SpatialStorytellingShowcase.mp4
The space I play games in is very important to me. I put a lot of time and thought into making that space comfortable, distraction free, and practical so I can be immersed in the experiences. I also decorate these areas with my collection of retro games and consoles, as well as plenty of memorabilia from and not from games. If someone were to walk into this space, they would very quickly get an idea of my dedication to video games, my various interests inside and outside of gaming, as well as the way I like to present myself aesthetically, and possibly even my personality. It builds a story of me as a person, and the life that got me here.
While reflecting on this, I thought of the idea of curating an experience centred around the space people play games in. I quite liked the idea of using a physical space for the purposes of this project, but didn’t want to neglect my skills as they are largely digital. Therefore I began to consider what digital aspects can tell stories about the player too.
This reminded me of the Hero’s Path in my favourite game Breath of the Wild (2017). This is a feature that allows you to track the path you took throughout the entire open world. Below is my Hero’s Path on the left, and my girlfriend’s on the right. Mine is very thorough and methodical, while hers is much more sporadic with a “follow the heart” approach.
This was the first aspect I thought of for the digital element of how the actions player’s take in games can tell a story about them. At this point, I began to collate these ideas in a digital pin board. I divided the question of ‘what stories can games tell about the player” into three aspects: the games they play, what they do in those games, and the space they play those games in.
I grouped games by archetypes and what they portray
I also began to think about the equipment and presentation of a player character
I found a bunch of differing gaming spaces and thought about what these portrayed
I was then able to develop these ideas into a complete concept during the creation of my design document and pitch presentation.
The Player’s Story - Design Document
I narrowed it down to taking place on a desk where this imaginary person has been playing a fantasy MMO. I chose a desk as that can contain many things about a persons life beyond gaming. It is a place where work, play, and personal life all coincide in one space. I chose an MMO as they can often be very oriented around inter-player expression through character customisation, building and decorating bases, and interacting with other people.