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Embedded narrative in game design

Published: 06 May 2010 Publication History

Abstract

This paper studies narrative embedding in games, a phenomenon that has rarely been discussed in game studies. To understand the issues better, this work first seeks insights into embedding from narrative theory and sets up a descriptive framework that includes a categorization of horizontal, vertical and modal embedding, as well as their associated characteristics. The paper then applies the framework to game narratives and examines how narrative embedding is implemented in games, how it helps structure the narrative content, and how it influences the narrative experience. By relating theoretical discussions to game examples, the findings of this study can potentially help game narrative designers make more informed decisions when embedding narrative in games.

References

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Adams, E. 2010. Fundamentals of Game Design. New Riders, Berkeley, CA.
[2]
Bailey, W. R. 2006. Inviting Subversion: Metalepses and Tmesis in Rockstar Games' Grand Theft Auto Series. In Garrelts, N. ed. The Meaning and Culture of Grand Theft Auto: Critical Essays. McFarland & Company, Jefferson, NC, 210--225.
[3]
Bal, M. 2009. Narratology: Introduction to the Theory of Narrative. University of Toronto Press, Toronto, Canada.
[4]
Church, D. 2006. Formal Abstract Design Tools. In Salen, K. and Zimmerman, E. eds. The Game Design Reader: A Rules of Play Anthology. The MIT Press, Cambridge, MA, 366--380.
[5]
Dinehart, S. 2009. Dramatic Play. Gamasutra.com, (June 25, 2009), http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/4061/dramatic_play.php
[6]
Herman, D., Jahn, M. and Ryan, M. eds. Routledge Encyclopedia of Narrative Theory. Routledge, London, UK; New York, NY, 2005.
[7]
Jenkins, H. 2004. Game Design as Narrative Architecture. In Wardrip-Fruin, N. and Harrigan, P. eds. First Person: New Media as Story, Performance, and Game. MIT Press, Cambridge, MA, 118--130.
[8]
Juul, J. 2004. Introduction to Game Time. In Wardrip-Fruin, N. and Harrigan, P. eds. First Person: New Media as Story, Performance, and Game. MIT Press, Cambridge, MA, 131--142.
[9]
Mechner, J. 2007. The Sands of Time: Crafting a Video Game Story. In Harrigan, P. and Wardrip-Fruin, N. eds. Second Person: Role-Playing and Story in Games and Playable Media. MIT Press, Cambridge, Mass, 111--120.
[10]
Nelles, W. 1997. Frameworks: Narrative Levels and Embedded Narrative. Peter Lang, New York, NY.
[11]
Rouse III, R. 2005. Game Design Theory and Practice. Wordware Publishing (Books24x7), Plano, TX.
[12]
Ryan, M. 2002. Stacks, Frames, and Boundaries. In Richardson, B. ed. Narrative Dynamics: Essays on Plot, Time, Closure, and Frames. Ohio State University Press, Columbus, 366--386.
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Salen, K. and Zimmerman, E. 2004. Rules of Play: Game Design Fundamentals. MIT Press, Cambridge, MA.

Cited By

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  • (2024)Playing roguesEludamos: Journal for Computer Game Culture10.7557/23.775015:1(97-124)Online publication date: 31-Dec-2024
  • (2024)"Wow another fake game from YouTube ad": Unpacking Fake Games Through a Mixed-Methods InvestigationProceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction10.1145/36771158:CHI PLAY(1-36)Online publication date: 15-Oct-2024
  • (2024)ConnectVR: A Trigger-Action Interface for Creating Agent-based Interactive VR Stories2024 IEEE Conference Virtual Reality and 3D User Interfaces (VR)10.1109/VR58804.2024.00051(286-297)Online publication date: 16-Mar-2024
  • Show More Cited By

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Reviews

John M. Artz

The existence of this paper is more interesting and remarkable than its actual content. We are used to analysis of narratives in novels and films, but only recently have scholars begun to analyze the narratives in video games. Wei attempts to begin bridging the gap between narrative theory and video game design by elaborating on the possibilities for embedding narratives in a video game: horizontal (single-level games with multiple narrators), vertical (multi-level or story-within-a-story games), and modal (alternate reality, similar to when the screen goes wavy in a TV show). I suspect that experts in narrative theory would find this paper to be elementary, at best. Video game designers would find it barely comprehensible. What is evident is the chasm between an analytical field such as narrative theory, which is concerned with naming types of phenomena, and a synthetic or design field such as video game design, which is concerned with producing outcomes. The video game designer who reads this paper would say, "That is all well and good, but which approach do I choose to produce a particular result__?__" The student of narrative theory would say, "You need more examples in video games for us to study." We do, however, have to start somewhere. Online Computing Reviews Service

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cover image ACM Other conferences
Futureplay '10: Proceedings of the International Academic Conference on the Future of Game Design and Technology
May 2010
282 pages
ISBN:9781450302357
DOI:10.1145/1920778
  • Conference Chairs:
  • Bill Kapralos,
  • Andrew Hogue,
  • Simon Xu
Permission to make digital or hard copies of all or part of this work for personal or classroom use is granted without fee provided that copies are not made or distributed for profit or commercial advantage and that copies bear this notice and the full citation on the first page. Copyrights for components of this work owned by others than ACM must be honored. Abstracting with credit is permitted. To copy otherwise, or republish, to post on servers or to redistribute to lists, requires prior specific permission and/or a fee. Request permissions from [email protected]

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  • Algoma University College

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Association for Computing Machinery

New York, NY, United States

Publication History

Published: 06 May 2010

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Author Tags

  1. computer game
  2. embedded narrative
  3. embedding
  4. game narrative
  5. narrative design
  6. narrative level

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  • Research-article

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Futureplay '10
Sponsor:
Futureplay '10: Futureplay '10 @ GDC Canada
May 6 - 7, 2010
British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada

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Cited By

View all
  • (2024)Playing roguesEludamos: Journal for Computer Game Culture10.7557/23.775015:1(97-124)Online publication date: 31-Dec-2024
  • (2024)"Wow another fake game from YouTube ad": Unpacking Fake Games Through a Mixed-Methods InvestigationProceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction10.1145/36771158:CHI PLAY(1-36)Online publication date: 15-Oct-2024
  • (2024)ConnectVR: A Trigger-Action Interface for Creating Agent-based Interactive VR Stories2024 IEEE Conference Virtual Reality and 3D User Interfaces (VR)10.1109/VR58804.2024.00051(286-297)Online publication date: 16-Mar-2024
  • (2022)Conveyance of Narrative Through Digital Game EnvironmentsHCI in Games10.1007/978-3-031-05637-6_9(141-159)Online publication date: 16-Jun-2022
  • (2016)A cognitive-based model of flashbacks for computational narrativesProceedings of the Twelfth AAAI Conference on Artificial Intelligence and Interactive Digital Entertainment10.5555/3505288.3505323(239-246)Online publication date: 8-Oct-2016
  • (2014)Measuring cognitive load in practicing arithmetic using educational video games on a shared displayComputers in Human Behavior10.1016/j.chb.2014.10.01641:C(351-356)Online publication date: 1-Dec-2014

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