Transmedia in Games? #DWTD

Working on Deal With The Devil has been a fantastic way to flex our brain ‘muscles’ on the way we deliver the game, and how we can tell our story through the very best of multiple media mediums (apologies for the irreverent alliteration there!). This is something that I have been fascinated by and believe is underutilized in games.

As a games professional, writer and rabid consumer of all things entertainment, I have long been captivated by the ways in which people have shared the products of their creativity with their audience.

Ages ago, I remember reading about how George Lucas first created early Star Wars pitches with WW2 dogfights cut in to illustrate his ideas. His willingness to splice in something which drove imagination in the viewer rather than laid it all out on a plate, regardless of the reasons he wasn’t able to show X-wings and Tie Fighters dueling at that time. I recall following suggestions about the evolution of film, suggestions of ways that it could be better driven by audience participation using buttons attached to their seat which  helped them decide (by majority) the course of the story.

In more recent times, I have marveled at the slick style of Tarantino’s work and the magnificent choices of soundtrack music which has been able to add rather than divert audiences from his work.

For me, each of these illustrated great ways of getting across the mood or continuing the story in ways that would perhaps not be considered in the mainstream. Even Tarantino’s use of music, though well established in Film as a genre, added depth and enhanced mood beyond classical scores, and seemingly arbitrary use of music in many other films.

Now: theorists can argue about the nature of games, and whether a game is an experience or an interactive story (or something else). That’s not the purpose of my piece; frankly that’s not really something that I’m terribly interested in debating. What I’d rather discuss with you, dear reader; is what we’re aiming for in order to fire the imagination. To share a little of what I believe is possible with a great blend of in-engine work, solid narrative, player choice and the use of complimentary media outside of traditional game format.

We will soon be launching a series of videos which tell about the backstory of the game, and within there’s a puzzle which, if solved will lead to some content to ‘whet the whistle’ of interested parties. Video and graphics used in this form should help us to get our audience used to the idea of seeing the story progress in different but complimentary ways which haven’t been as heavily brought to bear before in a game title. That is a core goal for our team. Play to our strengths, using a variety of images, graphical effects and sound to convey the story in a way more visually and audibly stimulating that a beautiful piece of CGI work, richer and culturally broad than remaining within the mainstream of how such things are often executed.

Consider this. If we’re able to provide player choice in the story through mechanics, our cut scenes and the mood, look and feel will be able to easily reflect this, all without a loss of player agency or feeling of disorientation or detachment. We will be able to create an interlinked experience which is appealing to gamers, but also piques the interest of those seeking something new, a layer of experiences which dovetail with more contemporary game flow as the story evolves. It’s ideally suited to the horror genre, which is our audience, and particularly relevant to a game which is a blend of first-person exploration and strong narrative.

I’ll admit some of the barriers that Mr. Tarantino might not be concerned with, such as costs with musical licensing and big budget scope are more of a challenge, but with a goal of providing a filmic experience which brings many forms of media to bear when immersing the player into a multi-layered story we have plenty of ammunition in our arsenal.
 
We also have some advantages when driving audience engagement. You can’t choose which ending you watch in pretty much any film, that’s a massive strength Games possess. We’re also ensuring that the experience is playable with VR, which well suits our low/no interface, environmental storytelling driven approach, and let’s be honest – beats the hell out of a pair of embarrassing looking 3D glass, in experience if not in aesthetic coolness!

 
You might be forgiven for being concerned that I’m seeking to prove something from a purely artistic perspective, but you couldn’t be more wrong. Bringing fantastic stories to life in a transmedia environment couldn’t be a more exciting commercial venture, particularly for someone who wants to run electricity through the still cold form of  a dark and sinister story!
 
As we’re ending on a macabre note, I’ll leave you with a quote from Stephen King which I believe sums up my feelings on the subject:
 
“I think we've been down here in the dark long enough. There's a whole other world upstairs. Take my hand Constant Reader and I'll be happy to lead you back into the sunshine. I'm happy to go there because I believe most people are essentially good. I know that I am. It's you I'm not entirely sure of.”