Essay The creation of Emotions in Video Games

 

Ahamed Malik Amanul Moin | DE4402

The Creation of Emotions in Video Games

Table of Contents

Introduction

Part 1: Personal Research Studies

Abbie Willet - Game Designer | Sumo Digital

Peter Dimitrov - 3D Artist | Rebellion

 

James Henry Burton - Technical and Character Artist | White Paper Games 

Part 2: Practitioner Lecture Series 

Benni Hill - Game Director | Bonsai Collective

Erik Knudsen - Film Producer - Film Director 

Candy Guard - Animator - Illustrator  

Research Reflection

Bibliography

List of Figures 

Practitioner Profiles

Game Designers/Artists

Lecture Series

Networking Evidence

Introduction

Emotions play a crucial role in the success of any game. They are an essential component that contributes to creating a compelling experience for players. As a game designer, understanding emotions is key to designing games that not only engage players but also leave a lasting impact on them. Designers use various techniques to create emotional experiences in players. These can include the use of music, sound effects, visual design, story, character development, and game mechanics.  

My essay explores how the various artist implements and create emotions for the audience, this subject analyzes how the various artist approach their work, what type of feel they are implementing and how it affects their product, and how the work is drawn from the artist's personal life and experience. These forms of media can also be a source of inspiration and influence for other designers across the industry and students, shaping the way they approach production and the types of experiences they aim to create. 

I will analyze how various artists from different media, from films to games, incorporate similar techniques, to keep the audience engaged and make them feel connected to the media through emotions. Different techniques can be used to achieve this goal, such as establishing empathy with a fictional character in films, using music and dialogues to set a tone, or creating visually compelling environments to create a strong sense of belonging. The various artists then combine different techniques to create these fictional worlds, setting up a strong emotional connection with the audience and keeping them engaged. 

Part 1: Personal Research Studies 

Abbie Willet - Game Designer and Animator  

Abbie indicated that “Emotions in video games have always been a subject of fascination for both players and game developers”. Video games emotionally connect players indirectly to the designer, as the choices they make affect the player’s reaction.  

Abbie also expresses how emotional experiences make games more engaging and memorable, increasing the likelihood that players will want to return or play the game again. A designer needs to carefully craft these elements to evoke the desired emotional response in players, as they create a deeper connection between the player and the game. Designers must consider the intended emotional experience when designing video games, whether it is a sense of excitement, fear, sadness, or joy. She also mentioned that an animator can create emotional responses in video games through a variety of techniques, but a skilled one can use a combination of them to create a connection between the player and the game character.  

Abbie highlights that designing a character that is suitable for a game is very important, “a cute and cuddly character like Sackboy can make the player feel more happy and joyful”, while a “silent and menacing character like Agent 47 from HITMAN” can make the player feel a bit intimidated or set a more serious mode on the gameplay. She states that sounds effects combined with visuals and gameplay elements, make the character feel alive. 

Emotions can be established from characters facial expressions and body language in animations, these play a crucial role in communicating emotions, Sackboy happy and curious facial animations show the character’s emotions so that the player knows how he feels during the gameplay. Sound Effect play a key role in enhancing the emotional impact of a scene and Well-written and acted dialogue can make the player feel emphatic to the characters and invested in their stories. 

 

Peter Dimitrov - 3D Environment Artist  

Peter expresses how real-life, and the fabricated 3D world are not that different, both are a combination of items and textures with imperfections, that combine in such a way that the human brain expects specific patterns to exist in that way, and objects and items to be placed in specific places in the scene. As such while making a 3D scene Peter will embrace these imperfections and "issues" in the scene, as they come off more “naturally” and give it a better organic look.  

Peter states that incorporating interactive elements in your 3D environment can create a more immersive experience and help establish emotions. For example, having NPCs that react to the player's actions can create a sense of empathy or attachment.  

Peter highlights how environmental storytelling can create emotions from simple visual effects. For example, using graffiti, blood stains, paint marks, or other environmental clues can tell a story and/or establish emotions in the player, some may even capture the player’s curiosity. That by creating immersive and visually appealing environments that engage players, the tone will determine the emotions that the players will feel while playing.  

A strong point that Peter talked about was using color palettes, lighting, and visual effects to create a specific tone that matches the emotions you want to evoke. The atmosphere is key in establishing emotions. “Using fog, dust, rain, or other environmental effects to create a mood that matches the tone you set”, a way of constructing an environment strengthening the fictional world, the player will feel more immersed and thus emotionally engaged into the gameplay. 

The architecture and layout of your 3D environment can help create emotions. For example, using narrow corridors or tight spaces can create a feeling of claustrophobia or fear, while open spaces can create a sense of freedom or relaxation.  

Peter recommends not to introduce anything too complicated or out of the ordinary that can distract the player or ruin the tone set by the game. 3D environments are a powerful tool for creating an immersive and engaging digital experience, they allow a high degree of interaction and immersion for the player. 

 

James Henry Burton - Technical and Character Artist  

James's main form of inspiration comes from the media he consumes, “Emotions are an integral part of any human experience, and video games are no exception, James also mentioned how his past and life experience influenced most of his work.  

James highlights that, while working on games, he gets influenced by the media that he consumes, mainly the films that he watches, and particular things or events happening around him. Most of the work is technical stuff and character art, so the main sources come from discussing the narrative angle with the team, anything they may do or want to do for a particular character, and brainstorming. 

James expresses that managing to connect things or events that happened in real life with the game, as everyone draws experience from real-life scenarios, as it is natural. Then he tries to explore these themes as a team, in the medium of video games. for example, the theme of happiness where he will analyze what brings joy and happiness to the people on his team and himself and they will recreate this emotion. As a team, they will start brainstorming and drawing things that will remind them of happiness, from everyday life events or other media such as films.  

James also mentioned that the narrative “design engine” comes up with certain archetypes of what the character may be able to do, and how they would establish an emotion, and how, the things that the team wants to convey about the character. From this knowledge, the sculpting process will start taking place, as James will start working on showing how the character can relate to the emotion (in this case happiness). Most people will try to draw from their own personal experiences and things that happen around them, while interacting with that particular character, bringing a state of happiness to the player.  

James stated that Characters are a vital part of video game stories, and world design can influence the way players feel about them. By creating unique environments and settings for characters, players can feel more attached to them, leading to a stronger emotional connection. Character design is an integral part of game design that can be used to express emotions. Through a character's appearance, movements, actions, and sound effects, game developers can communicate a wide range of emotions to players, creating a more immersive and engaging gaming experience. The character's story, reasons and actions during the gameplay will establish a strong emotional connection between the player and the character. 

Part 2: Practitioner Lecture Series 

Benni Hill - Game Director  

Benni mentioned how there are lots of ways to connect the story to worldbuilding, every aspect of video games uses story and context to an extent and is often multidisciplinary. For example, if the team needed to create a graffiti decal kit for a project, which was worked on by an environment artist, and our writer will ensure the content was thematically relevant to the environment so that the player will engage with it. 

Benni also recommended networking and connecting with the audience and the designers, setting a clear vision, safeguarding, and ensuring the whole team will collaborate towards the goal of creating an incredible form of art, establishing a tone and what type of emotion will the game bring to the players. Networking is a key factor when it comes down to the game industry, showcasing your own work, talking and sharing with other artists helps to create a solid background for you or your company. 

Benni expresses how a story told by a game with strong worldbuilding, connects everything in a meaningful and compact form of art. Overall, emotions in games can greatly enhance the player's experience and create a deeper connection to the game and its world. Videogames are a great form of escapism, if done correctly they will fuel the audience with a rich world to explore, expressing ideas and teaching or narrating a story to the player. 

Benni highlights that to create an immersive and engaging experience for players, designers must consider a wide range of factors, from game mechanics and level design to art style and animation. They must also be able to anticipate and respond to player feedback, adjusting their approach as needed to ensure that the game is both enjoyable and challenging. 

Benni stated that the environment, color scheme, and overall atmosphere of a game world can set the tone for the story. A well-designed world can instantly convey the mood and tone of the game's story, allowing the player to feel more connected to the narrative. By creating a believable and detailed world, players can immerse themselves in the game's story, feeling like they are a part of the world themselves. This level of immersion can create a sense of attachment to the game world, and the characters within it, leading to an emotional investment in the story. 

 

Erik Knudsen - Film Producer and Director 

Erik started his presentation with this phrase: The Universe is made of stories, not atoms, this is a quote from the poet Muriel Rukeyzer, he also stated that imagination is the key. As artists you should take the risk, take the courage to speak your ideas, and explore or try new things. 

Professor Erik stated how emotion plays a significant role in films, as it can enhance the audience's experience, evoking a wide range of emotions, such as excitement, fear, anger, joy, sadness, and surprise, among others, keeping the audience captivated and questioning what will happen next. This can also help the audience develop empathy as they learn to understand and relate to the experiences of the fictional characters. Additionally, emotional experiences in video games can help the audience manage their own emotions, as they learn to regulate their responses to different situations and stimuli, by actively playing the game. 

Erik highlights that a lot of time is spent in the "gestation period", the early stages, when the idea is taking shape. Playing around with images, situations, events, and characters, not knowing how it’s all going to fit together. By creating compelling characters and immersive worlds, designers can draw audiences into the story and make them invested in the characters' experiences. This can be achieved through effective writing, dialogue, and character development, as well as through the use of visuals and sound design. Body language, facial expressions, and gestures can all communicate a range of emotions, from anger and frustration to joy and love 

Professor Erik also expresses that the producer is the one in control of the story pulling the strings and that by having control over the direction you oversee the experiences that are presented to the audience, imagination is the key. Taking risks is the language of expression that will be developed further and increase the range of emotions that can be explored throughout the form of media. Stories can be told in any form, in the case of games, they can be narrated through visual elements such as 3D Models and the art style. The use of music and sound effects can enhance the emotional impact of the media. For example, a tense soundtrack or the tone of voice of a character. 

 

Candy Guard - Animator and Illustrator 

Candy stated that to create projects by following your own passion and convincing people with ideas drawn from personal experience. This helps the audience associate and relate to the characters in the fictional setting. A key factor is storytelling.  

Candy expresses that a well-written story with engaging characters and a compelling plot can evoke a wide range of emotions, including joy, sadness, fear, anger, and empathy. The characters' interaction in animations can make the story more interesting and immersive, enhancing the experience, stimulating the curiosity of the audience, and making it more memorable. 

Candy also showcases how visual art is another essential aspect of the intended media's emotional design, as the visual style can influence the audience's emotions. For example, a game with a bright and colorful art style can create a sense of joy and happiness, while a game with a dark and foreboding art style can create a feeling of fear and anxiety. These visuals effects can be used to set tones from the very start, so the audience knows what they are engaging with, or it can gradually change from one style to another, if done correctly, the transition will go unnoticed by the audience creating a wide range of emotions and interest for the world and setting. 

Candy works showcase a strong use of dialogue, the words spoken by characters can help the audience connect emotionally with them, putting themselves in their position, and creating empathy. Animators can use dialogue to reveal the character’s motivations, fears, and desires, making them more relatable and engaging. This can be strengthened with background music, enchanting the emotional impact of a determinate character when a specific soundtrack is playing, and setting up the mood and the emotional resonance of the scene. 

Overall, emotions play a crucial role in the media, as they can create a more immersive and engaging experience for the audience. This concept can be explored in similar ways in other forms of entertainment and when combined it creates strong and more compelling forms of entertainment that keep the audience engaged and emotionally connected to the film, animation or video game.  

Research Reflection 

In conclusion, emotions play a critical role in designing successful forms of entertainment. They can be used to create a connection between the audience and the designers, emotions make games more engaging and memorable, so players will return or play the game again. Emotions can be established from the character, with facial expressions and body language, combined with sound effects, in-game interaction, and story elements to make the character “alive”. 

Emotions can be used to create memorable and immersive worlds, environmental storytelling can establish the theme and tone of the gameplay, evoking a wide range of emotions in players. The ability to combine various forms of entertainment such as music, storytelling, world-building, character design, and animations, sets video games apart from other forms of entertainment, and it's what makes them such a unique and powerful medium.  

Designers can combine various techniques to create emotional responses for their audience, using music, sound effects, and visual elements to help set the tone and mood for a game. A strong worldbuilding connects everything in a meaningful and compact form. The main story, the characters' interactions, and the world-building sometimes are inspired by artists' life experiences or the media they consume, making the audience emphasize the game. 

Understanding the emotional impact of video game elements, and crafting them, will evoke the desired emotional response, and this is key to creating a compelling gaming experience. Game designers need to carefully plan the emotional journey of players throughout the game to keep them engaged and invested in the game world. 

Bibliography 

List of Figures 

Figure 1.  

Abbie Willet. (2015) Animations. [Accessed 09 February 2023] Available at: https://the-dots.com/users/abbie-willett-120973 

 

Figure 2. 

Abbie Willet. LinkedIn. [Accessed 09 February 2023] Available at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/abbiewillett/ 

 

Figure 3.  

Peter Dimitrov. (2018) The Animal Shrine. [Accessed 02 March 2023] Available at: https://www.artstation.com/artwork/aRoa1k 

 

Figure 4.  

Peter Dimitrov. LinkedIn. [Accessed 03 March 2023] Available at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peterdimitrovart/ 

 

Figure 5. 

James Henry Burton (2023) White Paper Games. [Accessed 03 April 2023] Available at: https://www.whitepapergames.com/about.php 

Practitioner Profiles 

Game Designers 

Abbie Willet is a Game Designer and animator for various games, the most notorious are HITMAN 2 and Sackboy, she is currently working at Sumo Digital. 

Peter Dimitrov is a 3D artist, painter, and illustrator who specializes in digital art. He is currently working as a 3D Environment Artist at Rebellion. 

James Henry Burton is a Lecture at Uclan on the Game Design course, and he is one of the co-founders of White paper games where he works as a 3D and Technical Artist. 

Lecture Series 

Benni Hill is one of the co-founders of White paper games and recently the founder and managing director of Bonsai Collective. He worked on many titles such as: Lost Words / Q.U.B.E. 2 / Hue / Duskers / Ether One and LunaAbyss. 

Erik Knudsen is a professor of media practice at Uclan for the faculty of culture and creative industries, and a Film Producer and Director. He directed and produced many movies such as: True Calling, Cleft Lip, The Rabbit, and The Raven on the Jetty. 

Candy Guard is an Animator and an Illustrator. Creator of 13 animated shorts for Channel 4, BBC, MTV. created award winning groundbreaking animated sit com ‘Pond Life.’ Novelist, cartoonist, scriptwriter. 

Networking Evidence 

Note: Many of the artists contacted were incredibly helpful in providing detailed and extensive answers to the questions. Below is a record of their responses, and a list of artists that were contacted but lately withdrawn from the main essay.