O.K. so... although the First Person article is what peeked my interest in the direction of video games, I’m going to warn ahead of time that the video Anthony tweeted (and Dr. Middleton retweeted) had a far greater impression upon me, and will likely be a better reference for what I will discuss in this blog. So, please check it out! (Plus, it’s actually really entertaining and reminiscent stylistically to The End of the World video... or maybe I just like the voice of the narrator.. IDK It’s funny. Watch it.)
So the question of the day is: Are video games narratives? Well, if I were going to be technical, stemming from the discussion of narrative vs. narrativity in Ryan’s article last class, I would have to say that video games contain elements of narrativity, while not necessarily being narratives themselves. But, who wants to be a spoil sport and rule video games out of the discussion of narrative? Not this girl. And not Nick Montfort either, though it’s clear that Montfort struggles to define elements of narrative within video games. Montfort looks at different ways that interactive fiction (or IF) has narrativity. He spends a lot more time looking at elements like puzzles, riddles, and plot, however; he seems to quickly rule characterization (a major element of most narrative) out of video games when he cites Aristotle, “Aristotle held that a play can exist even withour characters, but never without plot. In IF it is the world (like the litterary ‘setting’) that is essential-- characters and plot can be disposed with, but a system is not IF unless it simulates a world...”(313). I think the problem that Montfort is having is that he fails to recognize that the player is essential to the construction of the video game narrative, and that the narrative constructed in video games are always unique to the player.
At this point, I look to the Extra Credits video. In the video, the narrator poses the concept that the video game programmers and designers send out a “finished product”, but the game is in no way complete before a player plays it. The video proposes this based on the definition of a finished product-- one that the artist has set down and deemed finished. Programmers and designers send out the games without them ever being complete. A player must interact with the different levels and settings of the game to construct the game’s story, making the player a contributing artist to the work. The player decides when the story is finished to his/her liking. This is process essentially unique to video games.
Now as I said before, Montfort does not spend much time looking, or even considering, characterization as an element of narrative in video games. Synthesizing the ideas of Montfort and the Extra Credits video, I would suggest that characterization is an essential element to the narrativity of video games. Let me explain-- If in fact the player is a contributing artist to the whole narrative of the video game, then characterization is one of the primary elements he/she contributes to the game. The setting and riddles discussed in Montfort’s essay (essential elements of the narrative of video games because the player’s interactions with them move the story along) are constructs of the programmers and designers of the game, but these programmers ultimately decide what is the “correct” way to interact with these elements, therein deciding the plot for the player-- it is simply up to the player to figure out what that “correct” way of interacting is (which raises an interesting discussion on the roles that game hacks and cheats play in the narrativity of video games, but for another time). Although programmers may have background information that they give the characters of their games, the characters a largely constructs of the player. One of the most common elements of video games is customizability of characters. In fact, it’s an element that players have come to expect of video games. In a sense, players demand control of this aspect of narrative in video games. I want a game that allows me to pick my character’s name, dress them how I like, customize their accessories, etc. However, in doing so, the narrative is guaranteed to be different for each player. As the Extra Credits video puts it, this is a unique process, as with a story or painting there are many ways to interpret but only one essential way to experience it, giving players roles in the construction of narrative in a video game ensures that there is no one-way to experience it.
So the question of the day is: Are video games narratives? Well, if I were going to be technical, stemming from the discussion of narrative vs. narrativity in Ryan’s article last class, I would have to say that video games contain elements of narrativity, while not necessarily being narratives themselves. But, who wants to be a spoil sport and rule video games out of the discussion of narrative? Not this girl. And not Nick Montfort either, though it’s clear that Montfort struggles to define elements of narrative within video games. Montfort looks at different ways that interactive fiction (or IF) has narrativity. He spends a lot more time looking at elements like puzzles, riddles, and plot, however; he seems to quickly rule characterization (a major element of most narrative) out of video games when he cites Aristotle, “Aristotle held that a play can exist even withour characters, but never without plot. In IF it is the world (like the litterary ‘setting’) that is essential-- characters and plot can be disposed with, but a system is not IF unless it simulates a world...”(313). I think the problem that Montfort is having is that he fails to recognize that the player is essential to the construction of the video game narrative, and that the narrative constructed in video games are always unique to the player.
At this point, I look to the Extra Credits video. In the video, the narrator poses the concept that the video game programmers and designers send out a “finished product”, but the game is in no way complete before a player plays it. The video proposes this based on the definition of a finished product-- one that the artist has set down and deemed finished. Programmers and designers send out the games without them ever being complete. A player must interact with the different levels and settings of the game to construct the game’s story, making the player a contributing artist to the work. The player decides when the story is finished to his/her liking. This is process essentially unique to video games.
Now as I said before, Montfort does not spend much time looking, or even considering, characterization as an element of narrative in video games. Synthesizing the ideas of Montfort and the Extra Credits video, I would suggest that characterization is an essential element to the narrativity of video games. Let me explain-- If in fact the player is a contributing artist to the whole narrative of the video game, then characterization is one of the primary elements he/she contributes to the game. The setting and riddles discussed in Montfort’s essay (essential elements of the narrative of video games because the player’s interactions with them move the story along) are constructs of the programmers and designers of the game, but these programmers ultimately decide what is the “correct” way to interact with these elements, therein deciding the plot for the player-- it is simply up to the player to figure out what that “correct” way of interacting is (which raises an interesting discussion on the roles that game hacks and cheats play in the narrativity of video games, but for another time). Although programmers may have background information that they give the characters of their games, the characters a largely constructs of the player. One of the most common elements of video games is customizability of characters. In fact, it’s an element that players have come to expect of video games. In a sense, players demand control of this aspect of narrative in video games. I want a game that allows me to pick my character’s name, dress them how I like, customize their accessories, etc. However, in doing so, the narrative is guaranteed to be different for each player. As the Extra Credits video puts it, this is a unique process, as with a story or painting there are many ways to interpret but only one essential way to experience it, giving players roles in the construction of narrative in a video game ensures that there is no one-way to experience it.
You bring up a lot of interesting points regarding video games as narrative and, as a gamer myself, I have my own opinions on the matter. But, I do have to say that the puzzle & character creation/choice factors are probably the biggest points. When I think of games with puzzles (or "problems"), I mainly think of "The Legend of Zelda" series of games: the puzzles in those dungeons are there to tax the player and make the player think. There have been too many instances where I got frustrated at some of the puzzles in those Zelda games. But, the point is: those puzzles make the player think outside the box and look for something that doesn't necessarily jump out. I suppose IF could be the best term for some games since they are just that: interactive fiction stories. As an example, the "Metal Gear Solid" series is based in the real world, but is fiction and is interactive. The player merely controls Snake as he goes from place to place, from objective to objective.
ReplyDeleteThinking about the character creation aspect, where the player almost literally assumes the role of that character, makes me think of games like "Mass Effect" and "Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic." The player creates a character to their customization and makes choices that impact the rest of the game and, in the case of "Mass Effect," events in future games. "Mass Effect" and "Knights" represent some really cool ideas in games since they allow the player to have more power over the game. It makes it that much more fun. :D
I was thinking a lot about online community games like World of Warcraft when I was talking about characterization. (I probably should have mentioned that) In those kinds of games, although quest stories are programmer made, interactions between players create a narrative entirely their own. Although the narrativity decreases on PVP realms where players typically don't give their characters much thought in terms of a character identity seperate from their own, in Roleplaying realms players can get very involved in their own narrative constructing processes.
ReplyDeleteOkay, I think it is time for the Extra Credits fan to jump in here (and good to see they are spreading). To Steve, most of the games you cited are those big budget games where the player actually has little control over the characters (save for Mass Effect and KOTOR which I will get to in a second). The main thing I wanted to talk about from your post is Metal Gear Solid, which, on the surface is an objective based stealth game, but, as we have discussed, there is actually a lot going on even with the player as actor. Hideo Kojima put in tons of little details that force the player to think about certain ideas that allow him to play with that "Player as interactive and spectator in one" thing. Take the part where Snake and Ocelot finally duke it out, he uses the life bars as both a storytelling tool and a way to remind the player that very post-modern idea of "By the way, this is a video game."
ReplyDeleteAs for Mass Effect and KOTOR, I do not agree with some like Slavoj Zizek who say that the act of creating a game character (in an RPG or MMO) makes you ideologically neutral, but, in making the decisions for the game (that silly binary choice system), the game allows for some great moments that slap them in the real world and force true introspection. James Portnow explains this better in the Extra Credits episode "Enriching Lives" but know that these games do give you control, and, in doing so, they allow for the player to see the consequences of those decisions and them about them in the real world.
Finally, Kristina. Zizek, when stating that "ideological neutral" thing actually cited WoW as the example, but I am personally not sure what I think when MMO's are brought into place. I say this because you can follow your character's own personal arc, but really, you do not have a major impact on the overall world (Mass Effect and the single player games change the world for good or ill). In WoW, the bosses you fight respawn and the overall world is controlled by Blizzard, so, part of me wants to say that the player actually has less control over the character and the world they inhabit in games like WoW. But, this has pretty much gone into me thinking out loud.
Here is the Enriching Lives link: http://penny-arcade.com/patv/episode/enriching-lives