The Story Behind 360 Stories
Greetings gamers, fan fiction writers, or fan fiction readers.A couple years ago, when I first dipped my toes into the cool waters of blogging, I had the crazy idea of writing a 'blog of game reviews for Microsoft's Xbox 360. A fan of the device - despite the now infamous Red Ring of Death - I was thrilled by the opportunity to share my opinion.
"Weekend Xbox" was billed as a review 'blog with two unique twists. Each review started with a short piece of fan fiction, a short story from the point of view of a side character in the game. The other twist was the simple fact that I'm not your typical gamer. I'm not even your typical casual gamer. I just play a little bit here and there. I've only finished half the games I own. Survival horror games are too scary for me. "Boss battles" are stupid. Platformers are too kid-oriented. Shooters are mindless (until recently - keep reading). And very few people would agree with my statement that the greatest game to come out of the past five years was a "story game" called Indigo Prophecy.
Really? Indigo Prophecy? Let me guess. You've never heard of it, or you've heard of it - maybe even played it - and didn't care for it.
For those of you unfamiliar with the game, it featured something truly unique. Its primary game mechanic involved clicking buttons or flicking sticks to choose conversational responses or perform mundane tasks (such as mopping floors, playing a stereo, or even making a bed). This daily routine was broken up by intense flashbacks, nightmares, and chase sequences all pieced together in an unforgettable epic story.
The remarkable thing about Indigo Prophecy was that it was more like an interactive story than a game. You played a character who must solve a murder he committed himself while in a trance. The game begins with the ubiquitous cut-scene: the murder. But then you take control of the main character at the precise moment he "comes to" and realizes he'd just killed a man. Do you hide the murder weapon? Dispose of the body? Just run like hell? There's a cop nearby, so you better think fast. Who can help you? Who can you turn to? Your ex-girlfriend? No, how about your brother the Catholic priest? But wait: you also play the police detectives trying to solve the case and put the killer behind bars. Sound crazy? It actually worked surprisingly well. Well enough to be copied by new and upcoming games. More and more games are being marketed as "emotional experiences" and "interactive movies." What do you expect from an industry that is quickly surpassing the film industry in both production and revenue?Story games are becoming more and more common as gaming technology leads to more and more realistic adventures. Even your common "first person shooter" isn't without some kind of moral dilemma or thick heartfelt story line. Romantic subplots, family loss, even buddy elements are finding their way into common videogame stories. Even a rabid rampant shell-shocking blast-fest like Call of Duty 4 includes an element of characterization that eventually tugs at your heartstrings through the fog of war. And for the first time since it was blasted by politicians, parents, and the media, Grand Theft Auto presents us with a stark lesson at the end of GTAIV that makes you drop your controller like a smoking gun and mutter, "Oh, God. What have I done?"
Which brings me to "360 Stories." I dropped "Weekend Xbox" after a few entries because I really wasn't getting anywhere writing game reviews for games that had been on the shelf for as long as a year. The fiction, on the other hand, was fun and gave me a chance to pay something back for all the hours of engrossing gameplay I enjoyed.
And it was an easy fiction writing exercise.
"360 Stories" will bring you weekly (at least at first) short stories set in the universes created for Xbox 360 videogames. If you're a gamer, I'm sure you'll appreciate the extra dimensions I play out in tribute to some of the greatest games released for Microsoft's gaming system. If you're not a gamer, please don't hesitate to give my stories a read. You won't need to be a gamer - or know the game's setting - to enjoy the story.
Please. Feel free to e-mail me directly at riggenterprises@gmail.com to share your thoughts on the stories, the concept, or your thoughts on a particular game. You can even suggest games you'd like to see stories built from and - who knows - maybe even publish your own.
I hope you enjoy it. I hope you'll also take the time to look at the rest of my work. You can find links to everything I do at MichaelRigg.com.
Time to put down the controller and open the laptop. Let's read.