Linear Versus Nonlinear Narrative in Video Games
There are fundamental differences between linear and nonlinear narratives but they can also be very complementary. While it is uncommon, the simultaneous production of a linear form (novel, video, etc.) alongside a nonlinear form (game) can make both better, provided the influences on each are channeled properly. On Shroud of the Avatar an accomplished novelist, Tracy Hickman (Dragonlance), and a gaming pioneer, Richard Garriott (Ultima), set out to create a prequel novel and a narrative for a computer role-playing game at the same time. The results have been what these creators say is their best work in a very long time. Why does this seem to be working in this case but not in others? One key difference is that they co-wrote both pieces at the same time versus writing them separately (authorship and time).
Presenters
Richard Garriott
Creative Dir
Portalarium Inc
Richard Garriott de Cayeux is a video game developer and entrepreneur. He is also known as his alter ego Lord British in the Ultima videogames. A well-known figure in the video game industry, Garri...
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Writer
Portalarium Inc
Tracy has worked as a supermarket stockboy, a movie projectionist, a theater manager, a glass worker, a television assistant director, and a drill press operator in a genealogy center. It was in 19...
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