1. Why Isn’t the Game Industry Making Interactive Stories? Neil Young, Electronic Arts Warren Spector, Ion Storm Tim Schafer, Double Fine Michael Mateas, Georgia Tech Moderator: Andrew Stern, InteractiveStory.net

2. No interactive stories – is this true? Depends on your definition of “interactive story”Depends on your definition of “interactive story” Today’s best games are quite goodToday’s best games are quite good Preconceptions of story in gamesPreconceptions of story in games

3. Focus of this panel Not about defining “story”, “game”Not about defining “story”, “game” Try to abandon those terms for this panelTry to abandon those terms for this panel Identify specific qualities or pleasures of stories that we don’t yet have in gamesIdentify specific qualities or pleasures of stories that we don’t yet have in games Won’t worry about what to call the resultWon’t worry about what to call the result

4. Example qualities and pleasures Not about saving the world – about individual people, personalNot about saving the world – about individual people, personal Play centered on affecting characters’ thoughts, feelings, problems, conflicts, relationships, livesPlay centered on affecting characters’ thoughts, feelings, problems, conflicts, relationships, lives Fighting outer demons  inner demonsFighting outer demons  inner demons

5. Example qualities con’t Allow players to express more complex feelings, ideasAllow players to express more complex feelings, ideas NPC’s who can better listen to and understand youNPC’s who can better listen to and understand you Varied sequences of events *truly affected* by your actions, dramatically pacedVaried sequences of events *truly affected* by your actions, dramatically paced

6. Discussion questions Describe specific qualities and pleasures you are seekingDescribe specific qualities and pleasures you are seeking *Why* has the game industry has not yet achieved them?*Why* has the game industry has not yet achieved them? Are they possible, how do we get there – or is this not a productive direction?Are they possible, how do we get there – or is this not a productive direction?

7. Question 1 of 3 What do you consider the most important qualities and pleasures we *don’t* yet find in today’s interactive entertainment? And why are they needed?What do you consider the most important qualities and pleasures we *don’t* yet find in today’s interactive entertainment? And why are they needed?

8. Question 2 of 3 Why haven’t these been achieved? What are the obstacles, how daunting? Are they so technically difficult that incremental progress is not possible? Are players happy enough with what they’ve got? Too great a divide between programmers and designers?Why haven’t these been achieved? What are the obstacles, how daunting? Are they so technically difficult that incremental progress is not possible? Are players happy enough with what they’ve got? Too great a divide between programmers and designers?

9. Question 3 of 3 Give a realistic prescription for how to surmount these obstacles in the foreseeable future. Or, describe how this is not possible, or the wrong direction. Near-term technical and design milestones to shoot for? How can publishers become more experimental? Do we need to train a new generation of designer- programmers?Give a realistic prescription for how to surmount these obstacles in the foreseeable future. Or, describe how this is not possible, or the wrong direction. Near-term technical and design milestones to shoot for? How can publishers become more experimental? Do we need to train a new generation of designer- programmers?

10. Q & A

11. Continue the discussion at the group blog grandtextauto.org