Intro
The history of games has always been focused on stories - whether it is saving the princess from Donkey Kong as Mario or attempting to roll as many objects as possible into your katamari, games have objectives, and as such have narrative. As games become more complicated, the stories have also become more complicated, as have the ways in which we immerse ourselves in new worlds. In this paper, three aspects of the future of video games will be explored - the concept of 'virtual space,' the need to make video games 'real,' and the need for a strong storyline. The historical significance and the current state of 3D gaming will also be explored, in order to properly assess its future.
History and Significance
The history of 3D gaming has shown itself to be very significant in the development of new media. In the 1960s, movies were beginning to be made by computer, demonstrating a unique utility for this calculating device (Knowlton, 1968). These experiments even toyed around with the first ideas of 3D, as crossed-polaroid glasses were used to attempt to give viewers a grasp of what four dimensional objects might look like.
The significance of computers and 3D gaming has varied over the years; while it was a huge trend in the 1990s, it faded into obscurity as the 'gimmick' of VR went out of fashion (Dastagir, 2012). However, with the success of 3D movies, and the sale of consumer 3D televisions, interest in virtual reality and further immersion into a game world has come into prominence once again. With that in mind, it is necessary to investigate the various aspects and appeals of virtual reality in order to see how virtual environments can and will be implemented in 3D gaming in the future.
Alternative Experience - Davies
In Davies' essay "Virtual Space" (2004), he denotes the need for artists to create a 'virtual space,' an immersive environment in which breathing, seeing and hearing are all immersed in a wholly artificial space. Virtual environments, to Davies' eyes, are capable of fully integrating an individual in the world, as real-time interaction takes place with other objects and people within the same space. The appeal of virtual space is the abstract nature of it, with objects being both material and immaterial - from a games design standpoint, this makes some items interactive and others static. This makes virtual space "physically innovating," as the space is both real and not real, and this engages the player in a new way that has not been anticipated before (Davies, 2004).
Davies proposes an alternative sensibility that is touted as "a spatiality without things" (2004). Drawing from his own experiences with myopia, Davies wishes to replicate the experience of alternative spatiality in which things are dissolved in light; there are no hard edges or distinctions between near and far. Repeating this type of alternative experience in a 3D environment, users' perceptions and senses can be challenged, and they can find new ways to adjust themselves and interact with the world around them. Virtual reality often leans toward disembodiment, which is a tool that can be used in 3D gaming to further create this alternative experience (Davies, 2004).
The immersive nature of virtual space is at the heart of its appeal as a games medium - the intimacy and solitude experienced in a virtual space. The fact that a person is so ingrained into a virtual world makes it much more performative - the user feels as though they are performing or presenting for others, and alter their behavior accordingly. This aspect of virtual space adds a sense of self-presence not present in other 2D media (Paul, 2008). In order for games to take advantage of this sense of virtual space, interactivity must be emphasized, and efforts at creating a sense of awe must be accomplished.
Making It Real - Hayles
The disembodiment of cyberspace is made evident in Hayles' "Embodied Virtuality: Or How to Put Bodies Back Into the Picture" (1996). In virtual reality, people are removed from their bodies and exist potentially as pure consciousness, or at least it is said in the pervading media surrounding cyberspace. The reasons for leaving our body behind are numerous; first, people are aware of the flaws of their own body represented in real life - with cyberspace, there is the potential to leave that behind and becoming something more (Hayles, 1996).
According to Hayles, however, this idea of leaving the body behind is only one part of a strict sense of binary thinking that limits the level to which interactivity can be found in virtual reality. Hayles believes that there is the potential for a spectrum of interactivity and limited embodiment that allows the body to remain in the picture. The body allows for the medium of interactivity with a virtual environment, after all; however, upon entering VR, body boundaries have somewhat fuzzier limits. Gendered differences in embodiment and visceral experience in VR revealed that men typically have a smoother experience transitioning to the new environment. Women, on the other hand, have a much more concrete connection to their bodies, and they are accustomed to using their bodies to identify their point of view (Hayles, 1996).
Applied to 3D gaming, these perspectives often take a decidedly masculine turn, due to the male-centric market for video games. Games often have a violent and sexist aesthetic when they are marketed to men, but there is the potential to stretch these definitions in virtual reality and free up new forms of gaming. At the same time, Hayles believes that the body is still an integral part of the VR experience, as that is our method of experiencing the world around us. Examples like the Placeholder simulation allow for VR users to embody a different type of body - snake, crow, or other - and learn how to do things that lie outside the realm of the possible for human bodies, while still grounding it in some sort of visceral experience (Hayles, 1996).
Story Line - Laurel
Brenda Laurel, in her essay "The Six Elements and the Causal Relations Among Them" (1986), denotes the importance of story and drama in a story or work, particularly in the context of computer games. The Aristotelean model for drama is presented as a strong, elegant example of how to handle elements of a story. The six categories are: Action, Character, Thought, Language, Pattern, and Enactment - in computer games, the enactment plays a much larger role, as the viewer is asked to participate in the story, unlike the static, on-rails presentation of a story in other media (Laurel, 1986).
Thought, as one of the aspects of drama and story, is one of the most important aspects of forming a narrative. Having other characters around the user who appear to have thought helps to create a more immersive experience; the user can then infer the characters' intentions and motivations through their actions, and react accordingly (Laurel, 1986). For example, in a first person shooter, a non player character without thought can still simulate thought by taking cover when the player is shooting at them. With that in mind, the player is more immersed in the player experience, as the other character exhibits some semblance of thought by employing tactics in their actions.
When considering story in the course of a computer game, the action must be used to create a seamless whole; the story must have a beginning, middle and end. Without this, there is no true story, and there is no connection from the player or investment in what happens to the characters. The action of a play is much like the action of a video game; characters are there to serve the action. The largest difference is that one of the characters is represented by the player, and they must fill that role in becoming invested in the story. Laurel concludes that "if we aim to design human-computer activities that are - dare we say - beautiful, this criterion must be used in deciding, for instance, what a person should be required to do, or what a computer-based agent should be represented as doing, in the course of the action." (Laurel, 1986).
Present Works
Currently, there are a few instances of experimentation into 3D virtual spaces, such as those implemented by Davies - Osmose and Ephemere. However, these works are a bodily experiential platforms, and do not present the type of 3D that is often referred to in virtual reality gaming, though they represent the immersion of virtual spaces and embodiment within said space (Davies, 2004). In the realm of 3D media and video games as a whole, there are many instances where narrative and inhabiting a virtual space are explored to date. From a narrative standpoint, video games are often becoming more complex in narrative, as they bring gamers further and further into the story.
The need for nuanced characters and complicated stories are seen in widely popular games like the Halo series, in which a typical first-person shooter series is imbued with a deep, operatic narrative. Role playing games are the natural extension of an emphasis on story in video games, with richly drawn, compelling characters in original and engrossing stories being used to create a sense of agency and embodiment in a world. The Mass Effect series of role-playing games, for instance, while not 3D, are regarded as some of the more story-oriented games to be released with such a degree of popularity and cultural acceptance. While there is a prescripted narrative, the player character makes a great many choices regarding the path taken to follow the story, the way in which their player character (a fully customizable space marine named Shepard) interacts with - or even romances - their fellow crewmates, and the fate of the galaxy itself. The illusion of free choice is presented organically to create an interactive narrative of a caliber that is necessary for success in all gaming, including 3D gaming (Laurel, 1986).
In terms of 3D gaming, present works typically utilize the stereoscopic effect of making images pop out at a screen, in order to bring a more visceral closeness to the environment. Some games, including Batman Arkham Asylum, include 3D glasses with which to view the stereoscopic features of the game - this is meant to give a greater immediacy to the game, and allow the player to embody the character of Batman. As for completely immersive virtual reality, the technology to create fully immersive virtual worlds is still a very long way off; the kind of immersive 3D software that was experimented with in the early 1990s was shown to be somewhat cumbersome, and the graphics were not up to the standard consumers want in order to feel fully disembodies. With that in mind, the 3D gaming that is being considered the most regularly right now is the kind of stereoscopic 3D game which includes the 3D version of Batman Arkham Asylum (Murph, 2010).
Conclusion
In conclusion, the realm of 3D gaming has great potential for being integrated into the computer gaming world. There are substantial advances that can be made in the fields of story line and interactivity that should be explored in future projects. In order to do so, however, notions of embodiment and what it means to inhabit a virtual space must be considered. As with all other types of gaming, as well, narrative and action must also be considered. Many present and future attempts at 3D gaming will be used to enhance both narrative gaming and the means by which we can perceive reality, even if it is virtual.
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