Affecting the narrative: A case study of ´The Wolf Among Us´

Brooklyn, the 1980s. I’m standing in the dingy living room of a rundown apartment complex, slapping a 4ft, dressing-gown wearing toad around the face as Snow White enters with the toad’s young son, who trembles in fear at me, Bigby ‘the big bad’ Wolf.

Just an average day within the universe of The Wolf Among Us, the latest release from Telltale Games and based upon the popular comic book series, Fables.

'The Wolf Among Us'

Set in New York, The Wolf Among Us (TWAU) is a point-and-click adventure game centred on characters from fairy tales and folklore. In a gritty take on their stories, these fairy tale characters have been driven from their homelands and have taken refuge in New York City. Here they try to live normal lives and hide themselves from regular humans, with Bigby Wolf taking on the role of Sheriff in this dark and twisted community.

Bigby Wolf, Snow White & Toad - Some of the weird and dangerous inhabitants of TWAU

TWAU is, like Telltale’s last big release The Walking Dead, an episodic and player led experience. As you play through the game you are given numerous choices and, as stated at the start of the game by Telltale themselves: “[the] game series adapts to the choices you make. The story is tailored by how you play”.

How effective is this design though? Does choice and consequence create a deeper, more meaningful experience for the player? Does it create a stronger story? Perhaps more importantly, is there a price to this choice? Are the limitations that exist within video games counter to the proposal of free player choice within a game?

First and foremost, I think it’s important to describe the experience of playing TWAU. As I said, it’s a point-and-click adventure game which involves the player investigating scenes by interacting with items and people; using your wits to choose what to see, who to talk to and when to act. TWAU also features quick time events (QTEs) wherein you’re required to act fast, following directions on screen in a limited time-frame – usually used in chase or fight sequences.

Point-and-click games are strikingly different in play style to the more ‘traditional’ gameplay method of putting the player in direct control of their character. You are very limited in terms of character movement (sometimes not having any choice in where your character goes) but you are given more freedom with your environment and the pace of the game is determined by your interactions. The play style is more an interactive story than a traditional game.

Classic point-and-click gameplay as well as some QTE fight elements

Is this type of game inherently more engaging than a traditional game, and is this where player choice belongs? Is player interaction dependant on this play style? Personally, I would say no. I believe both gameplay styles can be equally engaging and story driven. Just take a look at The Last Of Us (dissected by myself in a previous post) – it’s engaging, dramatic, character driven and an extremely well-crafted game. Its style of gameplay has little to no effect on the story, and I believe it’s the story itself that really affects player engagement. Some narratives are suited more to traditional gameplay styles, some more to the point-and-click style, and some to even more unique ways of playing, but in all of these, the story is key in this engagement and player choice and consequence can fit in all gameplay styles.

So, if it isn’t the type of game that makes choice important, perhaps it is the idea of shaping the experience in general. Seeing what effect player interaction has on a story is perhaps interesting because of the ‘live feedback’, the ability to see your actions shape a world. This is something no film or book can do, it’s an exclusive trait belonging to video games, and when a great narrative is twinned with player interaction, there is the possibility for truly engaging storytelling.

Choice plays a big role in TWAU and can determine vital plot points

There is however, a problem with this system. The limitation of both technology and creativity hinders the extent to which player choice can affect a game’s narrative. You cannot, for example, have player choice drastically alter the outcome of a game beyond two or three possibilities – the sheer amount of programming needed would require a huge amount of storage – not something readily available on a disc.

Even as technology improves however, and storage and computing power become less of a concern, creative limitations will always exist. Stories are written by people, and much like crafting a great screenplay or novel is a difficult task, writing a great video game narrative is a challenge. Having multiple endings, strands of investigation, different dialogue responses and avenues of conversation requires a person, or team, to factor in and write all of this content. Compare a simple, linear narrative to one which has multiple choices, branches and outcomes, and the creative work multiplies exponentially.

Due to these limitations, player choice will always be restricted. The real art comes in hiding these restrictions. A well-crafted choice system will distract a player from the limits of their choice by giving them drama, action and immediate consequence in return – it’s safer, and more satisfying, if a player’s interaction is rewarded instantly and dramatically, than to leave them disappointed with a slow-burning narrative development.

So player choice is important, encourages engagement in a story, gives a player control and yet is limited to the point where that control is, effectively, an illusion. Why then, do games continue to use choice mechanisms? Why do players continue to enjoy them?

One possible answer is the community aspect that often comes with a choice led experience. Many games utilise a multiplayer element to extend play time, and websites like YouTube are full of play-along videos; in which viewers can watch walkthroughs, learn techniques, and discover hints and secrets from players filming their performance.

Games like TWAU however, often take this further with dedicated forums for discussion and in-game statistics and comparisons. During my play through of the first episode of TWAU I was met with statistics that matched my performance against other players:

Stats in TWAU track player's progress and match it against others globally

Elements like this help to bring players together, chart their experiences and compare the outcomes of their actions. This doesn’t remove the limitations that hinder player interactivity, nor does it affect my play through directly, but having a community to discuss and deliberate with extends the experience and increases the engagement a player will have with the story.

Channels from YouTube take this further by using audience opinions and voting to direct the choices they make – the digital age has brought with it an increase in online communities, and games utilising choice systems are able to whet the appetite of fans and encourage a group experience.

When it comes down to it, choice and consequence in gaming may not alter the story of a game drastically, and may not be the key reason behind a player’s engagement with the narrative, but, that player interaction, that sense of control and choice (however much of an illusion it is) creates a deeper link with the story and sets it apart from those we read or see on the screen.

The Wolf Among Us is a fantastic game; dark, brooding and full of twists and turns that keep players guessing and wanting to continue their hunt. Player choice may only augment this experience, not create it, but what’s really important when playing a story driven game is the story itself. Tailoring that story with independent choice, and yet retaining the structure and plot as it was originally designed will ultimately create the strongest experience, and a strong experience is, above all else, what matters.

Watching movies and playing games: How the two are closer than you think

To say that there are similarities between films and video games would be, to most, an obvious statement. Just how similar though, and how important the link is, may surprise you.

I recently stumbled across an online video essay titled ‘Transmedia Synergies: Remediating Films and Video Games’ (catchy, I know). Written and created my Matthias Stork (an MA student at UCLA) the essay delves into how the video game and film industries are not just linked, but rather co-dependant.

Stork begins by saying that films and video games continuously borrow from each other. This creates what he terms an ‘aesthetic interdependency’ – basically, the look of one depends on the other, and vice versa. This is called ‘remediation’, a term defined by David Bolter and Richard Grusin as the process of one media translating, refashioning and reforming another. Films remediate elements of video games, and video games incorporate and twist film conventions. The result is a ‘network of transmedia synergies’, which essentially means a network of shared ideas coming together and creating new ideas. The look, structure and feel of both mediums is informed by the other in a continuous exchange of information.

This happens in multiple ways; video game technology being adopted by the film industry; technical and creative crews working on a film tie-in video game; actors lending their voices across mediums, the list goes on. Stork mentions that one of the main ways in which films have influenced video games is by dictating how they’re presented. The standard gameplay and cutscene technique used by almost every single game, is a cinematic device adapted from film.

Stork goes further however, and defines ‘cinematic’ as ‘the cultural interface, a toolbox for all cultural communication’. Big words. What Stork is saying here is that films are such a large part of our culture, of our everyday lives, that the visual style they employ actually effects the ways in which visual communication works. It may sound like a lofty proposal, but everything from TV shows and advertisements right down to books and poster design can be shown to be influenced by cinematic language.

Bringing the topic back to video games, Stork talks about how the video game camera is taken from films. What appears obvious (allowing the player to see through a ‘virtual camera’) is in fact a more complex, and film-influenced technique.

Check out the use of bullet time in both The Matrix and Max Payne and see how filmic language effects the style of the game:

Similarities between 'The Matrix' and 'Max Payne'

How about the infamous boulder scene in Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark compared to an escape sequence in Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception?

'Raiders of the Lost Ark's' famous boulder scene still influences action scenes to this day

Still not convinced? Take a look at the visual style of the Resident Evil game series compared to your average horror film, any similarities?

The 'Resident Evil' series is known for employing horror film tropes in its visual style

As Stork mentions, the visual language of games is, right down to its core, a cinematic technique adapted from the film industry. However, it isn’t just games that borrow from films, this ‘aesthetic interdependency’ is a two way street.

Stork notes how shots from the finale of Star Wars echo early arcade shooters, and also looks at Tron as a video game on the big screen, one that influenced visual effects for years to come.

'Star Wars' shares a common visual style that dates back to the first arcade shooters

It isn’t just the visual effects side either. Take a look at this sequence from Fantastic Mr. Fox compared to the classic platformer, Super Mario Bros.:

Classic platforming games provide a visual influence for Wes Anderson's playful animation

It may seem surprising, but even a visually distinctive director like Wes Anderson takes inspiration from video game heritage.

Moving on from visual language, Stork also analyses Run Lola Run, noting how the films structure (showing the same sequence three times with a varying outcome in each) is based upon video game level design.

The repetitive structure in 'Run Lola Run' is reminiscent of video game level structure

The visuals and structure of both video games and films show an historical, mutual remediation that shows no signs of slowing down. Claiming one medium is more important than the other over-simplifies the matter. As Stork puts it, the mediums are a ‘creative alliance’. The younger of the two mediums, video games, takes techniques from the older film industry. Whilst films in turn rediscover these conventions and produce new creations. What this creates is an ever-evolving media landscape in which one cannot fully live without the other.

It’s funny to think that these mediums are entwined to the point that the failure of one would dramatically change the other, but then, it’s also a natural process in an ever-increasing visually-centric culture. The next time you casually watch a film or sit down to play your favourite game, think about how it came to be and how, if the other medium didn’t exist, it might be unrecognisable.

Problems with the current transmedia state: Part 2

In Part 1 of this post I was talking about transmedia storytelling and about how, at least in its current form, it isn't really reaching its full potential.

Here in Part 2 I'm going to try and tackle my issues with current transmedia properties by giving an overview of my own idea for a Harry Potter themed transmedia project.

Firstly, why Harry Potter?

Well; it's a huge franchise already, is built upon a universe which gives great opportunity for expansion and has already crossed over into different mediums: three key points that allow for a new transmedia entity to be successful. (This isn't to say that a new franchise can't attempt the same thing of course, but we're still in relatively early days as far as transmedia storytelling is concerned, and so established franchises are in a better starting position).

Humble beginnings for the 'Harry Potter' film franchise

So, how would my Harry Potter transmedia property work?

It's based upon the idea of combining a video game, a website and a television show to create a cross-platform storytelling experience. Not exactly the idea of telling one story across different mediums, but rather using different mediums to tell multiple stories that all relate to the same world, the same parent property.

It begins with the video game: An MMO game (massively multiplayer online game) set at Hogwarts Castle and the surrounding areas. Each player creates and takes control of a Hogwarts student who can then freely explore the game-world, take part in quests and activities and can interact with other player characters who are all roaming the grounds simultaneously. The game is designed to encourage player to player interaction and offers the players the necessary tools to create their own adventures.

Previous 'Harry Potter' video games have fallen short of fan expectations

The most important feature however, would be the game's 'replay editor'. Similar to previous games who have used the technology (Grand Theft Auto 4, Driver 3 etc.) the game would allow players to view their previous game-play, and use editing tools to cut together a short movie created from their in-game activities. A player could, for example, have a duel with another character and then use the replay editor to turn it into a Harry Potter/Western duel mash-up. The possibilities are limited only by each player's imagination.

That's just the first stage though.

In stage two players would be able to upload their video creations to a specialised website where other players (and people interested in the website only) can watch, comment on and vote for their favourite movies. The system would work much like Lego Cuusoo, whereby popular creations are voted into a review stage, and here's where it gets exciting.

The third stage takes this to another level. The most popular video creations will be judged by a team consisting of creators of the video game and of the Harry Potter franchise. The videos deemed good enough will then be taken and transformed into short cartoons by a dedicated animation team, ready to be broadcast on children's TV networks.

A look at how this 'Harry Potter' transmedia franchise could cross multiple platforms

From video game to children's TV show this process takes one property and expands it beyond traditional media platform boundaries. It puts creativity in the hands of the consumer whilst retaining enough company control to ensure quality content.
Though admittedly ambitious, it is a promising transmedia platform. Not only does it engage and involve audiences through the creation and selection processes, but it also combines the audiences from video games, the internet and television: players can become viewers; viewers can become creators; creators can become judges. The system allows for a level of involvement not yet seen within a transmedia property.

It might not, in this brief overview, be perfect, but what it does is answers some of the problems regarding current transmedia stories. Of course, Harry Potter is just one example, this method could be applied to multiple properties as well as new creations. The important aspects are the combination of video games, the internet and video content to engage and unite audiences.

Problems with the current transmedia state: Part 1

As I mentioned in my last post, transmedia storytelling is the process of telling a narrative through multiple mediums and sources; but, how effective are transmedia stories? Do they work as a form of storytelling, do they satisfy the new requirements of multi-screen audiences?

In my opinion, no, they don't - at least not yet. Transmedia storytelling is still a fairly new technique, and like with any new system or process, it takes time to work out just how it can work, and how it can function at its best. Current efforts at transmedia stories are having varied levels of success, but in my mind they aren't reaching their full potential.

I'm going to take a look at two franchises, Defiance and Halo 4, both recent forays into transmedia storytelling that highlight some of the issues with current transmedia efforts.

'Defiance' and 'Halo 4', breaking media boundaries?

Defiance, one of the first properties to be specifically pitched and created as a transmedia franchise, is a Sci-Fi TV show and online multiplayer game that takes place on a future, radically terra-formed Earth, that finds humans co-existing with an alien species.

The show is broadcast on the SyFy channel whilst the game is available across consoles and on PC. Players can watch the show, which develops the story of Defiance, and then play in that same world and meet the same characters that the TV show establishes. The way it works is that events in the show have an effect on the game world, but don't actively effect the players character or goal.

Halo 4 is a first person shooter (FPS) game, the fourth in the Halo Series of videogames. It is now accompanied by Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn, a web-series (and now full length film) available online, on DVD/Blu-Ray and on Netflix. The film acts as a precursor to events of the game, and its success has led to the creation of Halo: The TV Series, which is currently in development.

The reasoning behind both of these franchises is simple: broaden the audience of a TV show, and of a video game, by bringing the two together. Science Fiction lends itself well to transmedia because the genre itself often creates large fan-bases, and therefore the biggest opportunity for tie-in content and the biggest chance that TV fans will also be gamers, or comic book readers, or web-TV watchers. It's not surprising that Sci-Fi franchises find it easy to make the leap from traditional entity to transmedia property.

Sci-Fi Fandom, the perfect market for transmedia franchises?

My issue with this though, is that by broadening the world of a niche game or TV show you merely adopt the same audience for a different format. Sadly the figures aren't available, but realistically what percentage of Defiance's viewership will be the gamers who invest in the universe? How many non-Halo fans will choose to watch the Halo web or TV series?

Of course, creating one story through multiple mediums is the point of transmedia storytelling – my issue isn't with these franchises attempting to broaden their narrative, it's with their approach. Defiance could have become a gateway for non-gamers to 'experiment' with video games. Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn could have brought in a new audience to the Halo Series, but sadly because of their marketing and production they merely attract an audience who is already there.

One of the key ways I feel Defiance and Halo 4 have neglected the possibilities of transmedia is through their design. Take a look at the trailer for Defiance below, and also at the comparison shots of Halo 4 and Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn.

 

Similarities in the visual styles between halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn and 'Halo 4' the game.

The trailer for Defiance screams 'video game' – everything from the special effects, the character and monster design right down to the dialogue and even the format of the show (which, admittedly, is less apparent in the trailer), is designed to emulate the feel of playing a game.

The same can be said for Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn; the use of 'Heads Up Display' (HUD) shots in the film are made to copy the HUD you see whilst playing the game. The costume design, the dialogue, and again the format of the film, is all made to seem like a game.

At this stage it seems easy to criticise, but where is the solution? What can be done and why should anything be done? Well, for that you'll have to wait for my next post, in which I'll be answering those questions by giving an overview of my own ideas for a transmedia property centred on the Harry Potter universe.

What is transmedia storytelling?

Transmedia storytelling is on the rise, with more and more production companies (and industries in general) trying to utilise it within their latest projects. It's possible that transmedia will soon be the prominent form of storytelling and will in fact be the main way in which we as an audience consume and interact with media.

But, what exactly is transmedia storytelling? Where did it come from? Why is it so important?

The 'new' transmedia world

Henry Jenkins, a media scholar who has written extensively about new media cultures, coined the term 'transmedia', describing it as:

"[A] process where integral elements of a fiction get dispersed systematically across multiple delivery channels for the purpose of creating a unified and coordinated entertainment experience. Ideally, each medium makes its own unique contribution to the unfolding of the story."

Essentially, transmedia storytelling revolves around utilising different mediums and formats to tell one story. This isn't to be confused with more traditional media franchises that spawn spin-offs, sequels, reboots and merchandise. The key difference is that transmedia properties tell one story, instead of re-telling or branching out into territories with multiple stories.

Jenkins uses the example of The Matrix franchise:

"[K]ey bits of information are conveyed through three live action films, a series of animated shorts, two collections of comic book stories, and several video games. There is no one single source or ur-text where one can turn to gain all of the information needed to comprehend the Matrix universe."

'The Matrix' 'universe'

 Compare The Matrix with a similar, yet more traditional film franchise, and the distinction becomes more apparent. Sam Raimi's Spider-Man film spawned two sequels, video game adaptations of each film and was based off of an original comic book series. Yet, those video games simply retold the story of the films, and the film storylines themselves were adaptations of the comic book narratives. With each new property the same information was relayed - you could invest in one source and gain all of the needed information.

It won't come as a surprise that transmedia storytelling really took off with the advent of modern media technologies. With technological advancements came the ability to watch film and television on portable devices, the option to play mobile games relating to film and TV properties as you watched and the ability to interact with media properties using apps and interactive websites. Technology changed the way we consume media, and this naturally lead to a new type of storytelling.

Our new 'multi-screen world'

The reason all of this matters really ties together everything I've discussed. In a world of multi-screen viewers the need to engage an audience through interactivity and active involvement is more important than ever. New projects are constantly coming to the fore that try to innovate beyond the usual standard and that try to attract audiences using new, transmedia solutions.

In my next post I will assess just how successful current attempts at transmedia storytelling are, focusing on the Defiance TV show and video game project created by Universal Cable and Trion Worlds, as well as the Halo universe created by Bungie.

'Defiance'; TV show by Universal Cable & video game by Trion Worlds

In the meantime, you can check out Henry Jenkins' blog, as well as his posts on transmedia storytelling:

http://henryjenkins.org/
henryjenkins.org/2007/03/transmedia_storytelling_101.html‎
http://www.henryjenkins.org/2011/08/defining_transmedia_further_re.html

The use of sound as a narrative device in video games

Sound in film and video games isn’t something I’ve touched upon before as a narrative device. In all honesty, it’s something of a blind spot in my knowledge of both mediums – sure, I know the methods of recording, mixing and editing sound – but it mostly plays second fiddle to the visual side of things.

Sound does play a crucial role in narrative storytelling though, and it’s important not to forget that it too has evolved and changed over time, especially with the advent of digital recording methods.

Even at a glance the change from analogue to digital is apparent

I stumbled across an interesting article discussing sound within video games compared to film. Whilst it looks at the jump from analogue to digital as well as a general look at the history of sound, what’s more interesting is the elements that focus on how sound has evolved in both mediums creatively and thematically.

It’s well worth a read (if you can forgive the non-native author’s use of broken-English), you can find the article here.

Sound will always be a pivotal part of films and video games, but what's most interesting here is the assertion that sound plays a more active role in the evolution of these mediums and in the development of digital technology.

How video games are transforming the film industry

Here is a very interesting article from The Guardian a few weeks back discussing how, in a stark contrast to popular belief, video games are now changing the film industry:

http://www.theguardian.com/technology/shortcuts/2013/nov/17/video-games-transforming-film-industry

The main focus of the article is on how video game technology is changing the way movies are produced, with Andy Serkis quoted as saying "[t]here was probably a time when people in the games industry wanted to emulate films, but now it's very much the other way around: the technology is driven by video games".
 

Motion capture technology used in 'Ryse: Son of Rome'

The article also goes into how new video game technologies (specifically the latest generation of consoles) are allowing developers to craft increasingly emotional stories within games, bridging the gap between entertainment and art form. Peter Gornstein (Cinematic Director at developer Crytek) is quoted as saying that new technologies allow developers to overcome the "uncanny valley" - the notion that details within a game rendered improperly cause an unrealistic, creepy feeling. He says that "[t]hat has been a big problem with games in the past. But what we can do now, in real-time, is produce imagery and emotional experiences within a game, at a level where the uncanny valley is left far behind".

Capturing new levels of emotion in 'Ryse: Son of Rome'

It's certainly an interesting prospect, not only showing how the perception of games is rapidly changing, but also how the effect the video game industry is having on other popular media industries is growing immensely.