creating emotion in games the craft and art of emotioneering

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• Table of Contents
• Index
Creating Emotion in Games: The Craft and Art of Emotioneering™
By David Freeman

Publisher: New Riders Publishing
Pub Date: September 23, 2003
ISBN: 1-5927-3007-8
Pages: 576
David Freeman brings you the inside scoop on how to apply the Emotioneering(TM) techniques he's so well known for. These powerful
techniques create a breadth and depth of emotion in a game, and induce a player to identify with the role he or she is playing. Mr.
Freeman's techniques are so highly sought after because they're the key to mass market success in today's competitive game market.
The over 300 distinct Emotioneering techniques in this book include (to name but a few): ways to give emotional depth to an NPC
(non-player character), even if the NPC has just one line of dialogue; techniques to bond a player to a game's NPCs; and techniques to
transform a game into an intense emotional journey. In a warm and crystal-clear style, Mr. Freeman provides examples which
demonstrate exactly how to apply the techniques. He also shows how some of these techniques were utilized in, and contributed greatly
to the success of such games as "Grand Theft Auto: Vice City"; "Deus Ex"; and "Thief" I & II, among others. The book is packed with
striking art by some of today's top concept artists and illustrators, including an eight-page color section and a four-color, fold-out cover.
When you've finished this book, you'll be equipped to apply Mr. Freeman's powerful Emotioneering techniques to artfully create emotion
in the games you design, build, or produce.
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• Table of Contents
• Index
Creating Emotion in Games: The Craft and Art of Emotioneering™
By David Freeman

Publisher: New Riders Publishing
Pub Date: September 23, 2003
ISBN: 1-5927-3007-8
Pages: 576

Copyright

Acknowledgments

About the Author

About the Technical Reviewer

Tell Us What You Think

Foreword
Gallery

Part I. Introduction

Chapter 1.1. Communicate? Explore? Help? Words? Edge?
Communicate

Explore

Help
Words

Edge

Chapter 1.2. An Introduction to Emotioneering

Chapter 1.3. Why Put Emotion into Games?

Reason #1: Expanded Demographics

Reason #2: Better Buzz

Reason #3: Better Press

Reason #4: So Games Don't Seem Amateurish

Reason #5: An Inspired and Dedicated Creative Team

Reason #6: Consumer Loyalty to the Brand, Which Is Worth a Fortune

Reason #7: So You Don't Burn Millions of Dollars of Potential Profit

Reason #8: Competitive Advantage

Reason #9: So You Don't Come in Last
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Summary

Chapter 1.4. 17 Things Screenwriters Don't Know About Games
What Screenwriters Need to Learn About Games

Putting It in Focus

Facing the Challenge: A Guide to Hiring a Screenwriter

Final Thoughts

Chapter 1.5. Why Game Designers Often Find Writing to Be So Challenging

The Same Problem Often Besets Game Designers

Yes, But Games Aren't Movies, so That Isn't Relevant

Final Thoughts
Chapter 1.6. Why "Writing" Is a Bad Word and "Emotioneering" Is a Better One

Chapter 1.7. How to Hopefully Be Unappreciated

Chapter 1.8. Where Screenwriting Leaves Off and Emotioneering Begins
Deep Isn't Necessarily Interesting

From Screenwriting to Emotioneering
Part II. The 32 Categories of Emotioneering Techniques

Chapter 2.1. Emotioneering Techniques Category #1: NPC Interesting Techniques

Major NPCs (NPCs Who Recur Throughout the Game)
More About Traits

The Hypothetical Game

The Hypothetical Game
Final Thoughts

Chapter 2.2. Emotioneering Techniques Category #2: NPC Deepening Techniques

Emotional Pain

An Example of Technique Stacking

Regret?and Hiding a Secret
Appreciation?and Wisdom

Cover a Real Emotion with a False Emotion

Combining NPC Deepening Techniques
Having Emotion Relate to Player Actions and Decisions

Final Thoughts

Chapter 2.3. Emotioneering Techniques Category #3: Dialogue Interesting Techniques

NPC Dialogue to Add Color

NPC Dialogue to Prompt Action

Splitting Up the Information

Some Common Fallacies and Problems

Final Thoughts
Chapter 2.4. Emotioneering Techniques Category #4: Deepening Deepening Techniques

Give Your NPC Some Depth

The Hypothetical Game

Combining Emotioneering Techniques

An Example of Technique Stacking

The NPC Has Emotions Beneath the Surface
The Hypothetical Game

Ambivalence

Final Thoughts

Chapter 2.5. Emotioneering Techniques Category #5: Group Interesting Techniques

The Basic Idea of Klingons

Relevance for Games

Two Important Considerations
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Traits Versus Quirks?Carrying the Analogy into Groups

Hypothetical Game Case Study

So, All Groups Need a Diamond?
The Diamond of the Group and the Diamond of the Individual

Final Thoughts
Chapter 2.6. Emotioneering Techniques Category #6: Group Deepening Techniques

Giving Depth to Groups

The Hypothetical Game
Final Thoughts

Chapter 2.7. Emotioneering Techniques Category #7: NPC Toward NPC Chemistry Techniques

The Characters Think in the Same Way

Fighting

Person #1 Talks Warmly About Person #2 in Person #2's Absence

Another Example of Technique Stacking

Person #1 Can Read Person #2's Hidden Feelings

They Have Shared Bits

Final Thoughts

Chapter 2.8. Emotioneering Techniques Category #8: NPC Toward NPC Relationship Deepening Techniques

An Analogy to the Character Diamond
More Than One Layer Can Be Present in One Line


There Doesn't Need to Be a Relationship Between the Two Characters' Layer Cakes Toward Each Other?But There Can
Be
Final Thoughts

Chapter 2.9. Emotioneering Techniques Category #9: NPC Character Arc Techniques

A Character Arc Doesn't Come Easily to a Character

Relevance for Games

Ins and Outs

Exceptions

Final Thoughts

Chapter 2.10. Emotioneering Techniques Category #10: NPC Rooting Interest Techniques
The Sorcerer Among Us Is You

Relationship to the Character Diamond

Put the NPC in Danger
Self-Sacrifice

Undeserved Misfortune

Learn About a Painful Part of Their Past
Bravery

Some Techniques Fall into Two Different Categories

Characters You Invest with Life
Characters for Whom You're Responsible

A Note About Multi-Function Techniques

Using Rooting Interest Techniques and Their Opposites to "Dial Up" or "Dial Down" an NPC's Likability and the Degree to
Which We Identify with Him or Her

Final Thoughts

Chapter 2.11. Emotioneering Techniques Category #11: Player Toward NPC Chemistry Techniques

The NPC Admires You

The NPC Reads Your Mind

The NPC Has Things in Common with You

The NPC Anticipates Your Needs and Desires

An NPC Makes You Grow to Become a Better Person
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Final Thoughts

Chapter 2.12. Emotioneering Techniques Category #12: NPC Toward Player Relationship Deepening Techniques
Layers of Feeling

Hypothetical Game Case Study: Post-Apocalyptic America Game

Hypothetical Game Case Study: The Detectives
Hypothetical Game Case Study: Another Hypothetical Game Example

Final Thoughts

Chapter 2.13. Emotioneering Techniques Category #13: Player Toward NPC Relationship Deepening Techniques

Hypothetical Game Case Study: Our Post-Apocalyptic Gunslinger

A Hypothetical Game: Mixed Emotions in WWII

Final Thoughts

Chapter 2.14. Emotioneering Techniques Category #14: Group Bonding Techniques

Elements of Shared Appearance
Shared Goals

Shared Rituals

Going Through Shared Ordeals and Adventures
Taking Heroic Actions to Protect Each Other

Complementary Skills

Say Good Things Behind Each Others' Back?Even if They Don't to Their Faces
Bam-Bam Dialogue in Cinematics

Shared References

Group Bonding Challenges in Squad-Based First-Person Shooters
Final Thoughts

Chapter 2.15. Emotioneering Techniques Category #15: Emotionally Complex Moments and Situations Techniques

You Are Forced to Do Potential Evil

You Are Forced to See Through the Eyes of Someone You Don't Like or Are Ambivalent About

Ambivalence Toward a "Friend"

Ambivalence Toward an "Enemy"

Ambivalence Toward a Situation

You Discover You've Been Tricked

Helpless to Aid Someone You Love

What's Good and What's Evil Is Not Black and White

Forced to Violate Your Own Integrity

Creating Emotionally Complex Moments and Situations Through Incongruence

Final Thoughts

Chapter 2.16. Emotioneering Techniques Category #16: Plot Interesting Techniques
You Call This a Story?

Breaking These Different Structures into Elements

Creative Toolbox or Wellspring of Psychosis?
Structure Twists

Hypothetical Game Case Study

Pancaking Scripted Sequences
Meaningful Nonlinear Re-Sequencing (MNR)


Final Thoughts
Man Cannot Live by Twists Alone

Chapter 2.17. Emotioneering Techniques Category #17: Plot Deepening Techniques

Two Key Characters Trade Places

The Story Makes a Spiritual Power Palpable

A Symbol Takes on More and More Emotional Associations

A Character We Like Dies
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A Bittersweet Ending

An Ending That's a Little Uncertain

Greetings from a Land Outside Your Awareness
Relevance of Crouching Tiger for Games

A Downside to Victory

Emotion Mapping

Idea Mapping

Final Thoughts
Chapter 2.18. Emotioneering Techniques Category #18: World Induction Techniques

Creating a Rich World

Creating a Rich World Through Visual Incongruence Using Emotionally Resonant Items
A World That Takes A While to Figure Out

Friendship or Responsibility Toward NPCs You Care About

Revenge
Don't Hold Back on Cool Weapons or Cool Things to Do

Don't Change All the Rules at the End

World Induction Techniques Commonly Used in Massively Multiplayer Online Games (MMOGs?Sometimes Called MMOs)
Final Thoughts

Chapter 2.19. Emotioneering Techniques Category #19: Role Induction Techniques

Skill Sets

Rewards for Playing the Role

Against All Odds

Accomplishment

Leadership Attitudes and Abilities

A Valuable and Appreciated Role

License to Break the Rules

Beguiling New Identities

Abilities Beyond the Norm

The Character Has Emotional Responses We Recognize and Can Identify With

Self Auto-Talk and Self Auto-Thought

Fewer Words Usually Invites the Player to Identify with the Character

Character Silence (No Self Auto-Talk and No Self-Auto Talk)

Generalizing a Problem

Tradeoffs When Using Role Induction Techniques

A Case Study in Role Induction: Thief

Final Thoughts

Chapter 2.20. Emotioneering Techniques Category #20: First-Person Character Arc Techniques
Defining the Problem

Past Attempts to Create a First-Person Character Arc

Emulating Life Itself
Should Going Through a First-Person Character Arc Be Essential to Winning a Game?

Various Types of Rewards and Punishments

Where a First-Person Character Arc Begins
Alternative Character Arcs

Final Thoughts

Chapter 2.21. Emotioneering Techniques Category #21: First-Person Deepening Techniques

Emotionally and/or Morally Difficult Decisions

Hypothetical Game Case Study: Woman from the Future

Hypothetical Game Case Study: Choice of Player Character

Hypothetical Game Case Study: The Kidnapped Teenager
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Responsibility

Hypothetical Game Case Study: The Terrellens

Multiple and Sometimes Even Conflicting Viewpoints (Learning from Mr. Bill)
Hypothetical Game Case Study: Return to the Terrellens

Certain First-Person Character Arcs

Hypothetical Game Case Study: Returning to the City
Seeing Situations That Aren't Black and White

Final Thoughts
Chapter 2.22. Emotioneering Techniques Category #22: Revealing Complex Characters Through Their Actions

A Real Game Case Study

Khensa
Final Thoughts

Chapter 2.23. Emotioneering Techniques Category #23: Enhancing Emotional Depth Through Symbols

Usable Symbols

Symbol of a Character's Condition or Change in Condition?Visual or Verbal

Game Case Study: Ico

Hypothetical Game Case Study: Symbols of Sadness and Achievement

Symbolic Subplot

Game Case Study: Aidyn Chronicles

Symbols Used in Foreshadowing

Hypothetical Game Case Study: The Samurai

A Symbol That Takes on Increasing Emotional Associations?Visual or Verbal

Hypothetical Game Case Study: The Pendant

Game Case Study: Max Payne

Hypothetical Game Case Study: The Hood Ornament

Final Thoughts

Chapter 2.24. Emotioneering Techniques Category #24: Self-Created Story Techniques (a.k.a. Agency Techniques)

A Spectrum of Impact
Mixing Impact Modes

Different Ways of Fulfilling the Mission

Other Ways to Create Self-Created Stories
Final Thoughts

Chapter 2.25. Emotioneering Techniques Category #25: Motivation Techniques

Don't Interrupt Gameplay

If Possible, Try Not to Let the Way the Player Receives Information Interrupt the Game

Don't Hold Back Too Long on the Carrots

Avoid the Feeling of Repetitive Gameplay?Sometimes

Keep Those Plot Twists Coming

Sometimes Provide Unexpected Consequences to the Player's Actions

Action Puzzles

A Mysterious or Interesting World That Takes A While to Sort Out

An Interesting Plot That Unfolds in an Interesting Way

A Higher Score

Final Thoughts

Chapter 2.26. Emotioneering Techniques Category #26: Cohesiveness Techniques
Your Character Gets a Reputation

Karma

NPCs in One Part of the Game Refer to NPCs in Other Parts of the Game
Give Your Game a Theme

Relationships Between People or Groups That Take A While to Decipher, But Eventually Form Their Own Coherent World
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Abilities You Learn in One Part of the Game Are Useful Later in the Game

Remind Us of the Stakes

Final Thoughts

Chapter 2.27. Emotioneering Techniques Category #27: "True-to-Life" Techniques

Final Thoughts

Chapter 2.28. Emotioneering Techniques Category #28: Cross-Demographic Techniques

Cross-Demographic Techniques

The General Idea

Self-Deconstructing Humor

Giving NPCs Character Arcs

Trendy Comedy

A Game That Takes Place in a Rich World

Have Characters Who Undergo Either Adult or Complicated Emotions

The Use of Deepening Techniques

Final Thoughts

Chapter 2.29. Emotioneering Techniques Category #29: Injecting Emotion into a Game's Story Elements
Dissecting a Story

Story Elements in Types of Games That We Normally Don't Think of as Possessing "Stories"

Simple and Complex Emotion
Using Story Elements to Brainstorm Emotional Complexity

Final Thoughts

Chapter 2.30. Emotioneering Techniques Category #30: Tying Story to Gameplay and Mechanics

Contrasting Examples

Just the Other Day

Final Thoughts

Chapter 2.31. Emotioneering Techniques Category #31: Writing Powerful Pre-Rendered and In-Game Cinematics

Learning from Film
The Example

Final Thoughts

Glossary for This Chapter

Chapter 2.32. Emotioneering Techniques Category #32: Opening Cinematic Techniques

Begin with a "Fakeout Scene" (Faking Out the Player)
Begin with a Mystery

Begin by Introducing Us to a Unique Character

Begin by Throwing Us into a Suspenseful Piece of the Plot
Begin by Entering into a Unique World

Final Thoughts

Looking Back

Part III. An Emotioneering Gallery

Chapter 3.1. Introduction
Emotioneering in Reality-Based Games Versus Fantasy and Sci-Fi Games

Chapter 3.2. Chasm

Hypothetical Game Case Study: Boston Physicist

NPC Interesting Techniques (Chapter 2.1)

Player Toward NPC Chemistry Techniques (Chapter 2.11)

World Induction Techniques (Chapter 2.18)

First-Person Deepening Techniques (Chapter 2.21)

Player Toward NPC Relationship Deepening Techniques (Chapter 2.13)

Emotionally Complex Moments and Situations Techniques (Chapter 2.15)

Plot Deepening Techniques (Chapter 2.17)
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Adding Emotional Depth to a Game Through Symbols (Chapter 2.23)

Final Thoughts

Chapter 3.3. Styx

Hypothetical Game Case Study: The Roman Empire

Emotionally Complex Moments and Situations Techniques (Chapter 2.15)
NPC Deepening Techniques (Chapter 2.2)

NPC Toward Player Relationship Deepening Techniques (Chapter 2.12)

First-Person Character Arc and First-Person Deepening Techniques (Chapters 2.20 and 2.21)
Plot Deepening Techniques (Chapter 2.17)

Final Thoughts

Chapter 3.4. Rough Trade

Hypothetical Game Case Study: Cyberpunk Novelist

NPC Interesting Techniques (Chapter 2.1)

NPC Deepening Techniques (Chapter 2.2)

Player Toward NPC Chemistry Techniques (Chapter 2.11)

Player Toward NPC Relationship Deepening Techniques (Chapter 2.13)

Role Induction Techniques (Chapter 2.19)

First-Person Character Arc Techniques (Chapter 2.20)

First-Person Deepening Techniques (Chapter 2.21)

Motivation Techniques (Chapter 2.25)

Plot Deepening Techniques (Chapter 2.17)

Final Thoughts

Part IV. Magic

Chapter 4. Magic

Let's Get Real?But in Whose Reality?

A Secret Land Where Smiles Are Born

Creating Life Out of Nothing: Hard for Scientists, a Cakewalk for You

The Ultimate Gift

Final Thoughts
Part V. Addenda

Chapter 5.1. Introduction

Chapter 5.2. Techniques for Creating Fun
Types of Fun

Incongruence

The Exercise
Final Thoughts

Chapter 5.3. Gatherings

Art Credits

Cover

Color Section

Interior

Artists' Bios and Contact Information

Glossary

Index
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Copyright
Copyright © 2004 by New Riders Publishing
All rights reserved. No part of this book shall be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means—electronic,
mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise—without written permission from the publisher, except for the inclusion of brief
quotations in a review.
Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 2002111250
Printed in the United States of America
First printing: September, 2003
08 07 06 05 04 03 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Interpretation of the printing code: The rightmost double-digit number is the year of the book's printing; the rightmost single-digit number
is the number of the book's printing. For example, the printing code 03-1 shows that the first printing of the book occurred in 2003.
Trademarks
All terms mentioned in this book that are known to be trademarks or service marks have been appropriately capitalized. New Riders
Publishing cannot attest to the accuracy of this information. Use of a term in this book should not be regarded as affecting the validity of
any trademark or service mark.
Emotioneering™ and Emotioneer™ are trademarks of David Freeman.
Warning and Disclaimer
Every effort has been made to make this book as complete and as accurate as possible, but no warranty of fitness is implied. The
information is provided on an as-is basis. The authors and New Riders Publishing shall have neither liability nor responsibility to any
person or entity with respect to any loss or damages arising from the information contained in this book or from the use of the programs
that may accompany it.
Publisher
Stephanie Wall
Production Manager
Gina Kanouse
Executive Development Editor
Lisa Thibault
Senior Project Editor
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Sarah Kearns
Copy Editor
Linda Laflamme
Indexer/Proofreader
Lisa Stumpf
Composition
Kim Scott
Manufacturing Coordinator
Dan Uhrig
Interior Designer

Kim Scott
Cover Designer
Aren Howell
Marketing
Scott Cowlin
Tammy Detrich
Hannah Onstad Latham
Publicity Manager
Susan Nixon
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Acknowledgments
Whenever I'd read the acknowledgment page in a book, I'd see a list of "thank you's" and have no idea what all those thanked people
actually did. Now that I've actually written a book, I still have no idea.
But I do have an idea what the people thanked below did. As this book was being written, I'd shoot the chapters off to them, and they'd
grace me with their comments and suggestions. Just about every suggestion any of them made has been used. You, the reader, and I, the
writer, are better off for these people being so generous with their time and insights, and for their knowing how to type.
This book is dedicated to David Perry. David gave me my first job in the game industry. That was just the first of a long list of doors he has
opened for me.
For feedback on the chapters, I sincerely thank Warren Spector, Richard Ham, Jason Della Rocca, Jeff Barnhart, Anand Rajan, Chris
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Klug, Tommy Tallarico, Gordon Walton, Kenneth Holm, and Tyrone Rodriguez.
There has been a core group of people who saw where I was going and who continuously encouraged me to keep pressing on. Their
support has meant so much. They are Jason Bell, Chris Klug, Troy Dunniway, and Martin Spiess.
From day one, I've relied heavily on my research associate, Stephane Dreyfus, and rely on him still.
I had no idea, when I began, if anyone really cared about creating emotion in games. The affirmative answer came soon and came loudly.
And so I'd like to thank everyone on the publishing side, and the teams at the great development studios, who brought me on board for the
games I've been working on at Electronic Arts, Activision, Vivendi Universal Games, Microsoft, Atari, Ubi Soft, Midway Games, 3D
Realms, and numerous others.

Finally I'd like to thank my publisher, Stephanie Wall, and my editor, Lisa Thibault. Every author should be as fortunate as I to have their
kind of support.
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About the Author
www.freemangames.com www.beyondstructure.com
David Freeman not only operates in the worlds of both games and film, but is a leading teacher in both media.
As this book is being written, David, along with his game design and writing consultancy The Freeman Group, is currently working as
either a designer/writer or writer on three games for Vivendi Universal Games, three games for Activision, two games for Atari, two
games for 3D Realms, and games for Electronic Arts, Ubi Soft, and others. Only a few of these games have been announced and thus
can be named. They are Command and Conquer 3 (working title) for Electronic Arts, Van Helsing for Vivendi Universal Games, both Duke
Nuken Forever and Prey for 3D Realms, Terminator: Redemption for Atari (the working title for their game that goes to and then beyond
Judgment Day), dialogue for Mission Impossible: Operation Surma for Atari, and work on both Shark Slayer and Pitfall for Activision.
David also contributed to the script for Atari's and Shiny Entertainment's Enter the Matrix. He has worked in the past on game projects for
Microsoft and Midway Games. No doubt, by the time you're reading this, this list will be long out of date. For David's current activities,
please see: www.freemangames.com
David also teaches "Beyond Structure," the most popular screenwriting and film/television development workshop in Los Angeles and
New York (www.beyondstructure.com). The workshop usually draws over 150 people each time it's offered. It has been attended by
top game designers and executives from Electronic Arts, Sony, Microsoft, Atari, Vivendi Universal Games, Activision, 3D Realms,
Legend Entertainment, Shiny Entertainment, and many other game companies. Beyond Structure is occasionally offered in other cities
around the world, such as London and Sydney.
David's past students also include the writers, directors, producers, and key creative executives behind the Lord of the Rings films, the
Austin Powers films, Minority Report, Good Will Hunting, Runaway Bride, The Wedding Singer, The Simpsons, Law and Order, The
Fugitive, Total Recall, E.R., The X-Files, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Rush Hour 1 and 2, Frequency, American History X, Mission
Impossible 2, Pleasantville, Roswell, Everybody Loves Raymond, Star Trek: Voyager and Deep Space Nine, Sling Blade, 12 Monkeys,
Thirteen Days, King of the Hill, The Education of Max Bickford, Once and Again, Angels in the Outfield, Married With Children, Saturday
Night Live, and many other films and TV shows.
You can contact David via email at:
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About the Technical Reviewer
This reviewer contributed his considerable hands-on expertise to the entire development process for Creating Emotion in Games. As the
book was being written, this dedicated professional reviewed all the material for technical content, organization, and flow. His feedback
was critical to ensuring that Creating Emotion in Games fits our reader's need for the highest-quality technical information.
Jason Della Rocca oversees the day-to-day running of the International Game Developers Association (IGDA)—giving particular focus
to outreach efforts and member programs, and working to build the sense of a unified game development community and provide a
common voice for the game development industry. Jason and the IGDA deal with such diverse topics as the education of the next
generation of game developers, dealing with the concern over violence in games, diminishing the impact of exploitative software patents,
and working to attract more women and diverse cultures to game development. Jason also oversees the running of the Game
Developers Choice Awards, an annual industry event that recognizes and rewards outstanding achievement within the game
development community.
Jason has been a member of the game development community for many years, spending several as the Developer Relations Group
Manager at Matrox Graphics, a leading supplier of consumer graphics hardware. Jason also enjoyed short stints at Quazal, evangelizing
its online game networking middleware, and Silicon Graphics, where he worked with 3D and web technologies.
Jason can be reached at
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The author also welcomes your feedback at: As Registered Users tend to be fairly
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Tell Us What You Think
As the reader of this book, you are the most important critic and commentator. We value your opinion and want to know what we're
doing right, what we could do better, what areas you'd like to see us publish in, and any other words of wisdom you're willing to pass our
way.
As the Publisher for New Riders Publishing, I welcome your comments. You can fax, email, or write me directly to let me know what you
did or didn't like about this book—as well as what we can do to make our books stronger. When you write, please be sure to include this
book's title, ISBN, and author, as well as your name and phone or fax number. I will carefully review your comments and share them with
the author and editors who worked on the book.
Please note that I cannot help you with technical problems related to the topic of this book, and that due to the high volume of email I
receive, I might not be able to reply to every message.
Fax:317-428-3280
Email:
Mail:Stephanie Wall
Publisher
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800 East 96
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Street, 3
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Floor
Indianapolis, IN 46240 USA
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Foreword
by Will Wright, Creator of "The Sims"
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There's an old saying in biology: "Ontogeny Recapitulates Phylogeny."
[1]

This is really more of a myth, but what it means is that the
developing embryo of an organism roughly replays it's own evolutionary history. The human embryo, for instance, goes through
successive stages that closely resemble fish, reptiles, small mammals, then man. Interesting, you might say (or maybe not), but what
does that have to do with this book?
[1]
ontogeny—def: The physical development of an individual into maturity.
recapitulates—def (as used here): An embryo repeats human evolutionary stages.
phylogeny—def: The development over time of a species.
"Ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny" refers to the theory that an embryo's growth and development (ontogeny)
repeats the stages of (recapitulates) evolution from amoeba up to modern man (phylogeny).
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I've been involved with creating computer games for about 20 years. It seems to me that games are mirroring the emotional development
of humanity in a similar way. The earliest games appealed primarily to our more primitive instincts. These instincts originate in the central
portion of our brain, our so-called "reptilian" brain stem. Over time, the emotional palette of games has broadened beyond instinctive
issues of survival and aggression to include the more subtle mechanisms of empathy, nurturing, and creativity. We still have a long way
to go, however, to reach the outer cerebral cortex. Compared to other forms of media (books, films, music), games are still stuck
somewhere around the "small rodent" phase.
Comparing games to previous forms of media (which are, for the most part, linear experiences) can be both useful and dangerous.
Useful, because by studying other forms, we can get a good sense of what games are missing and how far they have yet to go in this
important direction. Dangerous, because interactive entertainment is a fundamentally different proposition than its linear cousins,
involving quite different psychological mechanisms.
As pre-humans (and other social animals) began to live in groups, their survival was determined more and more by their ability to
understand and predict the other members of their groups (which they became increasingly dependent on). It became as important for
Ugg the caveman to predict what his tribe members were thinking and likely to do as it was for him to understand the rest of the world
around him. This would seem to be the evolutionary basis for empathy, the almost magical ability we have to put ourselves in someone
else's shoes; to feel what they feel; to relive their experiences from their point of view. In essence, we can simulate the thought and
experiences of other people in our imagination and insert ourselves into this model.
This is important to us because this empathic ability we seem to exercise so seamlessly is also the psychological engine that drives the
thing we call "story." Story (in its many forms) seems to be an "educational technology" of sorts that we have developed over millennia
that allows us to share experiences with one another across great distances of time and space. We can learn to avoid failures or achieve

successes from people who are long dead across the world or who never existed at all. It's a technology that's entirely dependent on our
ability to empathize with other beings.
Games, on the other hand, are most directly dependent on something else entirely: the concept of agency. Agency is our ability to alter
the world around us, or our situation in it. We are able to act, and that action has effects. This is probably the first thing we learn as
babies. This is the crucial distinction between interactive and linear entertainment.
Interactive works demand that the player has the ability to act; to affect the situation; to make a difference at every possible turn. When a
player loses control of the joystick or mouse, it's similar to watching a movie when the screen goes blank. You've just closed down the
primary feedback loop.
So what place does empathy have in interactive works, where the player is driving the experience rather than just going along for the
ride? The answer is that we really need both, perhaps in equal measures. We need agency to engage the volition and creativity of the
player; we need empathy to engage the outer region of our brain that wants to simulate and predict complex, emotional beings around
us.
One of the main reasons games have been so emotionally shallow up to this point is that there hasn't really been anything in them worth
empathizing with. We find it rather difficult to empathize with one-dimensional game characters that only have the ability to regurgitate
canned speech and perform predictable actions. We know that they have no emotional depth, so we basically disengage that circuit in
our brain and treat them more like appliances than as people. Our ability to fully simulate human thoughts, behavior, and emotions is still
a long way off, but we are making progress toward that goal in bits and pieces. I don't know when we'll get as far as C-3PO, but I think
we're rather close to R2D2 right now.
This book contains an important piece of that puzzle. David Freeman is one of the few people I know who has successfully bridged the
emotionally rich world of linear media and story with the structurally demanding world of interactive games. He has found ways to utilize
empathy as an emotional draw, even within the widely varying structures of games.
But beyond this, he also lays out techniques to make agency an emotion ally rich experience. To mention but a few, these include taking
the player on both an external and internal journey…enticing the player into becoming involved in rich game worlds…allowing the player
to explore new identities as well as new ways of feeling and acting…and placing the player in emotionally complex situations.
It's a long hill we're climbing, but efforts like this will ensure that games will one day realize their full potential.
—Will Wright
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