Game Narrative

Now that we see the game engine as a pivotal piece of film and game production, it will be a central core for content production. The kind of content that engage an audience and the gamer. Most of the recent games contain cinematic sequence that establish the storyline and introduction of character, then a certain conflict or goal acquisition is generated to motivate the gamer to continuous playing, then certain cut scenes in between the play level are inserted to move forward the storyline. This formula has proven to be effective in engaging the gamer to continuous play until the game finish. This usually involved about 50 to 70 hours of play. A game product, if it is successful is a lucrative business, generating large revenue that enable the game company to continue to produce more games. A feature film is usually about 2 to 2.5 hour long and the ticket price for a film is of course lower than a game. Say around 1/5 of a new computer game price. Yet the film narrative can be many folds and varied. The film is a incredible fluid platform for numerous kinds of content and human stories. And the way to produce a film can also be flexible. Small scale film can still be very engaging and successful in finding an audience. Although Hollywood has pretty much perfect the formula of engaging a large audience as mass entertainment, small scale film continued to be produced, stretching the form and content of the medium. Yet a game needs a large term to create and produce and company rarely stay very far away from formulas for fear of losing the cost of development. Can game be produced by personal artist like a painting? Animation can be done like that, made by a few or even a single person just like making a painting, but a game involve quite a lot of man power.