Showing posts with label Unit 3: C2. Show all posts

Tuesday, 14 March 2017

Script audience feedback

After creating my first draft of the script I handed 5 copies out to classmantes and asked them for some brief feedback and possibly critisism to help improve my script further:

Michael- Good unique concept. No other game like it on the market. Clear who the main character is but some of the centred text looks a bit confusing

Adam- looks good. Sounds like a directed version of GTA. Especially likes character names. The game tutorial needs to be more detailed.

Jan- Like the look of the game sounds fun to play. Interaction with Atrox at the end sounds a little false

Josh- Great!

Llewie- Good game. Nice ideas. More detail about the one who dies because we do not hear him enough to be sad when he dies

Much like the opening sequence I created these stroyboards as a basic guid as to how the opening sequence of my game will be. I used these to gain a visual knowledge of how the cinematic/opening sequence will be carried out. These were extreemly helpful as up until this point I only had a writed knowledge of how the scene will go so to be able to visualise it with images helped me gain a bettwer understanding of this section in the game. By creating storyboards will save money in the long run as it will help avoid errors in the creation stage, considering someone would be being payed for their time it is better to gain a wider understanding through prep work before hand. It also gives us a chance to ensure it appeals to our target audience on a visual level again before the creation stage.

Opening scene Storyboards

I created these stroyboards as a basic guid as to how the opening sequence of my game will be. I used these to gain a visual knowledge of how the cinematic/opening sequence will be carried out. These were extreemly helpful as up until this point I only had a writed knowledge of how the scene will go so to be able to visualise it with images helped me gain a bettwer understanding of this section in the game. By creating storyboards will save money in the long run as it will help avoid errors in the creation stage, considering someone would be being payed for their time it is better to gain a wider understanding through prep work before hand. It also gives us a chance to ensure it appeals to our target audience on a visual level again before the creation stage.

Magazine Article on storytelling in games

From the present day and dating right back to the beginning of time we can see evidence of storytelling all around us, there are many different styles and approaches whether it be oral traditions, film, theatre, television, text or even cave paintings. Thought this article I will explore the essential features of modern day story telling in game and explain the many different factors to consider and the different approaches that can be taken. I will explain all of these in detail giving my opinion and many examples along the way.

One of the first games to have every been made was Pong, this was a competitive game of virtual tennis played between one person and the computer, the story of this game is very simple, the ball gets faster the longer the game goes on until one player loses therefore meaning the other player wins, this game was released in 1972. 9 years later in 1981 Donkey Kong was released, this game has a more complex story as the player is the protagonist, you are trying to rescue Pauline who is being held hostage by Kong the villain, while working your way up the ladders Kong is throwing barrels down which you must jump over in order to work your way up to save the princess. As you can see in 9 years’ story telling in game had advanced to give the player characters and a story the can relate to and get involved with, little did they know just 15 years on in 1996 Tomb Raider was released, in this game the user is playing as Lara Croft, an adventurous architect who rummages through caves and unseen land in the search for treasure. The main difference between Tomb Raider and Donkey Kong is that the story line is more complex due to the fact there are multiple sub stories that lead/help Lara (the user) to the main objective, this is not seen in Donkey Kong as the player must simply get a high score repeating the same level as it gets more difficult therefore meaning Tomb Raider is more complex and arguable more fun and interesting to play. In 2004 Rockstar Games released Grand Theft Auto San Andreas (GTA). This is where the user plays as Carl Johnson aka CJ through a series of illegal jobs and heists in order to run the streets of San Andreas much like Tomb Raider there are many sub stories with the main objective in sight meaning in the 8 years between the two games the story telling side of games has not changed that much however in this time things like graphics and render speed has increase enhancing the game play. Finally Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 (COD) release in 2015 has a different story line compared to the last three games due to the fact you can play as 9 different characters each with two different weapons or skills which will benefit your game in different ways, the main objective of the game is to earn the dark matter camo for all the weapons by accomplishing different milestones set for each weapon earning different camos as you complete each one. In this sense COD is similar to the Tomb Raider and GTA however unlike these two the player plays the same maps randomly selected over and over where as in Tomb Raider the player passes through many different settings when working towards the final goal however in GTA the player is free to roam in one giant map in which the sub stories are set. Since 1972 to the present day story telling in games has become more complex and now more than ever do the players feel more emotionally involved in the game and feel they are on a path with/as the characters due to the exciting story’s and objectives. The journey the players go on while playing games leads to passionate fan bases enabling events such as EGX to take place this is where companies come to preview their latest technology and games at one large convention.

Today’s gaming market is worth approximately $4.2bn, there’s thousands of different games of all genres meaning there’s a video game available to suit the majority of people in the world. Action-platform games such as Mario Bros (released in 1985) include a lot of adventure, interaction and conflict with other characters in this case Mario travels through many different maps as the player climbs the levels encountering with enemies such as Bowser who he has to fight in order to save the princess. First Person Shooter (FPS) games such as Call of Duty first released in 2003 is where the player is in conflict with other players or other beings in which they have to shoot at, in COD the player has a selection of weapons which they can use to either kill other players online in a series of different maps and games or they can shoot zombies either online or offline. A Third Person Shooter (TPS) games such as GTA V (released in 2013) is much like a FPS games from a different perspective or camera angle. In GTA V the player has a series of objectives and missions some in which they will have to shoot others while in conflict with them, Trevor (one of the main characters) has a mission where he must hunt deer with Cletus, this is from a third person view. Another genre of game available is racing; an example of this would be Forza Motorsport 6 released in 2015, some characteristics of this genre include friendly competition while trying to beat others lap times or other players to the finish line. In Forza 6 the first race in career mode enabled the player to drive the 2017 Ford GT among other super cars. Fighting is genre in which people compete in conflict most commonly with the aim to win money, respect or rankings; Street Fighter was a game in which the player must compete against other characters such as Scorpion in order to become the world’s best in martial arts. Tomb Raider is an example of an adventure game, released in 1996 Lara Croft, an archaeologist, ventures into the unknown escaping traps and overcoming obstacles in search of treasure. A puzzle game such as Tetris gives the player a choice and makes them think about their actions. Released in 1984 Tetris is a game where the player must carefully align different shapes into place as they fall down, the aim is to achieve the highest score. Role-Play-Simulation games such as Sims released in 2000 puts the player in a situation in which their actions make the game. In Sims the player must build a thriving community, this game is very much like real life however you can get other games such as Zoo Tycoon where they player must build a zoo and ensure all the animals and visitors stay happy. There are also other Role-Play genres such as sport. Fifa released in 1993 enables the player to play football against other player or a computer generated team, the player can also build up their own football team who they can play against others with. Turn Based Strategy (TBS) games work by giving the player a choice in what happens in the game, often there will be multiple choices each with their own benefits in which the player must choose between, this will affect the game. Hearthstone is a TBS game released in 2014, the aim of the game is to beat the opponents, it is a virtual card game however the player can choose the cards they take into the game beforehand. Finally, there are Real Time Strategy (RTS) games such as Age of Empires first released in 1997. What makes a game a RTS games is that time passes by in the game as time passes by in real life. In Age of Empires the aim is to gather resources to survive and explore the map available. Some people argue that a genre is limiting for the audience and producers, in some respects I agree as some dedicated gamers who like specific genres may be put off by a game with multiple or even no specific genres. I can see how one specific genre could limit the capabilities within the game and multiple genres may also confuse the players but on the other hand, multiple genres may ensure that players stay occupied in the game and continue to play it although this could lead to addiction in addition, if the game company has already released a game and then releases a game with multiple genres they could cross path resulting in a loss of sales for the other games to the company.

Within story telling there are many different approaches that can be taken however, there are some considerations to get straight first, this may include the location which is where the game will be set, within the location there will be conditions for example if the game were to be set in Beverly Hills there would be big houses as it is a wealthy area, it could also be set in an area that is derelict, poor or weak. The actions of the character in the game is one of the most important as their previous actions i.e. if they take the shot, if they’re skilled with weapons. Also included in the actions is what that character actually does, are they criminals? Innocent? Knowledgeable? Finally, there is symbolism, this is where nothing is said directly to the audience however, the creators put small hints and visual clues in to show the audience rather than tell them. An Episodic structure is when the game play is introduced by a short clip or film often revealing why the character is in the location or situation they are in. An example of this would be The Walking Dead, there are many cut scenes thought the game, one of the most iconic ones was when Clementine, Kenny and the baby found the shelter but there was not enough room for them all. The Three Act Structure is a method used to create a plot. The first act is the setup, this is the introduction to the game, and this can be a cut scene or a small task with low risk. The second act is confrontation, here the action is getting more intense and the steaks get higher (the character has more to lose) this builds up to a peak, which may be one final job/mission, this is all part of the last section the resolution, in this section there is also the falling action, here is where the characters lifestyle clams down, someone could die for them to realise or they can decide they are getting to old so they stop often with enough resources often money to keep them going for a long time. A game that first the three-act-structure is GTA V the introduction is when Franklin starts doing small jobs for the car dealership and Michael gets involved when they try to reposes his son’s car. The second act is as the jobs are getting more intense such as the robbery of the small bank and also the wars between the gangs. Finally, the “crisis” is when Michael, Franklin and Trevor rob the Maze bank, this heist took a lot of preparation. After the heist a gang calls Franklin saying how he’s going to have to kill either Michael or Trevor, this is still part of the crisis however, after this event they are left to do whatever they want with the millions they made.

Another approach that can be taken is the Hero’s Journey, this is a 12-part structure, the first section is the ordinary word, this is where the character will be living their normal life in their home environment, this can be seen in the Legend of Zelda “Twilight Princess” when the monsters break down his town and the door opens, he is called to adventure. The second section is the call to adventure, here the character will be given the opportunity to fulfil the adventure provided. The third section is the refusal; the character will turn down the opportunity of adventure weather that be they are comfortable with their current life or they have built up a family since last time so there is more too loose etc, Ezio from Assassins Creed II turned down the offer to fight unlike his fellow brothers. The fourth section is the Mentor/Helper, this would be where a being real or imaginary comes down to them and provides the support and encouragement to take the adventure much like when Otacon gave the Sneaking Snake aid through the codec in Metal Gear Solid. The fifth is the character crossing the threshold, this is the characters journey out of the ordinary, this could be going through a portal, going through a cave etc, in Fallout 3 the character travels through vault 101 to get to the post apocalyptic Washington DC. Sixth is the test/Allies and/or enemies, this is a smaller fight maybe as a warning for example they send a gang to beat you up sent by a more powerful character leaving the player a hint knowing a big event is coming up, this leads onto number 7, an example of this is a game would be the mini fights Luigi has to battle before he fights the spirit of the mansion in Luigi’s Mansion. Number 7 is the approach to the ordeal, here the player must prepare for what is going to happen weather that be gather recourses such as weapons or train harder so they can beat a stronger character. Following from number 7 is the ordeal at number 8, a fight or event such as a heist usually takes place here, it is a big even with a lot of risk involved as usually the character has built up relationships and status through the game leading up to this point meaning there is a lot to play for so to speak much like the fight between the living and the dead in Demon’s Souls. After the ordeal the player usually has to win to progress in the game comes a reward which is number 9, this could come in many different ways but it usually benefits the character majorly, things such as power, money or a loved one. Step 10 is the road back, here the player is returning to the ordinary world they started from in step one, they will re cross the threshold and return home. Step 11 is the atonement; this is where the character comes to terms with what they have done, their actions may have cost the life of someone near to them, the ordeal may have left them scared etc. Finally the last stage in the heroic journey is return, the character has made it and is now home and safe this is where they game usually ends. The Heroic Journey can be seen in not only games, the Lord Of The Rings trilogy very prominently follows the journey however it can also be seen in the Legend of Zelda video game, Link (the main character) wakes up in the ordinary world where he lives his day to day life, a mysterious voice tells him how a kingdom has been ruined, left with little information this is steps 1-3. Steps 4-5 are covered when he bumps into an old man who tells him how Calamity Ganon (Links’ enemy) was the one who destroyed the kingdom, Calamity stays in a castle where Link much get to in order to restore peace. Steps 6-7 is upon Links arrival at the castle, he finds it has been ravished by nature meaning he has to grow in strength and power in order to enter the castle and defeat Calamity Ganon before he breaks out and causes more disruption. Step 8 is Links fight with Calamity, which he wins, Peace is restored (step 9) and now the people can live their lives no longer in fear and start to rebuild the kingdom and their lives (steps 10-12).
Characterisation is one of the most important features of storytelling in game, it is creating a character that fits the story, this means the genre or actions that happen within the story have a massive impact on how the character turns out. There is a wide variety of options that the character could be however these are usually dependent on the location and actions carried out in the game. The character could be rich, poor, confident, shy, young, old, intelligent, dumb, well-armed, no experience, strong, weak and many many more. A very well-known example of characterisation is Lara Croft, she is a very sexualised character with big breasts, tight clothes, a good fighter, very experienced/skilled and sexy woman adventurer/archaeologist. Over the years in the more recent games, Lara Croft is dressed more like an adventurer, she appears to be more dirty as if she has been adventuring though caves and dirty places, in my opinion she is dressed more appropriate for the type of adventures she goes on. The development of representation of women in the gaming industry is mainly focusing on the storyline and genres of the game rather than the actual characters, this could be due to the increased growth of franchises who release games yearly, shorter or longer, people who liked the game before are likely to buy the next one without even looking at what it entails, I feel this takes away from the nature/original intention of gaming. Call of Duty: Blackops 3, The main characters in this are very strong masculine, well equipped with a spectrum of weapons both old and new, finally they are very confident and dominant. Comparing this to another character such as Evie the female protagonist seen in Assassins Creed Syndicate. Her clothes cover-up most of her body, she is not sexualised, this is very untypical for a female character in gams. Finally, she has abilities that out he at an advantage over the male character Jacob which is uncommon in games, overall Assassins Creed has gone for a more stealthy look where as Blackops has gone for a more prominent look. If I were to create my own character it would be an intelligent office worker who is not physically fit to be in the field therefore his variety of high tech gadgets make up for his lack of physical skill, I would make my character like this as he would be an unsuspecting hero and untypical.
Emotion in Game is one of the main reasons a player would connect with the character or story. In GTA there are many emotions felt by the character that leads him to take the actions he does, Loyalty, Family, Vengeance, Fear and Anger. There are many other feeling of emotion that is felt within games, mostly specific feelings are felt in different genres of game for example, Competiveness is felt within Forza 7, in this game you must race against others with the goal of winning. Hope can be seen within the Walking Dead when Clementine tries to reach the camp to get to safety. In Mario persistence is shown when they get to the castle and they find out she is in another castle. When Michael makes Franklin drive through the car showroom window in GTA Anger is shown. Finally, in the game Fear Effect Hana, Deke or Glas fight some non-human entities, within this fear is shown.

Within a game there can be an interactive storyline, this is where it is not as obvious as a story that univalves as the game progresses. An embedded storyline is there the main story is embedded within the game meaning the player must find clues or objectives to progress this can be seen in Fallout and Mario. Emergent storylines narrate as the player is going therefore the story is dependent on their actions, an example of this is Minecraft and Sims. Cinematics and Cut scenes have little sequences more like a film, this is called a cut scene, these often occur before a mission or after showing why the character is going on the mission or what the result of the mission was, these are used in GTA V story mode and Heavy Rain. Triggered evens are events that are impacted by the player or their choice much like the Walking Dead. COD Black Ops 3 shows player control as their actions impact the storyline, this is seen in COD and the routes, strategies or weapons you choose impact the result of the game. Character customisation is where you can change the appearance of the character, this can also be seen in COD and also GTA V.

Overall over time story telling has massively evolved over time looking back and playing some of the very first ever games such as Pong and seeing/playing the games currently on the market such as Mirrors Edge you can really see the evolution of storytelling. Genre is one of many features that was not around at the beginning of storytelling however is a key role in it now, genre defines the style of story/game as a result, it is easier for people to find games they like without having to buy them first and then realise they don’t like them, storytelling and genre work hand in hand and allow people to enjoy stories they love without thinking too far into it before hand, it has made the market simpler. To conclude the evolution of storytelling has led to a massive growth in the market worth over $1Bn meaning there if there’s a person there’s a game with a story for them.

Thursday, 19 January 2017

Character Profile

This is my main protagonist called Morty-Kai or MK for short, he is a white male, 6ft3 he will mave a deep voice with a posh british accent. He was told by his peers at work that his parents were dead which he will still think untill the end of the game. He is a spy, as you can see he is dressed in light combat gear enabling him to be manoverable yet protected. He is always optomistic always carrying hope that he will one day get the truth out. Throught the game he will grow as a person by increasing his exclusive skill set which including shooting, dectective skills, surviving by finding resources and living without leaving a trace. He will have his light combat outfit on always alongside a handgun with limited ammo, later in the game he will get more weaponary and expand his inventory.

Character Sketches

These are my 3 character Ideas: MK is the protagonist, Jude is the gardian and Atrox (Character in the middle) id the Antagonist.

Tuesday, 17 January 2017

Game Planning

Here is my first rough copy of the plot to the game Rogue Spy

Audience Research ~ Game Ideas

Below is a questionnaire I game my target audience alongside three photocopies of my brainstorms of different games.

After reading through the three brain storms, on your first opinion what game idea seems the best and why?

Which game appeals to you most as an action adventure game and why?

Which game do you feel would be the most fun to play and why?

Out of the three games, pick your favourite one. Do you feel as a game it would be successful and why?

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Questionnaire finished, Thank you for your participation and time.

Game Ideas

These are my game ideas in the form of a mind map, the mind maps were very effective for me as it allowed me to quickly jot down all of my ideas, it was a fun and colourful way to prepare yet allowed me to stay focused easily. I thought that mind maps as a whole are easy and fun yet allowing you to manage your time easily.

Sunday, 1 January 2017

Audience Research Analysis

I recently carried out some audience research to gain a better knowledge of my target audience and what they like.10 males and 2 females answered my questionnaire, they were all aged in the higher spectrum of teenagers. I also created 4 vox pops of people within my target audience and 3 interviews.

From my research I have discovered that, the majority of people within my target audience enjoy listening to music, of the people who listened to music pop was the most preferred genre. This shows me that they are young people who like to keep up to trend with whats modern, while being around for a long time pop music dominates the industry and I feel the fact it is the most preferred genre among those who listen to music is very important and shows there is a large market.

Action adventure games was the most popular genre of game with Grand Theft Auto V being the most frequently played by the people I researched into. The fact GTA V was most frequently played among all the gamers shows I must create a versatile game such as GTA leaving the player with a lot of control over the game and what they do.

9 of the 12 people who took the questionnaire prefer complex storylines and storyline was voted the most important aspect when looking for an action adventure game. This tells me that my target audience look for games with good and complex storylines making it a feature I must focus on in great detail to ensure I provide my target audience with what they want. I will achieve this by allowing myself the necessary amount of time when planning.

2/3 of people who took the questionnaire said that social elements of gaming was fun, this means while creating a complex storyline I must also find a way to include many social elements such as joint missions to ensure my target audience have many more reasons to play the game and ensure my game is the one of choice over others. By creating a very social game I will be bringing more people together.

While some found modern action adventure games sexist or male dominant the majority vote was people found them not to be in addition, 2/3 of people who took the questionnaire has no preference to the sex of the character meaning when it came to characterisation my canvas is quite black allowing me to be accordingly creative. The target audience would also prefer the character to be resourceful of the materials around them meaning when creating my game things like weapons or materials will not just be given to then throughout the game.

Unlike the sex of characters when deciding between environments games are set in it was almost a clean sweep for realistic environments. To ensure I give my target audience what they prefer the game will be set in a realistic environment, that means it will be quite familiar to one they may be use to seeing most days such as the city of London.

Finally, there was only one major disadvantage that everyone i researched into found a major people with modern video games which was price meaning, my game will be reasonably priced ensure I can make as many people as happy and satisfied with my game that there could be.

Thursday, 8 December 2016

Audience Research ~ Vov Pops

These are the vox pops I have created when gathering information to help me prepare for the creation of my script. I feel that these were one of if not the most useful tasks to carry out when preparing. It was very direct information I was receiving straight out of my target audiences mouth and seeing the emotions on their faces when speaking about certain things really helped me feel how they did making vox pops extremely useful.

Secondary Research - Storytelling, internet and books

How Video Games Have Become The Perfect Storytelling Medium

- See more at: http://www.techtimes.com/articles/84016/20150914/how-video-games-have-become-the-perfect-storytelling-medium.htm#sthash.pIIlWuLK.dpuf

How Video Games Have Become The Perfect Storytelling Medium

Storytelling in video games has always been a very common match, early 1990's games such as Phantasmagoria and 11th Hour as living evedence of storytelling in video games. Tex Murphy was one of if not the first games that passed the decision making over to the player which would then change the outcome of the game, games such as The Pandora Directive even had multiple endings which set the ball rolling. Wadjet Eye Games founder Dave Gilbert says the fact that gaming puts you in the story leaving you with controll of the direction the game goes is why game is such a powerful medium of storytelling. From was this piece of research I have found that an effective story to be portrayed through game the player must be able to submerse themselves withing the game, yo recreate this in my game I will be ensuring there are goals the player can work towards and the characters are fully customisable meaning the player can really connect to the character and be motivated and determin to work throught the levels and complete the game.

http://www.techtimes.com/articles/84016/20150914/how-video-games-have-become-the-perfect-storytelling-medium.htm

Video game storytelling: The real problems and the real solutions

The essence of storytelling in video games is putting the player in someone elses shoes, it is likley the shoes belong to someone the player would aspire to be and carry out actions the player would never dream of doing in real life but deep down the player wishes they were the character which is why the market is so big and to put it simply this is what games do. It is only in recent times that story telling in video games has really branched out and and formed its own shell. Many big companies such as Rockstar Games have alot of pressure to pump out game after game, “Sometimes we find a recipe that really works, sometimes it’s easier to just stick to the recipe and make money out of it.” From this I have realised that by creating a game, while being realistic the game must also have access to paths the player would not come across in real life, opportunities they would never be given and chances they probably would never take. Within reason the game must allow the player to be transported to a whole new world with different circumstances, considereing I am not creating a franchise simply just one game I will have to think about successfull games and what features make them as successfull as they are so I can recreate them with my own twist. The character I will create has to be someone that the player would aspire to be weather that be a male or female, the character will have to be customisable to ensure the player feels a connection between themselves and the character also making the character the players creation likley to be someone they would like to be like.

http://www.gamesradar.com/real-problems-video-game-storytelling-and-real-solutions/

‘Games and Narrative’ by Diane Carr in Computer Games: Text, Narrative and Play edited by Diane Carr, David Buckingham, Andrew Burn and Gareth Schott

This secondary research is probably the least reliable out of all the research I carried out. This is because although the websites and articles were legit I did not write the information therefore cannot be certain of its reliability while the do seem trustworthy. Secondary research is very important as it allows me to enhance my knowledge of the area and also develop my own opinion through the research of others, I found this extreemly beneficial as it let me have a pre conceived idea of specific knowledge witin video games which will help me throught the creation stage.

Here is more secondary research I carried out, this one from a book. I read through and highlighted crucial information. I feel the source itself was quite reliable however the information did not link solely to action adventure games however the strategy found in the game did help write my story. overall this source was rather reliable.

Of course, this isn't a new thing: throughout the history of video games, developers have used video games for telling stories: in fact, with the old point-and-click adventures of the 1990s, storytelling was a necessity to motivate players to continue playing the game. Classics like the Gabriel Knight series, Phantasmagoria and 11th Hour had stories that were integral to gameplay: those little things that made players want to complete every puzzle and uncover every mystery and find out exactly how it all plays out and ends.

One of the first point-and-click adventure games to offer choices with consequences was the Tex Murphy series: the fourth game in the series, The Pandora Directive, released in 1996, even offered different endings, depending on which choice you made in the game.