Call of Duty developer Sledgehammer Games’ co-founder Michael Condrey has said that video game narratives still have a “long way to go” when it comes to storytelling in video games. Condrey specifically referred to emotional narratives, depicting attachment to characters and various emotional situations. Speaking to The Guardian newspaper, he said:
Games have a long way to go to deliver on the emotional narratives we see in, say, Game of Thrones. We have to learn lessons there, we have to learn about emotional attachment to characters, provocative situations, loss. We need to make those a big part of video games.
Speaking of Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare’s narrative, Condrey said:
We really looked at the narrative execution. Not just Kevin Spacey’s performance, but the whole story arc. I think there are moments that will be challenging. Right now, we’re all talking about this third golden age of television in the US – that inspires us.
Developers are increasingly focusing on video game narratives, often drawing inspiration from real life events. Ubisoft has not only studied the Himalayan region but also the Nepalese civil war for its upcoming title Far Cry 4. Activision, on the other hand, is drawing inspiration from accounts of private military contractors for Advanced Warfare. A special focus on storytelling is a welcome step. However, it’s the execution that’s critical.
[Source: The Guardian]
