Cutscenes in Computer Games as an Information System

Daniel Říha

Faculty of Humanities, Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic [email protected]

Abstract. While computer game´s cutscenes are predominantly used for a cin- ematic narrative development, in many computer games cutscenes might serve not only as a basic orientation hint about next level in a gaming environment but might play a role of an information system. This contribution will discuss the eventualities to understand cutscenes and their implementation in a gaming environment as a sort of an information system useful for the interpretation and reconfiguration performed by the player with the respect to the rapid prototyp- ing for serious games. Further, will be briefly discussed the potential to author the cutscenes for a sample concept of a serious game (documentary computer games) in the rapid animated movie production tool Moviestorm.

Keywords: Cut Scenes, Computer Games, Documentary Computer Games, Moviestorm, Creativity, Gameplay, Machinima, Digital Filmmaking, Visual Communication.

1 Introduction

In this paper, I will discuss the eventualities to understand computer games cutscenes and the implementation in a gaming environment in a role of an information system that shall be useful for the interpretation and reconfiguration performed by the player with the respect to the rapid prototyping for serious games. Further, will be briefly discussed the potential to author the cutscenes for a sample concept of serious game1 in the rapid animated movie production tool Moviestorm. Conceptually, the gamespace might be understood as a virtual knowledge space. Strauss and Fleischman define knowledge space as ‘architectural space furnished with data’, where the user is not understood only as the protagonist, but also ‘the producer of knowledge through interaction.’ [1] The interactive 3-D space then might be expe- rienced through perception of 3-D space with the exploration of data and production of knowledge through active experience. A cutscene is an inseparable part of the gaming experience. King and Krzywinska, propose that a cutscene to be used to ‘provide clues or to establish enigmas that have a bearing on the narrative trajectory of the game.’ [2] Markku Eskelinen states that ‘the dominant user function in literature, theater and film is interpretative, but in games it is […] configurative.’ [3]

1 A genre of documentary computer games and newsgaming.

A. Marcus (Ed.): DUXU 2014, Part II, LNCS 8518, pp. 661–668, 2014. © Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2014 662 D. Říha

Chatzizacharias and Windig identify one of the biggest problems with cutscenes, a situation where ‘the player can do only one of two things at a time. The player is either involved in a configurative practice or an interpretative practice.’ [4] According to Rune Klevjer, a cutscene in the computer game ‘does not cut off gameplay.’ [5] He recognizes a cutscene as ‘an integral part of the configurative expe- rience. Even if the player is denied any active input, this does not mean that the ergodic experience and effort is paused.’[5] Klevjer emphasizes that a cutscene is ‘serving gameplay functions that cannot be taken care of through other means.’ [5] So, a cutscene might be understood as a sort of middle ground between ludologist and narratologist position in studying computer games. Cutscene (in computer games) is ‘a scene that develops the storyline and is often shown on completion of a certain level.’2 Cutscenes in computer games are designed using the latest available technology for a creation of attractive rendering effects and styles and usual conventions of a film industry alike. Kurt Squire identifies cutscenes as a useful technique for creating a context, ‘The first thing that games do is create an emotionally compelling context for the player. Many games use cut scenes, short movies designed to situate the player in the game world and context.’ [6] While computer game´s cutscenes are predominantly used for a cinematic narrative development, in many computer games cutscenes might serve not only as a basic orientation hint about next level in gaming environment but might be understood as sort of an information system3 that helps the player to learn important information to be able to win the game.

2 An Utilization of Cut Scenes

Hugh Hancock discussed a cutscene as a computer game feature that might ‘make a game's world more real- not just by telling a story, but also by reacting to the player, by showing him the effects of his actions upon that world and thus making both the world more real and his actions more important.’ [7], so this is the function of reflec- tive re-play. Hancock lists the following utilization categories of cutscenes: conversation scenes, information dump, scene and mood setting, reward, introduction of plot or gameplay elements and pacing. In the context of consideration of cutscenes as an information system are the most important categories - information dump and intro- duction of game elements.

2 Oxford Dictionary: http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/cutscene 3 Information system - any combination of information technology and people's activities using that technology to support operations, management, and decision-making. Glossary - Carne- gie Mellon® Software Engineering Institute (SEI). http://www.sei.cmu.edu/publications/documents/ 03.reports/03tr002/03tr002glossary.html Cutscenes in Computer Games as an Information System 663

Cutscenes in this case might help to reflect previous play-time play and visualize the results of gameplay. For game designer it is very important to consider as well the category of pacing of the game. According to Hancock, ‘briefing scene can move into action with a cut to a faster-paced scene or the introduction of elements which change the pace’ [7] and so designed cut scene will be ‘allowing the player's perception of pace to change in accordance with the game designer's intentions for pace at this point.’ [7] For Klevjer, a cutscene offers a feature of ‘a surveillance or planning tool, provid- ing the player with helpful or crucial visual information’ [5], what changes the struc- ture of the ludic action. Further, he argues about the feature of ‘gameplay catapult’ as a convention that’s ‘building up suspense and creating a situation.’ [5] We may recognize two categories for a cutscene design: in-game and prerendered cutscenes. Hancock has identified main advantages and disadvantages of implement- ing both types of cutscenes in computer game design:

One advantage of an in-game cutscene, from a game-efficiency point of view, is that it can start up instantly, avoiding the load time required when playing a prerendered cutscene. .. Don't underestimate the time it will take to get in-game cutscenes working in your game. Prerendered cutscenes are little movies, and they exist as individual frames that are created outside of the game engine. … One advantage of prerendered cutscenes is that they don't re- quire any programmer time. Making them is a known process and one which affords the artist a lot more control over the product. [7]

For smaller-scale and indie computer game projects, as one example a further dis- cussed concept of documentary serious game, in-game cutscenes might be often too costly to utilize. Similarly, prerendered cutscenes designed in professional hi-end animation packages, might induce higher costs and prolong a production time needed for finalizing the game development. In the following paragraphs, I will consider the prerequisites of an implementation of rapid animation prototyping software to in- crease the productivity in small-size computer game production with a respect to the production of cutscenes.

2.1 Game Heuristics Related to the Design of Cutscenes

Pinelle et al conducted a research study with a goal to deliver an evaluation of the computer game-related heuristics that might recognize game-specific usability prob- lems. The selected 4 heuristics might be shared to reflect upon the utilization of cutscenes:

4. Provide unobstructed views that are appropriate for the user’s current actions 5. Allow users to skip non-playable and frequently repeated content.

4 Quoted from the Table 2, p. 1458. Game heuristics. Each heuristic is listed along with a paragraph describing how common problems can be avoided. 664 D. Říha

8. Provide users with information on game status. 10. Provide visual representations that are easy to interpret and that minimize the need for mi- cromanagement. [8]

We can accept and derive from Pinelle´s et al research study several recommenda- tions useful as well for a design of cutscenes; cutscenes should not be too lengthy, as this would interrupt the agency and gameplay. A replay in cutscenes often offers the reflection on the game´s status. Users shall be not forced to seek interactively for information, what in the case of prerendered cutscenes would be even possible, and finally, ‘The game should provide views that allow the user to have a clear, unob- structed view of the area, and of all visual information that is tied to the location.’ [8], what, in the case of disregard, would lead to the player´s confusion in game-action.

Also Adam Schnitzer identifies several issues that shall be avoided in a cutscene design:

• Confusing, unnecessary cuts • Hyperactive camera work • Violations of basic rules of screen direction • Shots that don't effectively express story points • Indifference to lens choice • Inattention to continuity [9]

Schnitzer then argues about list of the roles that cutscenes might have within the computer game production:

•Advance the plot and give meaning to the dynamic progression of the game. •Define the beginning and end of a game level. •Give the player a reward. •Introduce gameplay elements and provide the player with necessary clues. •Set the Mood. •Define the mythology of the game. •Marketing, the secondary purpose of cutscenes. [9]

In a context of cutscenes considered as an information system, the most important category to be introducing of the gameplay elements and providing the player with necessary clues. Schnitzer argues that for the player ‘the necessary clues and infor- mation that he needs to be successful is like providing a movie watcher with backsto- ry information that makes the action of the story intelligible.’[9]

3 The Authoring Principles of Cutscenes in Moviestorm

The rapid animation authoring software Moviestorm has a potential for the authoring of the pre-rendered cutscenes in low-cost and small-size computer game development. Cutscenes in Computer Games as an Information System 665

I will argue about these options on a sample concept of serious game about the lives of Bosnian artists and literates in Prague of 1990s. The lives and work of a Bosnian expatriate artist group which flew from the Bosni- an war to Prague in the early 1990s provides an excellent example of a knowledge space that is only partially describable by the linear medium text. The lives of Bosni- ans in Prague in the 1990s may gain relevance not simply because they represent individual destinies, but they also serve to provide an alternative lens for expressing the characteristics of the sociocultural changes of that era. The Bosnian artists’ pro- ductions reflect not only the post-communist, socio-cultural transition during the 1990s in a unique way, but might - to a certain extent - also be understood as a reflec- tion of European affairs. [10] According to Howard designing computer games based on literary production leads to active performance of meaning rather than passive absorbance. He calls this search to enact meaning an interpretative quest:

Rather than asking players to interpret concepts without a concrete referent, games require players to act out the meaning of an object or landscape within the context of a situation whose outcome matters to them. [11]

Løvlie argues that active performance of meaning might be supported by the role of estrangement. The experience of estrangement in computer game design shall offer a distance for reflection:

When the tools provided by the game are not appropriate for solving the problems presented, this experience breaks down, and the potential for meaningful gameplay is denied. This is a kind of mock agency; a broken promise of agency. If this situation is appropriately contextual- ized, it might create the distance that is necessary for contemplation and reflection on serious themes. [12]

Positioning the interpreted elements from Bosnian expatriate works in the interactive 3-D environment shall allow computer game designers and end users to discover the pathways relating to these literary productions and works of art. Designs of cutscenes might have in this context a different role than in the com- mercial computer games. Documentary computer game´s goal is to attempt to transfer the atmosphere and meaning, so there are not set clear winning conditions. Cutscenes designed for such a computer game shall help the player to deconstruct a built-in meaning and to reflect and contemplate in a sense as mentioned by Løvlie.

3.1 Moviestorm Animation Production Pipeline

Computer game production about Bosnian expatriate artists has been planned in a low-cost setting and a small-size project context. First demo, including a design of prerendered cutscenes, will be realized with a partial help of senior students at the creative arts department. 666 D. Říha

An approach to this university-based production of these designs is not fully set up with a goal to reach the professional artist-level production, but more accesses the way in which our students manage to identify equivalent signs for his or hers experi- ence, having from the nature of things a unique and individual nature. [13] When collaborating with the university students, in the field of machinima anima- tion, these semi-professional filmmakers require a higher level of support at the inter- face during machinima and cutscenes production. For that reason, a software application Moviestorm has been selected for above mentioned project as a platform for cutscenes production, as this software features the first attempt to deliver an all-in-one and easy to use option for the machinima production pipeline:

• Interactive Script • Global Lighting and Terrain Set-up • Interactive 3-D scene and Room Set-up • Avatar Design Module • Animation and Interactions Set-up • Sound, Voice and Lip-sync • Video Editing • Effects and Filters • Rendering and File Export Options

Moviestorm offers its users to work with relatively wide variety of pre-designed building blocks of 3-D object libraries, facial and body animation libraries, video- filters and particle effects libraries, quick lighting set-up, easily set-up lip-sync and avatar face emotions, customizable terrain. This very easy-to-use interface and rich multimedia libraries extremely decrease the time needed for establishing simple and semi-advanced animation scenes. Moviestorm might be used for authoring the sequences of cutscenes that are inter- active and designed in a style of so called quick time events (QTEs), where the player must click several cutscenes the way to accomplish the event. Quick time event is ‘a method of context-sensitive gameplay in which the player performs actions on the control device shortly after the appearance of an on-screen prompt. It allows for lim- ited control of the game character during cut scenes or cinematic sequences in the game.’5 Moviestorm comes as well with several shortcomings. We might list an inability to allow its users to easily modify avatar costumes and customize the body parts except avatar heads. Import options for personalized 3-D models and animations are very increasing the production-time needed for the accomplishment of this task. Customi- zation of avatar costumes requires learning of 3-D modelling and import-pipeline from the other software animation packages, what may constitute a barrier to the less experienced authors. Unfortunately, as well the animation libraries available are not

5 A definition of Quick time event: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quick_time_event Cutscenes in Computer Games as an Information System 667 abundant enough for the authoring of certain animation scenes. Easy import of anima- tion sequences in .fbx or .bvh format is not available in Moviestorm. Voice-synthesis and recording has to be done in external applications as Acapela6 voice synthesizer, because built-in text-to-speech engine is not very impressive. In Moviestorm, our students are able to import assets, built-in interactive record- ing, video-edit, and export various video formats and functionalities. The low-level syntagms of art manipulation present in Moviestorm include individual element modi- fication in position, scale, texture, lightning, and sound. The higher-level syntagms present include imported 3-D game elements and design blocks of assets. Syntagms related to Moviestorm as an authoring platform are the fully interactive 3-D view interface combined with simplified built-in video-editing software. Moviestorm has, therefore, two of the three paradigmatic options of the syntagm for designing a cutscene: primitives and components. Its main disadvantages are a complicated asset import model, almost an impossibility to adapt a designer´s own characters, and a standard animation format import into the environment. [14]

4 Conclusion

In this contribution, I have compiled a summary of current approaches to the role of cutscenes in computer games and proposed to accept, as one of the valid views, an understanding of computer game cutscenes as an information system that might help to transfer the meaning on the example of documentary game concept designed in rapid animation authoring tool Moviestorm. The experience with authoring of machinima animation in Moviestorm indicates that this software tool might be effi- cient in decreasing the production-time of animated sequences, and so helpful for low-cost serious computer game development.

References

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6 Acapela Voice Synthesizer. http://www.acapela-group.se/ 668 D. Říha

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Appendix: About the Author

Daniel Riha, Ph.D. Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Humanities, Charles Univer- sity in Prague, Czech Republic. His research includes issues on Serious Games, Inter- active Documentary Production and Multi-user Virtual Environments Design. He is as well an award winning designer - Kunst am Bau (Art on Construction) International Art Competition, Constance, Germany.