Comments on: Rashomon: the video game http://jbirdhistory.wordpress.com/2008/04/09/rashomon-the-video-game/ ...Hopefully Sat, 10 May 2008 01:20:50 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: Scott http://jbirdhistory.wordpress.com/2008/04/09/rashomon-the-video-game/#comment-56 Scott Thu, 10 Apr 2008 11:20:31 +0000 http://jbirdhistory.wordpress.com/?p=67#comment-56 From my observations, I've noticed that games that allow more of a free will structure for the player, have become extremely popular. Games such as World of Warcraft and Grand Theft Auto have become household names. I've never played WOW, but people who do, get excited about the allegiances they've made with other users, their characters who have developed in specific ways, etc. The user is allowed to roam and interact similar to a real world situation. Grand Theft Auto has a storyline that a user can follow, but it also gives them the ability to explore and go on rampages without much restriction. I've played GTA a few times with friends and I would have to say that the majority of the time playing was going on rampages, rather than following the game's storyboard. This seems to be the direction video games are heading. To me, it suggests that people get exhausted by the never ending structures that consume most of our lives. We follow routines daily, such as waking up, going to work or school to pay more bills, talk to similar people, eat a fixed set of foods, etc. However, history shows that people have a need to break out of these structures. History books are filled with people that did, which has changed and evolved mankind. I think your idea is a good one, that it would be more interesting to give the user different interpretations of the story they can choose from. It feels like they would play a more interactive role and actually feel like the game revolves around them (the hero), instead of being spoon-fed someone else's predictable outline. From my observations, I’ve noticed that games that allow more of a free will structure for the player, have become extremely popular. Games such as World of Warcraft and Grand Theft Auto have become household names. I’ve never played WOW, but people who do, get excited about the allegiances they’ve made with other users, their characters who have developed in specific ways, etc. The user is allowed to roam and interact similar to a real world situation. Grand Theft Auto has a storyline that a user can follow, but it also gives them the ability to explore and go on rampages without much restriction. I’ve played GTA a few times with friends and I would have to say that the majority of the time playing was going on rampages, rather than following the game’s storyboard.

This seems to be the direction video games are heading. To me, it suggests that people get exhausted by the never ending structures that consume most of our lives. We follow routines daily, such as waking up, going to work or school to pay more bills, talk to similar people, eat a fixed set of foods, etc. However, history shows that people have a need to break out of these structures. History books are filled with people that did, which has changed and evolved mankind.

I think your idea is a good one, that it would be more interesting to give the user different interpretations of the story they can choose from. It feels like they would play a more interactive role and actually feel like the game revolves around them (the hero), instead of being spoon-fed someone else’s predictable outline.

]]> By: Elara http://jbirdhistory.wordpress.com/2008/04/09/rashomon-the-video-game/#comment-55 Elara Thu, 10 Apr 2008 01:42:24 +0000 http://jbirdhistory.wordpress.com/?p=67#comment-55 I think it's a good idea, but even though you have the content, I think you need to think carefully about whether it really is worth doing. I don't know if a fully interactive game would work. The storyline is already there and we've seen the best games are ones where the user get to create the story so I think it wouldn't be as interesting to users. Doing some movies of the letters could be a good idea though and could be good for classes or for an exhibition on him. There are just some areas that lend themselves to more interactivity than others. It seems like the best games are where users can explore a certain era or location and make their own decisions. Maybe you could do something like creating a game where users can explore the same places he did at the same time and encounter some of the same situations but they have the opportunity to choose how they want to react, then afterwards they could compare their conduct with Abbott's. Or mabe I'm just not understanding what you mean. Could be either. I think it’s a good idea, but even though you have the content, I think you need to think carefully about whether it really is worth doing. I don’t know if a fully interactive game would work. The storyline is already there and we’ve seen the best games are ones where the user get to create the story so I think it wouldn’t be as interesting to users. Doing some movies of the letters could be a good idea though and could be good for classes or for an exhibition on him. There are just some areas that lend themselves to more interactivity than others. It seems like the best games are where users can explore a certain era or location and make their own decisions. Maybe you could do something like creating a game where users can explore the same places he did at the same time and encounter some of the same situations but they have the opportunity to choose how they want to react, then afterwards they could compare their conduct with Abbott’s. Or mabe I’m just not understanding what you mean. Could be either.

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