Stories in Games

The use of stories in games is a fundamental part of game design. A game without a story becomes an abstract construct. Of course, for some games, such as Tetris, this is ideal, but the vast majority are much improved by the addition of a story.

Over the course of the 20th century, story form and design have been researched. As always, research gravitates toward money, so the most significant portion of this research over the last few years has tended to be about Hollywood and the movie industry. The rewards for a hit movie are usually much greater than the equivalent rewards for a best-selling book, so this is where we find the most accessible information.

The main focus of story-form research has been based on the concept of ...

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