Talking about the Matrix movies and game got me thinking about the way I
am entertained. I’m used to being entertained on opposite ends of the
interactivity spectrum: passive movie watching and active game playing.
I think you could generate more interesting experiences by intermixing
those two extremes. For example, my favorite games are ones with a great
story. You could watch someone else play
Halo and still enjoy the
experience. I hear Crimson
Skies is the same way. So why
can’t you choose to passively experience the story without getting
involved in the game play, if I only care about the story? My wife has
no interest in playing Enter the
Matrix, but she’d like to see the
story.
I also really like sports games (esp. hockey). Many sports games are
adding “owner” modes where hire staff and sign players but don’t control
the game play on the field. That’s pretty cool. Microsoft’s XSN
Sports lineup doesn’t have those modes,
instead the focus on online leagues and tournaments. While most of that
experience is very interactive, how about having a XSN “SportsCenter”
where you can see highlights from other games in your league? Maybe even
cut away during breaks in the action to show highlights from other games
in your league that may be going on at the same time. Those features are
passive, but they would add immensely to the game experience.
Some of these techniques start to get into the realm of
Machinima – making movies using gaming
engines.
Anyone else interested in this? What are the good tools and engines that
work with Managed
DirectX?
