GameblurgKids Talking About the Future

There’s only 1 thing worse than following a tool for hours: following a tool that doesn’t talk.

During the silent times, your tool not only does nothing, but continues to say nothing. During the frantic firefights, sure, we’re attacking but I’m not a fan of playing with a thoughtless puppet.

When you spend hours with any game, your avatar stops being a tour guide and becomes an interactive accomplice. A vast majority of our games focus on one main character and it’s important to consume the player through this gateway because the main character is responsible for the game’s progression.

A great example of providing insight into a lonely protagonist is shown through the movie I Am Legend (2007).

I Am Legend features a character named Robert Neville who finds himself in a lifeless Los Angeles as the last man standing, years after a cosmic apocalypse infects the world around him.

The drawing point of the movie is the focus of Neville in this mysterious situation and the delusional world that solitary confinement has cultivated around him.

In order to defend its self, Neville’s mind created life around him to preserve his sanity. This results in activities like turning mannequins into neighbors and animals into friends to protect his mind.

Neville vibrantly spoke to his neighbors about women that he was interested in. He holds conversations with his dog about his daily activities as if the dog were capable of understanding him as a human being would. He created his own world by interacting with his environment as if it were normal.

During one of the many acceptance speeches for the leading role inI Am Legend (2007), Will Smith mentioned how humbled he was by the award. To paraphrase one of his many speeches:

“[...] the movie featured only me for hours, and I’m thankful that the audience still enjoyed it enough to give me an award for my performance.”

Imagine if Robert Neville stayed silent the entire movie, only motivated to take action from the instruction of commanding officers. I have to admit that I don’t feel much attraction towards the idea of following a mute.

When you’re forced to spend so much time following anything, you begin to form a relationship: especially if that “thing” is a human being. If that particular thing lacks personality and depth, it will fail to gauge affection, interest or care for its well-being.

Let’s examine Dead Space’s main character, Issac Clarke, as another example of a protagonist in a secluded atmosphere.

• Our avatar’s attire consists of a dull-toned, generic suit that has little personality. (Every variation seems to suck, no matter how many upgrades.)
• Issac has no input on his missions because he has no voice, which portrays a lack of personal control, and thus, a tool.
• Because he’s silent, and merely takes orders, the introduction of his life and family outside of his setting lose meaning. Why should I care about Issac’s wife when I don’t even care about Issac?

If there is supposed to be any synergy between the player and avatar, it would be benefit the relationship if both expressed the emotions that certain situations evoke.

When the surrounding environment stimulates extreme emotion, there is room to create a persona for the player to relate to and more importantly, attach him/herself to in order to dive into the world entirely.

It’s as if you’re putting on an intriguing mask, and your interest in what the mask will turn you into begins to grow.

• What’s the story behind this thing?
• What is the expression it’s trying to convey?
• Could anyone recognize me if I went streaking?

In the videogame medium, it’s important to utilize our main strength to its highest potential: interaction. This extends further than commanding your character to pick up an item.

It’s about getting inside of your character’s head and gaining an understanding of the person that you’re spending the next 10+ hours with. If the person behind the character on screen is full of personality, why can’t the character be just as interesting?