Cerise Magazine

It must not be a simple thing to design a video game to be inclusive (that is, appealing to a wide variety of potential players, not just to one narrow demographic). If it were so easy, we would have a flood of games that everyone played. As the video gaming industry grew older, budgets increased and the need for returns grew larger, leading to the tendency for developers to design something tried and true that caters to the same demographic that’s been buying video games over and over again from the beginning. But that’s a well-defined and crowded market. The economic benefit of inclusive game design is that the target demographic is defined as a broader category in which the current target is a subset, rather than a completely different one.

But how can developers increase the appeal of their games to that broader market? Naturally, the answer has a heavy dependence on what type of game we’re talking about, but there are some aspects that can span a number of game genres. If the game designer gets them right, it can make all the difference.

People are People

And we like good characters. Characters that are entertaining, but possess familiar — and real — personalities and flaws. But err on the side of the too-familiar and the character becomes a simple stereotype. One way to sidestep the cliché is first to recognize it as such and provide the character with some traits that fly in the face of it. The pirate has a streak of morality. The damsel is not in distress and has a knack for mechanical repairs on top of it. The muscle-bound heavy fighter is a closet philosopher. Characters with quirks and depth compel gamers to keep following the story to find out what happens to them.

One way to sidestep the cliché is first to recognize it as such and provide the character with some traits that fly in the face of it. The pirate has a streak of morality. The damsel is not in distress and has a knack for mechanical repairs on top of it.

To cast the net even wider, a video game designer can create an ensemble cast. But having more characters doesn’t automatically mean less effort to flesh out each one. The requirement to have an interesting, detailed character remains – the game needs to be more efficient in portraying each character with less screen time. Ensembles allow the game to provide a variety of characters for players to care about. People can then choose their favorites to follow. Square-Enix has been creating successful ensembles with the Final Fantasy series. In their most recent offering, Final Fantasy XII, my favorite character is Balthier, the sky pirate. I couldn’t have cared less about Vaan, the “main” character but since I had Balthier in the story, I was still motivated to move forward and play the rest of the game.

Ensemble casts also allow video game designers to include more female characters, which can appeal to gamers who feel excluded by male-only casts. A greater variety of personalities, both male and female, means that more players will be able to find favorites.

Alternatively, the game designer can hand the work over to the player and allow them to customize their own characters. EA’s very popular Sims games have been capitalizing on this for years. The latest darling of the video game industry, MMORPGs, must make this a priority. One character creation system I liked was in City of Heroes. When I first played City of Heroes, fully half of my evening was spent exploring the character creation system aesthetically. I could start with a concept in mind and search for the visual levers that would allow me to create that concept, or I could put together an outfit that I liked and brainstorm a name for the character behind it. Many a character never made it into the game because the act of creating them was so much fun that I would just go on to make another one.

Once Upon a Time

The movie industry in the US earned roughly 10 billion dollars last year at the box office (more than double that, worldwide), and the US video game industry, at over seven billion dollars, is right behind. Novels and other print works have been a thriving business for even longer. And before we wrote down our stories, we would pass them down from generation to generation by mouth. People like a good story.

The best video game stories combine compelling plot details with flexible, player-determined options and choices, which allow the gamer to feel really connected to the narrative. A wide variety of stock playable characters or customizable avatars can also make a big difference, allowing each player to follow the story of a character with whom he or she can personally identify.

Despite knowing the climax and end of the plot, I went on to create a new character in order to ferret out the outcomes of the choices I had not made in the previous play-through.

Knights of the Old Republic by BioWare is an excellent example of a good video game story. Beginning the game as the main character, I had little knowledge of myself and was already in a life-or-death situation. As I traveled through the game, meeting a mix of new characters, I felt compelled to solve the situations put to me as well as discover my own history. I was able to make choices between actions that would describe my path as Light or Dark. When I discovered my own identity and the full ramifications of the story, I was truly surprised and felt rewarded for following the plot to that point. Despite knowing the climax and end of the plot, I went on to create a new character in order to ferret out the outcomes of the choices I had not made in the previous play-through.

In stark contrast, Knights of the Old Republic II by Obsidian proved to be a frustrating game, because of flaws in the storytelling. The characters were intriguing. The story set-up felt sufficiently meaty. But the last third of the story took an abrupt downturn in quality, feeling rushed and highly unsatisfying. I was not the only player frustrated by the incomplete ending. Video game modders have taken on the restoration of the missing story by piecing together found content on the original game CDs. Their effort is a testament to the powerful pull of a good story.

Come Play With Me

The age of the internet has put us in touch with more people around the world. But even with text and voice chat, MySpace pages and webcams, people still want to meet and gather face to face. Some of the latest hits in games have capitalized on this need.

Nintendo’s Wii console system has been outselling Sony’s PS3 by a wide margin (five to one in Japan) even though it has inferior graphics and power. But it does have games that can be picked up by just about anyone. Gamers can invite their friends and family to play with them. My co-worker told me that his sister picked up Wii Sports at a family gathering when she had never before expressed any interest in what “the kids” were doing. I have invited myself over to some friends’ so that I could check out their Wii Sports games and PS2’s Guitar Hero. Whenever we invite people over to our house, I manage to coax someone to sing karaoke with me on either Karaoke Revolution or SingStar. My karaoke obsession is a recurring party opportunity. The viral power of games that can be shared with a wider variety of people can overcome barriers non-gamers might have to trying out games and having fun. And once they’ve had fun, it’s a mere step away to trying another game.

Of course, there are many other aspects of games that contribute to an inclusive game. Some aspects may require more effort than others, but if the effort invites new and old gamers alike, I argue that it is worth it.

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Inviting More People to the Game

July 2007 Issue

Features

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People are People

Once Upon a Time

Come Play With Me