Tamer Thabet - Video Game Narrative and Criticism: Playing the Story

VideoGameNarrativeandCriticism

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VideoGameNarrativeand

Criticism:PlayingtheStory

TamerThabet

TamerThabet2015

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ISBN:9781137525550EPUB

ISBN:9781137525543PDF

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DOI:10.1057/9781137525543

ToAnaPriscilla

Contents

Acknowledgments

Iwouldlikethankbothmyparentsandmybrotherfortheirloveandencouragement.This

workwouldnothavebeenpossiblewithouttheirsupport.

I would also like to express my utmost gratitude to Professor Bart Eeckhout at the

UniversityofAntwerpforhisinvaluableadviceandhelp.Iamhonoredtohaveworked

withhim.ThisisalsoanopportunitytothankProfessorKevinKeeofBrockUniversity

and Professor Frederico Fernandes of the State University of Londrina. I owe much to

them.

Introduction

Abstract:Astructuralstudyofthevideogamenarrativeisoverdue.Narrationingames

defiestheconventionalunderstandingofhowstoriesarecommunicatedbecausethestory

istoldbothbytheplayerandthegamesystem.Inthisintroduction,wewillpresent

groundworkconceptssuchasthenatureofplayasanactofnarrationandthequestionof

criticism.

Keywords:criticism;fictionalworlds;narrative;player-response

Thabet,Tamer. VideoGameNarrativeandCriticism:PlayingtheStory. Basingstoke:

PalgraveMacmillan,2015.DOI:10.1057/9781137525543.0003.

Playasnarration

Some would say this is a story about retribution, but for me it is about treachery and maybe patience. I wondered which quote would fit in a story about the time I had my

nemesis, and it occurred to me how eloquently a fictional character such as Brick Top

wouldputit:DoyouknowwhatNemesismeans?Arighteousinflictionofretribution

manifested by an appropriate agent; personified in this case by me. Now I cannot

remember his name, but I spent quite some time trying to get him. My archenemy was

invinciblejustbecausehecouldfly.Heoftenruinedmyplans,butthistimethingsgota

littletoopersonal.

Itwasaregularcounter-snipermission.Myteamwastaskedtoclearsomesnipernests

acrosstheriver.Everythingwasgoingperfectlyuntilheshowedupflyingoverourcamp

and dropping his unlimited hand grenades on us. You do know that snipers are not

supposedtoflyandcertainlycouldnotcarryaninfinitenumberofgrenades.Nooneelse

couldfly,andso,weallhadtoabandonhideoutsandrun.Thatmorning,ifyoudidnotget

blownupbyoneofhisfrags,hissniperbuddieswouldpickyouupfromacrosstheriver

atahundredyards.Alleffortstoshoothimdownwerefutile,evenwitha.50caliberrifle.

Histauntinglanguagewascolorfulasusual,andhisfavoritetopicsincludednationalities,

sexuality,andmother-relatedideas.Hefinallychallengedoneofustoaknifefight.Man

toman,hesaid.Nooneonmyteamwanteditforfearthathewouldhaveanothertrickto

cheat.Ivolunteered,sohelandedonthebridge.Irantowardhimwithmybowieknifeat

hand,andthenIstoppedleavingsome10metersbetweenus.Iwaited.Hedidnotcheat

thistime,andhedashedatmewithhisknife.Idroppedmyknife,pulledmygun,andshot

himtillhefelldeadonthebridge.Iescapedbacktothejunglebeforeherespawned.Of

course he was upset about my treachery and returned for his own vengeance, but this is what archenemies are for, right? This is one of the true stories that happen in fictional gamingworlds.With suchimpunity,millions ofplayerstraverse thefictionallandscapes

ofvideogameseverydayinsearchoftheexperienceofbeingsomeoneelse.Whatwecall

stories have turned into infinite opportunities for one to be transformed, immersed, and challenged,andtheyletonelivelarger-than-lifeexperienceswhileimpersonatingfictional

characters.Onecouldhaveanantagonistorevenbeone.

We have read, watched, and listened to stories, but what does it mean to play them?

Videogamesarethefictionalworldswhereplayerscanvirtuallylivestoriesandassumea