so long ago though, almost all games used a heavily animated style because realism wasnt really feasible due to technological restraints. In other words, this trend of realism will pass eventually, allowing new genres to flourish in this new medium. It is alright to not prefer realism, but it should not be outright shunned because of a

few peoples opinions. It isnt just people outside the video game industry skeptical of video games. In an interesting turn of events, a writer for a video game journalism website speaks up on a problem he has with the video game industry. Margarella (2013) states that publishers do not see video games art because they are only made to make money for the said publishers, which, in his eyes, compromises any artistic integrity they may hold. First of all, publishers do not make games, they distribute them. Game creation is left up to game developers, who go to publishers so that they can sell their games. What makes this perhaps the strangest argument is that almost all of historys most famous art and stories were created by someone so they could pay their bills at the end of the day. The fact someone is being paid doesnt (or, perhaps, shouldnt) compromise their integrity. At the end of the day, a creator should legitimately want to make a good product in order to keep selling future products. Conclusion Storytelling is one of the things that we humans do that sets us apart from many other life forms on our planet; even more so when that storytelling goes past the necessity for a bee to communicate the location of the nearest flower through dance, and into the realm of stressrelief and personal enjoyment. The video game audience is growing larger as time goes on and the expectations for what a game is and can be continue to rise with each new increase in technology and game release.

As phrased by Andrew Reiner (2013) of Game Informer magazine: There was a time when a games story could only be found on the pages of a manual tucked inside of its box. We also lived through an era when developers and publishers wouldnt fix translation errors from games ported from Japan. Today, a story is just as important as gameplay. The writer plays just as vital of a role in a games creation as a programmer or designer. Video games have enjoyed a creative renaissance since their inception

Fin

Annotated Bibliography Anderson, E. (April, 2013) Fieldnotes. Fieldnotes taken by me while observing Spencer Nieten play Heavy Rain. Brief survey interviews were conducted at the beginning, just after the prologue, and after the Trial of the Lizard towards the end of the game. Trial of the Lizard is the most famous scene from the game and is often brought up when discussing great character moments. Bonney, J. (Producer), & Siegman, E. (Producer), & Murdoch, J. (Producer). (April 2012). Irrational Interviews 11: Amy Hennig. Irrational Interviews. Podcast retrieved from http://irrationalgames.com/insider/irrational-interviews-11-amy-hennig/ Irrational Interviews is a podcast hosted by the Irrational Games website. Irrational games made Bioshock, a highly recognized story and gameplay innovator, and more recently Bioshock Infinite, which is receiving similar press. In this particular entry, Amy Hennig, writer of the Uncharted series is interviewed alongside Ken Levine, creator of the aforementioned Bioshock games. These two are responsible for some of the most engaging stories told this console generation, and their insights on how gameplay and storytelling go hand in hand to make an experience only a video game can deliver. Boone, S. (June, 2012). The Last of Us, and other video games that leave absolutely nothing to the imagination. Capital. Retrieved from http://www.capitalnewyork.com/article/culture/2012/06/6026394/last-us-and-othervideo-games-leave-absolutely-nothing-imagination An article tweeted by Ebert in 2012. The article itself seems to have slight discrepancies with what Ebert has to say about video games. He does not seem to indicate that all video games are essentially mindless fodder for time-passing enjoyment like Ebert would have you believe, but condemns a game for using a realist art style while simultaneously acknowledging it. Though noting its realistic art design, he claims that the game leaves nothing to the imagination. Fondaumiere, G. (Executive Producer), Cage, D. (Director/Writer). (February, 2010). Heavy Rain [Video Game]. France: Quantic Dream. Game used in personal research and referenced within the essay. Concepts from the game (specifically, What will you do to save someone you love?) will be u sed to show the difference between what makes video games different than other mediums. Campbell, J. (1949). The Hero with a Thousand Faces (2nd ed.). United States of America: Princeton Press Books. Joseph Campbell is a renowned American mythologist. In this book, he gives an in depth analysis behind the story known as The Heros Journey. Campbell seems to believe that all stories stem from myth, and myth is the story of heroes. In other words, as long

as there is a main character that goes on some sort of character arc throughout a story, The Heros Journey can be applied to it. Something to keep in mind is that he details the complete journey of the hero, and some creators do not include all aspects of the journey within their story. I respect Joseph Campbell immensely, as he has inspired many great storytellers through his writing. His unique view on the depth, meaning, and method of storytelling is enlightening, and can most certainly be used to help define what storytelling is for the purposes of my essay. Ebert, R. (April, 2010). Video games can never be art. Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved from http://blogs.suntimes.com/ebert/2010/04/video_games_can_never_be_art.html Ebert, a well-known film critic, shares his opinions on why video games will never be, in his eyes, a work of art. Art tells a story, so if it isnt art, a video game will have a difficult time being a valid storytelling medium. Harrigan, K.A., & Collins, K., & Dixon, M.J., & Fugelsang, J. (2010). Addictive gameplay: what casual game designers can learn from slot machine research. Futureplay: 10 Proceedings of the International Academic Conference on the Future of Game Design and Technology, 127-133. doi: 10.1145/1920778.1920796 The article shows how solid and engaging gameplay can turn even the most basic concept into a fun game. Levine, K. (Executive Producer/Writer), Hellquist, P. (Director). (August, 2007). Bioshock [Video Game]. United States: 2K Games. Used for the Andrew Ryan scene mentioned in the essay. This is done to demonstrate how powerful the element of gameplay can be. Margarella, F. (March 2013). Games Arent Art, Theyre Products. Analog Addiction. Retrieved from http://analogaddiction.org/2013/03/04/games-arent-art-theyre-products/ In an interesting turn of events, a writer for a video game journalism website speaks up on his opinion that video games are, indeed, not art. Margarella states that he believes that video games cannot be art because they are only made to make money for the company distributing them, which, in his eyes, compromises any artistic integrity they may hold. This is obviously a strange sentiment, as many of the greatest artists alive and dead either have riches or are trying to get money by selling their art. By such a flimsy standard as the one given by Margarella, would there really be any art at all? Pearsey, R. (writer), Williams, W. (writer). (June, 2012). Spec Ops: The Line [Video Game]. Germany: 2K Games (publisher) Yager Development (developer)

Spec Ops is another example of another game that uses morally ambiguous, forced decisions against the player in order to convey story and emotion. Reiner, A. (February, 2013). The Writers Room: Revealing the Art and Science of Game Writing. Game Informer, 239, 16-21. This article comes from the popular video game magazine Game Informer. In it, an overview of the progression of video game storytelling is given, along with common methods of using what makes video games unique in order to weave a story. Examples of gameplay being used to accent ideas is a major part of the article. The article will be useful mostly due to its recent printing. Because of this, it is able to show how storytelling was used in games vs. how it is used now. Quotes from game developers and game writers used in the piece will also be useful for my project. Scott, J. W. (April, 2011). STORYTELLING. History and Theory, 50, 203-209. doi: 10.1111/j.1468-2303.2011.00577.x Whereas Campbell drew on mostly himself and a few 19th century sources, Ms. Scott deals mostly in the contemporary, often citing 20 th century storytellers, including the German Hannah Arendt. Scott sees stories as eternal, and storytellers to be the speakers of truths through their own experiences. She also repeats many times that historians are the purest of storytellers. Sheridan, C. (March, 2013). Console Games move Away from Online Multiplayer. GamesRadar. Retrieved from http://www.gamesradar.com/console-games-move-away-onlinemultiplayer/?utm_source=fb&utm_medium=emp The console, or a computer platform used to almost exclusively play games, saw a rise in online multiplayer at the beginning of this technological generation. Much has changed since those early days. In 2006, 67% of games released contained online multiplayer, but in 2012, only 42% now feature online multiplayer. Something to keep in mind is that these are percentages, and not hard numbers. And even though this may be the case, from personal experience, most AAA titles find a way to add some online element to their game. This may mean that more and more non-AAA titles are being released, causing the overall percentage to drop. Schelling, M. (Producer), Amancio, A. (Creative Director). (November, 2011). Assassins Creed: Revelations [Video Game]. France: Ubisoft Monteal. Used for the quote: What is a man but the sum of his memories? We are the stories we live! The tales we tell ourselves! Conrad, J. (1899). Heart of Darkness. Mineola, NY: Dover Thrift Publications.

Spec Ops: The Line is based on this book, as mentioned in the essay. It is a highly revered work of literature.