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Steven Spielberg to Make Us Cry?

by Chris Remo, Jun 21, 2006 12:25pm PDT
Related Topics – Electronic Arts, Games: PC, Steven Spielberg

Print publication The Economist recently featured an article about the need for increasingly sophisticated artificial intelligence in video games, speaking with industry members such as Facade co-creator Michael Mateas and Electronic Arts LA head Neil Young. Currently, EA LA is working on a title with Steven Spielberg as part of a three franchise deal between the publisher and the filmmaker. Buried within The Economist's article is an intriguing hint at the basic concept behind Spielberg's first game.

Tellingly, Doug Church of Electronic Arts, who gave the keynote speech at last year's AIIDE conference, recently started work on a game with Steven Spielberg where "the focus is on building an emotive relationship at a story level and a gameplay level between the player and another character," says Mr Young.
The brief description is more than a little reminiscent of past declarations on the part of both Young and Spielberg that, someday, a video game will make you cry. Spielberg postulated, "I think the real indicator [that games have become a storytelling art form] will be when somebody confesses that they cried at level 17." Young stated, "A computer game still hasn't made you cry. I think we'll crack that problem in the next five years and it'll be a watershed event for our business." That was during GDC 2004. Presumably, Spielberg's first game with Young's studio will meet its implied March 2009 deadline.


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45 Threads* | 135 Comments
  • #126
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    By: Serpico74 This person is cool! x
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    At least people are trying to make an effort to make games more emotionally engaging. The most notable emotion any game has ever given me is a sense of pride based on what I have accomplished. This isn't a bad thing, but even games with the most engaging characters and experiences in them, Tim Schaefer games are the first that come to mind, still don't affect me to the degree that a powerful film does.

    Spielberg isn't the only person interested in going farhter with this. There are many other developers who want to do this as well. Considering the fact that he is a huge gamer and an extremely accomplished and skilled filmmaker (hello understatement), it is no wonder that he doesn't at least want to give this a shot.

    And no, silly Japanese RPGs with ridiculous plots don't count as emotional experiences. Take down that wall scroll.
    Jun 22, 2006 12:18am PDT
  • #69
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    By: voodoochildtm x
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    Didn't he write the story of "The Dig" ?

    I'm trying to find a game where i cried.. but no i guess not..
    I think crying is the wrong word anyway.. getting some tears in the eye maybe in some 1-3 movies in my life.. don't know which ones anymore though..

    I think they're on the right way.. if a game makes you care about a character so much that you get tears in your eyes.. that is a big accomplishment.. i doubt they can pull it off without making the voiceacting and visuals better ... because i think tricking the brain into believing "this is a real person" is a huge part of it..
    Jun 21, 2006 3:13pm PDT