IAT 210 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: No Alternative, Nonlinear Narrative, Interactive Storytelling
24 Jun 2018
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IAT 210 - Lecture 6 - Narrative in Games
Is Game a Form of Narrative?
● Two schools of thoughts w/i game studies (modes of analysis)
○ Narratology vs. Ludology
● Narratology
○ Think that when analyzing games, should analyze them as forms of narrative
● Ludology
○ Think games should be analyzed based on game mechanics
○ Narratives are not fundamental part of game
○ Game mechanics used to analyze games
Ludology
● Believes games should be examined, critiqued, valued based purely on systems they
create
○ E.g. game rules, world, events, etc
● Tend to care little about game’s story & focus more on depth of mechanics & believe that
b/c player has active influence on events of game, it is diff form of entertainment that
can’t be compared to books/movies
Narratology
● See games as another form of narrative expression, often aligning them w/ books &
movies
○ Feel that game should be examined as such
● Relegate mechanics & systems as somewhat secondary to message game is trying to
convey
Why are Stories Important?
● Stories fundamental to how we make sense of world
● Comfort of causality
● Consequences of closure
● Importance of identification
Narrative
● “We can consider a narrative to be a chain of events linked by cause and effect and
occurring in time and space” - Bordwell & Thompson
● Otherwise, story will not be meaningful & will not make sense
Types of Characters in Story
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● Protagonist
○ Main character
○ Typically “good guy”
● Antagonist
○ Character working against protagonist
○ Usually “bad guy” but not always
Narrative Arc
● All stories have six parts making it complete
○ Exposition
○ Conflict
■ May be more than one
○ Rising action
■ Events when main character trying to overcome conflict(s)
○ Climax
■ When main character resolves conflict/all of the conflicts
○ Falling action
■ Anything happening after conflicts resolved
○ Resolution
■ Main message conveyed
Exposition
● Introduces characters & settings of narrative
● Beginning of story sets scene for conflict
● Setting
Conflict
● Story needs challenge in form of either internal conflict/external conflict
● Conflict - problem/struggle b/w two or more opposing forces
● Internal conflict - character struggles w/o his/her own personal issues
● External conflict - character struggles against outside force
Internal Conflict
● Person vs self
● Protagonists’ struggle against him/herself
○ Internal battles that characters wave w/i themselves
○ Internal issues affecting actions, motivations, interactions w/ other characters
External Conflict
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Iat 210 - lecture 6 - narrative in games. Two schools of thoughts w/i game studies (modes of analysis) Think that when analyzing games, should analyze them as forms of narrative. Think games should be analyzed based on game mechanics. Narratives are not fundamental part of game. Believes games should be examined, critiqued, valued based purely on systems they create. Tend to care little about game"s story & focus more on depth of mechanics & believe that b/c player has active influence on events of game, it is diff form of entertainment that can"t be compared to books/movies. See games as another form of narrative expression, often aligning them w/ books & movies. Feel that game should be examined as such. Relegate mechanics & systems as somewhat secondary to message game is trying to convey. Stories fundamental to how we make sense of world.
