Transmedia Storytelling - It never ends...

Transmedia Storytelling

When it comes to the world of transmedia storytelling, no other medium compares to the immersive and seemingly limitless power of videogames. As Henry Jenkins defines, transmedia storytelling:

…represents a process where integral elements of a fiction get dispersed systematically across multiple delivery channels for the purpose of creating a unified and coordinated entertainment experience. (2007, Web)

With this definition in mind, it is apparent that there is an overwhelming amount of evidence that suggests transmedia content is not only supporting the original franchise, but even defining it for a new generation within videogames.

NOTHING is safe from transmedia exposure...nothing.

There are several considerations that must be made when considering the importance of transmedia storytelling in the videogame industry. Firstly, the link between exterior universes and videogames must be recognised in order to comprehend the importance of transmedia adaptation of popular franchises. Secondly, the value of immersion and connection to the consumer of a videogame must be examined to understand the importance of gaming to any given franchise. Finally, after exploring the past and current development of games as adaptive media, a prediction can be proposed in regards to the future of games as transmedia gold mines.

Some things are best left untouched...

When examining the most popular videogames of present and of the past, they all have one thing in common; an abundance of user and fan generated content. This content reaches far beyond the boundaries of virtual space, often evolving to include fan-fiction, music, cosplay, machinima and countless more creations that add to the value of those particular games. They are more than obsessive abnormalities; in fact “each medium makes its own unique contribution to the unfolding of the story” (Jenkins, 2006). (The story being whatever franchises the content was created from) Once a videogame generated a large enough fan-base, such content is not only created, but celebrated. In the early days of gaming, Pac Man generated an enormous amount of transmedia diffusion, with the creation of a cartoon, 8bit music tracks and children’s books introduced shortly after it stormed into the gaming world. To give a contemporary of such diffusion however, is almost pointless; it is everywhere.

The use of transmedia storytelling is a marketing tool too powerful to ignore. The theory that different universes can “be experienced separately and still be enjoyable each component…part of a single unified storytelling experience” (Long, 2007, Web) has been adapted by almost every form of contemporary media. Game designer Neal Young coined the term “additive comprehension” to describe the allowance for “some viewers to have a richer experience without in any way diminishing the experience of someone who encounters the story on a single platform.”(Jenkins, 2006, Web) Creating this valued and rich experience has been the focus of many different forms of media across the past decade, utilising every tool possible to expand the experience of their universe. For example, the Halo series has released books, comics and online access to personal statistics and information about the universe in an attempt to further involve immersion. Halo 3 even gave the player the tools to create their own films within the game which lead to a flood of fan-generated content (E.g. Red vs Blue) to add to their understanding of the Halo universe.

With such a push towards user generated content and deeper understanding of any media franchise,

…the conceptual and practical convergence of the creative arts (individual talent) with cultural industries (mass scale), in the context of new media technologies…within a new knowledge economy, [allow] for the use of newly interactive citizen-consumers. (Hartley, 2005, p5)

Some things turn out pretty cool...

Hence large media franchises rely on the embracing and support of transmedia content to not only promote their products and work, but give it perceived value to consumers but allowing them to explore the content their own way. It could then me argued that the mass-consumption of any new form of media acts as a base of understanding of a certain franchise for the user to then support, explore and most importantly, contribute to. This aids industries, such as game development, to create content supporting or defining a franchise. The interactive world either allows a person to explore and connect with a new character in an immersive environment linked to other media such as comics, or create a completely new storyline and heroin figure for them to idolise based loosely on the plot of the franchise. For example, Prince of Persia, a popular videogame, was adapted and exposed to a mass audience through a film, The Sands of Time. Contrarily, the children’s show Dora the Explorer was adapted to a videogame to allowed children to learn more about Dora by being her.

In summary, any new media that is subject to an unpredictable amount of modification and expansion to enhance the engagement of consumer and the product. Industries such as game development have seemingly limitless opportunity to build off current popular universes or create their own. Transmedia storytelling allows us all to gain our own understanding of the media we love, include or discard what we please and most importantly make a story our own. No franchise is safe. No franchise is the same for any one person. It all depends on where, when, how and why you consumed it.

Something to think about...

References:

Geoffrey Long (2007). On Toys and Transmedia Storytelling. Tip of the Quill. Sourced from:  http://www.geoffreylong.com/miscellany/actionfigures.php.

Henry Jenkins (2007). Transmedia Storytelling 101. Confessions of an Aca-Fan (Weblog). Sourced from: http://www.henryjenkins.org/2007/03/transmedia_storytelling_101.html

Henry Jenkins (2006). Convergence Culture: Where Old and New Media Collide. New York University Press.

John Hartley (2005). Creative Industries. Wiley-Blackwell.

Converging and Overwhelming: A Game Designer's Dream.

As the battle for gaming supremacy is carried out on the surface by the likes of Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo, the sharks (game designers) are circling. Having tasted blood in the water in the form of media convergence, it is only a matter of time before a feeding frenzy occurs, the unsuspecting victims being people who never thought they would be known as a dreaded ‘gamer’.

There is no doubt that as technologies develop, older mediums not only seem inconvenient but also redundant. This elimination is not simply the new replacing the old, but the convergence of our daily media desires and necessities. As Jenkins suggests, “…convergence represents a cultural shift as consumers are encouraged to seek out new information and make connections among dispersed media content.” (Jenkins, 2006, p3). In other words, the more of our desired and required interests and tools that can be accessed by one device, the better. There is no doubt that most new technologies aim to enhance or combine the features provided by previous mediums. So how does convergence benefit a game designer? In ways you could never imagine. Not only does it allow them to take advantage of new, powerful media platforms to create games in conjunction with the recent social networking phenomenon, but also allows them to market games to people who may perceive gaming as a niche pastime without them even knowing. Convergence offers two critical components that make these feats possible; social networks and technology. With “all aspects of institutional activity and social life…increasingly conducted in this interactive digital media environment…” (Flew, 2008, p22), there is no longer anywhere to hide; and game developers love it.

The game industry has come a long way since its humble beginnings in arcades and chunky home consoles. This advancement is not only measured by graphical power, affordability and accessibility, but also its ability to cooperate with our day-to-day online social life. Games have become more than the stereotypical (and outdated) solitary pastime. They have begun to seep into our daily social networking, be it through intentional methods or competitive. It is true that services such as Xbox Live and the Playstation Network have intentional convergence of voice chat and player interaction to create more immersive and social experiences, however it was never anticipated that they could make their way into the world of social networking with such ease. Perhaps the best example of this is the Facebook phenomenon FarmVille. The game must be played through Facebook, allowing the player to create a farm in which they can plant and harvest crops and do all you would expect on a farm. However, the main appeal to the game is the ability to help your friends on Facebook manage their farm. As ludologist Jasper Juul suggests,

“there is a reason why people are playing these games, and it’s not a mystery: It’s nice to grow things. It’s nice to do things with your friends. It’s nice to give and receive gifts. It’s nice to play a game that allows you to schedule your playing time. And so on.” (Juul, 2010, Online)

The fusion of our real and online social lives with games has made it more of a casual and above all acceptable pastime. However, game development isn’t limited to the convergence of our online social networks, instead extending into our real day to day lives thanks to technological advancements.
As Flew makes clear, “ morphing of devices… [result in] multi-purpose conduits for a range of activities involving digital media.” (Flew, 2008, p23) Devices such as the Iphone provide a number of services for their owner; internet, social networking, a music player, countless applications and most importantly; social games. The world of technology has made the practice of gaming significantly easier and, let’s face it, fun to do when bored. A new breed of pick up and play, intuitive games are being perfected and played by millions around the world at any moment; a far cry from the humble arcade in the nineteen eighties.

This is the best picture I could find to demonstrate what you can do with your average smart phone these days.

So far it is has been made clear that financial gain is highly achievable as a game designer, however that is not the true extent of a game designer’s power. Convergence in the future may not only find itself combining technologies and games…but blurring the line of reality. Already there are games that award you for completing tasks placed in your organiser for the day…so how far will it go? When will our yearning for media content be accommodated so well by convergence of technologies, that our lives will be a game balanced carefully between the real and virtual world?

Only time will tell. I, for one, am happy I will not only be able to be part of this exciting time, but also be able to help create it.

PC Games - E3 2011 - Guitar Hero 5

Jesse Schell's speech at DICE proves my theory; game designers will rule the world.

References:

Jenkins, Henry (2006). Convergence Culture Where Old and New Media Collide. NYU Press, United States.

Flew, Terry (2008). New Media: An Introduction (3rd Edition). Oxford University Press, New York.

Jull, Jasper (2010). The Video Games of Video Games: Prejudices against Social Games verbatim copies of Prejudices against Video Games. The Ludologist, Online - http://www.jesperjuul.net/ludologist/?p=1093