The Makings of a Video Game Story
A story, in general, is a sequence of told events that eventually culminate in an outcome. This applies to all forms of media, whether it be a movie, book or video game. But what are the unique components that make up a video game story?
Since games allow more choice when compared to traditional forms of media (movies, books), the player has the unique ability to dictate how a story plays out. This is an important element that any video game developer should consider, as part of the two main types of video games stories: the traditional, planned narrative (think linear/on rails) and the emergent narrative (think open world, sandbox).
Computer science student and video game developer, Dexomega, recently went in-depth on these two types of video game stories. You can read the article here on Kotaku for more insight.
Common Video Game Questions
Rami Ismail, Biz & Dev expert at Vlambeer (developers of Ridiculous Fishing, Luftrausers), recently sat down with GamaSutra to answer some of the most common indie development questions he gets from fans and other aspiring developers.
When asked how to get started, or get better at making games, Rami said “[simply] make a game. Games can be infinitely complex, from designing game mechanics, creating spritesheets, to writing code. The defining difference between a ‘better’ developer and a ‘lesser’ one isn’t technical knowledge - it’s experience.”
Rami provides insight into other important areas of indie dev - including how to get press and attention for your game, work ethic and even feminism. Check out his answers here on GamaSutra.
China Mobile Gaming to Surpass U.S.
According to a recent report by research firm Superdata, China is surprisingly expected to take lead in the mobile gaming market by 2015, surpassing the US. If the market stays consistent, gamers in China are on track to spend $3B this year on mobile gaming.
Microsoft is already jumping on the trend, as they recently announced that their Xbox One will go on sale in China later this year. King (maker of Candy Crush Saga), is also making moves to bring their popular game to the country.
You can see a good chunk of the detailed report, broken down for easy reading, here on VentureBeat with industry predictions.
