Blog task 4, part2

For my blog task I wanted to talk about games graphics and in the end I decided to base my argument in cinematics and cut-scenes.

Current video games combine elements from narrative fiction film, music and sports. The amount of work to produce a single game can be very large, especially in terms of art. The development of game environments is an intensive process involving the creation of level maps, lighting sources, setting detail and visual texture complexity.

Knowing that art plays a very important role in video games, one of the things I find that makes them very enjoyable it is when they are telling a story..

Cinematics are key to set the game mood and to tell the story.  They add depth and substance to the game. The gaming industry knows it and they make sure to make a good use of it. Such is that, it is common for videogames to start with cinematics.

Also, powerful narratives in games like Red Dead redemption and Uncharted 2 have helped show the world that games can be just as meaningful as any other form of art.

On most of games, especially on Japanese games, cut-scenes come across quite often. They are used to establish the initial setting and background storyline or to push the story forwards.

Some may say that cut-scenes are overused. That it turns the game into a movie and videogames are made to be ‘played’, engaged with in a manner that it is much more active.

To me, cut-scenes are quite important. They narrate the story, and guide the player through a journey. They make the gaming experience much better because the player gets to know the characters and immerse himself with the game mood. 

It is true that sometimes, too many cut-scenes make the player disconnect from the game. That is a thing the industry must be careful about. To tackle this problem, they should provide minimum disruption of gameplay flow. The use of written material such as signs or notes inside the game might be a possible option. In the game world they can be read as the player explores the environment and therefore push the storyline forwards while playing. Also, NPCs (Non Playable Characters) could make interventions to give out clues or tell part of the story plot but without the need to stop the game.

To make the gaming experience truly engaging is to find a point of balance. Resorting to film techniques to engage with the audience should be avoided but not to the extent that the game lacks all sense of emotion. If cut-scenes were to be abolished, it would strip away one of the most effective storytelling techniques.

Carla Chanquia.  

 References

1.  Cinematic Camera Control in 3D Computer Games. http://front.cc.nctu.edu.tw/Richfiles/12146-G31.pdf

2. Computer Games / Cinema / Interfaces. http://www.digra.org/wp-content/uploads/digital-library/05164.41114.pdf

3. Publications by Henry Jenkins. Games, the new lively art. https://wiki.brown.edu/confluence/download/attachments/7143524/jenkins.games.pdf

4. The Best Opening Cinematics in Video Games. By Hanuman Welch. August 8, 2013. http://www.complex.com/video-games/2013/08/best-opnening-cinematics-video-games/

5. Dusty Cartridge. Dusty Cartridge Debates: Are cut-scenes outdated?  November 2013. http://dustycartridge.com/features/dusty-cartridge-debates-are-cutscenes-outdated/

6. Google images.