Research Methods – Essay 2 – Complexity and Emergence

Emergence and complexity are very interesting and often difficult concepts to pin down and discuss on virtually any topic, but the field of technology tends to yield some very interesting results when analyzed with complexity and emergence in mind. As I mentioned in my previous essay, videogames are a sort of conglomeration of all the prior forms of media. They feature many different techniques and concepts from other media, as well as an impetus to challenge most of the senses. Video and cinematographic techniques challenge our sight and hearing, images and art stir our emotions, and many different devices attempt to interface with our senses of touch. Also calling upon a previously mentioned concept, videogames are almost always more moving and effective than the sum of their parts. This is a perfect example of emergence and complexity. The ridiculous amount of artistic heritage and advanced technologies overlaid upon the systems underpinning the gameplay of videogames makes them complex. The intersection of all of these things creating new strategies far beyond those that the medium’s constituent parts aimed to stir the emotions and inspire the minds of the players makes them deeply emergent.

            Videogames are, undoubtedly, complex. As previously stated, they have an astounding amount of artistic heritage. They also require a high level of interaction from the player. This is, in part, why they are so immersive. The player must continue to play the game actively to continue to experience the game. Exceptions can, of course, be made for instances where someone is watching someone else play a game but these instances are considerably more rare. It is worth mentioning that people do spectate videogames being played by others but this trend isn’t nearly as popular as other more established “spectator sports” like American football, basketball, etc., though this is gradually changing. Also, the videogames primarily being spectated are usually specifically geared for a certain “tournament play” context, and are not necessarily the type of narrative and immersion-focused games I am referring to. In addition to the complex and artistic narrative background of videogames, gameplay and the systems involved with gameplay are also incredibly important to the immersive qualities of the game. Games utilizing Microsoft Kinect as well as other more recent motion gaming devices have been met with mixed reactions. In some games, motion controls greatly augment the immersive qualities of the game as well as the enjoyment of the whole. The large majority of these games, however, suffer greatly from inadequate and/or awkward control schemes as well as painfully reminding the player of how limited the technology truly is (for instance, a player is told to swing a Wii remote like a sword only to find out that the remote lacks one to one motion tracking and thus a mere flick of the wrist left or right will accomplish the same task).

In the midst of this complexity, however, a lot of interesting things start to happen.  This is the moment when the medium begins to evolve beyond its artistic heritage and become something more than simply the sum of its rather lengthy list of constituent parts. Specifically, this is where intriguing was of manipulating the medium and beguiling the player begin to emerge. A fantastic way of engaging the player in this way, for instance, is the way Bioshock uses agency to make the player feel more like the character feels. There is a moment where it is revealed that your character has been under the control of a manner of hypnotic suggestion. To give some background, many players have been frustrated in the past that cutscenes, which have now become very commonplace in the modern videogame to tell specific parts of the story, or force the player to see specific moments in the world take too much control away from the player. The developers of Bioshock used this exact sensation to their advantage by forcing the player to give up control and removing his or her agency by using cutscenes at specific times when the character is being controlled by this suggestion. The result is a deepening of the immersion and a very real sensation of powerlessness. Similar techniques have been utilized with videogames that break “the fourth wall” and directly address the player. Batman: Arkham Asylum has done some things like this before but the most successful may be Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem. Eternal Darkness is a third-person action game where the player must manage their sanity as well as their health. When the player becomes low on sanity, strange things begin to happen. One such instance brings up a convincing error message that your controller has been disconnected upon entering a room full of dangerous monsters. You are then forced to helplessly watch the grisly and painful death of your character before flashing back to the “real” game and returning control to the player. Techniques like these are effective because they supersede the traditional realm of expectations typical to videogames and evoke a reaction from the player in the real world by referencing the hardware and interface devices they are using to interact with the videogame world.

 

Emergence and complexity in gameplay are also important to immersion and enjoyment of games, and thusly (I would argue) any message they seek to impart. Ian Bogost discusses complexity and emergence in the context of games and what makes them enjoyable in his book, How to Do Things With Videogames:

 

Here’s a game design aphorism you may have heard before: a game, so it goes, ought to be “easy to learn and hard to master.” This axiom is so frequently repeated because it purports to hold the key to a powerful outcome: an addicting game, one people want to play over and over again once they’ve started, and in which starting is smooth and easy. It’s an adage most frequently applied to casual games, but it’s also used to describe complex games of deep structure and emergent complexity.  Bogost, Ian (2011-08-23). How to Do Things With Videogames (p. 125). University Press of Minnesota. Kindle Edition.

 

This, “easy to learn, hard to master” mentality is explored and expounded on throughout the chapter in question, but this concept of emergent complexity is incredibly important to keeping the player immersed and playing the game. A solid example of this emergent complexity in gameplay is best explained in the context of a board game we’re all familiar with- Chess. The game is easy to learn in some regards (definitely not the easiest though) in that each piece has a very simple rule associated with it. The pawn can only move forward, and can only move a certain number of spaces. The rook can only move in a straight line, horizontally or vertically. However, as the game is played, the interaction of the pieces and possible moves available to each player becomes exponentially greater until at some point there are moves or strategies that have never been used. The result is a massive number of possible combinations and a game that is interesting and unique almost every time. This makes it nearly impossible to master, and thusly gives players a reason to keep playing.

 

I believe that this lack of engagement is just as important as content when it comes to producing videogames capable of stirring one’s emotions. A good example, and one Bogost discusses in his book as well, is Darfur is Dying. The game consists of two gameplay segments: a stealth, water collecting game, and a city management game. Bogost states (and I agree with him) that the water collecting game works far more effectively than the management game. The reason for this is how weak and powerless it makes the player feel:

 

In Darfur Is Dying, weakness is all the player ever gets. There is no magic to invoke, no heroic lineage to appeal to; strength adequate to survive is simply inaccessible.  Bogost, Ian (2011-08-23). How to Do Things With Videogames (p. 19). University Press of Minnesota. Kindle Edition.

 

This is an incredibly powerful feeling, and is a fantastic example of using gameplay mechanics to immerse the player and instill powerful feelings or emotions. Techniques like this are exactly the kind I was referring to earlier, and are quite effective. This is, in my opinion, where the game’s successes stop, however. While the water collecting game has fairly spot-on gameplay for a game expressing the injustice of the events of Darfur, it fails to evoke any real outrage by being unable to immerse the player in the plight of the Darfuri and evolve them emotionally, and by not being complex and engaging enough to keep the player playing the game. The gameplay is too simple, precluding any kind of emergent complexity from keeping the player playing long enough to convey its message or leave any kind of meaningful emotional impact. This kind of gameplay complexity keeps things interesting, and it keeps people playing the game. This affords more opportunities to get the player emotionally involved. Not only does this mean the player will enjoy the game more, it also means that he or she will be more likely to recommend it to friends, thus spreading any message or critical content a game may be trying to convey. It also helps the player form a lasting bond with the game, allowing it to leave a permanent impact and possibly change the way the player views an issue,  expand their base of knowledge, or even change their world view.