AMODA Presentation Series May 5, 2003

“From Zero to One: Expressions in a Digital World”

Video Games:
The State of the Art
Randy Smith
rsmith@ionstorm.com

Video Games: The State of the Art

rsmith@ionstorm.com
 Introduction
• Who I am
• Material in this presentation
» Video games as “Interactive Art”
» “Interactivity” and how it’s used in video
games
» Perspective on the status and future of
video games

Video Games: The State of the Art

rsmith@ionstorm.com
 Are Video Games Art?
• Video games are just visceral
entertainment, a diversion?
• Do games share the breadth of
human experience? Evoke a range of
emotions, tell meaningful stories?
• Games don’t seem like art, because
there’s no Schindler’s List of games.
• Let’s look at some critical reviews…
Video Games: The State of the Art
rsmith@ionstorm.com
 LOTR: The Two Towers,
the film
• “...positively astounding in the
depth and breadth of its massive,
multitiered story arc, its wholly
identifiable characters, and the
sheer magnitude of the vision
involved in its creation. ….adaptive
near-perfection and an engaging,
emotionally supercharged epic
adventure.”
– Marc Savlov, Austin Chronicle
Video Games: The State of the Art
rsmith@ionstorm.com
 LOTR: The Two Towers,
the video game
• “…a visceral, high-action beat-'em-
up that hugs closely to the concept
of Golden Axe, yet layers the game
with options, rewards, multiple
playable characters, and a
progressive combat system.”
– Douglass C. Perry, IGN

Video Games: The State of the Art

rsmith@ionstorm.com
 What we learn from reviews
• Reviews can be a metric for maturity
of an artform.
• Game reviews seem to indicate less
maturity, less social acceptance.
• Game reviews:
» Jargon (“beat-’em-up”)
» Feature lists (“multiple playable characters”)
» References to existing work (“Golden Axe”)
» A lack of shared critical language (“a
progressive combat system”)

Video Games: The State of the Art

rsmith@ionstorm.com
 Common Topics in Game
Reviews
• Art
• Fiction / Story
• Technology
• …but what is the unique
contribution of video games?
• Art forms progress in maturity by
finding their distinct quality.
Video Games: The State of the Art
rsmith@ionstorm.com
 How Did Other Art Forms
Achieve Maturity?
• Insightful parallels:
» History of Film in 4 Slides
» History of Comics in 4 Slides

• This will be grossly oversimplified,

surprisingly.

Video Games: The State of the Art

rsmith@ionstorm.com
 The History of Film, Slide 1

• Auguste and Louis

Lumiere invented the
cinematograph /
projector in 1895.

Video Games: The State of the Art

rsmith@ionstorm.com
 The History of Film, Slide 2
• Used it to capture kinetics,
including the famous
L'Arrivée d'un train en
gare de la Ciotat.
• No narrative structure.
• They didn’t see the
artistic/storytelling
potential
• “The cinema is an
invention without any
future”.

Video Games: The State of the Art

rsmith@ionstorm.com
 The History of Film, Slide 3
• Then filmmakers
started noticing that
you could do stuff with
film that you couldn’t
do with theater.
• Georges Méliès “A Trip
to the Moon”, 1902 =
special effects
• Storytelling still done
with theater techniques

Video Games: The State of the Art

rsmith@ionstorm.com
 The History of Film, Slide 4
• Orson Welles used
the distinct qualities
of film (the camera)
as a narrative tool –
» Deep focus
» Low angles
» Careful shot
construction
» Pans, dollies, close-
ups, etc.
» Post production

Video Games: The State of the Art

rsmith@ionstorm.com
 The History of Comics, Slide 1
• Scott McCloud calls
comic books
“Sequential Art”.
• All comic books are
Sequential Art, but not
all Sequential Art has
to take the form of
comic books.

Video Games: The State of the Art

rsmith@ionstorm.com
 The History of Comics, Slide 2
• Should serious works be
called “comics” at all?
• We have something
similar going on in video
games. Video games are
all “Interactive Art”, but
not all “Interactive Art”
has to take the form of
video games.

Video Games: The State of the Art

rsmith@ionstorm.com
 The History of Comics, Slide 3
• Closure = What
happens between
the panels. Closure
tells stories because
the audience
understands the
panels to be
sequential.
• Closure is the
distinct quality of
Sequential Art.

Video Games: The State of the Art

rsmith@ionstorm.com
 The History of Comics, Slide 4
• Not all Closure is equal. Some
comics use it more than others to
evoke emotions and tell stories.

Video Games: The State of the Art

rsmith@ionstorm.com
 Video Games are
“Interactive Art”
• “Interactivity” is the distinct quality
of Interactive Art.
• Are other art forms interactive?
• Definition of Interactivity =
“Everyone in the audience can have
a different experience” ?
• If so, are films interactive? Kinda,
they are, yeah.
Video Games: The State of the Art
rsmith@ionstorm.com
 Films are Interactive???
• Your experience depends on which
parts of the film you pay attention
to. And when you get up to go to
the bathroom. Etc..
• Ok, sounds like a stretch, but…

Video Games: The State of the Art

rsmith@ionstorm.com
 Timecode

Video Games: The State of the Art

rsmith@ionstorm.com
 House of Leaves
• A non-sequential novel

Video Games: The State of the Art

rsmith@ionstorm.com
 So That Definition Wasn’t
Narrow Enough
• How are video games more
interactive than film or books?
• The difference in experience only
comes from the way the audience
pays attention to the medium.
» Timecode depicts the same sounds and
images every time it’s viewed.
» House of Leaves has the same words and
pictures every time it’s read.

Video Games: The State of the Art

rsmith@ionstorm.com
 Static vs. Interactive Media
• Static Media = The media cannot
change in response to audience
input while it is perceived.
• Interactive Media = The media
changes in response to audience
input while it is perceived.

Video Games: The State of the Art

rsmith@ionstorm.com
 That still seems like a broad
definition….
• So if there’s an art installation with
a button that turns on a light, is that
interactive art?
• Yes, but just like Closure in comics,
not all Interactivity is equal.
• An important point = To what
extent is the distinct quality used as
part of the art?
Video Games: The State of the Art
rsmith@ionstorm.com
 What else fits the definition?
• What else is Interactive Art besides
video games?
• (And what makes a game a game?)
• Let’s look at some examples from
AMODA showcases…

Video Games: The State of the Art

rsmith@ionstorm.com
 moboid’s “Grip”

• Made with a
video game
engine
• About video
games

Video Games: The State of the Art

rsmith@ionstorm.com
 Levitated’s “Organic
Machinery”
• Randomly-selected combinations of
insect parts
• Re-combine randomly when

clicked on

Video Games: The State of the Art

rsmith@ionstorm.com
 Zack Simpson’s “Shadow
Garden”

Video Games: The State of the Art

rsmith@ionstorm.com
 Interactive Art and Games
• How does non-game Interactive Art
contribute to the maturation of
games?
• How do games inspire Interactive
Art?
• This year’s Experimental Gameplay
Workshop at the Game Developer’s
Conference…

Video Games: The State of the Art

rsmith@ionstorm.com
 Casey Muratori's Owl game

Video Games: The State of the Art

rsmith@ionstorm.com
 Games that Accidentally Carry
Messages?

Video Games: The State of the Art

rsmith@ionstorm.com
 Missile Command: The Futility
of Nuclear War?

Video Games: The State of the Art

rsmith@ionstorm.com
 A Closer Look at Interactivity
• So how is Interactivity being used
(or not) in video games as part of
the art form?
• IE – How is it used to convey
emotion, tell stories, share human
experience?
• What types of Interactivity are there?

Video Games: The State of the Art

rsmith@ionstorm.com
 Interactivity Isn’t Always the
Focus
• Tech breakthroughs like the “Full
Motion Video” craze of the mid 90’s.

Video Games: The State of the Art

rsmith@ionstorm.com
 Recent Interest in Interactivity
• “Open-
endedness”
is a big
deal these
days.
• Meaningful
feeling of
control

Video Games: The State of the Art

rsmith@ionstorm.com
 Interactivity Isn’t Used Equally
• GTA3 versus
King’s Quest

Video Games: The State of the Art

rsmith@ionstorm.com
 Interactivity Isn’t Used Equally
• The Sims
versus Final
Fantasy

Video Games: The State of the Art

rsmith@ionstorm.com
 How Interactive is the game?
• Do you feel like you’re participating
in the static experience planned by
the designer simply by clicking it
forward?
• Or do you feel like you’re
contributing to the outcome? Do
you have any creative expression?

Video Games: The State of the Art

rsmith@ionstorm.com
 Some reasons people like
more Interactive games
• Meaningful control
• Ownership of experiences
• Creative expression
• Narcissism – An experience about
the player, not the artist

Video Games: The State of the Art

rsmith@ionstorm.com
 Types of Interaction

• “Hit Any Key to Continue”

Interaction:

Video Games: The State of the Art

rsmith@ionstorm.com
 Branching Interaction

Video Games: The State of the Art

rsmith@ionstorm.com
 Locks and Keys
• Many adventure game puzzles are
locks and keys.
• Can be contextualized to seem like
stories, even very emotional ones.

Video Games: The State of the Art

rsmith@ionstorm.com
 Discrete Interaction
• “Hit Any Key to Continue”
• Branching
• Locks and Keys
• …these aren’t “open-ended”.

Video Games: The State of the Art

rsmith@ionstorm.com
 So what’s the alternative to
discrete interaction?
• Game Systems, such as the driving
system in GTA3
• Simulations, such as the physics
simulation in GTA3
• Game systems and simulations are
the nuts and bolts of highly-
interactive games. They make more
meaningful use of player input.
Video Games: The State of the Art
rsmith@ionstorm.com
 Driving System in GTA3

Video Games: The State of the Art

rsmith@ionstorm.com
 So GTA3 has Interactive
driving. Big deal.
• GTA3 has higher caliber
Interactivity. But is it better art?
• In other words: So Final Fantasy’s
story isn’t very Interactive. It’s still
a better story than GTA3’s.
• Ok, so let’s survey how these types
of Interaction are applied to
storytelling in games.
• But first….
Video Games: The State of the Art
rsmith@ionstorm.com
 Can’t Ignore the Distinct
Quality
• To achieve artistic maturity, games
need to use interactivity for
art/storytelling, not fall back on
literature and film techniques.
• Final Fantasy = better storytelling
because it uses the tools from a
longer, richer storytelling tradition.

Video Games: The State of the Art

rsmith@ionstorm.com
 Some Vocabulary
• “Gameplay” vs. “Story”
• In Final Fantasy
» Gameplay = turn-based combat
» Story = told via cutscenes

• In GTA3…
» Gameplay = driving mayhem
» Story = some crap about gangs fighting

• Storytelling strategies in games

have to do with the relationships
between these 2 things.
Video Games: The State of the Art
rsmith@ionstorm.com
 The Final Fantasy Strategy
• The story is basically non-
interactive and relies on storytelling
techniques from other media.
• Often delivers a higher quality story.
• The gameplay is used between story
updates.

Video Games: The State of the Art

rsmith@ionstorm.com
 The Adventure Game Strategy
• The story contains simple, discrete
interactivity
» Branching
» Keys and Locks

• Often delivers a higher quality story,

but often less of it.
• The story and gameplay are often
the same thing, but the gameplay
isn’t very interactive.

Video Games: The State of the Art

rsmith@ionstorm.com
 The Simulation Game Strategy
• Some Simulation Games
» GTA3
» Thief

• “Embedded Narrative” = Static story

elements, such as cutscenes.
• “Emergent Narrative” = Interactive
story the player tells through
gameplay.

Video Games: The State of the Art

rsmith@ionstorm.com
 Simulation Game Strategy,
cont.
• Embedded Narrative is the framing
device that brings meaning and
investment to the core gameplay.

Video Games: The State of the Art

rsmith@ionstorm.com
 Emergent Narratives require
Game Systems
• Emergent Narratives are not written
by developers, they are written by
players with core gameplay.
• Buzzword = “Emergent Gameplay”
• Game systems are needed in order
for core gameplay to support
Emergent Narratives.

Video Games: The State of the Art

rsmith@ionstorm.com
 Simulation Game Strategy,
cont.
• The story has a dichotomy
» Embedded Narrative
» Emergent Narrative

• The Embedded Narrative is higher

quality but non-interactive.
• The Emergent Narrative is
interactive. Story and gameplay are
the same. But what quality is it?

Video Games: The State of the Art

rsmith@ionstorm.com
 Is this a Cop-Out?
• The Emergent Narratives are
basically just action sequences.
• We dodge the issue of making the
Embedded Narrative interactive.
Only the Emergent Narrative is
interactive.
• We keep the story thin to emphasize
the player’s experience.

Video Games: The State of the Art

rsmith@ionstorm.com
 Interactive Storytelling is a
Hard Problem
• What game systems can be made
that will dynamically craft stories?
• It’s way easier to see how to apply
game systems to mathematical stuff
like physics.
• It’s kind of an Artificial Intelligence
problem: create an AI Dungeon
Master.
Video Games: The State of the Art
rsmith@ionstorm.com
 What have games
accomplished so far?
• Topics typically covered by core
gameplay:
» Combat / Violent Conflict
» Move / Climb / Drive
» Explore / Unlock
» Acquire / Manage resources

• Emotions games typically evoke:

» Fear
» Paranoia
» Revenge
» Power fantasies
Video Games: The State of the Art
rsmith@ionstorm.com
 Wasted potential?
• Mismatch between what interactivity
is capable of…
» Meaningful control
» Ownership of experiences
» Creative expression

• …and what its currently used for:

» Combat / Violent Conflict
» Move / Climb / Drive
» Fear
» Power fantasies
» Etc.
Video Games: The State of the Art
rsmith@ionstorm.com
 The Potential of Interactive Art
• Interactivity Art
» The art responds in real time to the
audience’s input.
» The art of creating experiences.
» About the audience, not the artist.

• Wow, what can you do with that?

Video Games: The State of the Art

rsmith@ionstorm.com
 What’s the current status?
• Are we in the early, Dark Ages of
Video Game Pornography?
• Alone in dark rooms, controller in
hand, experiencing visceral
diversions and base emotions?

Video Games: The State of the Art

rsmith@ionstorm.com
 Some Barriers to Maturity
and Acceptance
• Detractors, such as John Carmack.
• Economic pressure. Aversion to risk and
experimentation. Tried and true
methods for satisfying story in games.
• Demographics – male 17-24 year olds.
What is the mass market demographic in
film?
• Emphasis on technology.
• Games that demonstrate limitations
rather than potential.
Video Games: The State of the Art
rsmith@ionstorm.com
 The Path to Maturity
• More native use of Interactivity
» as a storytelling tool
» to evoke different topics and emotions

• Seminal, serious works like Maus

• Shared critical and design language
• Self-consciousness amongst the
artistic community. An
“Understanding Video Games”
Video Games: The State of the Art
rsmith@ionstorm.com
 The Path to Maturity, cont.
• Experiments in Interaction, like
Timecode and Shadow Garden
• Lower barrier to entry for making
games.
• Time. Film = 100 years old.
Sequential art = 3000 years old.

Video Games: The State of the Art

rsmith@ionstorm.com
 References
• Murray, Janet. Hamlet on the
Holodeck
• Laurel, Brenda. Computers as
Theater
• Poole, Steven. Trigger Happy:
Videogames and the Entertainment
Revolution
• (More available on request)
Video Games: The State of the Art
rsmith@ionstorm.com
 Acknowledgements
• Matthew Sakey
• Heather Kelley
• Bernd Kreimeier
• Sarah Paetsch
• Jane Pinckard
• Robin Hunicke
• Harvey Smith

Video Games: The State of the Art

rsmith@ionstorm.com
 Q&A

Randy Smith
rsmith@ionstorm.com

Video Games: The State of the Art

rsmith@ionstorm.com