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Video games and ARG’s have become a new vestibule through which to tell stories. Video games combine a number of different story telling devices such as music, visual tools, interactivity and exciting characters. Unlike television shows, films and books, video games allow you to interact with the story, and become a part of the story. Interaction in a video game allows the game to become a three dimensional story, where each angle may contribute to another exciting discovery.

Interaction in video games has opened us up to a new form of story. The embedded narrative in a story is the frame; it is limited to short discrete non-interactive moments. What many video games and ARGs introduce us to is the “emergent” story. This is the story, which “transpires” as we play the game. The “ immutable narrative is the embedded part of the story”(Referance) . People no longer want to be voyeurs looking in; they want the opportunity to contribute. “Emergent narrative, by contrast, are the stories that evolve organically through the gameplay itself. They’re the stories that the players create for themselves. And if the game design is robust enough, they are unique to each one.”(Resource)

I believe that one must be careful not to attribute the success of an emergent story entirely to the player. A well written embedded narrative allows a player to construct a decent and exciting story rather than their own personal amateur narrative. Most importantly a good story guides the player, but leaves the actions of the player to be open. The game “Online Caroline” has a very strong embedded story; however the lack of interaction you are able to have appears to restrict your personal emergent storyline. What this illustrates to me is the point that games are not inherently a medium through which to tell stories.

The rise of the emergent narrative in game play is becoming more and more important. A compony recently changed their name to symbolise the change in direction that technological savvy game makers are incorporating. “Butterfly.net, Inc., provider of fully integrated tools, middleware and services for the online video games industry, has changed its name to Emergent Game Technologies.” (Article)

One of my favourite high school games appears to be one of the first examples of a game with a strong emergent and embedded narrative. “Paint Ball” is a physically active game played on a large field. There are two teams which represent opposing sides in the game. Naturally, the idea is to “paint/kill” your opposing team-mates by firing a paint gun. When one starts the game you are given the outline of a scenario, as you continue play each team member creates his or her own emerging story. I was excited to recently discover there is now a paint ball video game (Video Game) however, there does not appear to be a strong emerging narrative in it. It was the emergent narrative that made “Paintballing” so exciting.

A novel attribute of stories told through interactive games it the ability to interact with elements that do not affect the embedded story. It is the idea of interaction, which is the key element in an emerging story. Our ability to interact with the text is what makes “our” story different and unique from another persons. In films and books we are only exposed to elements that affect the outcome of the story, in interactive video games we may have the opportunity to interact with characters that do not affect the outcome of the story but serve to change our emergent narrative.

Everyone wants to feel unique and special. Emergent narratives make us feel special by giving us our own personal stories to experience and re-tell.

Resource:
“Thoughts on Interaction”

“More Feelings On Online Caroline”

I even found an online simulation dating game!!!! I have not tried it yet.