NARRATIVE DISPOSITIONS IN MODERN VIDEO GAMES
Abstract
Purpose of the study: The purpose of the study is to examine narrative dispositions in modern video games. Narrative dispositions are the ways in which video games tell stories.
Research methodology: The study employed a multidimensional framework to analyze narrative dispositions. This framework included elements such as plot structure, characters, conflicts, themes, player agency, and player-character relationships. The study also conducted a comprehensive review of existing literature on video game narratives.
Findings of the study: The study found that modern video games employ a variety of narrative strategies, including nonlinear storytelling, branching paths, and the integration of choices by players to tell unique narratives. The study also found that video games are increasingly using narrative to explore complex themes and ideas.
Conclusion: The study concludes that video games are a dynamic narrative medium that is capable of captivating audiences in unique ways.
Recommendations: The study recommended that game developers should continue to explore the potential of narrative to engage players and tell compelling stories. The study also recommended that critics and scholars should pay more attention to the narrative aspects of video games. The study also recommended that players should be encouraged to think critically about the narratives of the video games they play.
Keywords: Narrative, Dispositions, Modern, Video, Games
References
Bordwell, D., Thompson, K., & Smith, J. (2017). Film Art: An Introduction (11th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill Education.
Carlquist, J. (2002). Playing the Story: Computer Games as a Narrative Genre. HUMAN IT 6(3), 7–53.
Chatman, S. (1978). Story and Discourse: Narrative Structure in Fiction and Film. Ithaca and London: Cornell University Press.
Crawford, C. (2012). Chris Crawford on interactive storytelling (2nd ed.). Indianapolis: New Riders.
Dille, F., & Platten, J. Z. (2007). The Ultimate Guide to Video Game Writing and Design. New York: Lone Eagle Publishing Company.
Domsch, S. (2013). Storyplaying: Agency and Narrative in Video Games. Berlin and Boston: De Gruyter. https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110272451
Ebert, R. (2010). Video games can never be art. Roger Ebert’s Journal, 16.
Edgar-Hunt, R., Marland, J., & Rawle, S. (2010). Basics Film-Making: The Language of Film. Lausanne: AVA Publishing SA.
Farca, G. (2011). Narratives in Video Games. (Thesis from University of Augsburg retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/309232813)
Field, S. (1979). Screenplay: The Foundations of Screenwriting. New York: Delta Trade Paperbacks.
Gearburn. (2016). Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End looks simply stunning on the PlayStation 4. Retrieved May 27, 2023 from https://www.memeburn.com/gearburn/
Glancy, P. (1996). Complete History of Computer and Video Games. London: EMAP Images.
Hart, J. (2011). Storycraft: The Complete Guide to Writing Narrative Nonfiction. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. https://doi.org/10.7208/chicago/9780226318202.001.0001
Home Box Office. (n.d). The Last of Us. Retrieved on May 29, 2023 from https://www.hbo.com.
Hurme, J. (2016). Storytelling in Video Game: Creating a Narrative for management game (Thesis, University of Turku, Finland).
Ivory, J. D. (2016). A brief history of video games. The Video Game Debate (pp. 1-21). New York: Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315736495-1
Jenkins, H. (2004). Game design as narrative. First person: new media as story, performance and game (pp. 118-130). Cambridge, Massachusetts: MIT Press.
Juul, J. (2001). Games telling stories? A brief note on Games and Narratives. Game studies, 1(1). Retrieved from http://www.gamestudies.org/0101/juul-gts/
Lemon, K. (2018). Beyond the Author: Collaborative Authorship in Video Games (Doctoral dissertation, The Ohio State University, Ohio, United States). Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/1811/84854
Lorenz, E. (1994). The essence of chaos. Seattle: University of Washington Press. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203214589
Majek, D. (2011). The Cinematization of Computer and Console Games: Aesthetic and Commercial Convergence in the Film and Game Industries. (Thesis, Stockholm University, Sweden). Retrieved from http://www.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:756308/FULLTEXT01.pdf
Roth, C. (2015). Experiencing Interactive Storytelling. (Doctoral Thesis of Vrije University, Amsterdam, Netherlands)
Rouse, R. (2005). Game design: Theory & Practice (2nd ed.). Texas: Wordware Publishing, Inc.
Schell, J. (2008). The Art of Game Design. Burlington: Morgan Kaufmann Publishers. https://doi.org/10.1201/9780080919171
Solarski, C. (2017). Interactive stories and video game art: A storytelling framework for game design. Boca Raton: CRC Press. https://doi.org/10.1201/b21636
Skolnick, E. (2014). Video Game Storytelling: What Every Developer Needs to Know About Narrative Techniques. Berkeley: WatsonGuptill Publications.
Smuts, A. (2005). Are Video Games Art? Contemporary Aesthetics, 3(1), 6. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/2027/spo.7523862.0003.006
Stone, C. (2019). The Evolution of Video Games as a Storytelling Medium, and role of Narrative in Modern Games. Retrieved May 29, 2023 from www.gamedeveloper.com
Supermassive Games. (n.d). Until Dawn. Retrieved June 5, 2023 from https://www.supermassivegames.com/games
Thabet, T. (2015). Video Game Narrative and Criticism: Playing the Story. London: Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1057/9781137525543
Whitehead, D., & Whitehead, L. (2016). Sampling data and data collection in qualitative research. Nursing and Midwifery Research (5th ed.), (pp. 111 – 126). Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/284371803
