Indies Grab the Controls at a Game Conference

A great piece by Chris Suellentrop diving into the rise of the indie game developer at the Games Developers Conference:

“There’s always been cool, experimental stuff going on in the indie space, but it’s broadened its reach,” said Steve Gaynor, a co-founder of the Fullbright Company, a studio that consists of four people in a house in Portland, Ore. “It’s become a lot more viable, business-wise, to be an indie.” (The Fullbright Company’s forthcoming game Gone Homewas nominated for excellence in narrative at the independent awards.)

I didn't have a chance to check-out Gone Home, but I can say from speaking to a lot of developers there is a push toward a better understanding of narrative and emotional through-line in much of their work.  Of particular interest to independent filmmakers are the financial models that game developers are using to create and distribute their work:

Because of digital distribution, game designers no longer need to have contracts with publishers — which might once have secured them vital shelf space at Walmart — to succeed financially, Mr. Gaynor said. Beyond money to pay for licensed music and some voice acting, Gone Home’s budget basically pays for food and rent and living expenses for four people. “Our burn rate is really low,” he said.

Games and Film : Emotional Throughline

One of the hurdles with any filmmaker interested in exploring AAA game narrative is the timing of the release. Experiencing the unveiling of a game narrative in real-time as other players around the world are simultaneously revealing the story is one of the key factors in creating the 'nostalgia'-effect that comes along with discussing great gaming experiences.

Games, because of advancing technology tend to occupy a certain place in time and may in some cases, not be as playable years later.

That said, for anyone interested today might a perfect time to jump on the narrative AAA bandwagon with the release of Bioshock: Infinite hitting store shelves.

Check out this CNN piece on the emotional throughline and how the gameplay is using narrative in a really interesting way.

This is certainly one of the top games being discussed at GDC and the gaming world at large.

In future posts, I'll be providing a primer of games that filmmakers might want to check-out

GDC Narrative Game Summit :: Star Wars + Mario + Mass Effect

my_collage_by_Fuzel

A look at the writing of character ensembles from NY-based Dan Nagler's Large Animal Games and what  goes into the weapons selection system for Zelda above.  No surprise here that basic understanding of archetypes, genre and structure applies to both games and linear film.  The layer of statistics for table-top games and fighting games is a nice twist.

Kubrick as Chess Hustler, an introduction to the collaboration between storytelling in game design and film

My work at the Cinema Research Institute is focused on storytelling at the intersection of video games and film. Specifically my focus and deep interest is how each craft can inform the other as we enter a world where a tablet or phone has morphed into a mini-multiplex where you can swipe between your choice of entertainment multiple times a day. My work will focus on the practical elements of what designers, directors, programmers, and producers can learn from one another  in an effort to create both new collaborative narratives and advance our understanding of how creators interested in working in both mediums can find a common language.

To kick things off, I wanted to start my blog posts here by sharing a quote from one of the pioneers of modern cinema, Stanley Kubrick whose prophetic visions of the future in Dr. Strangelove, Clockwork Orange and 2001 still resonate today.

"You sit at the board and suddenly your heart leaps. Your hand trembles to pick up the piece and move it. But what chess teaches you is that you must sit there calmly and think about whether it’s really a good idea and whether there are other, better ideas."

Kubrick was not only a visionary storyteller, but it's astounding to see him as one of the first to identify the cross-collaboration possible between game design and film storytelling well before Pong was invented or players immersed themselves in the Mass Effect trilogy.

2001 Chess Scene

While it is widely documented that his nascent photographic eye was developed as a stills photographer for Look Magazine, less reported is that Kubrick was a an amateur chess player and hustled games in Washington Square Park. In fact, as this quote indicates, I would argue that his keen photographic training, paired with his careful understanding of the game of chess might be two of the key factors that would inform the creation of his filmography.

George C. Scott and Kubrick playing chess on the set of Dr. Strangelove