An article recommended by our friend, M. Van Slyke.
Sunday, December 12, 2004
Some helpful game-theoretic definitions:
Economics
The study of choice in an environment of scarcity
Game
A conflict situation where one must make a choice knowing that others are making choices too. The outcome of this conflict is determined in some prescribed way by the sum of these choices.
Positive Sum Game
A game where both players can come out ahead
Negative Sum Game
A game where both players can lose
Zero Sum Game
A game where one player’s gain is exactly equal to the other’s loss
Rationale
Choices that maximize one’s personal utility… define it as you will. Players are assumed to be perfectly logical and interested only in winning.
Irrationale
Choices that are motivated by reasons other than utility.
Utility
Someone’s perceived benefit from a transaction
Saddle Points
Where the maximin intersects with the minimax… neither player can expect to do better by changing strategy. They may not be happy, but they are satisfied. This is the expected play outcome if everyone is behaving rationally.
Golden Rule
Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
Free Riding
Trying to better one’s interests in a way that would be disastrous if every other player did this (hopping turnstiles, making bots to produce magic swords)
Mamihlapinatapi
Looking at each other, hoping that either will offer to do something that both parties desire but are unwilling to do.
Economics
The study of choice in an environment of scarcity
Game
A conflict situation where one must make a choice knowing that others are making choices too. The outcome of this conflict is determined in some prescribed way by the sum of these choices.
Positive Sum Game
A game where both players can come out ahead
Negative Sum Game
A game where both players can lose
Zero Sum Game
A game where one player’s gain is exactly equal to the other’s loss
Rationale
Choices that maximize one’s personal utility… define it as you will. Players are assumed to be perfectly logical and interested only in winning.
Irrationale
Choices that are motivated by reasons other than utility.
Utility
Someone’s perceived benefit from a transaction
Saddle Points
Where the maximin intersects with the minimax… neither player can expect to do better by changing strategy. They may not be happy, but they are satisfied. This is the expected play outcome if everyone is behaving rationally.
Golden Rule
Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
Free Riding
Trying to better one’s interests in a way that would be disastrous if every other player did this (hopping turnstiles, making bots to produce magic swords)
Mamihlapinatapi
Looking at each other, hoping that either will offer to do something that both parties desire but are unwilling to do.
Thursday, November 25, 2004
- Caillois vs. Garneau
The qualities of games and play include:
The need to prove one’s superiority
The desire to challenge, make a record, or merely overcome an obstacle
The hope for and the pursuit of the favour of destiny
Pleasure in secrecy, make-believe or disguise
Fear or the inspiration of fear
The search for repetition and symmetry, or in contrast, the joy of improvising, inventing or infinitely varying solutions
Solving a mystery or riddle
The satisfaction procured from all arts involving contrivance
The desire to test one’s strength/skill/speed/endurance/equilibrium/ingenuity
Conformity to rules/laws, the duty to respect them, and the temptation to circumvent them
The intoxication, longing for ecstasy and the desire for voluptuous panic
Friday, November 12, 2004
Course Outline
WEEK 1: What’s in a Game?
This session will lay down the broad planks of the course, identify student interests and concerns, and consider the most desirable outcomes. As a jumping off point to our understanding the concept of games and game theory, it is important that we kick off with a common vocabulary. Students will play test ideas, consider practical examples, and begin to make linkages between analog and digital experiences.
Topics:
· Course objectives - familiarization
· Definitions and discussion
· Practical examples
Assignment:
Students will form groups and begin discussing end of term projects
Read Chapters 1-7 in Zimmerman and Salen.
WEEK 2: Understanding Garneau – 14 Forms of Fun
The essence of any memorable gameplay experience is fun. Simple but surprisingly difficult to understand, let alone quantify. This session will explore one of the seminal papers on the nature of “fun” in an effort to deepen our understanding on what will be, at first, a very basic level.
Topics:
· Analysis of analog game experiences
· Discussion of Garneau’s theory
· Classification of experiences
Assignment:
Read Garneau
Read Salen & Zimmerman pp. 329 to 360
Read Falstein
WEEK 3: The Nature of Play
Delving still deeper from the work of Garneau, we will unpack the theories espoused by the French anthropologist Roger Caillois. His book - “Man, Play and Games” – is a deep and commanding treatment of the essence of games; the resultant classification system is one with which any game designer should be at ease.
Topics:
Analysis of childhood games
Discussion of game classification system
Examination of play values vs. combinations
WEEK 4: The Lindley Spectrum
One of the interesting turning points in the consideration of entertainment experiences lies in understanding the steadily blurring line between gameplay, storytelling and simulation. Drawing on the research of Craig Lindley of Sweden’s Zero-Game Institute, this lecture will examine and attempt to categorize contemporary entertainment media.
Topics:
· Analysis of various entertainment experiences
· Discussion of Lindley’s basic methodology
· Extension into virtual and physical spaces
WEEK 5: Simple Strategies and Cold War Reasoning
The father of game theory, John von Neumann, was responsible for the atomic bomb, the digital computer and an interesting conundrum called the Prisoner’s dilemma. This session will explore his works on game theory, including a discussion of such topics as Prussian kriegspielen and Monte Carlo techniques.
Topics:
· Von Neumann’s theories
· Golden Rule, dollar auctions and rationality
· In-class workshop of the Prisoner’s dilemma
WEEK 6: Cross-Cultural Influences
There is a world of difference between games, experiences and the expression of fun as one travels from country to country and culture to culture. This session will feature a guest lecturer who will discuss the practical application of such distinctions in various game titles.
WEEK 7: Final Workshop
Drawing on techniques developed by Marc LeBlanc and leveraging the theories discussed in earlier sessions, students will engage in a manic, three hour prototyping exercise.
WEEK 1: What’s in a Game?
This session will lay down the broad planks of the course, identify student interests and concerns, and consider the most desirable outcomes. As a jumping off point to our understanding the concept of games and game theory, it is important that we kick off with a common vocabulary. Students will play test ideas, consider practical examples, and begin to make linkages between analog and digital experiences.
Topics:
· Course objectives - familiarization
· Definitions and discussion
· Practical examples
Assignment:
Students will form groups and begin discussing end of term projects
Read Chapters 1-7 in Zimmerman and Salen.
WEEK 2: Understanding Garneau – 14 Forms of Fun
The essence of any memorable gameplay experience is fun. Simple but surprisingly difficult to understand, let alone quantify. This session will explore one of the seminal papers on the nature of “fun” in an effort to deepen our understanding on what will be, at first, a very basic level.
Topics:
· Analysis of analog game experiences
· Discussion of Garneau’s theory
· Classification of experiences
Assignment:
Read Garneau
Read Salen & Zimmerman pp. 329 to 360
Read Falstein
WEEK 3: The Nature of Play
Delving still deeper from the work of Garneau, we will unpack the theories espoused by the French anthropologist Roger Caillois. His book - “Man, Play and Games” – is a deep and commanding treatment of the essence of games; the resultant classification system is one with which any game designer should be at ease.
Topics:
Analysis of childhood games
Discussion of game classification system
Examination of play values vs. combinations
WEEK 4: The Lindley Spectrum
One of the interesting turning points in the consideration of entertainment experiences lies in understanding the steadily blurring line between gameplay, storytelling and simulation. Drawing on the research of Craig Lindley of Sweden’s Zero-Game Institute, this lecture will examine and attempt to categorize contemporary entertainment media.
Topics:
· Analysis of various entertainment experiences
· Discussion of Lindley’s basic methodology
· Extension into virtual and physical spaces
WEEK 5: Simple Strategies and Cold War Reasoning
The father of game theory, John von Neumann, was responsible for the atomic bomb, the digital computer and an interesting conundrum called the Prisoner’s dilemma. This session will explore his works on game theory, including a discussion of such topics as Prussian kriegspielen and Monte Carlo techniques.
Topics:
· Von Neumann’s theories
· Golden Rule, dollar auctions and rationality
· In-class workshop of the Prisoner’s dilemma
WEEK 6: Cross-Cultural Influences
There is a world of difference between games, experiences and the expression of fun as one travels from country to country and culture to culture. This session will feature a guest lecturer who will discuss the practical application of such distinctions in various game titles.
WEEK 7: Final Workshop
Drawing on techniques developed by Marc LeBlanc and leveraging the theories discussed in earlier sessions, students will engage in a manic, three hour prototyping exercise.
- The Magic Circle
"A finite space with infinite possibilities"
Drawn from Johann Huizinga’s work “Homo Ludens”
It dictates that play take place within this separate and definable area/mindset
Any conflict within it is artificial conflict (James Bond example)
It is a temporary social construct
It is formalized interaction governed by special rules.
What is the Frame of a game?
A mutually agree-upon demarcation of space and time in which a game is played.
It is created when people decide to play.
What is a Protective Frame?
It provides a psychological/social sense of safety when playing.
Could be a proscenium arch, park railings, boundary lines on a field, card table
What is the Lusory Attitude?
The decision to use pleasantly inefficient rules to determine or achieve an end.
Why are these things important to us as Game Designers?
What is Fun?
Drawing on Garneau’s work, there are 14 forms of classifiable fun… and many related questions. These should be combined and re-combined in surprising combinations to improve gameplay. Here’s the synopsis:
Beauty
"That which pleases the senses."
Immersion
"Going into a space different from one's usual environment by physical means or through imagination."
Intellectual Problem Solving
"Finding solutions to situations that require thought."
Competition
"An activity where the goal is to show one's superiority."
Social Interaction
"Doing things with others."
Comedy
"Things that make one want to laugh."
Thrill of Danger
“Exhilaration coming from a dangerous activity."
Physical Activity
"Activities requiring intense physical movements."
Love
"Strong affection toward somebody."
Creation
"To make exist that which didn't."
Power
"Capacity of having a strong effect on others, of acting with strength." There is an epic quality to this idea… something unsettling lying in the bones.
Discovery
"Finding something that wasn't known before."
Advancement
"Progression in and completion of an activity."
Application of an Ability
"Using one's physical abilities under challenging circumstances."
Drawing on Garneau’s work, there are 14 forms of classifiable fun… and many related questions. These should be combined and re-combined in surprising combinations to improve gameplay. Here’s the synopsis:
Beauty
"That which pleases the senses."
Immersion
"Going into a space different from one's usual environment by physical means or through imagination."
Intellectual Problem Solving
"Finding solutions to situations that require thought."
Competition
"An activity where the goal is to show one's superiority."
Social Interaction
"Doing things with others."
Comedy
"Things that make one want to laugh."
Thrill of Danger
“Exhilaration coming from a dangerous activity."
Physical Activity
"Activities requiring intense physical movements."
Love
"Strong affection toward somebody."
Creation
"To make exist that which didn't."
Power
"Capacity of having a strong effect on others, of acting with strength." There is an epic quality to this idea… something unsettling lying in the bones.
Discovery
"Finding something that wasn't known before."
Advancement
"Progression in and completion of an activity."
Application of an Ability
"Using one's physical abilities under challenging circumstances."
Wednesday, August 18, 2004
Ok, for tomorrow night’s workshop, we are taking the MacGyver approach to game prototyping. Will it work? I don’t know… but, as always, we’ll figure it out or die trying… well, maybe not *die*… embarrass ourselves perhaps.
So here’s the method to our madness: everyone brings in package that contains four semi-random items that will be incorporated into the design of a game. Items can be almost anything, but must cover each of these four categories and be labelled accordingly: subject matter, event generator, visual aesthetic, random insanity. These can be either precise or representational… doesn’t matter which. There will be a pre-workshop inspection of packages (so to speak) to ensure that there is nothing too inherently destructive. Curve balls are allowed but anyone who brings in a real turkey will be forced to work with it themselves. In addition to their packages, everyone should have paper and pencil at hand.
The workshop will be split into two parts – the first 90 minutes will be spent developing a rough n’ ready prototype; the next ninety minutes will be spent playing them. Games will be judged as to how well they incorporate the theories we have discussed in class… might be a good idea to bone up on those you think have the most application.
I’m inclined to let people pair up for this exercise or maybe even work in trios… we shall see. In addition, we’ll be starting at 7pm and running to 10-10:30 tomorrow night (I still owe you a half hour)… the reason for the late start is that I will be keynoting a graduation ceremony that ends at 7pm.
Fairly clear? Probably not. As always, any questions, please ask.
So here’s the method to our madness: everyone brings in package that contains four semi-random items that will be incorporated into the design of a game. Items can be almost anything, but must cover each of these four categories and be labelled accordingly: subject matter, event generator, visual aesthetic, random insanity. These can be either precise or representational… doesn’t matter which. There will be a pre-workshop inspection of packages (so to speak) to ensure that there is nothing too inherently destructive. Curve balls are allowed but anyone who brings in a real turkey will be forced to work with it themselves. In addition to their packages, everyone should have paper and pencil at hand.
The workshop will be split into two parts – the first 90 minutes will be spent developing a rough n’ ready prototype; the next ninety minutes will be spent playing them. Games will be judged as to how well they incorporate the theories we have discussed in class… might be a good idea to bone up on those you think have the most application.
I’m inclined to let people pair up for this exercise or maybe even work in trios… we shall see. In addition, we’ll be starting at 7pm and running to 10-10:30 tomorrow night (I still owe you a half hour)… the reason for the late start is that I will be keynoting a graduation ceremony that ends at 7pm.
Fairly clear? Probably not. As always, any questions, please ask.
Monday, August 09, 2004
They say timing is everything... and they're right. Read on.
Gamasutra - Features - "The Designer's Notebook: Kicking Butt by the Numbers: Lanchester's Laws"
Gamasutra - Features - "The Designer's Notebook: Kicking Butt by the Numbers: Lanchester's Laws"
Friday, August 06, 2004
For next week's workshop, you should familiarize yourself with the contents of this website and be sure that you're comfortable running around Vancouver wearing a brightly colored cape...
Pac Manhattan
Pac Manhattan
As per Jim's request, here is the mentioned article on game balancing according to Brian Reynolds.
GameSpy.com - Developer Corner: The Poor Get Richer: The Ancient Art of Game Balance
GameSpy.com - Developer Corner: The Poor Get Richer: The Ancient Art of Game Balance
Sunday, August 01, 2004
From Brad and required for this week's game theory class - some good stuff, some debatable but a good primer for game balancing.
Sirlin.net -- Your source of shocking insights on game design
Sirlin.net -- Your source of shocking insights on game design
Lotsa reading this week! Another interesting article scrounged by Jim:
GameDev.net -- Designing Games for the Wage Slave
GameDev.net -- Designing Games for the Wage Slave
Friday, July 16, 2004
The Walrus Magazine | Game Theories
An interesting perspective on Costronova's work... also courtesy of Clive Thompson.
An interesting perspective on Costronova's work... also courtesy of Clive Thompson.
Friday, July 02, 2004
Thursday, June 24, 2004
Gamasutra - Features - "Game Taxonomies: A High Level Framework for Game Analysis and Design" Printer Friendly
I'm reading this and so should you... at least if you're in my game design workshop.
Also excellent from this author:
http://zerogame.tii.se/pdfs/CGDClindley.pdf
http://zerogame.tii.se/pdfs/NILE.pdf
http://zerogame.tii.se/pdfs/CausalNormalisation.pdf
Well worth the download.
I'm reading this and so should you... at least if you're in my game design workshop.
Also excellent from this author:
http://zerogame.tii.se/pdfs/CGDClindley.pdf
http://zerogame.tii.se/pdfs/NILE.pdf
http://zerogame.tii.se/pdfs/CausalNormalisation.pdf
Well worth the download.
Monday, June 21, 2004
Some Useful Definitions for Game Theory
Economics The study of choice in an environment of scarcity
Game A conflict situation where one must make a choice knowing that others are making choices too. The outcome of this conflict is determined in some prescribed way by the sum of these choices.
Positive Sum Game A game where both players can come out ahead
Negative Sum Game A game where both players can lose
Zero Sum Game A game where one player’s gain is exactly equal to the other’s loss
Rationale Choices that maximize one’s personal utility… define it as you will. Players are assumed to be perfectly logical and interested only in winning.
Irrationale Choices that are motivated by reasons other than utility.
Utility Someone’s perceived benefit from a transaction
Saddle Points Where the maximin intersects with the minimax… neither player can expect to do better by changing strategy. They may not be happy, but they are satisfied. This is the expected play outcome if everyone is behaving rationally.
Golden Rule Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
Free Riding Trying to better one’s interests in a way that would be disastrous if every other player did this (hopping turnstiles, making bots to produce magic swords)
Mamihlapinatapi Looking at each other, hoping that either will offer to do something that both parties desire but are unwilling to do.
Economics The study of choice in an environment of scarcity
Game A conflict situation where one must make a choice knowing that others are making choices too. The outcome of this conflict is determined in some prescribed way by the sum of these choices.
Positive Sum Game A game where both players can come out ahead
Negative Sum Game A game where both players can lose
Zero Sum Game A game where one player’s gain is exactly equal to the other’s loss
Rationale Choices that maximize one’s personal utility… define it as you will. Players are assumed to be perfectly logical and interested only in winning.
Irrationale Choices that are motivated by reasons other than utility.
Utility Someone’s perceived benefit from a transaction
Saddle Points Where the maximin intersects with the minimax… neither player can expect to do better by changing strategy. They may not be happy, but they are satisfied. This is the expected play outcome if everyone is behaving rationally.
Golden Rule Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
Free Riding Trying to better one’s interests in a way that would be disastrous if every other player did this (hopping turnstiles, making bots to produce magic swords)
Mamihlapinatapi Looking at each other, hoping that either will offer to do something that both parties desire but are unwilling to do.
A few words on Character Archetypes
Heroes
• The word stems from Greek root meaning to “protect and serve”
• Are tied intimately into the concept of sacrifice (Gladiator, LA Confidential, Braveheart)
• Represent our ego, what makes us distinct beings
• Are readily and immediately identifiable by audience (“petting the dog”)
• They are forced to show growth throughout their journey by externalizing their actions
• Every great character has the potential to be a hero
• may be anti-heros, loner heros, catalytic heros, tragic heros, comic heros, group hero
Mentors
• The word comes from a character in the Odyessy
• Represents the Self, the god within
• Are former heros themselves
• They show the door, but won’t open it
• Teaches
• Gives knowledge
• Acts as a conscience
• Foreshadows
• Sexually initiates
• May be dark mentors, fallen mentors, recurring mentors, multiple mentors, internalized mentor (Kung fu)
Threshold Guardians
• Similar to “boss” characters in videogames
• Not necessarily good or evil
• Must be overcome for the hero to grow
• Psychologically, often tied to animals
• Represent the neuroses of the hero
Heralds of Change
• Brings a challenge to the hero
• Provides motivation (Herald in Henry V)
Shapeshifter
• Home or femme fatale
• Expresses animus or anima
• Audience will project or mirror our uncertainty onto them
• Introduces mystery, misunderstanding or doubt as we view the duplicity of their actions (Memento)
Shadow
• Represents the power of repressed feelings
• These are our self-destructive neuroses
• Makes for a more than worthy opponent (love your villains)
Trickster
• Brings hero/villain down to size
• Provides laughter / comic relief
• “to make em cry a lot, let em laugh a little”
• the alignment of a trickster doesn’t really matter
• there are, of course, trickster heroes
Heroes
• The word stems from Greek root meaning to “protect and serve”
• Are tied intimately into the concept of sacrifice (Gladiator, LA Confidential, Braveheart)
• Represent our ego, what makes us distinct beings
• Are readily and immediately identifiable by audience (“petting the dog”)
• They are forced to show growth throughout their journey by externalizing their actions
• Every great character has the potential to be a hero
• may be anti-heros, loner heros, catalytic heros, tragic heros, comic heros, group hero
Mentors
• The word comes from a character in the Odyessy
• Represents the Self, the god within
• Are former heros themselves
• They show the door, but won’t open it
• Teaches
• Gives knowledge
• Acts as a conscience
• Foreshadows
• Sexually initiates
• May be dark mentors, fallen mentors, recurring mentors, multiple mentors, internalized mentor (Kung fu)
Threshold Guardians
• Similar to “boss” characters in videogames
• Not necessarily good or evil
• Must be overcome for the hero to grow
• Psychologically, often tied to animals
• Represent the neuroses of the hero
Heralds of Change
• Brings a challenge to the hero
• Provides motivation (Herald in Henry V)
Shapeshifter
• Home or femme fatale
• Expresses animus or anima
• Audience will project or mirror our uncertainty onto them
• Introduces mystery, misunderstanding or doubt as we view the duplicity of their actions (Memento)
Shadow
• Represents the power of repressed feelings
• These are our self-destructive neuroses
• Makes for a more than worthy opponent (love your villains)
Trickster
• Brings hero/villain down to size
• Provides laughter / comic relief
• “to make em cry a lot, let em laugh a little”
• the alignment of a trickster doesn’t really matter
• there are, of course, trickster heroes
GAMES WE PLAY SPLASH
Another Hackinen recommendation - fun site and fun subject. Makes me wish I was back east.
Another Hackinen recommendation - fun site and fun subject. Makes me wish I was back east.
Miniature Gardens & Magic Crayons
A somewhat interesting article (recommendation by Brad) that builds on our last lecture. Well worth the read.
A somewhat interesting article (recommendation by Brad) that builds on our last lecture. Well worth the read.
Friday, June 11, 2004
For next week, a dilemma posed as a riddle:
An army scout happens upon a village in the middle of a dense jungle. After a short chase, the villagers capture him and, being logical folk, decide to kill him. They decide to allow the scout to make one statement before the end. If this statement is true, they will boil him to death; if the statement is false, they will burn him.
What should be the scout's last words and why?
If you think you know the answer, e-mail me and I will pose a second riddle/dilemma.
An army scout happens upon a village in the middle of a dense jungle. After a short chase, the villagers capture him and, being logical folk, decide to kill him. They decide to allow the scout to make one statement before the end. If this statement is true, they will boil him to death; if the statement is false, they will burn him.
What should be the scout's last words and why?
If you think you know the answer, e-mail me and I will pose a second riddle/dilemma.
The Basic Classification Method of Roger Caillois
For much more information, see his seminal text on "Man, Play, and Games."
Agon – Competition
• Games built on rivalry where players seek to vanquish their opponents.
• Either physical or intellectual skill is needed to assure success.
• The winner is often deemed to be “better” than his opponent.
• Equal chances of winning are important, occasionally leading to handicaps.
• Requires sustained attention, appropriate training and a desire to win.
• Conflict is confined to the arena of play.
• Players must rely on themselves and take responsibility for the outcome.
Alea – Destiny and Chance
• Name is Latin; stems from a game of dice.
• Player seeks the favour of destiny… or complete disgrace.
• No real skill is needed – the outcome of any game is independent of the player.
• Training is only marginally helpful.
• Players rely on everything BUT themselves and have little say in the outcome.
• Equal chances of winning are important… though often with handicaps.
Mimicry – Illusion
• Mutual, shared and temporary acceptance of an agreeable illusion.
• Mimicry explains fan identification with “heroes” – think of fans watching a key element of the “big game”. This takes the energy of agon and redefines it.
• Theatre is mimicry at its most evolved form: the actor must fascinate the audience while avoiding any error that might break the spell. This needs a good dose of ludus.
• When you leave the stage, you leave the character behind.
Ilinx – Vertigo
• Momentarily destroy the stability of one’s perception and induce a partial panic.
• May be something innocent like childhood games; may be more ritualistic like the Whirling Dervishes or the Mexican voladores.
• In its negative, destructive and extreme forms, can take the form of pointless destruction, fraternity hazing or worse.
For much more information, see his seminal text on "Man, Play, and Games."
Agon – Competition
• Games built on rivalry where players seek to vanquish their opponents.
• Either physical or intellectual skill is needed to assure success.
• The winner is often deemed to be “better” than his opponent.
• Equal chances of winning are important, occasionally leading to handicaps.
• Requires sustained attention, appropriate training and a desire to win.
• Conflict is confined to the arena of play.
• Players must rely on themselves and take responsibility for the outcome.
Alea – Destiny and Chance
• Name is Latin; stems from a game of dice.
• Player seeks the favour of destiny… or complete disgrace.
• No real skill is needed – the outcome of any game is independent of the player.
• Training is only marginally helpful.
• Players rely on everything BUT themselves and have little say in the outcome.
• Equal chances of winning are important… though often with handicaps.
Mimicry – Illusion
• Mutual, shared and temporary acceptance of an agreeable illusion.
• Mimicry explains fan identification with “heroes” – think of fans watching a key element of the “big game”. This takes the energy of agon and redefines it.
• Theatre is mimicry at its most evolved form: the actor must fascinate the audience while avoiding any error that might break the spell. This needs a good dose of ludus.
• When you leave the stage, you leave the character behind.
Ilinx – Vertigo
• Momentarily destroy the stability of one’s perception and induce a partial panic.
• May be something innocent like childhood games; may be more ritualistic like the Whirling Dervishes or the Mexican voladores.
• In its negative, destructive and extreme forms, can take the form of pointless destruction, fraternity hazing or worse.
UCF, Electronic Arts prepare to develop video game academy - 2004-06-07 - Orlando Business Journal
From our good friend, Trevor Record. This marks the second major education-based initiative made by EA this year. Would be nice to see them make a third into, say, a small-but-cutting-edge film school?
From our good friend, Trevor Record. This marks the second major education-based initiative made by EA this year. Would be nice to see them make a third into, say, a small-but-cutting-edge film school?
Monday, June 07, 2004
Interplayed Out
A follow-on from Saturday's discussion... sad to see, but that's a market-driven economy for ya.
A follow-on from Saturday's discussion... sad to see, but that's a market-driven economy for ya.
Thursday, June 03, 2004
Gamasutra - Features - "Fourteen Forms of Fun" [10.12.01]
A great read - registration required.
What is Fun?
Drawing on Garneau’s work, there are 14 forms of classifiable fun… and many related questions. Here’s the synopsis:
Beauty
"That which pleases the senses."
Immersion
"Going into a space different from one's usual environment by physical means or through imagination."
Intellectual Problem Solving
"Finding solutions to situations that require thought."
Competition
"An activity where the goal is to show one's superiority."
Social Interaction
"Doing things with others."
Comedy
"Things that make one want to laugh."
Thrill of Danger
“Exhilaration coming from a dangerous activity."
Physical Activity
"Activities requiring intense physical movements."
Love
"Strong affection toward somebody."
Creation
"To make exist that which didn't."
Power
"Capacity of having a strong effect on others, of acting with strength."
Discovery
"Finding something that wasn't known before."
Advancement
"Progression in and completion of an activity."
Application of an Ability
"Using one's physical abilities under challenging circumstances."
A great read - registration required.
What is Fun?
Drawing on Garneau’s work, there are 14 forms of classifiable fun… and many related questions. Here’s the synopsis:
Beauty
"That which pleases the senses."
Immersion
"Going into a space different from one's usual environment by physical means or through imagination."
Intellectual Problem Solving
"Finding solutions to situations that require thought."
Competition
"An activity where the goal is to show one's superiority."
Social Interaction
"Doing things with others."
Comedy
"Things that make one want to laugh."
Thrill of Danger
“Exhilaration coming from a dangerous activity."
Physical Activity
"Activities requiring intense physical movements."
Love
"Strong affection toward somebody."
Creation
"To make exist that which didn't."
Power
"Capacity of having a strong effect on others, of acting with strength."
Discovery
"Finding something that wasn't known before."
Advancement
"Progression in and completion of an activity."
Application of an Ability
"Using one's physical abilities under challenging circumstances."
Friday, May 28, 2004
For those of you interested in exploring the interactive narrative thang, check out this site:
www.timehunt.com
It's wacky, it's wild, I haven't quite figured it out yet but it's beyond food for thought.
Cheers,
Matt
www.timehunt.com
It's wacky, it's wild, I haven't quite figured it out yet but it's beyond food for thought.
Cheers,
Matt
Thursday, May 27, 2004
Games
… goal-directed and competitive activity conducted within a framework of agreed rules. (Lindley)
1. As Puzzles…
Solvable systems (Fullerton and Hoffman) that are dealt with through a combination of calculation and contrivance.
Examples: The NY Times crossword puzzle – www.popcap.com
2. As Sports…
1. [n] an active diversion requiring physical exertion and competition
2. [n] the occupation of athletes who compete for pay
3. [n] verbal wit (often at another's expense but not to be taken seriously); "he became a figure of fun"
4. [n] someone who engages in sports
5. [v] play boisterously; "The children frolicked in the garden"; "the gamboling lambs in the meadows"; "The toddlers romped in the palyroom"
Examples: Rugby ball – FIFA soccer
3. As Analytical Tools…
Conflict situations where players must make choices knowing that other players are also making choices and that the outcome will be determined by the choices made. (von Neumann)
Examples: Operant conditioning – the Sims
4. As Make Believe…
Temporary acceptance of a closed, conventional and – in certain respects – imaginary universe. (Caillois)
Examples: Dungeons & Dragons - LotR
5. As Stories…
An experience that is structured in time. (Lindley)
The three act restorative structure – Aristotle’s Poetics
Examples: Choose Your Own Adventure – www.timehunter.com
6. As War Games…
Mabinogion – A Welsh folktale from the 11th century of two warring kings playing chess while their armies battle nearby.
Kriegspiel – 19 th century Prussian military simulations, mathematically based, that became the rage in Europe after the German victory in the Franco-Prussian war. Popularity waned after the Russo-Japanese war of 1905, though it still had some popularity in Weimar Germany.
Examples: Axis & Allies / Go -- Command & Conquer
7. As Simulations…
a representation of the function, operation or features of one process or system through the use of another. (Lindley)
Examples: Flight Simulator
8. As Gambling…
"Take a coin chute for the people to put their money in, and a cash box for the money to go into, and put something in between that will interest the people, and you've invented a slot machine." - Charlie Fey (1862-1944), inventor of the slot machine as we know it today.”
Every transaction that is based on one party's gain and another's loss, or if the transaction is obscure, is called 'gambling' – Shariah law
the act of playing for stakes in the hope of winning
Examples: cards – video poker machines
… goal-directed and competitive activity conducted within a framework of agreed rules. (Lindley)
1. As Puzzles…
Solvable systems (Fullerton and Hoffman) that are dealt with through a combination of calculation and contrivance.
Examples: The NY Times crossword puzzle – www.popcap.com
2. As Sports…
1. [n] an active diversion requiring physical exertion and competition
2. [n] the occupation of athletes who compete for pay
3. [n] verbal wit (often at another's expense but not to be taken seriously); "he became a figure of fun"
4. [n] someone who engages in sports
5. [v] play boisterously; "The children frolicked in the garden"; "the gamboling lambs in the meadows"; "The toddlers romped in the palyroom"
Examples: Rugby ball – FIFA soccer
3. As Analytical Tools…
Conflict situations where players must make choices knowing that other players are also making choices and that the outcome will be determined by the choices made. (von Neumann)
Examples: Operant conditioning – the Sims
4. As Make Believe…
Temporary acceptance of a closed, conventional and – in certain respects – imaginary universe. (Caillois)
Examples: Dungeons & Dragons - LotR
5. As Stories…
An experience that is structured in time. (Lindley)
The three act restorative structure – Aristotle’s Poetics
Examples: Choose Your Own Adventure – www.timehunter.com
6. As War Games…
Mabinogion – A Welsh folktale from the 11th century of two warring kings playing chess while their armies battle nearby.
Kriegspiel – 19 th century Prussian military simulations, mathematically based, that became the rage in Europe after the German victory in the Franco-Prussian war. Popularity waned after the Russo-Japanese war of 1905, though it still had some popularity in Weimar Germany.
Examples: Axis & Allies / Go -- Command & Conquer
7. As Simulations…
a representation of the function, operation or features of one process or system through the use of another. (Lindley)
Examples: Flight Simulator
8. As Gambling…
"Take a coin chute for the people to put their money in, and a cash box for the money to go into, and put something in between that will interest the people, and you've invented a slot machine." - Charlie Fey (1862-1944), inventor of the slot machine as we know it today.”
Every transaction that is based on one party's gain and another's loss, or if the transaction is obscure, is called 'gambling' – Shariah law
the act of playing for stakes in the hope of winning
Examples: cards – video poker machines
Long time, no post. For the next few weeks, in an effort to re-ignite this blog, I'll be using it as a quasi-repository for class material.
Note to students - this will not substitute the taking of notes nor will I be publishing your assignments here. That's for class time.
If, however, you've got material that you think would benefit the group - fire it to me at matt@vfs.com and I'll send it up.
Note to students - this will not substitute the taking of notes nor will I be publishing your assignments here. That's for class time.
If, however, you've got material that you think would benefit the group - fire it to me at matt@vfs.com and I'll send it up.
Friday, April 02, 2004
Monday, March 15, 2004
Monday, March 08, 2004
CNN.com - Is TV losing out to video games? - Mar 8, 2004
A sign of the times... maybe NBC should create an Unreal mod where you can play as a character from "Friends"?
A sign of the times... maybe NBC should create an Unreal mod where you can play as a character from "Friends"?
Friday, February 27, 2004
REPOSTED!!
Henry Jenkins OTHER article from MIT's Technology Review.
***
Why The Matrix Matters
The third and final film in The Matrix franchise, The Matrix:Revolutions, opened this week. I haven’t seen it yet because I have been hiding out in the North Georgia mountains but I have been doing a lot of research and thinking about the Matrix phenomenon this year for my new book project.
To understand why The Matrix is important, you have to go back to the concept of Transmedia Storytelling, which I spelled out in a column earlier this year: “In the ideal form of transmedia storytelling, each medium does what it does best--so that a story might be introduced in a film, expanded through television, novels, and comics, and its world might be explored and experienced through game play.... Reading across the media sustains a depth of experience that motivates more consumption.... Offering new levels of insight and experience refreshes the franchise and sustains consumer loyalty.“
The Matrix pushes this idea of transmedia storytelling as far or further than anyone has gone before, building out the world of The Matrix across not only three feature films, but also a series of comics (first released on the web and now in print), a series of anime movies (The Animatrix), and an ambitious video game (Enter The Matrix) which contains more than an hour of original footage featuring the cast of the movie. Each of these works adds something important to our appreciation of the whole--none of redundant, each has its clear aesthetic contributions.
Game designer Neil Young uses the term “additive comprehension“ to describe the ways that we accrue information in transmedia storytelling, so that The Second Renaissance (one of the anime) fills it the events between our present society and the world depicted in the films, The Kid’s Story (also anime) introduces a minor character who appears without explanation in Reloaded, and Enter The Matrix (the game) provides backstory on Ghost and Niobe (two marginal characters in Reloaded who get more screen time in Revolution). In one of the flashier examples of transmedia storytelling, an urgent message gets introduced in The Flight of the Osiris (anime) and left at a post office, where the player retrieves it in Enter the Matrix (game), and the impact of its contents are made clear in the opening scenes of Reloaded (feature film).
The Wachowski Brothers sketched out the game levels with Shiny Entertainment’s David Perry, developed scenarios for many of the anime, and writed scripts for some of the comics. Fans argue that this gives these other works creative integrity.
Yet, at the same time, they work with distinctive and recognized artists in these other fields, artists like Paul Chadwick (Concrete), Neil Gaiman (The Sandman), and Peter Bagge (Hate) in the comics or Mahiro Maeda (Neon Genesis Evangelion), Peter Chung (Aeon Flux), and Andy Jones (Final Fantasy) in the anime, who bring their own thematic preoccupations, visual style and fan followings to the project. Each of these, and many The resulting works cohere, more or less, together, but also are distinctly different and accomplished on their own terms.
Even within the feature film, the Wachowskis have consistently showcased the contributions of other creative artists, including conceptual artist Geoff Darrow (who brings a Euro-comics influence to the project), martial arts choreographer Yuen Woo-Ping (who links it to the Hong Kong tradition), and costume designer Kym Barrett (who brings to it the high style we associate with her work on the films of Boz Luhrman).
Most film critics frankly haven’t been willing to make the effort to “get“ this franchise because they are stuck within a mono-media rather than a trans-media paradigm--and thus, the second two films walk away with a row of Gentleman’s Bs. They can see something new is going on here but they really don’t know what to make of it.
Traditional film aesthetics assumes not only that everything you need to know will be in the movie but that it will be repeated at least three times in case you blinked. The Matrix isn’t playing by those rules: it is experimenting with a new kind of popular culture, one which is by design more open-ended, more multilayered, more provocative and evocative, more exploratory than any one spectator is going to be able to process.
You are always going to feel inadequate before The Matrix because it expects more than any individual spectator can provide. That is its strength and its limitations. The film depends on the power of internet communities to look at the work from many different perspectives, pool their knowledge, and compile the information for us. The Matrix isn’t designed to be the end of the communicative and creative process but rather the beginning.
In the end, there is not one Matrix experience, but many. We hear this from no less an authority than Keanu Reaves: “What audiences make of Revolutions will depend on the amount of energy they put into it. The script is full of cul-de-sacs and secret passageways.“
So far, the audience has been prepared to give them more leeway than the critics have. The dramatic sales figures for Enter the Matrix and the Animatrix suggest audiences were ready to buy into the concept of transmedia storytelling.
Some critics are arguing that the third film suffers because it is trying to do too much, close off too many openings, and has this feel of ticking off plot elements. This is not surprising given the fact that the aesthetics of transmedia storytelling are still relatively undefined.
Transmedia storytelling is trying to take an economic imperative (the need to build up franchises in an era of media conglomeration) and trying to turn it into a creative opportunity. There remains an uneasiness about what is ruling this process—art or commerce.
The Wachowskis are violating a core principle which I described in my column: “Each franchise entry needs to be self-contained enough to enable autonomous consumption. That is, you don’t need to have seen the film to enjoy the game and vice-versa.“
Whether The Matrix experiment fails or not, it marks an important chapter in the emergence of this new transmedia aesthetic.
Henry Jenkins OTHER article from MIT's Technology Review.
***
Why The Matrix Matters
The third and final film in The Matrix franchise, The Matrix:Revolutions, opened this week. I haven’t seen it yet because I have been hiding out in the North Georgia mountains but I have been doing a lot of research and thinking about the Matrix phenomenon this year for my new book project.
To understand why The Matrix is important, you have to go back to the concept of Transmedia Storytelling, which I spelled out in a column earlier this year: “In the ideal form of transmedia storytelling, each medium does what it does best--so that a story might be introduced in a film, expanded through television, novels, and comics, and its world might be explored and experienced through game play.... Reading across the media sustains a depth of experience that motivates more consumption.... Offering new levels of insight and experience refreshes the franchise and sustains consumer loyalty.“
The Matrix pushes this idea of transmedia storytelling as far or further than anyone has gone before, building out the world of The Matrix across not only three feature films, but also a series of comics (first released on the web and now in print), a series of anime movies (The Animatrix), and an ambitious video game (Enter The Matrix) which contains more than an hour of original footage featuring the cast of the movie. Each of these works adds something important to our appreciation of the whole--none of redundant, each has its clear aesthetic contributions.
Game designer Neil Young uses the term “additive comprehension“ to describe the ways that we accrue information in transmedia storytelling, so that The Second Renaissance (one of the anime) fills it the events between our present society and the world depicted in the films, The Kid’s Story (also anime) introduces a minor character who appears without explanation in Reloaded, and Enter The Matrix (the game) provides backstory on Ghost and Niobe (two marginal characters in Reloaded who get more screen time in Revolution). In one of the flashier examples of transmedia storytelling, an urgent message gets introduced in The Flight of the Osiris (anime) and left at a post office, where the player retrieves it in Enter the Matrix (game), and the impact of its contents are made clear in the opening scenes of Reloaded (feature film).
The Wachowski Brothers sketched out the game levels with Shiny Entertainment’s David Perry, developed scenarios for many of the anime, and writed scripts for some of the comics. Fans argue that this gives these other works creative integrity.
Yet, at the same time, they work with distinctive and recognized artists in these other fields, artists like Paul Chadwick (Concrete), Neil Gaiman (The Sandman), and Peter Bagge (Hate) in the comics or Mahiro Maeda (Neon Genesis Evangelion), Peter Chung (Aeon Flux), and Andy Jones (Final Fantasy) in the anime, who bring their own thematic preoccupations, visual style and fan followings to the project. Each of these, and many The resulting works cohere, more or less, together, but also are distinctly different and accomplished on their own terms.
Even within the feature film, the Wachowskis have consistently showcased the contributions of other creative artists, including conceptual artist Geoff Darrow (who brings a Euro-comics influence to the project), martial arts choreographer Yuen Woo-Ping (who links it to the Hong Kong tradition), and costume designer Kym Barrett (who brings to it the high style we associate with her work on the films of Boz Luhrman).
Most film critics frankly haven’t been willing to make the effort to “get“ this franchise because they are stuck within a mono-media rather than a trans-media paradigm--and thus, the second two films walk away with a row of Gentleman’s Bs. They can see something new is going on here but they really don’t know what to make of it.
Traditional film aesthetics assumes not only that everything you need to know will be in the movie but that it will be repeated at least three times in case you blinked. The Matrix isn’t playing by those rules: it is experimenting with a new kind of popular culture, one which is by design more open-ended, more multilayered, more provocative and evocative, more exploratory than any one spectator is going to be able to process.
You are always going to feel inadequate before The Matrix because it expects more than any individual spectator can provide. That is its strength and its limitations. The film depends on the power of internet communities to look at the work from many different perspectives, pool their knowledge, and compile the information for us. The Matrix isn’t designed to be the end of the communicative and creative process but rather the beginning.
In the end, there is not one Matrix experience, but many. We hear this from no less an authority than Keanu Reaves: “What audiences make of Revolutions will depend on the amount of energy they put into it. The script is full of cul-de-sacs and secret passageways.“
So far, the audience has been prepared to give them more leeway than the critics have. The dramatic sales figures for Enter the Matrix and the Animatrix suggest audiences were ready to buy into the concept of transmedia storytelling.
Some critics are arguing that the third film suffers because it is trying to do too much, close off too many openings, and has this feel of ticking off plot elements. This is not surprising given the fact that the aesthetics of transmedia storytelling are still relatively undefined.
Transmedia storytelling is trying to take an economic imperative (the need to build up franchises in an era of media conglomeration) and trying to turn it into a creative opportunity. There remains an uneasiness about what is ruling this process—art or commerce.
The Wachowskis are violating a core principle which I described in my column: “Each franchise entry needs to be self-contained enough to enable autonomous consumption. That is, you don’t need to have seen the film to enjoy the game and vice-versa.“
Whether The Matrix experiment fails or not, it marks an important chapter in the emergence of this new transmedia aesthetic.
Thursday, February 26, 2004
REPOSTED!
Henry Jenkins article from MIT's Technology Review... in all of its glory.
***
Several years ago, I asked a leading producer of animated features how much creative control his team exerted over the games, toys, comics, and other products that deployed their characters. I was reassured that the distribution company handled all such ancillary materials. I saw the movement of content across media as an enhancement of the creative process. He saw it as a distraction or corruption.
This past month, I attended a gathering of top creatives from Hollywood and the games industry, hosted by Electronic Arts; they were discussing how to collaboratively develop content that would play well across media. This meeting reflected a growing realization within the media industries that what is variously called transmedia, multiplatform, or enhanced storytelling represents the future of entertainment.
Let’s face it: we have entered an era of media convergence that makes the flow of content across multiple media channels almost inevitable. The move toward digital effects in film and the improved quality of video game graphics means that it is becoming much more realistic to lower production costs by sharing assets across media. Everything about the structure of the modern entertainment industry was designed with this single idea in mind—the construction and enhancement of entertainment franchises.
And the push isn’t just coming from the big media companies. The kids who have grown up consuming and enjoying Pokemon across media are going to expect this same kind of experience from The West Wing as they get older. By design, Pokemon unfolds across games, television programs, films, and books, with no media privileged over any other. For our generation, the hour-long, ensemble-based, serialized drama was the pinnacle of sophisticated storytelling, but for the next generation, it is going to seem, well, like less than child’s play. Younger consumers have become information hunters and gatherers, taking pleasure in tracking down character backgrounds and plot points and making connections between different texts within the same franchise. And in addition, all evidence suggests that computers don’t cancel out other media; instead, computer owners consume on average significantly more television, movies, CDs, and related media than the general population.
While the technological infrastructure is ready, the economic prospects sweet, and the audience primed, the media industries haven't done a very good job of collaborating to produce compelling transmedia experiences. Even within the media conglomerates, units compete aggressively rather than collaborate. Each industry sector has specialized talent, but the conglomerates lack a common language or vision to unify them. The current structure is hierarchical: film units set licensing limits on what can be done in games based on their properties. At the same time, film producers don't know the game market very well or respect those genre elements which made something like Tomb Raider successful. We need a new model for co-creation—rather than adaptation—of content that crosses media.
The current licensing system typically generates works that are redundant (allowing no new character background or plot development), watered down (asking the new media to slavishly duplicate experiences better achieved through the old), or riddled with sloppy contradictions (failing to respect the core consistency audiences expect within a franchise). These failures account for why sequels and franchises have a bad reputation. Nobody wants to consume a steady diet of second-rate novelizations!
Franchise products are governed too much by economic logic and not enough by artistic vision. Hollywood acts as if it only has to provide more of the same, printing a Star Trek logo on so many widgets. In reality, audiences want the new work to offer new insights into the characters and new experiences of the fictional world. If media companies reward that demand, viewers will feel greater mastery and investment; deny it and they stomp off in disgust.
So far, the most successful transmedia franchises have emerged when a single creator or creative unit maintains control over the franchise. Hollywood might well study the ways that Lucasfilm has managed and cultivated its Indiana Jones and Star Wars franchises. When Indiana Jones went to television, for example, it exploited the medium’s potential for extended storytelling and character development: the Young Indiana Jones Chronicles showed us the character take shape against the backdrop of various historical events and exotic environments. When Star Wars moved into print, its novels expanded the timeline to show us events not contained in the film trilogies, or recast the stories around secondary characters, as did the Tales of the Cantina series, which fleshes out those curious-looking aliens in the background of the original movie. When Star Wars went to games, those games didn’t just enact film events; they showed us what life would be like for a Jedi trainee or a bounty hunter.
On the other end of the scale, independent filmmaker Kevin Smith (Chasing Amy, Clerks), a longtime comic fan, uses this lower cost medium to fill in gaps and extend character background within his New Jersey film series. Joss Whedon, the creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, similarly uses comics to extend his storyline backwards (Tales of the Slayers) and forward (Fray) in time, depicting huge spans in the history of the Watcher’s Council and the Slayers. Sony used the Web to offer new insights into the characters of Dawson’s Creek, mimicking the title character’s desktop, so that we can read his e-mail, sneak a peek at his journals, or even plagiarize his school essays. A team of writers updated this content each week in response to the aired episodes, using the Web to both plant seeds for future plot development and provide background to remind viewers of past actions.
In the ideal form of transmedia storytelling, each medium does what it does best—so that a story might be introduced in a film, expanded through television, novels, and comics, and its world might be explored and experienced through game play. Each franchise entry needs to be self-contained enough to enable autonomous consumption. That is, you don’t need to have seen the film to enjoy the game and vice-versa. As Pokemon does so well, any given product is a point of entry into the franchise as a whole.
Reading across the media sustains a depth of experience that motivates more consumption. In a world with many media options, consumers are choosing to invest deeply in a limited number of franchises rather than dip shallowly into a larger number. Increasingly, gamers spend most of their time and money within a single genre, often a single franchise. We can see the same pattern in other media—films (high success for certain franchises, overall declines in revenue), television (shorter spans for most series, longer runs for a few), or comics (incredibly long runs for a limited number of superhero icons). Redundancy between media burns up fan interest and causes franchises to fail. Offering new levels of insight and experience refreshes the franchise and sustains consumer loyalty. Such a multilayered approach to storytelling will enable a more complex, more sophisticated, more rewarding mode of narrative to emerge within the constraints of commercial entertainment.
And it also makes economic sense. Different media attract different market niches. Films and television probably have the most diverse audiences, comics and games the narrowest. A good transmedia franchise attracts a wider audience by pitching the content differently in the different media. If each work offers fresh experiences, then a crossover market will expand the potential gross within any individual media. So, women may not play games, but women who like Lord of the Rings might experiment on a related game title.
Have no fear—not all stories will flow across media. Most won’t, but a growing number will. Transmedia stories aren’t necessarily bad stories; they are different kinds of stories. According to Hollywood lore, a good pitch starts with either a compelling character or an interesting world. We might, from there, make the following argument: A good character can sustain multiple narratives and thus lead to a successful movie franchise. A good “world” can sustain multiple characters (and their stories) and thus successfully launch a transmedia franchise.
Many of our best authors, from William Faulkner to J.R.R. Tolkien, understood their art in terms of world-creation and developed rich environments which could, indeed, support a variety of different characters. For most of human history, it would be taken for granted that a great story would take many different forms, enshrined in stain glass windows or tapestries, told through printed words or sung by bards and poets, or enacted by traveling performers. Sequels aren’t inherently bad—remember that Huckleberry Finn was a sequel to Tom Sawyer. But Twain understood what modern storytellers seem to have forgotten—a compelling sequel offers consumers a new perspective on the characters, rather than just more of the same.
Henry Jenkins article from MIT's Technology Review... in all of its glory.
***
Several years ago, I asked a leading producer of animated features how much creative control his team exerted over the games, toys, comics, and other products that deployed their characters. I was reassured that the distribution company handled all such ancillary materials. I saw the movement of content across media as an enhancement of the creative process. He saw it as a distraction or corruption.
This past month, I attended a gathering of top creatives from Hollywood and the games industry, hosted by Electronic Arts; they were discussing how to collaboratively develop content that would play well across media. This meeting reflected a growing realization within the media industries that what is variously called transmedia, multiplatform, or enhanced storytelling represents the future of entertainment.
Let’s face it: we have entered an era of media convergence that makes the flow of content across multiple media channels almost inevitable. The move toward digital effects in film and the improved quality of video game graphics means that it is becoming much more realistic to lower production costs by sharing assets across media. Everything about the structure of the modern entertainment industry was designed with this single idea in mind—the construction and enhancement of entertainment franchises.
And the push isn’t just coming from the big media companies. The kids who have grown up consuming and enjoying Pokemon across media are going to expect this same kind of experience from The West Wing as they get older. By design, Pokemon unfolds across games, television programs, films, and books, with no media privileged over any other. For our generation, the hour-long, ensemble-based, serialized drama was the pinnacle of sophisticated storytelling, but for the next generation, it is going to seem, well, like less than child’s play. Younger consumers have become information hunters and gatherers, taking pleasure in tracking down character backgrounds and plot points and making connections between different texts within the same franchise. And in addition, all evidence suggests that computers don’t cancel out other media; instead, computer owners consume on average significantly more television, movies, CDs, and related media than the general population.
While the technological infrastructure is ready, the economic prospects sweet, and the audience primed, the media industries haven't done a very good job of collaborating to produce compelling transmedia experiences. Even within the media conglomerates, units compete aggressively rather than collaborate. Each industry sector has specialized talent, but the conglomerates lack a common language or vision to unify them. The current structure is hierarchical: film units set licensing limits on what can be done in games based on their properties. At the same time, film producers don't know the game market very well or respect those genre elements which made something like Tomb Raider successful. We need a new model for co-creation—rather than adaptation—of content that crosses media.
The current licensing system typically generates works that are redundant (allowing no new character background or plot development), watered down (asking the new media to slavishly duplicate experiences better achieved through the old), or riddled with sloppy contradictions (failing to respect the core consistency audiences expect within a franchise). These failures account for why sequels and franchises have a bad reputation. Nobody wants to consume a steady diet of second-rate novelizations!
Franchise products are governed too much by economic logic and not enough by artistic vision. Hollywood acts as if it only has to provide more of the same, printing a Star Trek logo on so many widgets. In reality, audiences want the new work to offer new insights into the characters and new experiences of the fictional world. If media companies reward that demand, viewers will feel greater mastery and investment; deny it and they stomp off in disgust.
So far, the most successful transmedia franchises have emerged when a single creator or creative unit maintains control over the franchise. Hollywood might well study the ways that Lucasfilm has managed and cultivated its Indiana Jones and Star Wars franchises. When Indiana Jones went to television, for example, it exploited the medium’s potential for extended storytelling and character development: the Young Indiana Jones Chronicles showed us the character take shape against the backdrop of various historical events and exotic environments. When Star Wars moved into print, its novels expanded the timeline to show us events not contained in the film trilogies, or recast the stories around secondary characters, as did the Tales of the Cantina series, which fleshes out those curious-looking aliens in the background of the original movie. When Star Wars went to games, those games didn’t just enact film events; they showed us what life would be like for a Jedi trainee or a bounty hunter.
On the other end of the scale, independent filmmaker Kevin Smith (Chasing Amy, Clerks), a longtime comic fan, uses this lower cost medium to fill in gaps and extend character background within his New Jersey film series. Joss Whedon, the creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, similarly uses comics to extend his storyline backwards (Tales of the Slayers) and forward (Fray) in time, depicting huge spans in the history of the Watcher’s Council and the Slayers. Sony used the Web to offer new insights into the characters of Dawson’s Creek, mimicking the title character’s desktop, so that we can read his e-mail, sneak a peek at his journals, or even plagiarize his school essays. A team of writers updated this content each week in response to the aired episodes, using the Web to both plant seeds for future plot development and provide background to remind viewers of past actions.
In the ideal form of transmedia storytelling, each medium does what it does best—so that a story might be introduced in a film, expanded through television, novels, and comics, and its world might be explored and experienced through game play. Each franchise entry needs to be self-contained enough to enable autonomous consumption. That is, you don’t need to have seen the film to enjoy the game and vice-versa. As Pokemon does so well, any given product is a point of entry into the franchise as a whole.
Reading across the media sustains a depth of experience that motivates more consumption. In a world with many media options, consumers are choosing to invest deeply in a limited number of franchises rather than dip shallowly into a larger number. Increasingly, gamers spend most of their time and money within a single genre, often a single franchise. We can see the same pattern in other media—films (high success for certain franchises, overall declines in revenue), television (shorter spans for most series, longer runs for a few), or comics (incredibly long runs for a limited number of superhero icons). Redundancy between media burns up fan interest and causes franchises to fail. Offering new levels of insight and experience refreshes the franchise and sustains consumer loyalty. Such a multilayered approach to storytelling will enable a more complex, more sophisticated, more rewarding mode of narrative to emerge within the constraints of commercial entertainment.
And it also makes economic sense. Different media attract different market niches. Films and television probably have the most diverse audiences, comics and games the narrowest. A good transmedia franchise attracts a wider audience by pitching the content differently in the different media. If each work offers fresh experiences, then a crossover market will expand the potential gross within any individual media. So, women may not play games, but women who like Lord of the Rings might experiment on a related game title.
Have no fear—not all stories will flow across media. Most won’t, but a growing number will. Transmedia stories aren’t necessarily bad stories; they are different kinds of stories. According to Hollywood lore, a good pitch starts with either a compelling character or an interesting world. We might, from there, make the following argument: A good character can sustain multiple narratives and thus lead to a successful movie franchise. A good “world” can sustain multiple characters (and their stories) and thus successfully launch a transmedia franchise.
Many of our best authors, from William Faulkner to J.R.R. Tolkien, understood their art in terms of world-creation and developed rich environments which could, indeed, support a variety of different characters. For most of human history, it would be taken for granted that a great story would take many different forms, enshrined in stain glass windows or tapestries, told through printed words or sung by bards and poets, or enacted by traveling performers. Sequels aren’t inherently bad—remember that Huckleberry Finn was a sequel to Tom Sawyer. But Twain understood what modern storytellers seem to have forgotten—a compelling sequel offers consumers a new perspective on the characters, rather than just more of the same.
Wednesday, February 25, 2004
The Transmedia Story: Themes and Approaches
A simple summation of Jenkins' thinking... good if you haven't got the time to read a pair of two page articles.
A simple summation of Jenkins' thinking... good if you haven't got the time to read a pair of two page articles.
Monday, February 23, 2004
Wired News: James Bond: Great Game, Bad Movie
An excellent discussion on convergence storytelling. Of course, the Bond franchise has long been known for this sort of potential and we're now seeing it truly come to life.
Fundamental question, though: is the climax result better video games but much worse movies?
An excellent discussion on convergence storytelling. Of course, the Bond franchise has long been known for this sort of potential and we're now seeing it truly come to life.
Fundamental question, though: is the climax result better video games but much worse movies?
Thursday, February 19, 2004
An article from CNN challenging the conventional wisdom... unfortunately, the link sent with is now broken.
So take it with a grain of salt.
Study: Women over 40 biggest online gamers
Atlanta, Boston most game-happy cities, AOL says
Wednesday, February 11, 2004 Posted: 10:41 AM EST (1541 GMT)
LOS ANGELES, California (Reuters) -- Think teenagers are spending all night long playing online games on the computer? Wrong -- it's their mothers burning the midnight oil.
AOL, a unit of CNN's parent company Time Warner Inc. , released a study showing that U.S. women over the age of 40 spend nearly 50 percent more time each week playing online games than men and are more likely to play online games daily than men or teens.
Of those women over 40 who had formed online friendships, AOL said, more than 20 percent converted those virtual connections into real-life relationships.
Fueling the arguments of those who say that gaming takes away from other activities, 44 percent of the women over 40 who responded to the survey, conducted by Digital Marketing Services, said they spend less time watching TV or movies, reading or being physically active because of their game play.
More than a quarter of those women, the survey found, play their favorite games between midnight and 5 a.m. Women in the poll tended to favor word and puzzle games.
About half of teens surveyed reported spending more time playing games than reading and more than a quarter doing more gaming than homework.
AOL also did research on gaming habits in major cities, finding that people who play games online in Los Angeles are far more likely (31 percent) to form off-line relationships than the national average (18 percent).
Atlanta and Boston were the most game-happy cities overall, at about 8 hours per capita per week, the survey said.
The survey was conducted online with 3,613 respondents between mid-December and mid-January, the company said.
So take it with a grain of salt.
Study: Women over 40 biggest online gamers
Atlanta, Boston most game-happy cities, AOL says
Wednesday, February 11, 2004 Posted: 10:41 AM EST (1541 GMT)
LOS ANGELES, California (Reuters) -- Think teenagers are spending all night long playing online games on the computer? Wrong -- it's their mothers burning the midnight oil.
AOL, a unit of CNN's parent company Time Warner Inc. , released a study showing that U.S. women over the age of 40 spend nearly 50 percent more time each week playing online games than men and are more likely to play online games daily than men or teens.
Of those women over 40 who had formed online friendships, AOL said, more than 20 percent converted those virtual connections into real-life relationships.
Fueling the arguments of those who say that gaming takes away from other activities, 44 percent of the women over 40 who responded to the survey, conducted by Digital Marketing Services, said they spend less time watching TV or movies, reading or being physically active because of their game play.
More than a quarter of those women, the survey found, play their favorite games between midnight and 5 a.m. Women in the poll tended to favor word and puzzle games.
About half of teens surveyed reported spending more time playing games than reading and more than a quarter doing more gaming than homework.
AOL also did research on gaming habits in major cities, finding that people who play games online in Los Angeles are far more likely (31 percent) to form off-line relationships than the national average (18 percent).
Atlanta and Boston were the most game-happy cities overall, at about 8 hours per capita per week, the survey said.
The survey was conducted online with 3,613 respondents between mid-December and mid-January, the company said.
Friday, February 13, 2004
EA and Marvel Ink Development Deal - GameMarketWatch.com - Insight for the Electronic Entertainment Industry
More movement on the home front... is there any game genre NOT being developed in Vancouver just now?
More movement on the home front... is there any game genre NOT being developed in Vancouver just now?
Friday, February 06, 2004
DNA/HHGG Infocom Adventure
Boy, does this one take me back. Whatever happened to good old text-based adventures. Oh yeah, graphics.
Boy, does this one take me back. Whatever happened to good old text-based adventures. Oh yeah, graphics.
Monday, January 19, 2004
Gamasutra - Features - "What Evil Lurks in the Hearts of NPCs?"
Another interesting article from the elusive Mr. Adams.
Another interesting article from the elusive Mr. Adams.
Sunday, January 18, 2004
Tuesday, January 13, 2004
Wired News: Military Training Is Just a Game
Very interesting article on a decidedly *real* world application of game theory.
Very interesting article on a decidedly *real* world application of game theory.
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