From @robpratten, explaining why story in games = higher engagement ("narrative presence" = ++profit) ow.ly/f6yo7- Audience Engagement: Designing for Intrinsic Motivations - Transmedia StorytellerAudience Engagement: Designing for Intrinsic Motivations from Robert Pratten
@Jeff_Gomez @robpratten A solid and thoughtful presentation... but I’m not convinced by the core proposal that story = more profit.
@ivanovitch @Jeff_Gomez research shows that more immersive experience leads to better word of mouth = more sales- @robpratten @Jeff_Gomez Well, sure. BETTER story leads to BETTER profit. But that’s different than story being essential to success, right?
- @ivanovitch @robpratten Dude! Story = more profit not cause it sells more games but because it allows the brand to traverse media.
- @Jeff_Gomez @robpratten So story = more potential franchise profit, not necessarily more successful game sales? THAT I would agree with.
- @ivanovitch @robpratten Dense convoluted vidgame narratives don't travel but classic epic storytelling does. Our game clients now all agree!
- @ivanovitch @Jeff_Gomez well without story there's no "narrative presence" meaning the player doesn't feel their actions matter.
- @robpratten @Jeff_Gomez Not to fall back on old examples, but I feel like Tetris disproves that, and demos game success w/out story.
- @robpratten @Jeff_Gomez But to Jeff’s point, Tetris had ZERO potential as a narrative-driven extended franchise.
- @ivanovitch @Jeff_Gomez so it's not that it's *essential* but better for it -> greater satisfaction.
- @robpratten @Jeff_Gomez I know some people who find Tetris the most satisfying game ever. Maybe *different* satisfaction, not greater?
- @jeff_gomez @ivanovitch Agreed of course - that too. Couldn't fit in 140 chars :)
- @ivanovitch @robpratten If I'm talking about it, it's about traversing media, though engaging story helps distinguish a brand from rivals.
- @robpratten @Jeff_Gomez I mean, to be fair, we’re waist-deep in the endless debate between mechanics and narrative here.
- @robpratten @ivanovitch Ha! I do think that even Tetris has a brand narrative, one that distinguishes it from hundreds of shape games.
- @Jeff_Gomez @robpratten Don’t disagree, but brand narrative and “fiction” narrative have different properties and goals.
- @robpratten @tonywalsh @Jeff_Gomez Yes, but narrative in many games is nothing more than pretense. Does story “matter” in Plants v Zombies?
- @robpratten @tonywalsh @Jeff_Gomez Would you say story in Angry Birds is a critical factor in game’s success?
simon_staffans
Simon Staffans
Format developer. Cross media, transmedia - just basically telling good stories in new ways, together with the audience. The notion of distant mountains...:)
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