Oh, the Horror! Horror/Survival Horror Games What Is a Horror Game?

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Oh, The Horror! Horror/Survival Horror Games What is a Horror Game? - “Horror” vs “Scary” - Most ‘horror’ games bill themselves as ‘survival horror.’ - Horror is intended to horrify, creep out, or startle the audience. - Different ‘survival horror’ games put an emphasis on a different blend of the above three. Examples Why Horror Games? - Each of these three components- horrifying, startling, creeping out- are handled better by various mediums. - Books: Horrify, creep out. - Movies: Horrify, startle - Games: Good at all three! The Hunters - Two frequent tropes in horror games: - Predators (Alien: Isolation, Slender, Resident Evil, Outlast, etc) - Inner Demons (Silent Hill, Lone Survivor, Five Night’s at Freddy’s, Amnesia: The Dark Descent, Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs) Immersiveness - Mirrors reality - Discovery - Causes physical reactions - Survival aspect - Consistent atmosphere - suspense - Must constantly be alert- jump scares Marketing Socialization - Sharing reactions and experiences - Fear as a uniting emotion - More fun with an audience Rise in Popularity - Shorter and more entertaining to watch - Youtubers (PewdiePie) - “Zombie craze” Best Sellers February 2015 1.) Dying Light (PS4, XBO, PC) 2.) Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare (XBO PS4, 360, PS3, PC) 3.) Grand Theft Auto V (XBO, PS4, 360, PS3) 4.) Minecraft (360, PS3, XBO, PS4) Originality How do you make Horror original? - Indie horror - Creative storyline/POV -Bioshock/Last of Us - Scare tactics - Essentially all the same game - Immediate vs Threatening - Amnesia vs Outlast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rblCXgPY0cU Jump Scares Simple but effective - finding a balance - cheapest - creates physical reaction - immediate adrenaline - establishes the environment- never safe - ambiguity Player Power How does this affect scare level? -Position of vulnerability -physical vs emotional - Memory as weakness - relatability and empathy How does this affect gameplay? - Makes the game harder - Discovery - immersiveness Why Do People Like Being Scared? - Adrenaline Rush (makes them feel more alive, gives them a high) - Social Approval (like taking a dare, it’s showing people what you’re willing to endure for their entertainment).

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