(mashedmarket)

Lately, many games writers have been striving to define what Brainy Gamer Michael Abbott terms “the design and direction of narrative video games.” Abbott characterizes this fruitful convergence of minds as an emerging collective manifesto. The various points of view that he profiles are wildly exciting, and I’ve been thinking about each of them for what feels like quite some time. More recently, I’ve considered Mitch Krpata’s excellent piece, “Give me good writing,” in which Krpata laments the fact that “thoughtful, incisive” video game journalism is rarely “accessible to a general audience.” Surprisingly, all these ruminations finally came to a head last night when my wife handed me an article from the August 2008 issue of American Libraries. It paired acute observations on game stories with a highly approachable style. Needless to say, I was more than a little impressed — in fact, it pretty much blew my mind.

Now, before I start quoting the guy, a couple quick disclaimers:

1. As someone who’s interested in thinking critically about play, you’ve no doubt encountered the following ideas before. If you’re reading this blog (or The Brainy Gamer, or Krpata’s Insult Swordfighting), Scott Nicholson’s points regarding games and narrative will not seem particularly revelatory. The important thing is he’s an advocate for video gaming, and a damned fine one at that.
2. “Reframing Gaming” isn’t exactly written for a general audience; after all, it was featured in the official publication of the American Library Association. Nevertheless, Nicholson’s work exists to “refute a few commonly-held misconceptions,” and, as a result, his diction is straightforward and edifying. In other words, even folks who don’t know a thing or two about games can hitch a ride on this train.

That said, I’m (finally) going to let Nicholson speak for himself. He claims

A good storyteller will engage the listener by opening the door to another world. Through the eyes of the characters in the story, those listening can mentally engage with a different time and place, exploring decisions and roles that they would not encounter in their everyday lives. Those listening to stories in the library may or may not check out books and participate in other library services, but that was not the reason to hold storytelling programs. Storytelling creates a comfortable and inviting environment for people to enjoy spending time in the library.

Gaming is participatory storytelling. The designer of the game sets up a backstory, the world, and the rules; in playing the game, participants get to play a part of the story. Games allow us to mentally engage with a different time and place and explore decisions and roles that we would not encounter in our everyday lives.

Unlike with a fixed story, games allow players to create the story as they go along, creating a much more engaging experience. In addition, many games allow players to interact with each other as characters in the story, and many times these interactions improve the relationship between players outside the game, even crossing traditional social boundaries.

Uplifting stuff, right? Which makes this is an especially helpful starting point for explaining gaming to someone who just doesn’t get it. Nicholson’s plain language is penetrating. He explains an essential component of the activity by likening it to something most people are familiar with.

Personally, I find small talk about games extremely difficult. Unlike Nicholson, my preoccupation with conflicted design and non-linear reactive stories sometimes overshadows topics more easily digestible for interested friends and relatives. I’m mired in all sorts of chatter most folks haven’t even considered! Reading a piece like this puts those big conversations into perspective while reminding me that, if I could just step off from time to time, I’d be better equipped to explain my passion. Besides, attempts at “reframing gaming” might one day yield new approaches for examining the medium. As 1UP’s Shawn Elliott (quoting Eurogamer Dan Whitehead’s Braid review) points out, “You must look back to go forwards.” I think we’d all do well to remember that.