GameSafe: Game Stories

Tuesday, December 1, 2020

Game Stories

Hi,

I have just completed reading through articles that explain and outline the importance of stories within games, and how stories affect the principles of a game.

An important thing one needs to note before beginning to write a story for a game, is that stories are conflict. Games are not movies, just like movies are not plays. In order to create a story for a game one must take into consideration what type of character is to be fitted within a certain game, depending on the genre the potential game is based on. To identify a character one must look into the intentions of the character, that of which defines any character in any story.

In a game, usually the character is trying to avoid conflict, trying to keep low....But that is when their surrounding world hits back and says "nope" this sparks the characters inner conflict and the conflict in which they endure with their surrounding environment. A great example of this is GTA V. One of the 3 playable protagonists 'Michael' who wants to keep a low profile after faking his death and running off to another city. Michael discovers that his wife's tennis coach supposedly is sleeping with his wife. He realizes this when he arrives home and finds them alone and practically naked in his bedroom. Subsequently he chases the tennis coach up to a house in which the tennis coach seeks refuge. Michael decides to pull the house deck down. He is then chased by angry men with guns and comes to find out that the house does not belong to the coach. He faces conflict with the actual owner of the house, whom is a dangerous Mexican Druglord 'Martin Madrazo'. Michael is then brought back into the life of crime as he now has to rob a jewelry store in order to pay for the damage done to the house. This then leads to the unfolding of multiple events in which exposes Michael to certain people from his past. Attracting more conflict.

A photo from the scene when Michael pulls down Madrazos deck.