Although designers are usually interested in space alone, by its nature, spaces tell stories. Jenkins explains that games, in particular, role playing games, are a mode of collaborative storytelling that starts with spatial design3. A scene from Left 4 Dead (Valve Corporation, 2008) depicts an abandoned police car, a darkened night and an eerie feeling. The gamer instantly formulates a narrative in their mind as to the events that may have taken place. Pearce argues that the creation of narrative space is the primary purpose of games7. Carson then explains that the through the experience of travelling through space a narrative is conveyed8. This is evident in Deus Ex (Eidos Interactive, 2000) that employs techniques from a variety of gaming genres to tell the story of JC Denton, a UN agent that endeavours to prevent a deadly virus bringing an end to the world. The player makes narrative decisions as they progress through various places. In the game the space structures the narrative experience2 as the story moves and progresses through the space. Narratives also pull a player through a game. In Portal (Valve Corporation, 2007) the player knows that they must complete the level in order to progress to the next stage and move the narrative forward. The space creates the narrative by presenting a number of elements for the gamer to use. The player must discover the set solution that the space has designed. This particular type of spatial design intends to create in the player a desire to complete the puzzle. Although plot structures may become boring and repetitive, the promise of moving to the next stage and mastering the game world6 drives the player to completion.
Spaces communicate emotion, meaning and feeling though its spatial design and visual appeal. Sonic Colours (Sega, 2010) is an aesthetically pleasing and uplifting game due to the vibrant display of colours and exhilarating spatial features. Emotion is also conveyed through the satisfaction of completing emotionally tense game sequences. Mirror’s Edge (Electronic Arts, 2008), roof top game, is architecturally simplistic, but the plain spatial area has a time constraint in which the player must navigate to the safety point before the train crushes the protagonist. The sequence is heart stopping and most rewarding on completion. Metro 2033 (THQ, 2010) has a similar spatial constraint where the gamer must defend a small underground basement from a swarm of monsters until your team-mate finally opens the door from the other side. Emotion can be expressed in the design of the space through visual excess or “eye candy”6. This is demonstrated in Street Fighter II (Capcom, 1991) an arena game which could have been set in nothing more than a tournament boxing ring. Instead the game offers a global array of possibilities6 where fights are staged in a Brazilian dock, an Indian temple, a Chinese street market, Las Vegas and many other notable sights.
A common motif in games is the teleporter or warp zones. These are secret passageways that accelerate a player’s movement through narrative geography and bring worlds together6. Rather than moving from one place to another through intermediate rooms, such as in Dragon Age II (Bioware, 2011) or by travelling on horseback between places in Red Dead Redemption (Rockstar Games, 2010) the player instantly moves from one point in the game world to another1. This is seen in Dragon Age II’s “leave area” points that demonstrate how a player can use these teleportation zones. However, Aaresth argues that this instantaneous relocation is not only a negation of real space, but is a striking contrast to the naturalistic ideal of games1.
Spaces communicate emotion, meaning and feeling though its spatial design and visual appeal. Sonic Colours (Sega, 2010) is an aesthetically pleasing and uplifting game due to the vibrant display of colours and exhilarating spatial features. Emotion is also conveyed through the satisfaction of completing emotionally tense game sequences. Mirror’s Edge (Electronic Arts, 2008), roof top game, is architecturally simplistic, but the plain spatial area has a time constraint in which the player must navigate to the safety point before the train crushes the protagonist. The sequence is heart stopping and most rewarding on completion. Metro 2033 (THQ, 2010) has a similar spatial constraint where the gamer must defend a small underground basement from a swarm of monsters until your team-mate finally opens the door from the other side. Emotion can be expressed in the design of the space through visual excess or “eye candy”6. This is demonstrated in Street Fighter II (Capcom, 1991) an arena game which could have been set in nothing more than a tournament boxing ring. Instead the game offers a global array of possibilities6 where fights are staged in a Brazilian dock, an Indian temple, a Chinese street market, Las Vegas and many other notable sights.
A common motif in games is the teleporter or warp zones. These are secret passageways that accelerate a player’s movement through narrative geography and bring worlds together6. Rather than moving from one place to another through intermediate rooms, such as in Dragon Age II (Bioware, 2011) or by travelling on horseback between places in Red Dead Redemption (Rockstar Games, 2010) the player instantly moves from one point in the game world to another1. This is seen in Dragon Age II’s “leave area” points that demonstrate how a player can use these teleportation zones. However, Aaresth argues that this instantaneous relocation is not only a negation of real space, but is a striking contrast to the naturalistic ideal of games1.
