In the latest spotlight of EA Play, several indie developers were given the floor, who are being supported by EA. Some of them have worked on well-known titles and spoke about interesting topics – among other things, about how games and other media connect.
What is great about gaming? The developers and heads of various indie studios agree that storytelling in video games is one of the most important aspects. They want to provide players with a story that they can experience themselves.
Although other media also have such storytelling, many developers are convinced that games can convey it better. And when other media realize this, filmmakers would rush to the topic of gaming:
If you have a strong vision that you believe in […] the other media around us, such as films, will soon realize how wonderful storytelling in gaming is. In fact, they are slowly beginning to do so. […]
I know the film business; they come crawling as soon as they realize how great gaming is. Ultimately, it’s about touching people’s hearts.
Josef Fares
Whether this will work out easily, remains to be seen – some of the other developers fear that game development could be negatively influenced. Most of the devs already have experience with other media or originally come from other fields of visual or performing arts.
Who is speaking? The interview is conducted by game critic Todd Martens from the LA Times. In the interview, the heads and developers of various indie studios share their opinions on the topics. They are all united under the banner of EA Origins:
- Josef Fares, founder of Hazelight (A Way Out, It Takes Two) and originally a filmmaker
- Olav Redmalm, Creative Director at Zoink (Lost In Random), was previously a comic artist
- Abubakar Salim, co-founder of Silver Rain Studios (unannounced game), was previously an actor and producer
- Melissa Philips, Head of Studio at Silver Rain Studios, has degrees in music and philosophy
- Guha Bala, president of Velan Studios (Knockout City)
As a result, many well-known and successful games like A Way Out came to be. One of the first games of the EA Originals was Unravel, a puzzle-adventure from 2016.
Films, games, and what they can learn from each other
What does this have to do with films and others? In many other media, such as music or film, a story is also told that listeners or viewers are supposed to experience. Emotions and actions also play a significant role here.
However, according to the developers, the difference is that games are interactive and require action, while other media are passive. They are “completely different media.” Writing a script is something entirely different than creating the story for a game. Nevertheless, they believe that they can learn a lot from each other.
Games like A Way Out from Josef Fares’ studio show well how cinematic and gameplay elements can still be combined. In A Way Out, it is about prisoners trying to break out of a prison together.
The game has no single-player option and can only be played in coop. The gameplay mainly consists of quick-time events and stealth sections, often interrupted by cinematic scenes. The story also has several twists, creating the feeling of a film being played, which can only be directed to a certain extent.
The connection goes even further. More and more games are hiring real actors, such as the upcoming ARK 2, featuring Hollywood star Vin Diesel. And research is also being done in the other direction. The loot shooter Borderlands is getting its own film.
Are there also disadvantages? The developers explain that it was particularly problematic in the past to connect film and game. People who saw a film and then played the corresponding game had a false idea of what to expect.
Melissa Philips even fears that too many cinematic influences could jeopardize the “authenticity” of the game studios. In her opinion, game creators have many freedoms to implement crazy ideas. However, the more interest there is from other industries, the harder it will become to implement such ideas.
Why many coop games captivate us
According to Josef Fares, games have a completely different way of telling stories than films, namely by using gameplay elements. In It Takes Two, for example, it is about a couple that is in a relationship crisis.
In coop, you need to solve various puzzles and support each other, where you can only master the levels if you cooperate. The gameplay itself is already a metaphor for the story that the game tells – and the idea of It Takes Two is very well received.
Of course, such elements should also fit, as Guha Bala notes. A love story with shooter mechanics probably wouldn’t go down well as a serious game.
