PODCAST + Discussion: Video Games and Embodiment with Alex Bair

In this week's podcast episode, Alex Bair and I transition our conversation from Westworld to video games, exploring the "watching" elements of game playing, especially as narrative-driven games have become more popular in recent years.

Still from Senua's Sacrifice [Tweet by GameSpot (@GameSpot), Mar 12, 2020]

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Players and Watchers

The world of video games is vast and international, and we will merely scratch the surface of it here. Some of the most popular video games are played on consoles, PC computers, and web browsers, though mobile games and VR (virtual reality) should not be discounted. Genres range from educational, exploratory, task-oriented, narrative-driven, and multiplayer, among countless others. Gaming exists in an interesting space that is not-quite-watching and not-quite-creating; a participatory hybrid that requires active engagement within a fully developed world. Some of these virtual worlds are visually breathtaking; stunning works of digital art that should not be taken for granted.

Is it fair to discuss video games alongside other more traditional on-screen stories, like film and television shows? Those who are playing games are not "watching" in the same way you might watch film or TV, but there are important crossovers that are worth considering. Just as the invention of television upended the film industry and made us rethink what it means to tell a on-screen story, video games are shifting our attention in the same way. Movies are, for the most part, audio/visual stories told over roughly two hours. Television, on the other hand, is far more diverse, especially as streaming services have divorced most TV-watching from the time constraints of legacy television (for more on this, see my previous post on Netflix). TV is usually serialized (one story told over several episodes across multiple seasons), and sometimes anthologized (each season tells a different story), but the amount of time per show varies widely.

Still from Red Dead Redemption 2 [Tweet by Spider-Punk (@SpiderPunk_0_3), Mar 17, 2020]

Video games have stretched this concept further, allowing players to explore a narrative over an extensive period of time that varies from player to player. The world of the game is structured, but how a player moves through the game is less deterministic, compared to film and TV. In one sense, the diversity of experience from player to player makes us realize that, in fact, each TV or movie watcher is also having a unique experience with on-screen stories. In other words, video games make clear what is often taken for granted: that no two watching/playing experiences are exactly alike.

Fandom is another space in which video games, film, and television share resemblances. The interactive nature of game playing already creates a space of narrative contribution by the player, something that TV and movie fandom are really only able to explore via fan fiction. Platforms like Twitch, however, bring in a voyeuristic and communal interactions not unlike other fan communities that live tweet their favorite show or share fan theories online.

Space, Place, and Time: When Am I?

Virtual spaces have opened a myriad of new opportunities for on-screen storytelling, but where are these vast changes to time and structure leading us? What happens to our sense of immediacy when we are no longer bound to the time constraints of a movie theater or live television? As live sports, reality TV competition shows, and news programs cling to the legacy elements of watching now, shows aired on streaming services must look to new innovations to keep our attention. The incorporation of social media returns us to water cooler conversations, beckoning us to "keep up" with what is available to watch, even when we have the freedom to watch at our leisure. As fans rush to twitter and reddit to see what others are saying about the latest episode, we see how one element of the virtual space (interactive messaging) can push back on another (internet streaming platforms). Digital realms close a door and open a portal, so it seems.

Still from Senua's Sacrifice [Tweet by Vik (@Vikster6), Feb 2, 2020]

While video games are often played as a solo experience, the popularity of Twitch and permeation of gaming message boards across the internet prove that the same sense of immediacy and community can be formed in game watching as well as movie and TV watching. Seeing others post screenshots of their gaming adventures on twitter promotes a communal experience through individual playing; and Twitch allows players from around the world watch each other play in real time.

Not only have our watching practices moved from theaters to couches to laptops, they have also moved from now to later to...now, again. For those of us exploring virtual realms, it is not just a matter of "where am I?" but also "when am I?"

The Strange Embodiment of Video Games

In recent years, games have become more emotionally-driven, character-driven, and narrative-driven. Rather than straightforward battles or reaching a goal level by level, games have expanded into world-building with complex narratives and deep character development. I am particularly fascinated by The Last of Us, Red Dead Redemption 2, and BioShock, but Alex and I discussed Horizon Zero Dawn and Hellblade: Senua's Sacrifice in particular.

Stills from TheLast of Us Part II [Tweet by Naughty Dog (@NaughtyDog), Feb 11, 2020]

In Horizon Zero Dawn, players make choices based on a "think-y response," "angry response," or "emotional response" of the main character, Aloy. While this does not mirror our human experiences in a 1:1 fashion, it allows us the ability to consider, as Alex says, "how do I want to respond and who will that make me be in the future?" Playing this game is not merely about when you finish, but what kind of person you become when you finish.

Still from Horizon Zero Dawn [Tweet by PC Gamer (@pcgamer), Mar 22, 2020]

Senua's Sacrifice puts players in the body of a woman with schizophrenia who travels through hell to exact revenge on the gods who have killed her husband. As you play, you hear voices that may or may not help you, just as a person living with schizophrenia might have to decipher their own unstable reality. What's more, it's suggested that this game be played in total darkness while wearing headphones, to give you a deep physical immersion into the game. This fully-immersive experience also resembles the faulty narrator trope utilized by shows like Westworld, making it difficult to know what is externally real and what is merely a whisper in your mind.

While many games allow for (often violent) consequence-free playing, games like Horizon Zero Dawn and Senua's Sacrifice incorporate embodied elements in order to raise the stakes and invest players in character consequences. While playing Senua's Sacrifice, Senua's diminishing life (now your diminishing life) is represented by a black mark that creeps up her arm to indicate how much life you have left; if the mark reaches her heart, you die and the game is over. The palpability of death seen on your/her virtual arm blurs the lines between human, virtual, and transhuman. Are you merely a player, or are you also the character? What happens to the existence of the gaming character when you are no longer playing? Do elements of the character now live inside your material body? And when happens when these games are played through VR, creating an even deeper immersive experience? These questions will have to be explored in a future post.

Still from Senua's Sacrifice [Uploaded by Dr Guildo, Feb 12, 2018]

Where Bodies and Brains Meet

Where do bodies and brains meet when we are watching and playing? An imaginative moviegoer might have an experience that feels just as immersive as the embodied video game player. No matter what we watch or how we interact, our bodies are along for the ride. Our bodies jolt when they are scared, sweat when they are anxious, and relax into mesmerized gazes when they are enraptured. Video games, in particular, have moved into emotional and narrative spheres because we are not sedentary creatures playing with pure intellectual rationalism. We want to connect with characters on screen and feel bonded to them emotionally and physically, not merely mimic them in a virtual sense.

As we dive into the rich worlds built by game creators, our false separations of mind and body are stitched back together, weaving real hearts into fictional games. Do not mistake this for mere playfulness; we watch and play in order to face our very real human existences.

Still from Senua's Sacrifice [Tweet by ❦ (@freyasolo), Mar 22, 2020]