Behind-the-scenes video game documentary kicks off with a deep dive into storytelling
Story matters in video games. That isn't to say they're required every time, but games are uniquely positioned to tell stories in unexpected ways.
That's the topic of discussion in the first episode of The Game Makers: Inside Story, a 10-part series that sits down with a diverse lineup of industry luminaries, including: Amy Hennig (Uncharted series), Jenova Chen (Journey), Jade Raymond (upcoming Star Wars: Battlefront with EA Motive), and Neil Druckmann (The Last of Us). The full series launched on Feb. 15, and you can watch it above or right here.
The Game Makers was conceived and directed by Jennie Kong, a filmmaker and story writer for Journey developer thatgamecompany. The series was produced in a collaboration between Wonderstruck and the Academy of Interactive Arts and Sciences.
This first episode looks at the unique advantages and challenges that developers face as they bring their creations together. Hennig points out in the first episode that it's important for content creators in this day and age to earn their "narrative chops," as she put it.
"A lot of games fall into the trap of doing 'and then' storytelling, which is: something happens, and something else happens, and then, and then, and then, and then," she said.
"A story," she added, paraphrasing South Park creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone, "has to have therefores and buts." She contended that a good story includes "reversals and complications and consequences" rather than a series of plot points.
Campo Santo co-founder Sean Vanaman builds on Hennig's point later, arguing that the increasingly accessible development tools have fostered a more diverse set of voices -- varied ethnicities and genders, but also an actual diversity of backgrounds and skillsets.
"Whenever there's sort of a democratization of a medium, you get cool voices coming in and talking," he said. "I think games [are] there now, and I think we're at the dawn of it. I think it's the most exciting time right now, actually."
Kong's series is part of a 20th anniversary celebration for the AIAS, which kicks off its annual DICE Conference on Feb. 21. The small-but-meaningful industry event is an annual gathering that brings together some of the most talented minds to discuss the road ahead for video games.
The outward facing side of DICE -- which is an acronym for "Design, Innovate, Communicate, Entertain" -- is the annual DICE Awards. Analogous with Hollywood's Oscars ceremony, the awards show gives industry workers the opportunity to crown their favorites across a variety of categories.
Expect subsequent episodes of The Game Makers to focus on everything from writing and character design to embedded social themes, performance, direction, new opportunities offered by virtual/alternate reality technology, and more.
Topics Gaming
Adam Rosenberg is a Senior Games Reporter for Mashable, where he plays all the games. Every single one. From AAA blockbusters to indie darlings to mobile favorites and browser-based oddities, he consumes as much as he can, whenever he can.Adam brings more than a decade of experience working in the space to the Mashable Games team. He previously headed up all games coverage at Digital Trends, and prior to that was a long-time, full-time freelancer, writing for a diverse lineup of outlets that includes Rolling Stone, MTV, G4, Joystiq, IGN, Official Xbox Magazine, EGM, 1UP, UGO and others.Born and raised in the beautiful suburbs of New York, Adam has spent his life in and around the city. He's a New York University graduate with a double major in Journalism and Cinema Studios. He's also a certified audio engineer. Currently, Adam resides in Crown Heights with his dog and his partner's two cats. He's a lover of fine food, adorable animals, video games, all things geeky and shiny gadgets.
