Friday, November 30, 2012

Plot vs Premise

I was thinking about how stories function in video games, and I've decided that, while they can be similar to other stories (books, film, etc) the interactivity component really does make a huge difference.  Some games still try to include a plot, through devices such as cut scenes, but others either don't include a plot or allow the player to create their own plot through the interactive play.  Thus, they really don't tell a story in the same way other other, un-interactive mediums.

However, in my experience, it isn't solely the game play that makes me want to play video games.  I think, then, that a more important aspect of the game is the premise.  The premise is connected to the story because it does establish a narrative world for the characters to function inside, but it is not reliant on a plot to guide it.

1 comment:

  1. I totally agree. I think premise is more important than plot, and gameplay is probably the most important. Many plots get re-used (war games, saving princess games, etc.) and although aspects of the ploty/story differ, they are close enough that it doesnt make a difference.

    Premise, however, is what makes games unique. Think angry birds or katamari. Those are very unique premises, which make for unique and successful games. Moreover, they contain little to no plot. And most importantly, their gameplay is great and addicting and fun, and that's why we play them/

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