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