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Game designers focus on emotional dimensions in their world building

By imworlds ⋅ December 20, 2007 ⋅  Email this post ⋅  Print this post ⋅ Post a comment del.icio.us StumbleUpon

The developers of Fable 2 create a developer diary that proves to be very interesting from a world building perspective.

In this clip, the developers discuss how adding an emotional component to their games, and creating player identification with the in-game characters through emotional weight, makes a roleplaying game stand out from the many other game worlds on the market.

The commentary regarding the player’s emotional connection to the dog reminds me of George Lucas’ comments in regard to world building the Star Wars universe; Lucas states that much of the design should draw from our own reality, in order to bring about a recognition, as well as an emotional context for the world (hence the Falcon’s cockpit looking like a World War II bomber cockpit, the pistols looking like modern day pistols, and the cantina reminding the audience of a western saloon).