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The Number One Educational Resource for the Game Industry

Session Name: Game Narrative Summit: Press Y to Cry: Generating Emotions in Videogame Narrative
Speaker(s): Andrew Walsh
Company Name(s): Independent
Track / Format: Game Narrative Summit

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Overview: Everyone working in videogames knows the answer to 'can videogames make you cry?' is 'yes!'. (Seriously, where you've been the last 20 years?). The real questions are - 'Why make people cry?''How do we make players love, laugh, despise, sympathise, or empathise instead...?' and 'How do developers ensure players feel the right emotions?' Getting players to connect with a game's setting, narrative, or characters provides more than artistic reward, it can add millions to a game's income. But, while videogames have a track record of making players feel scared, thrilled, or titillated, the industry's emotional palette is still small. This practical session looks at existing models of 'Press Y to cry', 'X to shag', or 'O to ponder the existential nature of the universe', and explores a range of other models and solutions for how to deepen emotion during gameplay. Come and share the love (hate, jealousy, trust, joy, etc).

Game Developers Conference 2021

Andrew Walsh

Independent

free content

Game Narrative Summit

Game Narrative