Simulating the Storytelling Qualities of Life: Telling Stories with the Sims

The stories vs. games debate has been prominent during the early years of game studies, and few other perspectives have been introduced to the discussion. In the paper, Game Researcher and Concept Designer Satu Heliö from Sulake Corporation introduces new concepts with which to approach the supposed divide. She argues that concepts such as narrative mindset and social schema provide better means to understand game features and player motivations regarding such game genres as role-playing games and popular game series such as The Sims. Keywords Narratology, narrativity, ludology, narrative mindset, The Sims In Game Studies there is one discussion that seems to stick, year after year. That is the ludology vs. narratology debate, which that has been criticized as something that ‘never took place’. [4] Ludology brought into discussion the fact that games are non-narrative in their nature and that cut-scenes are non-interactive and thus un-game-like, or in opposition to the idea of in...

• Type: Conference
• Year: 2005
• Where: DIGRA
• Authors: Satu Heliö
• Keywords: Computer Graphics, DIGRA 2005, Game, Game Studies, Narrative Mindset