Interactive Media Blog

Coming to the end of finishing my proposal, I was struggling with Alex's narrative. To me, it's easy to think of games as 'high concept' in terms of the story, with huge amounts of violence, high speed car chases, and generally just a lot of... noise? What I'm trying to say is, it's easy to assume that games need to have a lot going on in them to be exciting and engaging; but that's not necessarily true.

I recently came across Life is Strange, an episodic decision-making game. Bear in mind I've only played the first episode.

What struck me is how little the player physically has to do. The majority of the game is walking from A to B, and talking to non-playable characters, making decisions that will impact the overall story; and it's the story that is the most important thing and keeps the played interested and engaged.

Due to this, I feel fairly relaxed playing the game but no less engrossed; and I also feel slightly relieved to be reminded that sometimes, a good story is all the player needs to find enjoyment in a game. Considering that, it's helped my proposal a huge amount, and even after the proposal is submitted, i'll continue to work on the narrative.

Following up from a couple of posts ago, discussing Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice, thinking about this game made me consider the tone of my own game a lot more. Hellblade has a dark fantastical feel, exploring psychosis; and thinking about Alex, when I picture it in my head it’s saturated with bright colours to showcase the Swinging Sixties, but also feels like a film noir. I suppose that makes it sound like a highly stylised and slick spy piece like Man From U.N.C.L.E or… Austin Powers? No. Not Austin Powers, but I'm sure you know what I mean. I hope.

Although I picture the game visually exuding 1960s pop culture, I still want that darker tone to it. After all, it does follow a woman experiencing trauma. Her husband is killed and she seems to be the next target. What she discovers further down the line in the game is traumatising in its own right for anyone, I would say. I think if i want to develop the game concept further I would need to find a balance in tone for sure. The Swinging Sixties was a revolution, it was politically charged but also culturally exciting and fun. Displaying that within the context of a dramatic story could be challenging because I still want this game to feel real, as if it was happening to a ‘modern’ woman, but I also want to immerse the player in sixties aesthetics and sensibilities. If it’s done right, I think this could gain traction amongst gamers in the same way that Mafia 2 did.

I still really love Mafia 2.

I know I also want to incorporate a choice the player has to make within the game that doesn’t change the ending of the game, but shifts the tone of Alex. It’s something I’ll go more into detail in the proposal.

All in all, thinking about different games for the blog has really helped shaped the tone I want for Alex so far.

Planning and drafting up my project proposal for Alex is firmly in the works now. I’m tackling the business side of things first since I have a more rounded view of that side of things. From what I gather, I take my work from the pitch and just go into further detail and explanation of things, tightening up ideas and solving problems presented in the pitch’s feedback. For me that’s my figures but I don’t want to look at that yet!

What I’ve been working on so far is the funding: where to get backing and how to make money during and even after development. Crowdsourcing remains key for my project, as I mentioned UK Games Fund; but I think it would be ideal to include a Kickstarter campaign to get the project some backing and show that people would like the game to be developed… which would be nice to show the UK Games Fund upon approaching them.

During development stages, I think Patreon would be incredibly useful as members would be given content whilst they waited for the game’s release. For after the game’s release I've considered merchandising. T-shirts and hoodies are a staple and for Patreon members, they can be given a ‘special offer’ price, essentially as a thank you for their support. I think it would also be nice to give them early access to the merchandise for the same reason.

Since returning home to attend a hospital appointment, I’ve been able to sift through all my old games for the Nintendo Wii, DS, GameCube, and Game Boy. I’m pathetically nostalgic, so i’ve kept them all. There is one game in particular though that I always come back to and it’s a game I have for both the DS and Wii. It’s a game that, like The Sims, I could spend hours on. It’s engaging, relaxing, and dare I say picturesque. Most importantly though, I find it to be a comforting game- probably since it makes me feel like a kid again. That game is Animal Crossing.

For the DS, I have Wild World: the second instalment in the franchise to be released. The thing with Animal Crossing is that you are part of a community, interacting with your neighbours, taking part in seasonal celebrations, as well as regular day-to-day stuff in the game like fishing, catching bugs, finding fossils. A big part of the game is also to pay off your mortgage to get a bigger house, which you can decorate. All this provides focus, but it’s still calming, and charming, as you can probably sense from the pictures below. The Wii game I have is Animal Crossing: Let's Go to The City (also called City Folk), which is essentially the same but as the name suggests, with the added feature of visiting the ‘city’ consisting of a few shops.

I think what’s great about the game and why you can keep going back to it (even the older versions) is because you do get a sense of achievement out of it. It’s not a game to ‘complete’ but you still work towards things. Paying off your mortgage, buying certain furniture collections, catching rare fish, etc. You can set yourself these goals, but with no consequences. It doesn’t matter how long, or if you even manage to catch all the rare fish because obviously, it’s just a game; and it’s a game that’s there purely for your enjoyment, and comfort more than anything. In this sense, I would certainly call it an escapist game; and with deadlines fast approaching, it’s been hard to resist getting a Nintendo Switch purely for Animal Crossing: New Horizons...

In one of my earlier posts, A Game in the Making (part I), I gave a wee teaser regarding a female-led game that had influenced the way I looked at my Individual Project, ‘Alex.’ Well that game is Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice. 

Following a Pict warrior named Senua as she attempts to save the soul of her dead lover, this dark fantasy game tackles mental illness, specifically exploring Senua’s psychosis. Since it’s a game set in the 8th century when the Picts were around, psychosis certainly wasn’t understood in the same way as it is today: after all, the term was only coined in the nineteenth century. Instead, from the early ‘Celtic’ peoples’ perspective, Senua’s mental illness was seen as a curse. This reminded me of the concept of ‘hysteria’ in relation to the Victorian period. Today if we describe someone as hysterical, we usually mean they’re emotionally charged, or ‘freaking out’ about something. However in the nineteenth century specifically, the term ‘hysteria’ was a medical/psychological diagnosis most commonly given to women. It was a broad diagnosis for symptoms such as anxiety and depression, but since it was a diagnosis largely given to women, it acted as an oppressor, enabling notions that women were inferiorly weaker, sensitive, and fragile. 

I think it’s interesting how the developers at Ninja Theory were able to create such an important game that explored ‘current’ issues such as mental health in the context of such a unique setting as seen in Hellblade. That’s what I would love to do with my game, Alex. Set in 1964, i’ll have plenty of context to explore topics seen in the current fourth-wave feminism within the second-wave feminism setting of the 60s. The game isn’t about feminism explicitly, but the subtext will be there enough so hopefully form an interesting analysis. 

Reflecting on the pitching session last week, the panelists gave insightful and productive feedback to everyone. Regarding my own game, I was encouraging that they were interested in hearing more about the actual story rather than the business aspects. Certainly, the business focal points are important but it’s nice to know that talking more about the narrative and story world when it comes to the written proposal could be beneficial: after all, this is the most interesting part for me; and regardless of whether it’s a script, essay, blog post, or project proposal, they say it’s best to write about what you love. With that in mind, I know i’ll enjoy writing my proposal as I can go into depth when it comes to the story. 

Thinking constructively, I know I need to get my development costs, and numbers overall, straight. I have a clear business model and marketing plan, but when it comes to working out the overall figures, there’s no doubt I need a more accurate quote. In the pitch, my development total was far too low; but I know what to look for to get a more accurate number, and I remembered to include the salary of a historian consultant per hour, which was £350. I’ll keep this figure and explain my source in the proposal. 

Overall, I’m feeling good about the Individual Project Proposal for my game, Alex. I’m not necessarily ‘confident’ per se, but I’m not panicking… yet. 

On Thursday it’ll be great to see the remaining pitches- so far everyone has done a great job <3

In preparation for our group pitches this week, my task was primarily to concentrate on the marketing and target audience aspect of our proposed app. In terms of marketing, I was able to do substantial research on it and learned about the emotional and personal side of marketing from the brand and consumer’s perspectives alike. This wasn’t new to me: I’d spent plenty of time binge watching Mad Men after all (if you’ve seen Don Draper talking about ‘the carousel’ then you know); but from class and my own research, I see it in most advertisements now. I mean, it just feels blatantly obvious to me now! 

This isn’t a bad thing, of course. I just find it interesting how marketing teams decide to connect with audiences and their consumers. John Lewis’ famous Christmas ads connect to consumers through meaningful, heartwarming narratives, for example. Skincare brands tend to focus mainly on health and self-care, the latter being more prevalent in luxury brands… maybe this is because those who can afford more high-end products can indulge in the sensorial experience of skincare rather than just targeting skin concerns. 

With our individual project taking shape, the business aspect needs to be doubled down on. 

There are core elements to think about listed below, along with my initial ideas but of course there’s alway room for progress; so in the next few days I'll make an update post, with any changes plus extra information that I'm still unclear on. 

Project Team - Of course, a full development team would be needed including graphic designers, programmers, game testers; and considering my game (now named Alex) is a set in the 1960s, a historical consultant/researcher would be needed to make sure the historical and social context is accurate. As for the writer(s), hopefully that would be me!

Funding Options - As this is a ‘standard’ console game intended for the likes of Xbox and PlayStation, I would hope to approach and work with experienced game developers that would handle the financial affairs. However, I also considered funding if this was an Independent game, and Indie Fund could be an ideal place to start.

Development Timeline - In my mind, the game isn’t any more complicated than other console games being developed so probably 1-2 years. 

Marketing - I think Alex could do well in the Market considering female-led games are on the rise. I would want Alex’s marketing to be ‘neutral’ enough though, and not use feminism as a marketing tool. I wouldn’t want to alienate male audiences; after all, the game is not for a specific gender. I think social media would be a quick way to get the game out there so I would start there then brand out to mainstream media if the funding is there… if we’re thinking big! 

Route to Market - I’m really not clear on this. 

Distribution - Considering it’s a console game it would ideally end up on shelves, online sellers such as Amazon, and as a downloadable game through the Microsoft Store for Xbox.

Development Costs - Unclear but regardless if working with an ‘established’ company, or developed independently, could be… pricey. 

As deadlines are approaching fast for all of our modules, I thought it would be nice to discuss a game that provides a little bit of head space. Don’t get me wrong, it still requires the player to focus, but all in all it’s a pretty chilled game that brings you into an escapist albeit familiar world.

Forza Horizon 4 is a typical simulation racing game developed by Playground Games. Unlike the Forza Motorsport series which has the setting of professional racing tracks, the Horizon series features the fictional Horizon Festival in which the player participates in races within an environmental setting of a condensed version of the UK. Most importantly, in my opinion, the game allows for open world exploring, which for me is how the game provides that escapism. Of course, different players will find different joys within the game, but that’s the point: the player can choose what they want to do. They can choose whether they want to build their reputation within the game through the festival races, complete side objectives, or mindlessly travel through a miniature version of Edinburgh.

Personally, the open world exploration is what relaxes me the most; and it’s solidified my desire to have open world exploration abilities in my own game concept I’m developing for the module. My game takes place in a real city or town during the late 1960s, so having an open world would be ideal. The player can explore a familiar world but simultaneously be taken back in time to experience how the city or town would have looked back then.

Thanks to Forza Horizon 4, I’ve been reminded of how nice a distraction simple exploration can be. Besides the main challenges and side objectives, I hope having the freedom to explore my game’s world would be enjoyable for the player. I’ll definitely have fun designing it.

This week for our Interactive Media module we’ve been asked to talk about our individual projects and unsurprisingly, I’ve decided to develop a game concept. Luckily, this is a broad area and the game can really be anything I want. It could be a horror virtual reality game, or even a AGR Pokemon-Go rip-off; but I think it’s safe to say I’ll be sticking to what I’m familiar with, as there’s still challenging aspects to consider: the mechanics and business aspects, for example. It stands to reason therefore, that i’ve been developing an idea for a console game… and no, it’s not a Super Mario rip-off. 

In my first post I talked about Mafia 2 and how engrossed I was by the narrative style: a morally skewed protagonist’s compelling story told in a way that felt like a cinematic experience. In terms of narrative, Mafia 2 is undoubtedly one of my biggest influences when it comes to my own project. I want my protagonist to be someone that the player actually becomes invested in and when they save the game to come back to later, I want them to be thinking about where the story will head next; and even when they finish the game, they’ll be thinking about where the story would go after the events of the game. Mafia 2 did that so well and I can only hope the players would have that same feeling and experience from my game. 

Regarding the protagonist, I absolutely want it to be a female that drives her own story. It’s quite rare to have games focusing on a girl or woman’s story or even from their perspective. A few years ago, Feminist Frequency on YouTube created a three-part series about women in video games, discussing their portrayal and the tropes that are used time and time again. It’s not all bad: they mention a few games that challenge or subvert these tropes but regardless, the industry still has a long way to go in its portrayal of women. A couple of tropes that stand out to me are the ‘damsel in distress’ and ‘woman in refrigerator.’ Princess Peach is a prime example of a ‘damsel,’ with her role in the Mario Series being the kidnapped and rescued one. Despite being a playable character in a couple of games, overall she has no story or character arc, which feels like a lot of potential untapped. For my game, I definitely intend on subverting this; and as for the ‘woman in refrigerator’ trope (when a female character’s role is to be killed off or brutally attacked to drive the male protagonist’s story), I would love to reverse this and see how grieving her male partner could influence her story. 

There is one female-led game that’s changed the way I look at my project, but I’ll talk about that later as there’s just too much to unpack. 

Hint: Senua. If you know, you know. 

Last week when I was writing my post on Super Mario Sunshine, I was reminded of one of the first games I played from the Mario Series… it was maybe even one of the first games I played in the first place. It makes sense; after all, it was a ‘launch title’ with the GameCube in 2002 (UK). I have to admit though, when I first got this game I couldn’t complete it. Seven-year-old me was just too spooked by Luigi’s Mansion. 

Looking back it seems ridiculous to think that I needed my brother to play it for me (thanks, Gavin); but to be honest, Nintendo did a brilliant job creating a game that keeps the player on edge, at least on their initial run through of the game. I don’t want to focus too much on the game’s mechanics or plot but for the sake of context, the gist of the plot is: Mario’s brother, Luigi has won a mansion that turns out to be haunted and he must capture the ghosts with a vacuum device, saving a trapped Mario in the process. Instead, I want to keep my focus on why I found this game too scary to play, through my perception of Luigi.

Luigi’s characterisation, in my opinion, is probably the most compelling aspect of the game’s creation. Although he is the protagonist; the hero, in the game he’s portrayed as a ‘scaredy cat:’ a follow up from the Mario cartoons from the decades before. The decision to keep his cowardly characteristics makes him a vulnerable and relatable character. Throughout the game his fear is evident from his yelping at ghosts and panicking when the player’s ‘life’ decreases. When the player finds keys to unlock rooms within the mansion, the first time Luigi opens the door a small cutscene shows his shaking hand slowly prying at the doorknobs. A favourite detail amongst players shows Luigi frequently humming the game’s theme song in an attempt to stay calm, and whistling the song after capturing a ghost and clearing a room in the mansion, showing his growth in confidence. It’s a sweet, but realistic detail when it comes to displaying fear in a character. Aside from the usual ‘creepy vibes’ of the mansion and the ghosts popping up to startle both Luigi and the player, it’s the empathy that the player has for the titular character that i think adds to the player’s uneasiness: at least it did in my case in 2004! 

In an article listed below, the relationship between empathy and players' engagement with games is explored. The author mentions that people ‘react emotionally to characters, in a simulator way as they do with real people; they mimic… the expressed affects and cognitively simulate affects.’ Considering this, it’s no wonder I was terrified to play what in hindsight, is just a fun and spooky game. As a seven-year-old, seeing Luigi scared out of his wits conjured those feelings in myself, essentially as if I was there in the game. I suppose that goes to show how immersive and engaging games can really be. 

https://venturebeat.com/2019/10/10/the-retrobeat-luigis-mansion-gave-marios-brother-his-own-identity/

In my last post I mentioned my GameCube days and how I would tear my eyes out at The Simpsons: Road Rage. I still stand by that. Infuriating. However, on the other end of the spectrum there’s a GameCube game that is just… satisfying. In 2002 Nintendo released Super Mario Sunshine, the second 3D Mario game, following Mario as he travels to Isle Delfino with Princess Peach. Upon their arrival, a villain resembling Mario known as Shadow Mario has vandalised and polluted the island with a mysterious… goop? As a result, the island’s source of power, the Shine Sprites, have disappeared. Mario is wrongfully accused and ordered to clear the mess and retrieve the Sprites. As well as this, Shadow Mario has kidnapped Princess Peach (of course), so there’s clear stakes at play in the game, making it exciting enough that the player wants to know what obstacles will be put in Mario’s way: what the challenges will be.

Throughout the game’s progression, for each level the player must go to different locations on the island via ‘portals,’ where these challenges await to be tackled. These different levels begin with a short cutscene in which a small clue is given to indicate how the level should be completed; but the clue is vague enough that the level still requires a decent amount of problem solving. For younger players especially, in my opinion the creators have managed to keep a nice balance between challenging and uncomplicated so that the difficulty level of the tasks don’t take away from the fun the player experiences when exploring the carefully crafted and detailed world of Isle Delfino.

With each level, the player is able to explore a different location on Isle Delfino and each of these locations have their own unique design that the player can explore freely, completing side objectives if they choose. A great deal of attention was given to the ability to explore, with the player able to swim underwater and even go underground via manholes in order to collect coins. At one point in the game the cute dinosaur, Yoshi is introduced and even made playable when Mario rides him, aiding certain tasks.

Although it may be considered ‘just a kid’s game,’ the room to have fun exploring the game whilst completing the main challenges means it doesn’t feel like a chore to complete. It’s laid back and enjoyable, with enough challenges so that by the end the player has actually gained a sense of accomplishment; and because of this I consider this to be one of the most satisfying games I played in my childhood.

When I think of gaming, my mind typically jumps back to my mainly Nintendo days, wanting to tear my eyes out at The Simpsons: Road Rage on the GameCube, or becoming addicted to, then neglecting my poor Nintendogs (RIP) on the Nintendo DS. Aside from Nintendo… Well I don’t think there’s any need for me to reveal how many hours I spent enjoying (wasting?) playing the Sims… Sims 2: Seasons, to be specific. 

I also think of the hours I spent sat on the floor of my big brother’s bedroom, watching his gaming tastes evolve from those such as Mortal Kombat, to Sonic DX, to eventually more ‘grown up’ games like the Assassin’s Creed and Call of Duty franchises: the latter of which i would eventually join him in playing. I still can’t handle the stress of fighting off the zombies. 

Out of all the games I watched my brother play, there was one in particular that completely drew me in. Not because of the action, or the graphics, and not even for the open-world exploring… it was the story itself. In 2010 game developer, 2K Czech released the third person shooter game, Mafia 2 which follows protagonist, Vito Scaletta as he navigates a brief stint in the army, a lengthy prison sentence, and the criminal underworld of the fictional Empire Bay, from the 1940s into the 1950s. There’s so much I could unpack from Mafia 2 to explain why it’s such an entertaining and engaging experience. It’s a complicated and ambitious exploration of the Mafia world; but this post would never end if i tried to explain it all here. Above all however, what made this game stand out to me are the characterisation and cinematic cutscenes with a well-paced and suspenseful narrative that keeps the gamer (or the thirteen-year-old viewer in my case) completely invested in the story.

My response and appreciation for these elements, along with the 8.5 score on IMDb, shows 2K Czech was successful in what they set out to do: create a game that focuses on story equally, if not even more so, than the gameplay. Vito Scaletta is by no means a ‘hero,’ he’s a complicated and flawed individual the player quickly becomes invested in, watching him murder in cold-blood, and cry at the loss of his mother. The player also sees how the strong and life-long bond between Vito and his friend Joe unfolds, until the climactic cliffhanger ending with their relationship at the centre: one that is effective in ‘[invoking] the most emotional response from the player,’ as stated by the game’s director of creative production, Jack Scalici. Although i’ve never actually played the game myself (don’t @ me), I’ll always remember Mafia 2 as the game that truly opened my eyes to the possibilities of storytelling. 

P.S… My brother and I spent six years anticipating the release of the follow up, Mafia 3 and well, maybe i’ll leave THAT for another post.

https://www.ausgamers.com/features/read/2937065

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3mquIPtoIuU