Games are getting more serious
David Johnson June 19th, 2008
I had the honor of being a respondent on an extraordinary panel yesterday at SILVERDOCS, the AFI/Discovery independent documentary festival and conference. The title of the session was “It’s Not Just a Game: Storytelling in the Virtual Space,” and moderator Denise DiIanni of WGBH Labs led this fantastic lineup:
Trisha Creekmore, Executive Director, Discovery.com
Nonny De La Peña, Producer and Director, GITMO GONE- VIRTUAL GUANTANAMO
Ken Ellis, Executive Producer, Edutopia - The George Lucas Educational Foundation
Wendy Levy, Director of Creative Programming, BAVC: Bay Area Video Coalition
Suzanne Seggerman, President and Co-Founder, Games for Change
Sharon Sloane, President and CEO, WILL Interactive, Inc.
Excellent work is being done both independently and at bigger shops, but we are only just scratching the surface of the immense potential of the most dynamic communications platform to date. From discussions about using Second Life as a backlot for machinima to how to balance visuals with selectivity and interactivity in development, the presentations and conversations ranged across production, ethics, and storytelling. Interestingly, most serious games are what the game market considers casual games and most storytellers bemoan the sorry state of storytelling in major games. I get the feeling that is all poised to change.
1 Comment Add your own
1. Match 3 Games | June 23rd, 2008 at 1:39 pm
I keep waiting for a blockbuster movie to hit the screen based entirely on a computer game. Warcraft: The Movie anyone?
Beyond that, there are several games in the casual space that are prime material for children’s television / movie. Mystery Case Files, Hidden Expedition (children’s Indiana Jones), and Diner Dash are just a few examples.
All that being said, it is certainly true that for most games, there is limited time spent developing a compelling storyline. I think most developers aren’t looking to create a game franchise they can build on over the next decade. They are looking to create a game with fun game play mechanics that will sell well quickly.
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