Storytelling (part 5)

Whether you prefer to consume stories through books, movies, video games, tv series, or all of the above, good writers are needed to make that medium successful. If good writers are migrating to a medium that is more lucrative, we may find less quality writing in other mediums. Ultimately, the good writers are usually going to go where they can make the best living, except for the rare outlier that insists on devotion to a particular medium regardless of the reward. Try and support everything, and you will not only encourage growth in various creative writing industries, you may also be surprised to find amazing stories just waiting for you in areas you never expected!

Storytelling (part 4)

Stories told through a TV series--which often lasts for at least a season of 12 episodes--enables a substantial amount of time to be devoted to plot and character development. Viewers can choose their own pace with the ability to watch entire seasons without interruption through streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, or Amazon Prime. Some series last for multiple seasons, such as Game of Thrones or The Walking Dead, which both stretched beyond 9 seasons long. Writers for an ongoing TV series have immense design space to work with, though they also must be careful to keep developments consistent to maintain viewership. Fans latch onto certain characters unexpectedly. Stray too far from established canon or write a popular character out of existence, and the resulting backlash from angry viewers might mean a writer has written their last season.

Storytelling (part 3)

Video games are not taken as seriously regarding writing quality and story content when compared with books, movies, and TV series. However, this perspective is beginning to change. Professional writers are being paid well by video game companies and have also realized that video games involve an even more dynamic method of storytelling than traditional mediums. Stories in video games often involve player choice, which requires a writer to consider alternate outcomes and write multiple branching paths for a storyline, such as in a role-playing game or visual novel. Other video games have linear storylines, but the length of a typical video game--sometimes requiring 30 to 60 hours to complete--allows much more time to be devoted to character development. As a result, video games often have some of the most memorable characters, evoking a more powerful emotional impact and response in those who spent so much time in the game with them.

Storytelling (part 2)

I’ve always been a big fan of movies, and my wife can tell you that I’ve certainly seen far too many. Over the years, though, I’ve found myself gravitating to movies less and less, not only because I think the quality may have dipped, I also think that the average movie length of 2 hours really compresses a story and limits character development. We’ve all seen movies based on books we’ve read, and to this day, I have never heard anyone say that the movie was better than the book—movies always have to leave out material and nuances in order to fit the book content into about 2 hours. It is quite possible that I’ve been somewhat spoiled by watching various TV series, with stories and characters developed over an entire season of 12+ hours. However, sometimes I absolutely prefer watching a movie instead, because I enjoy having everything resolved by the end of the experience, rather than have to devote more hours to find out what happens. Movies don’t necessarily lack in substance, either—sometimes a short movie can convey powerful character development and deliver a story that you will never forget. The recent film, “Parasite,” is a fantastic movie that impacted me deeply, and was a great reminder to me that films will always remain a powerful way to tell a story.

Storytelling (part 1)

How are we consuming stories these days? Reading a good book used to be the only way to experience a great story, but that has changed. Books are still as popular as ever, but we now have other forms of entertainment through which we can experience an amazing story. Successful movies, TV Series, and video games usually involved well-developed stories, and though not all cases of success in those mediums involved a solid story, it is likely that you were most impacted by those that did. Storytelling has taken on many forms, yes, but whatever the method of delivery, a good story will stay with you and create a mental landmark in your life. I still remember where I was in life when finishing my favorite books, who I talked excitedly with after watching my favorite movies, and how I stared at the screen in shock during a major plot twist in a video game I played. Good stories generate an experience that lives with us, almost as if we had been there, experiencing it ourselves. But what type of method do you prefer to experience stories through? Is it a book, a movie, a TV show, or a video game?

Entertainment in 2020 (part 5)

What else might become a thing of the past? Movie theaters are still around, despite the many naysayers who predict the theater industry will end. Going to the movies does remain an activity that still draws enough interest to persist, but a large portion of the movie-going populance these days seems to be teenagers who just want to get out of the house and see their friends. Home theaters have all but replaced the need to visit the theater, and the incentive is becoming even smaller as new releases find their way to streaming services only a few months after release in the theaters. A good portion (around 12%) of theater revenue is generated by teens, so higher ticket prices is not the way to go with a population that works only a few hours a week at minimum wage. Thankfully, the largest (around 25%) demographic that attends movies is ages 25-39, but statistics show that they are spending less discretionary income on the movies, attending an average of 4 times a year. Despite all this, though, movie theaters have been doing better since a huge dip in 2015, and projections have them doing even better in 2025. Perhaps the movie theater will survive this era of convenient and affordable digital access? It's fought through slumps before, but lets hope they'll use substance in their films to draw us instead of gimmicks...nobody loves the 3D glasses.

Entertainment in 2020 (part 4)

What is being left behind to become a thing of the past? We all watched as Blockbuster Video wimpered into obsolescence, but what is next? Gamestop, sadly, is very likely to be on its way out, because after the next (and last?) console release, what would you buy at Gamestop? I remember when people were saying Gamestop was doomed back in 2013, that digital gaming was going to destroy Gamestop just like online movies had destroyed Blockbuster, but it was too soon—there was still life left in the retailer, because the PS4 and Xbox 360 were coming. I'm not much of a day trader, and I wish I'd put a lot more money in than I did, but I bought some of their stock when it was hovering around $23 a share, and after the console release, the stock shot up to $54. I sold it all, suspecting it wouldn't last, and only a few months after the console boom, the stock prices started falling, after a peak around $56. Today, it's selling for $4 a share. This is very sad, because I love visiting Gamestop, talking with the employees about games, and physically browsing through their video game inventory. However, some things--like the newspaper--just can't compete with the convenience of digital offerings.

Entertainment in 2020 (part 3)

Are you on Netflix? Hulu? Amazon Prime? Disney +? The list is ever expanding, and it is likely to continue, as these companies strive to create their own high quality exclusive content to attract subscribers. Monthly subscription fees for streaming TV are quickly replacing cable and satellite TV, with the capability of being viewed easily through any of your devices. Much cheaper than those expensive cable bills, available anywhere with internet access, totally commercial-free, and the availability of entire seasons to watch any time you choose, the new era of TV has arrived, and we're definitely not going back. What's next? It could be a dark future, because those advertisers always seem to find a way!

Entertainment in 2020 (part 2)

2020 may mark the last year we'll see new gaming consoles enter the market, but it's going to be a great year, with the arrival of the new Playstation 5 and Xbox Series X (and maybe something from Nintendo?) Gaming consoles have been around for 4 solid decades, but it is looking less and less likely that they will continue to be necessary in the future. Google's Stadia is unfortunately going to create an entirely different landscape, where online game streaming replaces the need for a console entirely. Sony and Microsoft are actually teaming up to combine their own resources to compete with Stadia, creating their own joint online gaming service. Soon, we will be streaming games on our TV's, with only the controllers remaining as the single piece of gaming hardware that survives into the future.

Entertainment in 2020 (part 1)

It's 2020, so what should we expect for the future of entertainment? Virtual Reality (VR) and Altered Reality (AR), together often referred to as Mixed reality (MR), will be a large part of the future of entertainment. As headsets become cheaper, smaller, and more portable, without that annoying cable attached. It won't be long before a simple pair of glasses will enable you to see AR in your daily life, and I imagine that we will be walking through a grocery store seeing special deals and animated ads flashing before our eyes. Think about games like Pokemon Go and how AR is used to bring video game characters “into” our real world, and I imagine this technology will only go further, with movies no longer being events we go to a theater to see. We very well might congregate with others at a particular location to experience the movie in the world around us.

How to Build a Game (part 5/5)

Game design is a very complicated process and there are so many steps along the way that it is incredibly daunting if you fully understand what you’re getting into. In some ways, it might be best to not know everything that will be involved when you begin, because otherwise, you might not even try and take that first step. Once you’ve begun and started formulating your ideas, though, you do need to start mapping out what you’re going to need, what you’ll be doing, what resources you’ll have available to you, and what your budget will be. For me, when I began working on my visual novel, I knew that I could write the story and compose the music myself. I found a program that would enable me to construct the game with minimal coding (because I lack experience in that area), and I began hunting for artists that had a style that fit with my vision of the game. I plotted out the very minimum number of art backgrounds I’d need for my game based on the story I’d imagined in my mind, and then started emailing those artists for their rates and availability. Eventually, agreements were made for certain scenes and the artwork began while I worked on the story and music compositions. Along the way, I tried my best to keep the story and the branching story paths contained within the parameters I’d set for myself, but I’ll admit, there were a few extra scenes I really wanted that I ended up commissioning from the artists in addition to the artwork I’d planned for at the beginning. Thankfully, everything has been coming together, and I recently finished the demo for The Star Legation. Now I just need to finish the other 95% of the game! My last recommendation to game designers is this: do your best to maintain your vision, and believe in it. When you believe in your work, others might, too!

How to Build a Game (part 4/5)

Innovation in your game design doesn’t necessarily have to involve breaking traditions of that genre, though if you are willing to go that route and take the risks, it can definitely make your game stand out. Innovation can also exist within a genre and its traditions through the subject matter or characters. As a random example, I don’t think there are currently any RPG’s about playing as an accountant or bank teller, but who knows, maybe someone will find a way to make an interesting game with characters in those professions. Even if all the standard RPG game mechanics were still present, the setting and characters—and consequently, the storyline—would be unusual enough to possibly gain the curiosity of gamers. The point is that something needs to make your game stand out, because you should be asking yourself this question from the very beginning: Why would people buy my game instead of other, similar games? However, one of the biggest challenges when trying to innovate is not to do it just to be able to claim you were innovative. In any creative profession, it is often easy to identify when a person has a genuine, unique idea and when something has been entirely contrived. Whether you break traditions through a unique story, setting, characters, or by altering traditional gameplay within a genre, remember that you really need to be a believer in those changes and put a lot of thought into the new design. Otherwise, it won’t be long before you’ll be called out on it in game reviews.

How to Build a Game (part 3/5)

Staying within the traditional design of a particular genre is fine if you like that tradition. It allows you to move forward with game elements that you are more excited about, whether it be programming your spin on gameplay or telling the story you want to tell. If you’re writing a video game RPG and intend to follow the conventions of that genre, then your story, your characters, and the battle gameplay will really have to shine to gain interest. It is vitally important, however, that you consider your target audience. If you just want to write the game because it’s what YOU like, then you may end up with a vanity project that is not incredibly marketable—it might only appeal to the people that happen to share your exact interest. It is of course important to make a game that you would like to play yourself, but it also has to be marketable to as many others as possible. Try to tap into what your potential audience might be interested in, and then give them that without compromising too much on your own vision. One danger to following all of the traditions of a genre, however, is that there are many, many others who are doing the exact same thing. All of these designers are relying on other elements to capture gamer interest in a very competitive market, whether it is through expensive production, attractive character art, impressive soundtracks and voice acting, or aggressive marketing. If you don’t think you can compete with any of this enough to be noticed, then you need your audience to see something unique in what you’re doing.

How to Build a Game (part 2/5)

Now that you’ve decided on what type of game you want to make, it’s a good idea to ask yourself what it is you like and dislike about this type of genre. The list of likes might be elements you want to include in your game, or even expand upon. The dislikes could be a little more difficult to address, however, because they might be tenets of that genre—traditions that every game designer before you has more or less followed. If you dislike a game element enough to try and change it, be prepared to spend a lot of time trying out new things, challenging paradigms, and doing lots and lots of beta testing. Because it’s very unlikely that any innovation you developed will nicely snap into place—it will cause problems, at least at first. The problems your innovation generates might be so significant that they could destroy your enthusiasm for continuing. Or, you might like your innovation but, because it’s so different, might be too “outside of the box” for other gamers who prefer a more traditional approach. Often, people fall back to traditional design because it’s tried and true—it’s been tested, it works, and it’s easy to move forward with your game design if you stay inside the lines. Is that what you want, and is it necessarily a bad thing?

How to Build a Game (part 1/5)

Whether you are are an aspiring video game developer, a board game designer, or a tabletop RPG designer, the first question is often the hardest to answer. Where do you start? The options are overwhelming, and can cripple you as you sift through the possibilities. There are some development tools available to game designers that will help you narrow it down, such as the video game design program, Unity. As you explore Unity, you’ll see templates available for a variety of different video game genres. First Person Shooter, RTS, or RPG? 2D platformer, or 3D space shooter? The designers of the Unity program know that the first step you need to take in any type of game design is to decide what type of game you want to make. Deciding on parameters is a crucial step, because having limitations will keep you focused. Endless options are the enemy of the creative mind, though it might seem counterintuitive to suggest this. Think of it this way: if you were told to write a music composition and were given every note to use, you’ll immediately want to narrow things down a little and make some decisions. Should it be in a major key, a minor, or something else? What type of meter do you want to use? What style do you want to write in? Game designers need to make the same types of decisions before starting in order to begin producing something cohesive.

Social or Antisocial Tech? (part 5)

So, researchers, sound the alarm if you want to, and try to raise awareness of the social dangers technology will cause us. It never hurts to be wary. I do understand that sometimes sitting at the dinner table with family and everyone is looking at their phones can be a bad sign, but all it takes is a little decency to put those phones down when somebody decides they want to say something. It is natural to have a lull in conversation even among close family, and I don't think there's anything wrong with picking up a smartphone to check messages or browse online if you're bored. But like anything else--it doesn't matter what you're doing—we just need to have the common sense to prioritize others over ourselves and to look up from those phones when they want to interact with us. None of us are going to be around forever, so we shouldn't miss the opportunities we have to talk with each other. As long as we're communicating—and this depends on how we manage it--technology might actually be a bridge, not an obstacle.

Social or Antisocial Tech? (part 4)

Technology has also allowed us to connect more quickly and freelywith each other than before. Facetime, Skype, and other video chat platforms allow for people to connect and talk through a smartphone, computer, or TV screen. My daughter has performed violin music for my parents over an online chat session, which is a great way for our families to connect despite living at opposite ends of the U.S. I use videochat to conduct business as well, and have good conversations with my clients regularly as if they are right in the room with me. Texting, snapchat, and even messaging through Twitter have also connected us more, and though Elon Musk asserts that we are already cyborgs—communicating with each other through typed text more than the spoken word—it is far more efficient than making a phone call, waiting for an answer, leaving a message, and then waiting for a call back, which usually comes at the most inopportune moments. Texting can be done instantly no matter where you are or what you're doing, can be read whenever its convenient, and rarely take more than a few moments to respond quickly. I've interacted more with my teenage daughter with texting throughout the day than I'd normally be able to interact with her—sometimes I get home from work so late she's already asleep and I've barely talked with her the entire day. We have fun, sharing stories, funny emojis and memes, and just being a part of each-other's daily life.

Social or Antisocial Tech? (part 3)

Another way that technology has improved my social interaction is through online gaming. I'll admit, I'm not much of an online gamer because I enjoy the solitude of single player games after a long day at work talking with people. But, I do enjoy meeting with a few online friends to play a game together that we both enjoy, chatting about life while playing at the same time. I'd be surprised if some of you said you'd never secretly played a video game during a phone conversation with someone, so it's not much different talking during an online game session. People rarely choose to gather just to talk, but the excuse of a shared activity often brings out the best conversations. Amateur games of golf aren't usually about the sport as much as they are about the social experience of walking around together outside, so just like any other hobby, indoor or outdoor, online multiplayer games are a great reason to get together and socialize. Plus, they're a lot more affordable as hobbies than something like golf, they are unaffected by weather, and they require zero travel time. Online games are a perfect choice for someone like me who hates driving and being outdoors!

Social or Antisocial Tech? (part 2)

While it is certainly true that I make fewer phone calls from home than I used to, the fact that I can carry my smartphone with me and talk anywhere has actually improved my relationships with friends and family. Life is so busy these days, with work plus family to take care of at home, it becomes less and less practical to set aside time to sit down at home and pick up the phone to call and talk to a family member or a friend. They're often just as busy as I am, so finding a time to set aside to just talk can be difficult. For me, the best time to talk is during my long commutes to and from work, and I often call friends or family during these times. It's a great time to catch up, and I don't feel impatient or hurried with the conversations, because there's nothing else I can run off to do if I'm sitting in busy traffic. My relationship with parents and close friends has improved a lot over the years thanks to smartphones—I'll call and talk with them several times a week instead of letting weeks elapse before making the time to sit down for a landline conversation at home. I don't even have a landline anymore, either...do you?

Social or Antisocial Tech? (part 1)

Is technology making us anti-social? This question is being asked more and more lately, and researchers have been saying yes, it does. Yet in my experience, I believe the opposite is true, and I don't think my life is that different from yours. Researchers assert that with portable computers and smartphones, we are connecting more often with people in the virtual world, but we communicate much less with people in the real world. I won't argue that there are definitely some people that have an actual problem and are too invested in their devices, neglecting real-world relationships to a degree that is unhealthy. But there will always be outliers in every situation—those examples are certainly not something to panic over. As social communication through technology has advanced over the years, I've actually found it to enhance my relationships with people in the real world, rather than hurt them...