0:00:09.570,0:00:19.200 a everyone um how's it going 0:00:15.179,0:00:22.009 so okay basically could talk about 0:00:19.199,0:00:24.660 narrative and try and provide us a 0:00:22.009,0:00:27.268 summary or a kind of insight into 0:00:24.660,0:00:31.170 narrative in games obviously narrative 0:00:27.268,0:00:34.500 is a pretty huge topic so I'm not going 0:00:31.170,0:00:37.350 to be able to go over the whole history 0:00:34.500,0:00:39.929 of narrative and narrative theory and 0:00:37.350,0:00:43.050 everything so I'm going to look at a 0:00:39.929,0:00:46.558 specific article that I find really 0:00:43.049,0:00:50.149 inspiring which is called game designers 0:00:46.558,0:00:52.468 narrative architecture by Henry Jenkins 0:00:50.149,0:00:54.480 and I'm going to apply that to 0:00:52.469,0:00:56.579 blood-borne some we use blood-borne as 0:00:54.479,0:00:58.529 an example of what he's talking about 0:00:56.579,0:01:00.628 because blood-borne is just a really 0:00:58.530,0:01:03.679 great game and I think it tells its 0:01:00.628,0:01:06.959 story in a really interesting way 0:01:03.679,0:01:13.739 everyone hear me okay by the way yeah 0:01:06.959,0:01:16.489 cool okay so um it's a great opening 0:01:13.739,0:01:21.179 slide and that the image is courtesy of 0:01:16.489,0:01:21.599 solo who's a has it his tumblr page 0:01:21.180,0:01:25.470 there 0:01:21.599,0:01:31.438 okay sunshine that dr. tom blow calm and 0:01:25.469,0:01:32.759 I used that which is good so a little 0:01:31.438,0:01:34.859 bit about me and my research I'm 0:01:32.759,0:01:36.840 currently writing a PhD in titled 0:01:34.859,0:01:38.368 ludonarrative convergence a study of 0:01:36.840,0:01:40.020 narrative development in recent video 0:01:38.368,0:01:43.349 games across reception production and 0:01:40.019,0:01:47.039 player contexts so we're playing out 0:01:43.349,0:01:50.250 here that academics and game designers 0:01:47.040,0:01:52.880 share a love for the colon so that's 0:01:50.250,0:01:56.099 something that we all have in common 0:01:52.879,0:01:58.589 I'm interested in production studies and 0:01:56.099,0:02:00.539 building bridges between academic 0:01:58.590,0:02:03.540 humanities Department and the industry 0:02:00.540,0:02:05.070 so part of my PhD is about interviewing 0:02:03.540,0:02:07.649 game designers about their kind of 0:02:05.069,0:02:10.038 practices of kind of you know 0:02:07.649,0:02:12.269 implementing narrative in their games 0:02:10.038,0:02:13.889 I'm interested in raising the profile of 0:02:12.269,0:02:17.430 video games as a valuable object of 0:02:13.889,0:02:19.559 study within humanities which is why me 0:02:17.430,0:02:21.389 and Tom organized this day of talks and 0:02:19.560,0:02:22.909 I'm interested in exploring how 0:02:21.389,0:02:25.340 narrative and 0:02:22.909,0:02:27.740 ludecke gameplay elements of games can 0:02:25.340,0:02:33.080 work together to create meaningful and 0:02:27.740,0:02:36.560 original narrative experiences so in 0:02:33.080,0:02:40.820 kind of video games there's generally 0:02:36.560,0:02:44.449 seen a conflict between a story and 0:02:40.819,0:02:48.799 gameplay and so this is summed up quite 0:02:44.449,0:02:50.030 nicely by this quotes by Greg Costigan I 0:02:48.800,0:02:53.630 hope I've pronounced his name correctly 0:02:50.030,0:02:54.979 I probably haven't so there's a direct 0:02:53.629,0:02:56.900 and immediate conflict between the 0:02:54.979,0:02:59.090 demands of a story and the demands of a 0:02:56.900,0:03:00.530 game diverging from a story's path is 0:02:59.090,0:03:03.020 likely to make for a less satisfying 0:03:00.530,0:03:04.490 story restricting a player's freedom of 0:03:03.020,0:03:06.590 action is likely to make for a less 0:03:04.490,0:03:10.700 satisfying game so these things are 0:03:06.590,0:03:14.090 often seen as in tension and in terms in 0:03:10.699,0:03:18.199 the academic field of game studies which 0:03:14.090,0:03:20.420 isn't exactly like game design that you 0:03:18.199,0:03:23.989 might be familiar with game studies kind 0:03:20.419,0:03:25.849 of a discourse that kind of is has been 0:03:23.990,0:03:28.659 trying to establish itself for a long 0:03:25.849,0:03:31.489 time within the humanities departments 0:03:28.659,0:03:33.919 and they've largely or have 0:03:31.490,0:03:35.629 traditionally split into two camps this 0:03:33.919,0:03:38.359 is one of the big debates in game 0:03:35.629,0:03:41.870 studies is lewd ology versus narratology 0:03:38.360,0:03:43.610 so a typical neurologists position is 0:03:41.870,0:03:45.050 that computer games and not narratives 0:03:43.610,0:03:47.120 rather than narrative tends to be 0:03:45.050,0:03:49.100 isolated from or even work against the 0:03:47.120,0:03:50.959 computer gamers of the game that's 0:03:49.099,0:03:54.049 Jesper Juul who's like a leading narrow 0:03:50.959,0:03:56.170 lead ologist and a typical narrow 0:03:54.050,0:03:58.760 colleges position is about Janet Marie 0:03:56.169,0:04:00.919 and she talks about which comes first 0:03:58.759,0:04:02.659 the story or the game for me it's always 0:04:00.919,0:04:04.369 the story that comes first because 0:04:02.659,0:04:06.590 storytelling is a core human activity 0:04:04.370,0:04:08.539 one that we take into every medium of 0:04:06.590,0:04:11.150 expression from the aural formulaic to 0:04:08.539,0:04:13.310 the digital multimedia so lewd ologists 0:04:11.150,0:04:16.399 are very much about moving on and 0:04:13.310,0:04:19.100 looking at games specifically for their 0:04:16.399,0:04:20.750 unique interactions and don't want to 0:04:19.100,0:04:24.530 know about narrative in their most 0:04:20.750,0:04:26.029 extreme state and narratology 0:04:24.529,0:04:29.509 are a bit more interested in narrative 0:04:26.029,0:04:32.329 and disc reiated a bit of tension so 0:04:29.509,0:04:34.550 things got a little heated so in an 0:04:32.329,0:04:36.469 article game studies org which is one of 0:04:34.550,0:04:40.030 the leading journals on gay 0:04:36.470,0:04:42.860 studies mark o/s : and said in his 0:04:40.029,0:04:44.359 article the gaming situation he wants to 0:04:42.860,0:04:46.819 annihilate for good the discussion of 0:04:44.360,0:04:48.259 games as stories narratives or cinema in 0:04:46.819,0:04:49.849 this scenario stories are just 0:04:48.259,0:04:51.949 uninteresting ornaments or gift 0:04:49.850,0:04:53.840 wrappings to games and laying any 0:04:51.949,0:04:55.670 emphasis on studying these kinds of 0:04:53.839,0:04:58.759 marketing tools is just a waste of time 0:04:55.670,0:05:01.490 and energy so for him narrative is just 0:04:58.759,0:05:03.079 a marketing tool which is a sick burn 0:05:01.490,0:05:07.300 for the narratology 0:05:03.079,0:05:11.979 out there and demonstrates I think that 0:05:07.300,0:05:11.980 academics can also enter into flame wars 0:05:12.040,0:05:21.379 so enter Henry Jenkins is like a hero of 0:05:16.819,0:05:24.500 mine and so he wrote this essay game 0:05:21.379,0:05:26.000 designers narrative architecture and one 0:05:24.500,0:05:28.399 of the reasons I love this so much is 0:05:26.000,0:05:29.990 it's a kind of a fairly early attempt to 0:05:28.399,0:05:32.149 kind of build a bridge between these two 0:05:29.990,0:05:34.160 positions so he says in this short piece 0:05:32.149,0:05:35.810 I hope to offer a middle ground position 0:05:34.160,0:05:37.700 between the lewd ologist and meratol 0:05:35.810,0:05:39.680 adjusts one that respects the 0:05:37.699,0:05:42.139 particularity of this emerging medium 0:05:39.680,0:05:44.319 examining game's lesser stories than a 0:05:42.139,0:05:46.668 spaces right with narrative possibility 0:05:44.319,0:05:49.909 so I'm going to explore this essay in 0:05:46.668,0:05:51.500 relation to blood-borne so he encourages 0:05:49.910,0:05:54.860 us to think about games in less 0:05:51.500,0:05:57.410 reductive ways okay a game story telling 0:05:54.860,0:05:59.060 in this reductive ways and this is some 0:05:57.410,0:06:02.330 of the problems he has with the lewd 0:05:59.060,0:06:04.009 ologists view of narrative so I think 0:06:02.329,0:06:06.259 they have too limited a conception of 0:06:04.009,0:06:07.819 narrative based on classical linear 0:06:06.259,0:06:10.129 storytelling rather than more 0:06:07.819,0:06:12.500 experimental forms he thinks they have 0:06:10.129,0:06:14.269 too limited a conception of narration 0:06:12.500,0:06:16.430 focusing on the work of the author 0:06:14.269,0:06:18.199 rather than the process of narrative 0:06:16.430,0:06:21.650 comprehension so the experience of 0:06:18.199,0:06:23.120 actually reading the thing and he asked 0:06:21.649,0:06:25.310 whether games and their entirety of 0:06:23.120,0:06:26.959 stories rather than and they sorry they 0:06:25.310,0:06:28.699 asked whether games in their entirety 0:06:26.959,0:06:30.769 are stories rather than whether 0:06:28.699,0:06:35.089 narrative enters a game a more localized 0:06:30.769,0:06:36.709 level which he argues and finally they 0:06:35.089,0:06:38.810 assume that stories are self-contained 0:06:36.709,0:06:40.399 rather than serving some specific 0:06:38.810,0:06:42.740 functions within a new transmedia 0:06:40.399,0:06:44.918 storytelling environment just something 0:06:42.740,0:06:48.918 I'll touch on again in a minute 0:06:44.918,0:06:50.329 so there isn't as much a big divide 0:06:48.918,0:06:53.478 between video games 0:06:50.329,0:06:55.279 literary tradition as you might think 0:06:53.478,0:06:57.469 Jenkins suggests there's a link between 0:06:55.279,0:06:59.029 spatial stories of videogames and older 0:06:57.470,0:07:01.270 forms of stories having like the hero's 0:06:59.029,0:07:03.679 Odyssey quest myths and travel writing 0:07:01.269,0:07:05.959 the notion of the monomyth was put 0:07:03.680,0:07:08.150 forward by Joseph Campbell in his book 0:07:05.959,0:07:10.399 the hero with a thousand faces which is 0:07:08.149,0:07:12.288 really famous had a huge influence on 0:07:10.399,0:07:14.508 things like Star Wars and has a huge 0:07:12.288,0:07:17.628 influence on game does game designers 0:07:14.509,0:07:20.060 and game critics Mary Lou Ryan's book 0:07:17.629,0:07:22.280 narrative as virtual reality makes the 0:07:20.060,0:07:24.319 case for games as building on notions of 0:07:22.279,0:07:26.209 immersion and interactivity that always 0:07:24.319,0:07:28.039 been a concern of literature so those 0:07:26.209,0:07:29.598 are the two big things that are always 0:07:28.038,0:07:31.519 talked about in relation to games and 0:07:29.598,0:07:33.519 she says no they've been there all along 0:07:31.519,0:07:36.829 they're just more intensified or 0:07:33.519,0:07:39.318 slightly different in games and James 0:07:36.829,0:07:40.758 Newman uses em4 stirs notion of flat and 0:07:39.319,0:07:42.319 round characters to explore how 0:07:40.759,0:07:44.060 characters and video games are typically 0:07:42.319,0:07:46.370 defined by their functions and abilities 0:07:44.060,0:07:49.848 so it's kind of like a wealth of 0:07:46.370,0:07:52.218 thinking about games using kind of more 0:07:49.848,0:07:54.889 literary theories and literary theories 0:07:52.218,0:07:57.800 can be very systematic and we all know 0:07:54.889,0:08:03.019 how game designers love systems so 0:07:57.800,0:08:04.848 there's a bit of commonality there so 0:08:03.019,0:08:06.918 Jenkins wants us to think about games of 0:08:04.848,0:08:08.750 spatial stories so he says game 0:08:06.918,0:08:11.389 designers don't simply tell stories they 0:08:08.750,0:08:13.250 design worlds and sculpt spaces so 0:08:11.389,0:08:15.408 considering what ways the structuring of 0:08:13.250,0:08:18.228 game space facilitates different kinds 0:08:15.408,0:08:20.750 of narrative experiences so the work the 0:08:18.228,0:08:23.120 designer does anticipates different 0:08:20.750,0:08:27.098 narrative experiences for the player 0:08:23.120,0:08:30.050 he's enough he also says though that 0:08:27.098,0:08:33.528 games are a bit different to traditional 0:08:30.050,0:08:38.089 stories and there's a tendency to 0:08:33.528,0:08:39.879 dismiss games as as not an expressive 0:08:38.089,0:08:43.279 medium because they're perceived to have 0:08:39.879,0:08:45.620 overly simplistic storytelling but as 0:08:43.278,0:08:47.600 Jenkins suggests spatial stories are not 0:08:45.620,0:08:49.519 badly constructed stories rather they're 0:08:47.600,0:08:52.040 stories that respond to alternative 0:08:49.519,0:08:54.740 aesthetic principles privileging spatial 0:08:52.039,0:08:56.179 exploration / plot development spatial 0:08:54.740,0:08:58.399 stories are held together by broadly 0:08:56.179,0:08:59.989 defined goals and conflicts and pushed 0:08:58.399,0:09:02.120 forward by the characters movement 0:08:59.990,0:09:05.159 across the map 0:09:02.120,0:09:06.539 so let's move on to blood-borne what is 0:09:05.159,0:09:08.850 it just briefly you probably all know 0:09:06.539,0:09:11.899 what it is Japanese action role-playing 0:09:08.850,0:09:13.980 game released in 2015 on PlayStation 4 0:09:11.899,0:09:16.500 developed by from software and published 0:09:13.980,0:09:18.180 by Bandai Namco is the spiritual 0:09:16.500,0:09:20.399 successor to the soul series which 0:09:18.179,0:09:23.669 includes Demon Souls and Dark Souls 1 2 0:09:20.399,0:09:25.079 and almost 3 is coming out soon and 0:09:23.669,0:09:27.229 we're looking forward to that 0:09:25.080,0:09:29.580 the lead designer is hitter taka 0:09:27.230,0:09:33.149 Miyazaki and he's very much considered 0:09:29.580,0:09:35.759 the creative force behind the game and 0:09:33.149,0:09:37.919 has I guess the privileged position of 0:09:35.759,0:09:41.250 being like an author within the 0:09:37.919,0:09:45.479 commercial games industry on YouTube 0:09:41.250,0:09:48.778 there's dozens dozens and dozens of 0:09:45.480,0:09:50.250 videos exploring the law of blood-borne 0:09:48.778,0:09:52.649 which is something that I'm going to 0:09:50.250,0:09:54.480 touch on a bit in this talk and I think 0:09:52.649,0:09:56.129 in quite interesting ways so his a few 0:09:54.480,0:09:58.200 of the youtubers who are engaged and 0:09:56.129,0:10:01.559 that kind of stuff to introduce the game 0:09:58.200,0:10:03.470 and this kind of thinking about I'm 0:10:01.559,0:10:07.708 going to use a video by Fatih Vidya 0:10:03.470,0:10:09.778 which is a disss or extract looking at 0:10:07.708,0:10:13.079 some of the lore of the game think on 0:10:09.778,0:10:15.389 human history imagine if in any era a 0:10:13.080,0:10:17.240 church was founded that had access to a 0:10:15.389,0:10:20.009 substance that could cure any illness 0:10:17.240,0:10:22.350 imagine if this church gave it freely to 0:10:20.009,0:10:24.509 a city how powerful that city would 0:10:22.350,0:10:27.060 become and how powerful the church would 0:10:24.509,0:10:29.250 become within it this is exactly what 0:10:27.059,0:10:30.809 happened in the Arnim people came far 0:10:29.250,0:10:32.669 and wide to be treated with the 0:10:30.809,0:10:34.799 miraculous blood of the gods and the 0:10:32.669,0:10:37.469 people of yharnam put their faith in the 0:10:34.799,0:10:39.479 healing church in fact what happened in 0:10:37.470,0:10:42.120 yharnam is eerily similar to what 0:10:39.480,0:10:44.159 happened in the tombs deep below where 0:10:42.120,0:10:45.899 the blood was originally found and as 0:10:44.159,0:10:48.149 you know many chalice dungeons 0:10:45.899,0:10:50.939 especially those of lauren are now 0:10:48.149,0:10:53.189 overrun by horrific beasts the lower 0:10:50.940,0:10:55.350 laron chalice states there are trace 0:10:53.190,0:10:57.420 remains of medical procedures in parts 0:10:55.350,0:10:59.278 of ailing Leron whether these were 0:10:57.419,0:11:01.769 attempts to control the scourge of the 0:10:59.278,0:11:03.049 beast or the cause of the outbreak is 0:11:01.769,0:11:05.389 unknown 0:11:03.049,0:11:07.490 the ailing LaRon chalice states the 0:11:05.389,0:11:09.708 tragedy that struck this ailing land of 0:11:07.490,0:11:12.259 LaRon is said to have its root in the 0:11:09.708,0:11:14.689 scourge of the beasts some have made the 0:11:12.259,0:11:18.379 dreaded extrapolation that yharnam may 0:11:14.690,0:11:19.970 be next Yanam was next through overuse 0:11:18.379,0:11:22.039 of the healing blood the city would 0:11:19.970,0:11:24.440 eventually succumb to the scourge of the 0:11:22.039,0:11:26.778 beast until then though Lawrence and the 0:11:24.440,0:11:29.180 healing church managed to grow in power 0:11:26.778,0:11:34.028 with the miraculous healing properties 0:11:29.179,0:11:39.049 of their special yet infected blood okay 0:11:34.028,0:11:41.240 so I think I think what that video 0:11:39.049,0:11:42.740 demonstrates is um blood-borne doesn't 0:11:41.240,0:11:45.049 go to any trouble to make its meaning 0:11:42.740,0:11:47.450 clear though that meaning is always 0:11:45.049,0:11:49.278 tantalizing which has resulted in 0:11:47.450,0:11:51.980 hundreds of deeply analytical RT 0:11:49.278,0:11:53.360 articles and videos on YouTube so this 0:11:51.980,0:11:55.190 video is a good example of the kind of 0:11:53.360,0:11:57.259 close textual analysis and use of 0:11:55.190,0:11:59.450 sources that we might expect in academia 0:11:57.259,0:12:01.220 which leads me to speculate that the 0:11:59.450,0:12:03.410 majority of the scholarly activity 0:12:01.220,0:12:06.500 around such games occurs in the fan 0:12:03.409,0:12:09.620 space Henry Jenkins has also been a key 0:12:06.500,0:12:11.120 figure writing about fan studies and if 0:12:09.620,0:12:13.669 you want to find out more about that and 0:12:11.120,0:12:15.980 what he believes the value of fan 0:12:13.669,0:12:18.769 discourses are to academia you can read 0:12:15.980,0:12:22.789 his book textual poachers or mat hills 0:12:18.769,0:12:25.789 book fan cultures very interesting so 0:12:22.789,0:12:27.559 Jenkins talks about four modes of 0:12:25.789,0:12:28.969 spatial storytelling and they will begin 0:12:27.559,0:12:33.078 with ease I've called them the for ease 0:12:28.970,0:12:35.990 of spatial storytelling so they evoke 0:12:33.078,0:12:38.028 enact in bed and have emergent 0:12:35.990,0:12:41.060 narratives and we're going to go through 0:12:38.028,0:12:42.740 each of those in relation to blood-borne 0:12:41.059,0:12:45.469 so it's sold with the evocative 0:12:42.740,0:12:47.509 narrative so Jenkins says such works do 0:12:45.470,0:12:49.519 not so much tell self-contained stories 0:12:47.509,0:12:52.250 as draw upon or pre-existing narrative 0:12:49.519,0:12:55.069 narrative competencies games can be 0:12:52.250,0:12:57.220 based on licenses they can rely on 0:12:55.070,0:13:00.079 genre conventions they can recreate 0:12:57.220,0:13:01.959 events they can evoke other works 0:13:00.078,0:13:06.078 through a process called intersexuality 0:13:01.958,0:13:09.198 it's basically just having one text have 0:13:06.078,0:13:13.208 a relationship to the other support for 0:13:09.198,0:13:15.109 it he talks about this occurring in 0:13:13.208,0:13:16.519 process that he's written extensively 0:13:15.110,0:13:18.980 about called transmen 0:13:16.519,0:13:21.110 storytelling so increasingly we inhabit 0:13:18.980,0:13:23.330 a world of transmedia storytelling one 0:13:21.110,0:13:25.129 that depends less on each individual 0:13:23.330,0:13:26.930 work being self-sufficient than on each 0:13:25.129,0:13:29.360 work contributing to a larger narrative 0:13:26.929,0:13:31.370 economy so for example the Star Wars 0:13:29.360,0:13:33.350 game may not simply retell the story of 0:13:31.370,0:13:35.360 Star Wars but it doesn't have to do in 0:13:33.350,0:13:41.180 order to enrich or expand or experience 0:13:35.360,0:13:43.490 the Star Wars saga so this is this is a 0:13:41.179,0:13:47.689 British daughter of the cosmos 0:13:43.490,0:13:49.250 so I actually recommend this slide to be 0:13:47.690,0:13:53.060 more of a surprise I should have read a 0:13:49.250,0:13:54.919 little bit more but basically so in 0:13:53.059,0:13:56.000 blood-borne you're a hunter on the night 0:13:54.919,0:13:58.549 of the hunt and you find yourself 0:13:56.000,0:14:00.830 cleansing the ruined streets of yharnam 0:13:58.549,0:14:02.299 of werewolves and other creatures so 0:14:00.830,0:14:03.940 this setting and its antagonists are 0:14:02.299,0:14:05.990 common tropes of gothic horror 0:14:03.940,0:14:08.210 eventually though you start facing 0:14:05.990,0:14:10.070 enemies that bear similarities with the 0:14:08.210,0:14:13.580 creatures in love cross Lovecraft's 0:14:10.070,0:14:15.350 Cthulhu Mythos hold on like a breeches 0:14:13.580,0:14:17.330 daughter of the cosmos everyone acts 0:14:15.350,0:14:20.920 surprised because I should have done 0:14:17.330,0:14:23.930 that just now sorry 0:14:20.919,0:14:25.789 so it's got tentacles and it's got an 0:14:23.929,0:14:29.899 unpronounceable name and that's not just 0:14:25.789,0:14:31.909 because it's in the Japanese slide so it 0:14:29.899,0:14:35.299 must be a reference to Lovecraft I'm 0:14:31.909,0:14:37.189 guessing so although it avoid though the 0:14:35.299,0:14:39.889 gamer avoids referencing Lovecraft 0:14:37.190,0:14:41.900 directly many have noticed at the close 0:14:39.889,0:14:43.580 comparison between her twisted creatures 0:14:41.899,0:14:45.409 and locations in the game and 0:14:43.580,0:14:49.220 Lovecraftian stories such as the dream 0:14:45.409,0:14:52.429 quest of unknown Kadath so whilst 0:14:49.220,0:14:54.139 blood-borne begins by evoking the gothic 0:14:52.429,0:14:56.149 horror it makes a transition into the 0:14:54.139,0:15:00.649 specific world of HP Lovecraft's notion 0:14:56.149,0:15:02.860 of cosmic horror and the only clue to 0:15:00.649,0:15:07.100 this early on is this incomprehensible 0:15:02.860,0:15:08.899 start on your stat sheet that's like Oh 0:15:07.100,0:15:13.009 strength against skin what does that 0:15:08.899,0:15:16.970 mean no idea so that the game does drop 0:15:13.009,0:15:18.740 little hints early on so cosmic horror 0:15:16.970,0:15:20.450 is based on Lovecraft's existential 0:15:18.740,0:15:22.220 worldview in which humanity is powerless 0:15:20.450,0:15:24.230 in the face of an indifferent universe 0:15:22.220,0:15:27.379 devoid of God and incomprehensibly 0:15:24.230,0:15:28.820 infinite so there's a little quote there 0:15:27.379,0:15:30.200 from him the basis of all true cosmic 0:15:28.820,0:15:32.120 horror is violation of 0:15:30.200,0:15:33.650 of nature and the profoundest violations 0:15:32.120,0:15:37.909 are always at least concrete and 0:15:33.649,0:15:39.919 describable like that there's another 0:15:37.909,0:15:41.600 good quote from Lovecraft which really 0:15:39.919,0:15:43.250 sums up this position I won't read Oh 0:15:41.600,0:15:45.790 have a little read if you feel like it 0:15:43.250,0:15:49.039 he's not a happy chap 0:15:45.789,0:15:52.870 so it's interesting here though that he 0:15:49.039,0:15:55.370 talks about one of his big themes is 0:15:52.870,0:15:57.560 people wanting knowledge and like 0:15:55.370,0:16:00.409 scientists trying to gain knowledge and 0:15:57.559,0:16:02.179 going mad for kind of discovering things 0:16:00.409,0:16:04.339 that they can't understand with their 0:16:02.179,0:16:05.779 puny human brains and essentially that's 0:16:04.340,0:16:07.070 the plot of blood-borne because the 0:16:05.779,0:16:09.949 founding of the healing Church of 0:16:07.070,0:16:11.150 yharnam is a result of academics playing 0:16:09.950,0:16:13.550 around with forces beyond their 0:16:11.149,0:16:15.199 comprehension they go to the chalice 0:16:13.549,0:16:18.019 demons they find the blood of the great 0:16:15.200,0:16:24.259 ones they start using it everything goes 0:16:18.019,0:16:26.240 to hell basically so um to talk about 0:16:24.259,0:16:29.120 briefly about a little mechanic in the 0:16:26.240,0:16:32.120 game which is the insight mechanic where 0:16:29.120,0:16:33.980 basically your knowledge of the world is 0:16:32.120,0:16:35.690 trapped in the form of insight which is 0:16:33.980,0:16:38.420 rewarded each time you first encounter 0:16:35.690,0:16:40.340 or beat a boss and and so there's this 0:16:38.419,0:16:42.289 sense that the more horrific things you 0:16:40.340,0:16:44.060 see in the game the more insight you 0:16:42.289,0:16:46.039 have in the world and in true love 0:16:44.059,0:16:48.259 crafty and fashion this allows you to 0:16:46.039,0:16:48.980 start seeing things that you couldn't 0:16:48.259,0:16:53.480 see before 0:16:48.980,0:16:57.320 so this chat up here amygdala or Amy as 0:16:53.480,0:16:59.389 I like to call her is these guys have 0:16:57.320,0:17:01.460 been hanging around on the buildings in 0:16:59.389,0:17:02.720 blood-borne all the time and you know 0:17:01.460,0:17:04.400 that they've been there even though you 0:17:02.720,0:17:06.230 can't see them because if you're unlucky 0:17:04.400,0:17:07.730 enough to go by one of them it will pick 0:17:06.230,0:17:11.119 you up and kill you and you won't know 0:17:07.730,0:17:13.250 why so I think it's interesting that as 0:17:11.118,0:17:15.979 a system in the game that tracks your 0:17:13.250,0:17:17.240 knowledge and changes the game based on 0:17:15.980,0:17:19.338 that knowledge actually makes the game 0:17:17.240,0:17:22.608 harder in some areas as well it changes 0:17:19.338,0:17:24.919 enemy attacks and things and amigdala is 0:17:22.608,0:17:27.618 also a part of the brain which is 0:17:24.920,0:17:30.320 associated with knowledge and emotional 0:17:27.618,0:17:33.919 reactions to things so I think there's a 0:17:30.319,0:17:40.250 a direct like thematic link there I know 0:17:33.920,0:17:41.509 what that was we carry on so moving on 0:17:40.250,0:17:42.609 so the evocative narrative of 0:17:41.509,0:17:47.579 blood-borne is 0:17:42.609,0:17:47.579 it's Lovecraftian kind of homage I guess 0:17:48.000,0:17:54.970 so moving on to the idea of an enacted 0:17:50.859,0:17:56.740 narrative Jenkins noticed that games 0:17:54.970,0:17:59.529 enable players to perform or witness 0:17:56.740,0:18:01.509 narrative events so narrative enters the 0:17:59.529,0:18:03.759 game on two levels in terms of broadly 0:18:01.509,0:18:06.460 defined goals or conflicts and on the 0:18:03.759,0:18:08.230 level of localized incidents in terms of 0:18:06.460,0:18:11.319 broadly defined goals 0:18:08.230,0:18:13.900 the player often has a quest that drives 0:18:11.319,0:18:15.159 them forward although in blood-borne you 0:18:13.900,0:18:17.170 eventually discover that you've been 0:18:15.160,0:18:20.890 manipulated by a great one all along 0:18:17.170,0:18:22.930 sorry spoilers that's another thing 0:18:20.890,0:18:27.310 academics like to do is give away the 0:18:22.930,0:18:29.590 ending of things so the organization of 0:18:27.309,0:18:31.750 the plot becomes a matter of designing 0:18:29.589,0:18:33.849 the geography of imaginary worlds so 0:18:31.750,0:18:35.559 that obstacles thought and affordances 0:18:33.849,0:18:39.069 facilitate the protagonist forward 0:18:35.559,0:18:41.440 movement towards resolution in 0:18:39.069,0:18:43.450 blood-borne the architecture conspires 0:18:41.440,0:18:44.980 to channel players towards encounters 0:18:43.450,0:18:46.809 that have been specifically designed to 0:18:44.980,0:18:48.549 challenge them a good example is the 0:18:46.809,0:18:50.169 sequence in old yharnam where the player 0:18:48.549,0:18:51.879 traverses in a series of ruined 0:18:50.170,0:18:54.009 buildings whilst under fire from a 0:18:51.880,0:18:55.450 hunter by the name of juror if you 0:18:54.009,0:18:57.759 approach him from a different direction 0:18:55.450,0:18:59.200 he's not hostile and actually speaks to 0:18:57.759,0:19:01.930 you about why he is protecting the 0:18:59.200,0:19:04.539 beasts in the area so this idea that 0:19:01.930,0:19:06.279 Jake Jenkins talks about that games have 0:19:04.539,0:19:07.839 an accordion like structures there's 0:19:06.279,0:19:09.910 certain plot points that are fixed 0:19:07.839,0:19:16.269 whereas other moments can be contracted 0:19:09.910,0:19:20.410 and expanded and moved around so in 0:19:16.269,0:19:21.779 terms of enacting narratives that 0:19:20.410,0:19:25.810 there's a lot about the kind of 0:19:21.779,0:19:28.690 geographical layer of space so in 0:19:25.809,0:19:30.309 blood-borne the layout of space allows 0:19:28.690,0:19:31.870 for the inclusion of shortcuts that 0:19:30.309,0:19:33.940 allow players to return quickly to 0:19:31.869,0:19:36.309 previous areas there's an excellent 0:19:33.940,0:19:39.160 video on Eurogamer actually about the 0:19:36.309,0:19:41.859 doors in blood-borne and how frightening 0:19:39.160,0:19:44.650 it is when you can open a door because 0:19:41.859,0:19:46.959 the game wants you to progress and kill 0:19:44.650,0:19:49.300 you um and doors that you can't open 0:19:46.960,0:19:51.640 like are likely to be shortcuts that you 0:19:49.299,0:19:54.700 need to find the other entrance war and 0:19:51.640,0:19:55.910 this map I think shows how everything 0:19:54.700,0:19:59.420 links up in a really into 0:19:55.910,0:20:04.060 stay away and this map is a bit more of 0:19:59.420,0:20:04.060 a artistic impression of those linkages 0:20:04.450,0:20:09.830 references at the bottom if you want to 0:20:06.289,0:20:11.750 see who made them and this is more of a 0:20:09.829,0:20:14.990 kind of flow chart of your progression 0:20:11.750,0:20:16.819 through the game I think it's 0:20:14.990,0:20:18.980 interesting to point out at this point 0:20:16.819,0:20:21.349 that there isn't actually a map that 0:20:18.980,0:20:25.089 exists in the game so all of these 0:20:21.349,0:20:29.509 wonderful things have been created by 0:20:25.089,0:20:31.549 the fan base which i think is great and 0:20:29.509,0:20:33.829 Henry Jenkins has written elsewhere that 0:20:31.549,0:20:36.409 defining quality of place relationship 0:20:33.829,0:20:38.059 to a game is the mastery of space and I 0:20:36.410,0:20:41.779 think this is a good example of that 0:20:38.059,0:20:44.240 and here's another map which is a little 0:20:41.779,0:20:45.799 bit more more simple but at the same 0:20:44.240,0:20:47.690 time complicated because it's kind of 0:20:45.799,0:20:50.690 charting your narrative progression 0:20:47.690,0:20:52.009 through the game in a spatial way so I 0:20:50.690,0:20:54.470 think it's interesting that you can 0:20:52.009,0:20:56.480 think about the narrative as a series of 0:20:54.470,0:21:01.519 triggers in a spatial sense and you 0:20:56.480,0:21:02.900 could almost map this onto this so that 0:21:01.519,0:21:06.279 a narrative and space work together 0:21:02.900,0:21:08.840 that's a good example of that but blood 0:21:06.279,0:21:12.259 Jenkins always also talks about micro 0:21:08.839,0:21:16.089 narratives so these are narrative that 0:21:12.259,0:21:19.869 enters the game on the on like a kind of 0:21:16.089,0:21:23.599 local level on a kind of more specific 0:21:19.869,0:21:26.149 level and is more self-contained so he 0:21:23.599,0:21:28.339 uses the example of attractions in 0:21:26.150,0:21:31.310 pioneering Soviet filmmaker Sergei 0:21:28.339,0:21:34.279 Eisenstein's films and particularly his 0:21:31.309,0:21:36.289 film Battleship Potemkin so Eisenstein 0:21:34.279,0:21:38.240 used the word attractions broadly to 0:21:36.289,0:21:40.430 describe any element within a world work 0:21:38.240,0:21:42.740 that produces a profound emotional 0:21:40.430,0:21:44.390 impact and theorized that the themes of 0:21:42.740,0:21:49.400 the work could be communicated across 0:21:44.390,0:21:51.170 and through these discrete elements so 0:21:49.400,0:21:54.769 here's a few shots from battleship 0:21:51.170,0:21:57.140 potemkin here's the steps the OD this is 0:21:54.769,0:21:59.389 the Odessa steps sequence so this is 0:21:57.140,0:22:01.460 like the Tsar's army shooting upon the 0:21:59.390,0:22:03.020 peasantry which supposed to be sparked 0:22:01.460,0:22:04.759 or for the communist revolution it's a 0:22:03.019,0:22:06.500 kind of propaganda film but it's 0:22:04.759,0:22:08.420 interesting because it's the very early 0:22:06.500,0:22:09.750 days of film this was the guy who 0:22:08.420,0:22:12.210 created film editing 0:22:09.750,0:22:14.309 basically and within this one big 0:22:12.210,0:22:15.840 contested space like Henry Jenkins talks 0:22:14.309,0:22:17.759 about this as a contested space just 0:22:15.839,0:22:19.379 like in the video game you have all of 0:22:17.759,0:22:21.299 these little stories happening 0:22:19.380,0:22:23.880 the soldiers marching forward and firing 0:22:21.299,0:22:26.279 a pram rolling down the stairs after the 0:22:23.880,0:22:28.230 mother is killed someone who's calling 0:22:26.279,0:22:30.240 for peace getting shot there's a few 0:22:28.230,0:22:31.920 other little narratives and he talks 0:22:30.240,0:22:33.509 about these as micro narratives 0:22:31.920,0:22:37.289 something that's a useful way to think 0:22:33.509,0:22:41.369 about them so we have micro narrative as 0:22:37.289,0:22:43.980 cutscene so Henry Jenkins talks about 0:22:41.369,0:22:46.049 how these can often be cutscenes and 0:22:43.980,0:22:47.700 games these micro narratives but they 0:22:46.049,0:22:48.750 don't have to be and I think is 0:22:47.700,0:22:51.420 interesting that there's only one 0:22:48.750,0:22:54.769 significant cutscene in blood-borne and 0:22:51.420,0:22:58.410 it's when you touch Lawrence's skull and 0:22:54.769,0:23:01.829 they then see a flashback to William and 0:22:58.410,0:23:03.210 Lawrence having their falling out which 0:23:01.829,0:23:05.909 led to the creation of the healing 0:23:03.210,0:23:08.160 church as a really significant moment 0:23:05.910,0:23:09.570 and it's narratively motivated as well 0:23:08.160,0:23:11.490 so it's not I don't think a 0:23:09.569,0:23:13.169 hard-and-fast cutscene it's basically 0:23:11.490,0:23:15.240 like you're seeing what the character 0:23:13.170,0:23:17.789 sees at that point because his knowledge 0:23:15.240,0:23:23.390 is is coming from the skull and is 0:23:17.789,0:23:26.250 seeing a historical event play out and 0:23:23.390,0:23:27.570 and it's got an important bit of 0:23:26.250,0:23:29.069 information in it as well right it's got 0:23:27.569,0:23:31.409 a password that you need to progress 0:23:29.069,0:23:34.609 through the game so it's incredibly 0:23:31.410,0:23:38.040 Lingus of progression 0:23:34.609,0:23:40.889 there's also micro narrative as soy 0:23:38.039,0:23:43.349 quest I think so there's lots of side 0:23:40.890,0:23:45.240 quests in blood-borne their focus on 0:23:43.349,0:23:48.750 different interesting little side 0:23:45.240,0:23:50.370 characters and you have to trigger them 0:23:48.750,0:23:51.750 in very specific ways being at the right 0:23:50.369,0:23:53.099 place to open to the right people at the 0:23:51.750,0:23:55.500 right time 0:23:53.099,0:24:01.799 Eileen the crow is a good example I 0:23:55.500,0:24:03.450 think she very so 0:24:01.799,0:24:05.539 she tracks down hunters who have been 0:24:03.450,0:24:09.210 corrupted and have become blood-drunk 0:24:05.539,0:24:11.009 and you must speak to her at specific 0:24:09.210,0:24:13.259 moments and locations to continue her 0:24:11.009,0:24:15.150 quest including two occasions where you 0:24:13.259,0:24:17.819 have to help her kill their quarry in 0:24:15.150,0:24:19.290 very difficult fights furthermore it's 0:24:17.819,0:24:21.210 possible for her to become blood drunk 0:24:19.289,0:24:21.980 herself causing the player to fight her 0:24:21.210,0:24:23.929 in a 0:24:21.980,0:24:26.890 particularly tragic ending to her story 0:24:23.929,0:24:29.750 so this incredibly nuanced little story 0:24:26.890,0:24:31.610 more than any other in the game asks you 0:24:29.750,0:24:33.558 to question the morality of the hunt and 0:24:31.609,0:24:36.289 sprinkles a much needed touch of 0:24:33.558,0:24:37.639 humanity into the world but it's well 0:24:36.289,0:24:39.558 hidden and might play out very 0:24:37.640,0:24:41.000 differently from play as a player I 0:24:39.558,0:24:43.129 think it's a good example of what 0:24:41.000,0:24:44.690 Jenkins refers to as a micro narrative 0:24:43.130,0:24:46.460 because it's self-contained independent 0:24:44.690,0:24:49.160 from the larger plot and occurs on a 0:24:46.460,0:24:51.679 very personal level it's also indicative 0:24:49.160,0:24:53.990 of the incredible variability that can 0:24:51.679,0:24:55.850 be built into videogame stories and how 0:24:53.990,0:24:58.339 their outcomes and meanings can change 0:24:55.849,0:25:00.139 based on player choices actions and 0:24:58.339,0:25:01.730 other hidden triggers which makes them a 0:25:00.140,0:25:05.450 fascinating but difficult object of 0:25:01.730,0:25:08.450 study for academics moving on to 0:25:05.450,0:25:10.220 embedded narratives so in literary 0:25:08.450,0:25:11.600 studies the russian formalists made a 0:25:10.220,0:25:14.360 distinction between two different 0:25:11.599,0:25:18.230 aspects of narrative story and plot this 0:25:14.359,0:25:21.379 is a classic distinction so plot is the 0:25:18.230,0:25:23.900 way the work is presented on the page in 0:25:21.380,0:25:26.360 literature the way you read it where a 0:25:23.900,0:25:29.320 story is the actual chronological 0:25:26.359,0:25:31.579 sequence and reading is an act of 0:25:29.319,0:25:33.289 chronologically reassembling what you're 0:25:31.579,0:25:35.449 reading so the classic example was the 0:25:33.289,0:25:37.190 detective novel where you have two 0:25:35.450,0:25:39.830 stories somewhat Aeneas Lee the story of 0:25:37.190,0:25:42.940 the crime which is unknown at the start 0:25:39.829,0:25:45.980 and the story of the investigator which 0:25:42.940,0:25:48.019 you as a reader are mirror mirroring his 0:25:45.980,0:25:51.099 efforts are kind of like reassembling 0:25:48.019,0:25:54.048 the chronological sequence of the story 0:25:51.099,0:25:55.428 so according to Jenkins the does game 0:25:54.048,0:25:57.440 designer creates two different 0:25:55.429,0:25:59.780 narratives one relatively unstructured 0:25:57.440,0:26:01.610 and controlled by the player as they 0:25:59.779,0:26:04.129 explore the game space and unlock its 0:26:01.609,0:26:06.798 secrets the other pre structured but 0:26:04.130,0:26:09.169 embedded within the meson son awaiting 0:26:06.798,0:26:11.539 discovery the game world becomes a kind 0:26:09.169,0:26:14.059 of information space and memory palace I 0:26:11.539,0:26:15.980 really like this idea of games as a 0:26:14.058,0:26:19.819 memory palace it's like one of my 0:26:15.980,0:26:21.679 favorite quotes so I think though 0:26:19.819,0:26:23.990 there's a challenge of reconstructing 0:26:21.679,0:26:25.548 the story from plot in a game on two 0:26:23.990,0:26:27.589 levels which is a little bit different 0:26:25.548,0:26:29.389 to literature so firstly the game 0:26:27.589,0:26:31.039 resists your efforts to read it or 0:26:29.390,0:26:32.750 throwing challenges at you that you must 0:26:31.039,0:26:35.480 overcome in your quest for meaning as 0:26:32.750,0:26:37.869 jenkins says embedded narrative Canon 0:26:35.480,0:26:39.829 often does occur within contested spaces 0:26:37.869,0:26:41.629 secondly the story elements once 0:26:39.829,0:26:43.639 discovered must be mentally reassembled 0:26:41.630,0:26:45.770 to create a narrative pattern which is 0:26:43.640,0:26:47.930 close to the process of reading as the 0:26:45.769,0:26:50.180 process in literary studies and 0:26:47.930,0:26:54.980 philosophy called hermeneutics shouldn't 0:26:50.180,0:26:59.420 go into okay so that's an active 0:26:54.980,0:27:03.579 narrative so moving on to the final 0:26:59.420,0:27:07.759 category sorry not the final category 0:27:03.579,0:27:10.819 know that this finds some still the same 0:27:07.759,0:27:14.509 thing yeah yeah embedded narrative sorry 0:27:10.819,0:27:18.289 I've lost myself anyway so embedded 0:27:14.509,0:27:20.660 narratives in blood-borne so Jenkins 0:27:18.289,0:27:22.579 talks about embedded narratives don't 0:27:20.660,0:27:24.350 require branching story structures but 0:27:22.579,0:27:26.149 rather depend on scrambling the pieces 0:27:24.349,0:27:27.829 of linear story and allowing us to 0:27:26.150,0:27:30.560 reconstruct the plot through the acts of 0:27:27.829,0:27:33.169 detection speculation exploration and 0:27:30.559,0:27:35.000 decryption so in blood-borne a lot of 0:27:33.170,0:27:37.759 the plot is written into item 0:27:35.000,0:27:39.890 descriptions dialogue of hidden NPCs and 0:27:37.759,0:27:42.049 into the very architecture of the game 0:27:39.890,0:27:44.480 world itself here's an example the 0:27:42.049,0:27:47.599 yharnam stone which you gain from 0:27:44.480,0:27:48.890 defeating the two marion queen after a 0:27:47.599,0:27:51.439 very long 0:27:48.890,0:27:52.910 she's an optional boss in a very long 0:27:51.440,0:27:56.019 run of the chalice dungeons which 0:27:52.910,0:27:57.980 incredibly difficult to be and for ages 0:27:56.019,0:27:59.990 people were trying to figure out what 0:27:57.980,0:28:01.819 this did and it turned out it didn't do 0:27:59.990,0:28:05.870 anything it was just there to deliver 0:28:01.819,0:28:08.059 its little payload of narrative and be 0:28:05.869,0:28:10.129 really enigmatic basically it's if you 0:28:08.059,0:28:12.409 read the description it's the Queen lies 0:28:10.130,0:28:14.720 dead but her horrific consciousness is 0:28:12.410,0:28:17.509 only asleep and stirs in unsettling 0:28:14.720,0:28:20.809 motions and the item looks a bit like 0:28:17.509,0:28:26.119 it's got fetus kind of thing in it which 0:28:20.809,0:28:27.859 is a bit weird so I like to think of 0:28:26.119,0:28:30.019 this quality of video game storytelling 0:28:27.859,0:28:31.759 as dispersed narrative where the 0:28:30.019,0:28:33.139 narrative is just scattered around all 0:28:31.759,0:28:35.390 over the place and you have to kind of 0:28:33.140,0:28:40.250 go around and pick it up and put it back 0:28:35.390,0:28:43.450 together which I really like in games so 0:28:40.250,0:28:45.799 the final category is emergent narrative 0:28:43.450,0:28:48.019 so emergent narratives are not pretty 0:28:45.799,0:28:49.009 structured or pre-programmed taking 0:28:48.019,0:28:51.049 shape through the game 0:28:49.009,0:28:52.809 play yet they are not as unstructured 0:28:51.049,0:28:55.639 chaotic and frustrating as life itself 0:28:52.809,0:28:58.609 so they're kind of unpredictable within 0:28:55.640,0:29:00.620 limits so there are those stories that 0:28:58.609,0:29:02.179 occur through the partially 0:29:00.619,0:29:04.459 unpredictable interaction of players and 0:29:02.180,0:29:06.049 systems basically so the more systems a 0:29:04.460,0:29:08.779 game has the more opportunities there 0:29:06.049,0:29:10.669 are for emergent storytelling yet these 0:29:08.779,0:29:12.470 systems are designed to create certain 0:29:10.670,0:29:14.000 types of gameplay just as architecture 0:29:12.470,0:29:15.710 anticipates certain uses and 0:29:14.000,0:29:18.740 interactions so these are known as 0:29:15.710,0:29:21.500 affordances and Jenkins uses the example 0:29:18.740,0:29:23.390 of urban design so urban designers exert 0:29:21.500,0:29:25.309 even less control than game designers 0:29:23.390,0:29:26.990 over how people use the space as they 0:29:25.309,0:29:29.929 create or what kind of scenes they 0:29:26.990,0:29:31.789 staged there yet some kinds of expand 0:29:29.930,0:29:33.680 themselves more readily to narratively 0:29:31.789,0:29:40.730 memorable or emotionally meaningful 0:29:33.680,0:29:43.250 experiences than others so you can talk 0:29:40.730,0:29:44.480 about emergent narrative and blood-borne 0:29:43.250,0:29:47.359 I think one of the most interesting 0:29:44.480,0:29:49.370 elements is the online functionality of 0:29:47.359,0:29:52.579 the game which is like the Dark Souls 0:29:49.369,0:29:55.399 games before it quite interesting quite 0:29:52.579,0:29:59.389 a symmetric quite different to any other 0:29:55.400,0:30:01.160 game so in blood-borne players can leave 0:29:59.390,0:30:03.140 messages for one another which are 0:30:01.160,0:30:05.600 relayed into other players games by 0:30:03.140,0:30:07.880 interdimensional messengers these cute 0:30:05.599,0:30:09.289 little guys which I love and you can 0:30:07.880,0:30:13.100 give them top hats so that makes me 0:30:09.289,0:30:14.599 happy and players can also activate 0:30:13.099,0:30:16.759 blood spots that mark where other 0:30:14.599,0:30:18.559 players fell in battle to play a 0:30:16.759,0:30:20.599 silhouette of that players last moments 0:30:18.559,0:30:22.639 potentially offering an insight into 0:30:20.599,0:30:28.159 what lays ahead it's an example of that 0:30:22.640,0:30:30.230 there and you can most importantly ring 0:30:28.160,0:30:32.029 a little bell to summon other players 0:30:30.230,0:30:35.509 into your game to help you out or to 0:30:32.029,0:30:38.329 invade other players games and and not 0:30:35.509,0:30:41.059 leave them basically so there's that 0:30:38.329,0:30:42.710 element of kind of emergence there were 0:30:41.059,0:30:44.419 players interacting together and being 0:30:42.710,0:30:46.130 able to help each other out create their 0:30:44.420,0:30:48.650 own stories within the limits of the 0:30:46.130,0:30:50.900 game I think it's interesting that 0:30:48.650,0:30:52.850 whereas most games would put all of this 0:30:50.900,0:30:56.300 online function entities where it's like 0:30:52.849,0:30:58.189 choose to go online it's all there 0:30:56.299,0:30:59.779 within the narrative context of the game 0:30:58.190,0:31:01.610 you're ringing a bell 0:30:59.779,0:31:02.319 because blood-borne operates on a 0:31:01.609,0:31:04.508 parallel you 0:31:02.319,0:31:06.428 verse mechanic whether the sound of the 0:31:04.509,0:31:09.038 Bell creates a tumbler that kind of 0:31:06.429,0:31:11.139 links to the other players worlds and 0:31:09.038,0:31:17.379 cools them forth and it's all really 0:31:11.138,0:31:21.569 interesting here's a another picture so 0:31:17.380,0:31:24.789 many good pictures from blood-borne so 0:31:21.569,0:31:26.829 another aspect of the emerging behavior 0:31:24.788,0:31:29.408 relation to blood-borne is the fact that 0:31:26.829,0:31:32.528 this system has actually elevated itself 0:31:29.409,0:31:36.759 from out of the game and now and play is 0:31:32.528,0:31:39.519 kind of like trade information on wiki's 0:31:36.759,0:31:41.500 and using YouTube videos to try and 0:31:39.519,0:31:44.200 interpret the lore of the game to give 0:31:41.500,0:31:46.028 one another advice and I think that the 0:31:44.200,0:31:48.819 game creates a really positive 0:31:46.028,0:31:53.648 collaborative environment and and that's 0:31:48.819,0:31:55.599 a product of the way it's designed and 0:31:53.648,0:31:57.428 it's worth noting as well that such 0:31:55.599,0:31:59.378 emergent narrative elements based on 0:31:57.429,0:32:02.048 online interaction are completely 0:31:59.378,0:32:03.339 dependent on active servers and multiple 0:32:02.048,0:32:05.558 players experiencing the game 0:32:03.339,0:32:07.148 simultaneously so this type of narrative 0:32:05.558,0:32:09.819 interaction is perhaps the most unique 0:32:07.148,0:32:12.069 to video games and the most ephemeral 0:32:09.819,0:32:14.048 because it's based on things outside of 0:32:12.069,0:32:15.519 the game itself which i think is 0:32:14.048,0:32:17.259 something to bear in mind if you're 0:32:15.519,0:32:19.179 going to pull Gooding this talk later 0:32:17.259,0:32:24.839 which is about the preservation of such 0:32:19.179,0:32:27.639 games so why is all this important 0:32:24.839,0:32:29.259 I hope this talk offered an insight into 0:32:27.638,0:32:31.808 how narrative and gameplay can work 0:32:29.259,0:32:33.370 together and demonstrate how interesting 0:32:31.808,0:32:34.778 it is to think of game designers as a 0:32:33.369,0:32:36.758 narrative architects rather the 0:32:34.778,0:32:38.859 traditional storytellers I think 0:32:36.759,0:32:41.319 thinking of video games storytelling in 0:32:38.859,0:32:43.479 spatial terms using these four different 0:32:41.319,0:32:46.298 models presented by Henry Jenkins could 0:32:43.480,0:32:47.889 lead to more creative narratives so 0:32:46.298,0:32:49.960 jenkins says such a mixture of in 0:32:47.888,0:32:51.699 accident and embedded narrative elements 0:32:49.960,0:32:53.860 can allow for balance between the 0:32:51.700,0:32:56.440 flexibility of interactivity and the 0:32:53.859,0:32:58.689 coherence of pre authored narrative so 0:32:56.440,0:33:03.090 thus bringing together narratology and 0:32:58.690,0:33:03.090 lewd ology and there's an academic 0:33:03.460,0:33:07.890 that's pretty much here there's some 0:33:05.019,0:33:10.210 work cited there's a little bit about me 0:33:07.890,0:33:13.180 there's time for questions if anyone 0:33:10.210,0:33:15.840 wants to ask skinny you'll have to shout 0:33:13.180,0:33:27.009 them out and I'll have to repeat them 0:33:15.839,0:33:30.959 any questions well then there are plenty 0:33:27.009,0:33:30.960 of videos online for you to look at 0:33:52.440,0:33:55.100 yeah 0:34:03.750,0:34:24.099 yeah yeah okay just to reiterate for the 0:34:21.460,0:34:26.739 video in case that wasn't picked up how 0:34:24.099,0:34:29.018 how specific can you go with micro 0:34:26.739,0:34:32.799 narratives is a little kind of tableau 0:34:29.018,0:34:35.739 in a corner of a room a micro narrative 0:34:32.800,0:34:38.830 and is any action a player takes through 0:34:35.739,0:34:40.539 space in a sequence a micro narrative it 0:34:38.829,0:34:42.549 could be like Jenkins gives the example 0:34:40.539,0:34:44.409 of like playing a football game and 0:34:42.550,0:34:45.760 giving a getting a touchdown as being a 0:34:44.409,0:34:47.800 micro narrative because it's something 0:34:45.760,0:34:49.629 that you can lift out of context and you 0:34:47.800,0:34:53.199 know have it as a self-contained little 0:34:49.628,0:34:54.969 thing and I think totally those little 0:34:53.199,0:34:57.639 bits of environmental storytelling where 0:34:54.969,0:35:00.879 you get a little tableau almost or still 0:34:57.639,0:35:03.699 like you said a still-life can totally 0:35:00.880,0:35:05.230 be like a micro narrative so I don't 0:35:03.699,0:35:07.869 think there's any hard and fast rule to 0:35:05.230,0:35:09.730 it I just think it's a really 0:35:07.869,0:35:14.199 interesting way to frame those kind of 0:35:09.730,0:35:17.110 things but yeah I mean the problem with 0:35:14.199,0:35:18.759 these kind of taxonomy is right is they 0:35:17.110,0:35:19.750 create divisions between things whereas 0:35:18.760,0:35:21.480 actually I think there's quite a lot of 0:35:19.750,0:35:23.500 overlap between these four categories 0:35:21.480,0:35:26.530 obviously I can't go into that because 0:35:23.500,0:35:27.880 20 minutes is enough to just think of a 0:35:26.530,0:35:30.910 taste of always talking about rather 0:35:27.880,0:35:35.740 than actually you know explore how 0:35:30.909,0:35:38.279 they're interconnected as well any other 0:35:35.739,0:35:38.279 questions 0:35:41.139,0:35:44.139 yeah 0:36:13.099,0:36:19.659 big influence 0:36:16.739,0:36:24.068 okay cool so the question is like about 0:36:19.659,0:36:26.048 kind of Lovecraft being used more and 0:36:24.068,0:36:30.548 more and what other kind of originators 0:36:26.048,0:36:32.380 of kind of genres and and tropes can be 0:36:30.548,0:36:35.739 used or are being used I think it's 0:36:32.380,0:36:39.579 interesting that blood that kind of love 0:36:35.739,0:36:41.108 craft is such a popular thing for the 0:36:39.579,0:36:43.509 bass games on and things you can't 0:36:41.108,0:36:44.798 actually throw a rock I don't know why 0:36:43.509,0:36:47.048 you'd be throwing rock we can't throw a 0:36:44.798,0:36:48.880 rock these days without hitting the 0:36:47.048,0:36:51.190 board game with a Lovecraftian theme 0:36:48.880,0:36:52.749 right and the main reason for that is it 0:36:51.190,0:36:54.369 cool but the secondary and 0:36:52.748,0:36:57.548 closely-related reason to that is it's 0:36:54.369,0:37:01.298 um isn't it's out of copyright so anyone 0:36:57.548,0:37:03.639 can just use it and so I think like the 0:37:01.298,0:37:06.248 more it's then used like the more people 0:37:03.639,0:37:08.708 become familiar with it and the more it 0:37:06.248,0:37:10.268 gets used but I think the interesting 0:37:08.708,0:37:13.088 thing with blood-borne is it doesn't 0:37:10.268,0:37:16.868 explicitly use it it's all very subtle 0:37:13.088,0:37:19.380 is like Miyazaki's use of kind of 0:37:16.869,0:37:21.489 western fantasy tropes in Dark Souls 0:37:19.380,0:37:23.349 they're there but they're kind of 0:37:21.489,0:37:25.749 filtered through his kind of unique 0:37:23.349,0:37:29.469 sensibilities and his kind of cultural 0:37:25.748,0:37:31.718 influences and he uses I can't remember 0:37:29.469,0:37:33.869 the terminology now but his specifically 0:37:31.719,0:37:36.699 said that he uses a lot of Japanese 0:37:33.869,0:37:39.608 philosophical concepts about 0:37:36.699,0:37:41.190 impermanence which is really interesting 0:37:39.608,0:37:43.058 it's really interesting to read 0:37:41.190,0:37:44.979 interviews with him because he clearly 0:37:43.059,0:37:47.949 you know is very intelligent man and 0:37:44.978,0:37:51.179 clip who knows what he's doing and I 0:37:47.949,0:37:54.670 think in terms of other kind of 0:37:51.179,0:37:57.248 originators of important myth AUSA's I 0:37:54.670,0:37:59.739 guess Sherlock Holmes like you know I 0:37:57.248,0:38:02.439 think Arthur Conan Doyle his his work 0:37:59.739,0:38:03.999 gets used a lot and is being used more 0:38:02.440,0:38:06.269 and more in videogames I think is 0:38:03.998,0:38:08.259 another interesting talk to be had about 0:38:06.268,0:38:10.508 because I mentioned a little bit there 0:38:08.259,0:38:13.119 about kind of detective fiction and 0:38:10.509,0:38:14.619 videogames because obviously detective 0:38:13.119,0:38:16.719 fiction is a really good example of how 0:38:14.619,0:38:18.338 story and plot works but it's a little 0:38:16.719,0:38:20.318 bit harder to do in videogames and when 0:38:18.338,0:38:25.119 videogames normally do detective stories 0:38:20.318,0:38:27.400 because they could be so procedural it 0:38:25.119,0:38:29.019 can easily get out of hand 0:38:27.400,0:38:31.150 be difficult they normally kind of 0:38:29.019,0:38:33.670 systemize that so you had something like 0:38:31.150,0:38:35.170 murdered soul suspect where you weren't 0:38:33.670,0:38:37.028 really solving a mystery were just 0:38:35.170,0:38:39.849 collecting little bits of things and 0:38:37.028,0:38:42.969 putting them together and it's I'm yet 0:38:39.849,0:38:44.769 to see like a detective game done really 0:38:42.969,0:38:47.048 well I think that gives that the player 0:38:44.769,0:38:49.239 the freedom to try and work it out 0:38:47.048,0:38:50.739 itself but that's the other one I could 0:38:49.239,0:38:52.989 think of is at the top of my head is 0:38:50.739,0:39:06.729 Sherlock Holmes and do you have any in 0:38:52.989,0:39:08.798 mind yeah another one 0:39:06.730,0:39:11.260 I'll give you which is a little bit more 0:39:08.798,0:39:13.690 highbrow but I think does creep into 0:39:11.260,0:39:16.809 things is George annuity of all gays who 0:39:13.690,0:39:20.108 is an Argentinean a proto sci-fi writer 0:39:16.809,0:39:23.440 he came up with some amazing incredible 0:39:20.108,0:39:25.420 mind-blowing ideas that play that you 0:39:23.440,0:39:26.710 know you read one of his stories and it 0:39:25.420,0:39:29.200 will change the way that you look at the 0:39:26.710,0:39:32.260 world forever his brilliant and I find 0:39:29.199,0:39:34.269 I'm finding that his ideas are creeping 0:39:32.260,0:39:36.099 into games and popular culture a little 0:39:34.269,0:39:38.469 bit more now 0:39:36.099,0:39:42.369 try I can't think of an example for the 0:39:38.469,0:39:44.649 top of my head but could you think of 0:39:42.369,0:39:51.818 one cool I know you like tall guys as 0:39:44.650,0:39:54.960 well oh yeah he's that oh yeah joseph 0:39:51.818,0:39:54.960 conrad's yeah 0:39:55.920,0:40:01.059 spec up to the line yes spec up the line 0:39:59.289,0:40:07.239 is an adaptation of the heart of 0:40:01.059,0:40:08.590 darkness by Joseph Conrad yeah yeah yeah 0:40:07.239,0:40:11.109 videogames are becoming a little bit 0:40:08.590,0:40:13.750 more literary and a little bit more you 0:40:11.110,0:40:15.460 know encouraged to kind of like newest 0:40:13.750,0:40:22.329 literary sources and and play around 0:40:15.460,0:40:27.130 with them good anyone else probably try 0:40:22.329,0:40:28.929 and wrap up time as its yes okay we 0:40:27.130,0:40:33.329 should probably wrap up but I hope you 0:40:28.929,0:40:33.329 enjoyed that and it wasn't it was okay 0:40:44.969,0:40:47.029 you