Imo a quite insightful take on what it means to be first-person or third-person in video games, which is more than just camera POVs and unique compared to other storytelling media.
Imo a quite insightful take on what it means to be first-person or third-person in video games, which is more than just camera POVs and unique compared to other storytelling media.
I think 'first person' and 'third person' are a limited simplification of the combination of choice in reference frame and control model. The in-game controls act as a model which the player can...
I think 'first person' and 'third person' are a limited simplification of the combination of choice in reference frame and control model. The in-game controls act as a model which the player can learn and eventually become 'immersed' with. Consider learning to drive a car. Initially it seems complex and unnatural, but over time an experienced driver might start to feel one with their vehicle, as the car model becomes so embedded in their brain it's like a natural extension of themselves. Many video games feel immersive because they share control models with many other games but also map appropriately to real world controls. If I think 'move forward' my body already knows what that means from learning to walk as a child. When we play a game with an unconventional control scheme it can be difficult to reach a high level of immersion, but after much practice, if the game's response to our inputs stays consistent, it is totally possible. In a way I find these kinds of videos quite pretentious. I wish 'game analysts' viewed games less as some super artistic medium that is so thought provoking and more as the software that they really are. A reductionist approach would go a long way.
I feel that we're talking about 2 different kinds of immersion here. What you describe seems like mechanical immersion, like how intuitive the controls become and how "in-sync" the players are to...
I feel that we're talking about 2 different kinds of immersion here. What you describe seems like mechanical immersion, like how intuitive the controls become and how "in-sync" the players are to the controlled character. What the video talked about is narrative immersion, i.e. whose story are the players playing out as. In that sense the distinction between first-person and third-person is more meaningful, one sees the player's actions as a form of self-expression and the other as role-playing.
Imo a quite insightful take on what it means to be first-person or third-person in video games, which is more than just camera POVs and unique compared to other storytelling media.
I think 'first person' and 'third person' are a limited simplification of the combination of choice in reference frame and control model. The in-game controls act as a model which the player can learn and eventually become 'immersed' with. Consider learning to drive a car. Initially it seems complex and unnatural, but over time an experienced driver might start to feel one with their vehicle, as the car model becomes so embedded in their brain it's like a natural extension of themselves. Many video games feel immersive because they share control models with many other games but also map appropriately to real world controls. If I think 'move forward' my body already knows what that means from learning to walk as a child. When we play a game with an unconventional control scheme it can be difficult to reach a high level of immersion, but after much practice, if the game's response to our inputs stays consistent, it is totally possible. In a way I find these kinds of videos quite pretentious. I wish 'game analysts' viewed games less as some super artistic medium that is so thought provoking and more as the software that they really are. A reductionist approach would go a long way.
I feel that we're talking about 2 different kinds of immersion here. What you describe seems like mechanical immersion, like how intuitive the controls become and how "in-sync" the players are to the controlled character. What the video talked about is narrative immersion, i.e. whose story are the players playing out as. In that sense the distinction between first-person and third-person is more meaningful, one sees the player's actions as a form of self-expression and the other as role-playing.