Video Games, Movies and Narrative - Joe Chan

            Although movies and video games are (arguably) very different mediums, as an art form, they both rely deeply on narrative. In analyzing the correlation of the narrative, the similarities and the differences, we can better assess the question of what makes a good game and movie and whether video games should be considered its own medium or not.

            The similarity in video games and movies sprouts from the fact that they are both mediums in which a story or narrative is told. This leads to many arguing that video games are merely deriving from movies because they are basically telling stories in the same manner using even the same film techniques. An example would be how horrors games such as silent hill force fixed cameras in order to build tension for the player or the use of lighting to affect the mood. What blends the two genres together even more now is the ability to insert full acting in terms of face, voice and body gestures normally restricted to that of theatre and film is now made possible to be incorporated into video games with the invent of performance capture. The barriers between video games and movies are now even less apparent than ever before.

            The question then lies in, what separates videogames and movies? The answer is interactivity. “Like other stories, video game narratives are a powerful expression of the human imagination-witty entertaining and complex stories. The difference is, of course, that video games combine these traditional elements with interactivity” (Parker Laura) Interactivity is the source of the major divide between video games and movies because when crafting a narrative story that is also structured around an interactive game/world the way in which a story is forged differently. The benefits of such interactivity are obvious, it immerses the player into the story better than any book or movie can because it is the player whose actions influence the consequences of the game and are emotionally attached to the achievements in which they put effort into personally attaining.

            On the other hand there are also arguments against video games as a narrative form, stating that “Games do not have the story structure we see in Greek plays, Shakespearean tragedies, or even soap operas on afternoon TV. They are, at their very heart, games and not stories.” (Dutton) Here Dutton argues that interactivity in games prevents the story from being linear and that there is little focus on the actual narrative and plot in games.

             I do however whole heartedly disagree with Dutton, although there is interactivity in games, most games have a linear storyline which the player must follow in order to continue through. From the simplest games such as Donkey Kong to modern games such as the Halo series, there is a story provided, it is indeed in the background as Dutton argues in some games (especially the simpler ones) but current games even the ones without a linear progression such as Sky Rim have a deep focus on the narrative and the path of the story even though the player can choose to wander and do other things in between the main points of the story. Although this does not follow the direct linear style of original theatre it still exists and does a fantastic job at conveying a narrative and causing the audience to be compelled by and immersed in it.

Sources

Regarding lighting:

http://gamestudies.org/0701/articles/elnasr_niedenthal_knez_almeida_zupko

Regarding acting:

http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/story/2011/03/04/f-video-games-performance-capture.html

regarding  narrative:

http://www.gamespot.com/features/once-upon-a-time-narrative-in-video-games-6214951/