Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
Of course, opportunities sometimes come along in which the developer
has the chance to create and develop something that is totally new - a game
like no other. However, care has to be taken that it is not so different that there
is no existing market or one cannot be created. Established game styles
develop and change over time, but a product that does not have its roots in a
conventional genre is a difficult one to judge and publishers may be reluctant
to take a risk - game development can be as frustrating as it is exhilarating.
Because of the huge variety of input devices, gaming platforms and styles
of game, interactivity can be an incredibly detailed subject, so rather than
miring ourselves in all the permutations that can be thrown up, for our
purposes I shall take a broader approach and talk about interactivity from a
higher viewpoint.
Passive
For the purposes of this topic, passive simply means non-interactive. In other
words, the viewer/reader/consumer has no input into the way that the story
unfolds, characters develop or the information is delivered. If a customer
visits the cinema to watch the latest blockbuster release, from the moment
they take their seat until the film is finished, they simply sit, passively allowing
the work of the director, camera operators, actors, etc., to deliver the experi-
ence to them through their eyes and ears.
The use of the word passive in this sense is not intended to give the
impression that the viewer of the film or the reader of the topic does not
invest a lot of themselves in the experience. A good tale in any medium will
create a strong feeling of empathy for the characters, excitement when danger
lurks and a whole range of other emotions if the creators have done their jobs
well. We, as an audience, will find our hearts beating rapidly during a good
horror film and jump at all the scary moments. We will cheer (inwardly,
perhaps) as the hero overcomes great adversity and insurmountable odds to
win through. We will laugh and cry, feel outrage at injustice and marvel at a
genuinely clever plot twist. An excellent story with compelling characters
will live on in our minds long after we have left the cinema. At its very best
we will find our lives changed by the experience we have just encountered.
In the main, the many excellent qualities of these media are due to their
very controlled method of delivery. The author of the novel establishes the
pacing, chooses the words used to transport us into this created world and
defines our experience. The film maker controls the imagery, the length of
the scenes and the emotional turmoil we live through while watching.
