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About LinkBacksHey there. I'm working on an essay for Uni. Its about narratives in video games. I haven't done an essay for quite a while, so I thought I'd post it here first in the hope that one of you guys would take a look at it. Please tell me what you think, and most importantly, point out anything that might get me a fail.
The developing of narrative within Video Games.By Hayden Zammit.
Video games are often over-looked by many as simply a near-mindless way to pass time among recalcitrant youths who are bemused by cutting-edge visuals and care little for the narratives involved. It’s worth noting that video games have developed greatly over the years, possibly more so than any other entertainment industry. Narrative techniques within modern games, in particular, have developed into something truly special, now able to achieve with ease, narratives that even books and films struggle to emulate.
During the birth of Video Games, around the 1970s, games were very simple in terms of narrative. Games like Tetris, although well-received, contained relatively no plot, and therefore: no narrative to mention. Other games, like Pong and Pac Man, although truly revolutionary and mainstream for their time, could also not claim to have a great Narrative. Pong consisted of a rudimentary form of tennis, while Pac Man had players eating fruit and avoiding monsters from level to level. Neither of said experiences provided much of a story, much less an impressive narrative.
In this day and age, many video games have developed to the point where they are driven by narratives and plot, rather than by visuals and how the game itself plays. Titles such as those of the Final Fantasy series rely heavily on in-game cut scenes to tell a story that spans, on average, over twenty or more hours- an experience much longer than a movie.
However, what sets video games apart and gives them a considerable advantage over narratives in other forms of popular media is their ability to provide interactive narratives. By giving the player control over a character, and building the game around a system that allows the player to do as they see fit, and advance through the contained plot at their leisure, game developers are able to further immerse the players into the game, allowing for a much more complex and impressive narrative- and one that is just not possible in, for example, films or books.
Films and books have the reader following an embedded narrative through an inexorable story. The audience of these mediums cannot influence the characters or outcome of the narrative in any form. They watch or read, and simply observe, creating something of a detachment to the text.
Many modern video games differ in the fact that they give the players choice, and often more than that: complete freedom to do as they see fit. A recent hit game, Mass Effect, illustrates just how personal an affair video games can create with the player. Within the game, “You'll experience difficult and thought-provoking situations, including moral and ethical questions without a clear right or wrong answer. The Commander Shepard character is thus defined by player involvement, sublimely capturing the essence of role-playing.”[1] By allowing the player to influence the world around them, and dictate the possible outcomes of situations via their own decisions, this particular game creates an immersive, and wholly interactive narrative.
Another title worth noting is any title of the Grand Theft Auto series of video games. Within any set game of the series, the player is given control of a character and thrust into a game world that in many ways, accurately simulates a realistic city. The game is laced with an involving story, but in terms of narrative, what the developers of the Grand Theft Auto series have created is very interesting. The player can play through the story, progressing from one event of the plot to the next in the same linear format as a book or film; however, the player also has the option of doing exactly as they please within the set limits of the game’s world. They can hijack vehicles, commit acts of senseless violence, participate in races, pursue romantic storylines, etc. In many ways, this presents the possibility for the player to create their own narrative and story for their character.
Video games, as above exemplified, are a media capable of containing a very complex and impressive form of narrative that, although possessing more flexibility and immersion that other mediums, is often underestimated. In an age where children and adults alike are actively calling for more such immersion, video games provide a possible set of narratives that are interactive, and seldom found elsewhere.
[1] Gerald Villoria., Nov. 19, 2007. Mass Effect: Review. Gamespy.com, Available at GameSpy.com Advertisement [Accessed 22 March 2008]
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