How we all doin'? Don't answer that. I'm not too sure if we enjoy pre-blog banter such as this, but leave a comment if it bothers you. Or if you want more of it. Either way, here's our articles for the week:
McBain, M. (2014) From Donkey Kong to the Silver Screen: The Past, Present and Future of Game Cinematics. Retrieved 24th May, 2014, from http://www.gamedev.net/page/resources/_/creative/game-design/from-donkey-kong-to-the-silver-screen-the-past-present-and-future-of-game-cinematics-r3670
Grip, T. (2014) 5 Core Elements of Interactive Storytelling. Retrieved 24th May, 2014, from http://www.gamedev.net/page/resources/_/creative/game-design/5-core-elements-of-interactive-storytelling-r3661
McBain's article centralises on the role of cinematic experience, both on a commercial and narrative scale within games. He also comments on the necessity for balance between story lines and cinematic experience to enhance the player's immersive experience.
Though most games I design and create have little to no storyline, it would be interesting to work on a story-driven game (if you read my Belonging creative story for the HSC, you'll uderstand why I don't create stories often). Yet, if you look at games like 'Flappy Bird' and 'Doodle Jump', those games have practically no story at all, and have topped the charts in their own leagues. But they are both mobile-based games, so I suppose the nature of the platform has influence of the magnitude and appropriateness of story line to a game.
Grip's article seems to oppose McBain's ideas, stating that games are designed to be new narrative experiences rather than reproductions of film. Although it is good to have some downtime from game interaction, Grip argues, it is not to be the main focus of the game.
He proposes 5 basic principles to what makes a narratively involving game, all of which are seldom achieved by the plethoras of games out there. Still, if game designers and development teams strived toward these 5 aspects, narrative experience could become ever so consuming as the years go on. But, the main problem is priority; Grip says that the main problem is overall delivery; games have all the parts for an immesive story, they just have to piece them together correctly and integrate the story effectively with the game play.
I don't want to bore y'all, so that's it for this week. Take a read of the articles yourself if you're extra interested in their themes and arguments.
Peace. ☮
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