Games Writing for Interactive Media

In the Beginning... First game: pong (nonnarative, developed on oscilloscope) Play Early GamesPlay Early Games

Chris Crawford says a game Usually has a “win condition” or at least a challenge and reward (there’s a difference). But there are many theories. There are narrative and nonnarrative games (examples: solitaire vs. Tomb Raider)

Espen Aarseth says a game has: 1) Rules 2) A game world (material/semiotic systems) 3) Gameplay (events resulting from application of the rules to the game world) (even nonnarrative games have this – solitaire)

Janet Murray (neo-Aristotelian): “Games are games” and saying they’re narratives ignores the fact that games are a distinct for in and of themselves. He points out, for example, that animals play games and they’re not telling stories while they do it. Espen Aarseth: Believes that games can be narrative: that stories can naturally intersect where protagonist and antagonist meet for a challenge. The game holds the contest and the story narrates it.

Janet Murray’s Charts Murray believes that areas of game and story have both independent and overlapping features.

Janet Murray’s Charts Thinking about nondigital overlap cases, in multiple directions, as a comparison.

Janet Murray’s Charts Also suggesting that “game” and “story” represent two directions of an axis.

Chris Crawford’s Tips What is interactivity? Playing with your dog? Reading a novel? “Act” is the key word in interact. It starts with verbs: run, jump, kill, build, feed, talk, die, etc. Allow the viewer to have input Avoid too much “speaking” to the viewer.

Hero’s Journey: Point of View First Person: Viewer is the hero (e.g., first-person shooters) Second Person: Viewer is projected onto a character who is the hero. Third Person: Hero is separate from viewer

Example First-person narrative viral marketing game (promotes shopping and buying these toys) The Asylum: Psychiatric Clinic for Abused Cuddly Toys

“Plan Your Future Park” in Gotham Gazette. First-person game used as a journalism story about public works and park development.Plan Your Future Park

Example Burger King’s Subservient Chicken (viral marketing piece) is third person

Example Third-person narrative for self-esteem-building by video artist Mary Flanagan

DivaStarz third-person narrative to encourage shopping behavior in young girls.

Educational Games Also called “Serious Games”

Interactivity in Learning Play is foundational to learning (interacting with material versus lectures) Interactivity engages the mind more profoundly than any other kind of expression (more than passive observation) The computer’s competitive advantage and artistic opportunity is this interactivity. Educational Games on the computer work for children under 10 (not advanced enough for older)

Guidelines for Good Interactive Software Development Start with verbs. What can my viewer do? The more the better (example: Zoo project) Keep it fast. Give feedback (example: v1 Pieces of Herself) Let player act and don’t tell to much. Don’t chastise your viewer (e.g., “Wrong answer!”) Make everything undoable—they can try a different way and succeed.

(Cont’d) Combine joyful play (exploration) with competitive play (kill or be killed). Extremes don’t work: too boring, too intense Intensity does not necessarily mean richness (example, a ball is fun to play with as long as it’s going where it wants to go) Focus on process rather than facts (quizzes are deadly). Let people PLAY. What not to do: Math problems, quizzes, and meaningless puzzles that have to be solved to get to the next place or win.

Questions? Group Work

Bibliography The Art of Interactive Design: A Euphonious and Illuminating Guide to Building Successful Software by Chris Crawford, No Starch Press, Chris Crawford First Person: New Media as Story, Performance, and Game by Noah Wardrip-Fruin (Editor), Pat Harrigan (Editor), MIT Press, 2004.Noah Wardrip-FruinPat Harrigan