Animation Film Vs Game Design
There has been this big debate in the animation & gaming industry about the difference between games and films. The people working in either of the streams know what those differences are and why these two streams are different.
The confusion has been amongst the so called animation training institutes, who offer both Animation and Game courses. For reasons not known these institutes have never been able to convey what is the difference between both these mediums. The result has been that many students either join a wrong program or are made to believe that both animation and gaming is the same , just because the same set of tools are used to make them.
This article will try to lay down clearly in simple terms why and how Animation & Games differ.
Animation Films
All of you watch films and if you are animation fans (one reason why you should be reading this piece) you must have watched the cartoons on TV or a feature in the theatres. The film watching experience is unique by itself, where a good film keeps us bound to the seat till the end of a film.
Well that’s what all of us do, we experience the film, but we don’t interact with the film in a direct manner. We can’t tell the character what to do, we can’t change the script, or for that matter we can’t even kill the villain.
In return we get to experience the antics of Tom & Jerry, the heroics of Spiderman, the daring of the Incredibles and the goofiness of Scooby doo.
And we love every moment of it.
But this is not how we would PLAY a game.
Game
In a game we get to do all those things that we can’t with the film, Best of all we get to kill a lot of bad guys, in simple language we PLAY the GAME.
In a game we take control, a game is meant for the player to be in control for till the end of the game. You as the player are in command and you get to tell the game how you want things to happen. You pick and choose within the confines of the game and you decide the progress from level to level, the score that you keep and the no of challenges you overcome to the end where you WIN.
Yes, a GAME can be WON
Now you tell me is WATCHING a film different from PLAYING a game.
Immersive Interactivity & Emotions
In a film the level of control you have is limited to the Stop/pause/forward on your remote. But all of us will be able to recount many times when watching a particularly good film, where after some time we start trying to predict what will happen next. The story, the characters and the exchange of emotions and chemistry between the actors ensures that quietly but surely we are participating in the telling of the story.
A game is not designed for mute participation, and the gamer does not wait for the story to unravel. He is the story teller and it is done by playing the game only the way he can play, making those choices needed to get the maximum points or the maximum satisfaction to the gamers’ ego.
The gamer uses the Mouse / Joystick / Keyboard, to control his experience. The experience can be diverse, the speed, the decision making, the strategizing, the role playing the killing and the scoring of points ensure that the player is not only interacting with the game, but he is also immersed in the game so much that he is the game.
The level of interaction is based upon the level of immersive qualities of the game. If you watch a gamer in action you will see all those emotions on display, which you might not see if he was watching a film. Only humans beings become emotional with something we are deeply involved in & games are made to get the gamer emotionally and intellectually involved.
Experience
Watching a film and playing a game is not the same, both belong to the entertainment media both provide different kind of experience. Both are fun, but our experiences and our involvements are different.
Conclude
So now if you have to debate, at least the basic ground rules will be clear.
Harold Raichur
Director
Seamedu Animation & Art
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