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Summary:

What really makes a video game story interactive? What's the best way to create an interactive story? How much control should players be given? Do they really want that control in the first place? Do they even know what they want-or are their stated desires at odds with the unconscious preferences? All of these questions and more are examined in this definitive book on interactive storytelling for video games. You'll get detailed descriptions of all major types of interactive stories, case studies of popular games (including Bioshock, Fallout 3, Final Fantasy XIII, Heavy Rain, and Metal Gear Solid), and how players interact with them, and an in-depth analysis of the results of a national survey on player storytelling preferences in games. You'll get the expert advice you need to generate compelling and original game concepts and narratives. With Interactive Storytelling for Video Games, you'll: * Explore popular styles and genres of games (RPGs, Online Games, First Person Shooters, and more) * Learn to create effective, original concepts and story lines with key components in mind: structure, process, characters, player desire, and outcome * Learn about what players want, what they expect, and how to create truly compelling player-driven experiences * Get access to an associated website with additional data on storytelling preferences in games, valuable PowerPoint lectures for professors for each -- of the book, and links to movies, websites, game writer discussion boards, and more.

Table of Contents:

• 1: Game Stories, Interactivity, and What Players Want
• 2: A Brief History of Storytelling in Games
• 3: The Hero's Journey and the Structure of Game Stories
• 4: The Story and the Characters
• 5: Making Stories Emotional
• 6: Defining Interactive and Player-Driven Storytelling
• 7: Fully Traditional and Interactive Traditional Stories
• 8: Multiple-Ending Stories
• 9: Branching Path Stories
• 10: Open-Ended Stories
• 11: Fully Player-Driven Stories
• 12: The Argument for the Supremacy of Player-Driven Storytelling
• 13: The Argument Against the Supremacy of Player-Driven Storytelling
• 14: What Players Really Want: The Most Important Issue
• 15: The Future of Storytelling in Games
• Appendix A: Game Writing Groups and Other Useful Resources
• Appendix B: Survey Data Bibliography and References.

Author/Creator:

Lebowitz, Josiah

Contributors:

Klug, Chris

Languages:

English

Language Notes:

Item content: English

Main Work:

Interactive storytelling for video games: a player-centered approach to creating memorable characters and stories [by Lebowitz, J.]

Other Related Resources:

Print version: Interactive storytelling for video games [by Lebowitz, J.] (Burlington, MA : Focal Press, ©2011 — ISBN 9780240817170; OCLC Number 670484620)

Subjects:

Video games — Authorship

Video games

General Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.
Description based on: Print version record.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (xi, 319 pages)

Digital Characteristics:

text file

Call Numbers:

GV1469.34.A97 L43 2011eb

ISBNs:

9780240817187 (electronic bk.)
0240817184 (electronic bk.)
9780240817170 (electronic bk.)
0240817176 (electronic bk.)
9781136127335
113612733X

Other Standard Numbers:

[Unknown Type]: 9786613612595

OCLC Numbers:

706802880