Essay

Austin Rider

English 102

Colleen Halverson

5-16-14

Beyond the Silence

            Since the beginning of time man has found a variety of options to keep himself entertained. It wasn’t until the mid-20^th century until they reached a landmark that would revolutionize technology. Video games could be considered one of the greatest technological advancements in such a short amount of time. Comparing them from the very beginning to how they work in today’s time can prove how far they actually have come. The graphics have been enhanced, new storylines with more detail and depth have developed, the overall gameplay may prove more satisfying, characters have a broader personality span, and the game in a whole has experienced quite the evolution. In more recent times, there has also been more focus into the storyline of games and, for the horror genre, what really scares us. Developers take into consideration what players want and how they want their game created. There are far too many game titles out there for one to critically analyze, or play. But a popular series that focuses around psychological horror and twists is Silent Hill. Silent Hill represents a unique shift on video game narratives because it resists traditional video games through its psychological turns on narratives and horror.

            The very first video games originated on the computer, which became increasingly popular in the mid-20^th century. One of the earliest video games consisted of two small poles on opposite sides of the screen with a small white ball getting hit back and forth between the poles. The objective was simple; don’t let the ball past your pole into your goal. The player with highest goals at the end of the match wins. In the late 60’s, a more advanced interactive video game was released. Amanda Kudler is the author of a timeline based website of video games at http://www.infoplease.com/spot/gamestimeline1.html. Ralph Baer was an engineer at Sanders Associates who was interested in exploring interactiveness. In 1967, “Baer and team are successful in creating two interactive TV games – a chase game and a tennis game. They are also able to manipulate a toy gun so that it detects spots of light on the TV screen” (Kudler).This process is similar to how the Wii works in today’s platforms. In the 70’s arcade games came into play which brought a new era to games. Broadening the target audience, allowing video game interaction to be accessible in more places, popularity increased amongst video games. The games themselves become more appealing in graphics, gameplay, and overall satisfaction, with deeper complexity, especially compared to the early trials of video games. “Atari’s Pong is released… which finances the production of 150,000 units” (Kudler). More colors were used to appeal to the audience, different techniques with computer generated art continually inclines, and the overall games themselves were changing. The games around this era could be considered as “The Classics” of video games. Today, people still enjoy playing games derived from arcade games like PacMan, Donkey Kong, and Galaga.

            It wasn’t until the 80’s when video games took a new branch of development and is considered the start of the second generation of video games. According to http://segaretro.org/Generations_of_video_games, a few key factors that determine this new generation include; shifts on software, different designs, enhanced mechanics and storage, and more on-screen colors. This was the time where memory, measured in bytes (mega, giga, milla) was showing advancements. For example, the video computer system cartridge (also known as Atari, and systems related), enhanced storage from .125 KB of memory to 4 KB of memory. Most of today’s cellphones consist of around 16 GB of memory, more than four times the amount of memory used in early video games. This allowed for the video games to add more features like enhanced graphics, longer gameplay, more items, etc. Different platforms also started appearing, creating rivalries between software developers. A platform is the system the video game is played on. Each system has its unique structure that each can bring to the table depending on the developers of the systems. Some video games are made specifically for these separate systems, also depending on what the developers want to create. Examples of platforms and their owners would be; Sony creating Playstations, Microsoft developing XBOX, and Nintendo selling the Wii or Gameboy.

            Another achievement the 80’s brought was its furthering of genres in games. In more early times of gaming, one would probably play an RPG (role playing game). Daniel King, Paul Delfabbro, and Mark Griffiths insist in their article, “Video Game Structural Characteristics: A New Psychological Taxonomy “ that in and RPG the “… players gather experience points (XP) as they complete objectives and defeat enemies in the video game” (99). These normally consist of a list of objectives to accomplish, leveling up/character evolution, possible narratives, etc. After a few years of these types of video games, developers started to reach out to create different video games revolving around different genres. In today’s world, we have a wide variety and assortments of games that range from RPG, horror, puzzle solving, action adventure, suspense, first person shooters, war-related games, and the possibilities are pretty much endless. The 80’s were the perfect precedent to set up advancements for future gaming. Each game is unique in its own way with its genre development and factors like graphics and gameplay. “Each video game genre usually has particular conventions in terms of game dynamics, such as game length, linearity of level format, and character development” (King et al 98). Narratives become increasingly popular over the decades and are commonly found in today’s video games. Mike Schmierbach and Anthony M. Limerpos are the authors of “Virtual Justice: Testing the Disposition Theory in Context of a Story-Driven Video Game” who suggest “some scholars argue that games are better seen as simulations than narratives, driven by algorithms and interface instead of traditional story-telling techniques” (526). “Storytelling may be limited to simplistic “survival against the odds” scenarios or in longer games, the storytelling may involve multiple characters and complex storylines” (King et al 98) which is ideal in narrative based games because of the depth the game is given. The storyline is deeper, and characters become more important, in most cases. In “Death Games and Survival Horror Video Games: On the Limits of Pure Torture Show Entertainments,” written by Flaviu Patrunjel, “… Survival Horror is a video game genre centered on the narrative” (39). The game can use these deeper meanings and interpret them into a horror. For example, a person may become emotionally attached to a character who probably doesn’t deserve to die. However, in the course of the game, the character may be tortured, or possibly even killed, creating a type of horror in the game itself. If the character was given a back story, and a likeable personality for example, more of a narrative perspective may be interpreted. He also insists “storytelling is at the core of horror games while its purpose… is to create the appropriate immersion necessary to scare and disgust the players” (Patrunjel 39). Horror may be classified and pertain to “… scared rituals the mise en scene of violence and death, sadism, tortures while in dystopian virtual realities like Silent Hill or Resident Evil such sights are fictitious, simulated..” (Patrunjel 39).

 

            With the advancement of genres, this opened the doors to many possibilities. Each genre has somewhat evolved and adapted to fit today’s gamer’s needs. Teun Dubbleman, author of “Playing the Hero: How Games Take the Concept of Storytelling from Representation to Presentation,” insists that the developers or “…performers make the audience aware of their presence by inviting them into some form of interaction, thereby undoing the audience’s spectatorial and voyeuristic position” (166). Players are always wanting something fresh and new, something that exceeds their own expectations of what the video game is supposed to be like. The developers watch more for what the audience wants in their video games. An easy genre to follow these guidelines would be the genre of horror, simply because everyone has some sort of fear. There is no one out there that isn’t afraid of a single thing. Therefore, they work their way in by interpreting fears into these games, such as irrational fears. Video games get inside the mind of the players, they know what people are asking for, and sometimes it all works out. For example, in Sigmund Freud’s “The Uncanny,” he suggests “we know from psychoanalytic experience, however, that this fear of damaging or losing one’s eye is a terrible fear of childhood” (7). We all fear of losing our vision, hearing, or any other sense. We also fear of the loss of a limb, or perhaps a vital organ necessary to function. In these video games, the player might be put through a type of torture, where one of the senses is lost, or even a limb. The developers know people are afraid of these things and incorporate them into the game. Another example would be the fear of darkness, so when creating the environment for the game, shadowing is favorable. The players can literally put themselves into these positions and visualize themselves in these environments. “There is a distinction that needs to be made between holding mental images of a scene in mind while imagining being present within that scene… and enables them to interact with the environment from a specific location” (Dubbleman 164). King, Delfabbro, and Griffiths might also agree the environments are key to video games. They insist “…graphics and sound effects in games enable a more realistic and immersive context for the video game’s reward and storytelling design” (King et al 102). A common fear that people face daily is the fact of being alone. For some of us, we may want to be alone in situations (when dealing with emotions, not finding a relationship in life, etc.). However, in MOST cases, a companion is beneficial. The feeling of being alone whilst traveling through the dark hallway of the unknown is quite scary and uncomfortable. Other things that scare us are the usage of children in games, movies, novels, etc. Our expectations (where psychology and cultural expectations comes into play) are that children are loving, caring, and happy. Children aren’t supposed to be mass murderers that chase people around with butcher knives. Lastly, there are probably more people than not that are afraid of bugs, spiders, snakes, or pretty much anything that has more than four limbs. Many enemies or manifestations represent these types of creatures that we are afraid of. Sure, we can step on the tiny spider, it might take more effort for some, but they can be pretty simple to dispose of. Now in video games, the spider might have tripled in size and now shoots acid at you. Tell me how you’re going to kill it now. Being vulnerable in these situations can also cause some discomfort. “The monsters are morally wrong subjects, unnatural beings; impossible creatures that act driven by unknown supernatural rules…” (Patrunjel 39). Monsters are commonly centered on what we fear the most. The usage of irrational fears works excellently because, well, everyone probably has some sort of irrational fear. Therefore, the target audience has been expanded to nearly everyone.

            The atmosphere on the game is also a key factor in creating the game. “The visual and audio aesthetics employed in creating the atmosphere and the environment in which the narrative evolves are deeply connected to moral principles and society values… opposing the structure and rules of today’s society” (Patrunjel 41). Just like in real life, not every building or every room has the same exact feeling necessarily. We all have our own interpretations of what we feel in these areas. Then to add sounds, music, and lighting can all make a difference. A dark room might be scary, but it would be scarier if you could hear someone faintly breathing in the distance, or if there were an eerie tune playing, or perhaps if there were a flickering light dangling from the ceiling that gave you minimal vision. The graphics themselves can make or break a player’s overall opinion of the game. Using textures, shadows, and appealing colors can attract audience members into the game. The interactiveness of video games (shooting, walking, throwing, movement, quick time events) draws the players in as well. We have the ability to make choices in these game and “the player is allowed to intervene in the hero’s fate by controlling him” (Dubbleman 158). The “manipulation and control features refer to the ways in which a player can interact with and control in-game properties using a physical control scheme” (King et al 95). We like that we can make choices (similar to life) and the fact that we don’t necessarily have to follow the exact rules

            The stories generally aren’t made to follow an exact guideline (walk exactly along these lines, you have to shoot them in the foot, jump over the waist high pole, don’t go under). What makes games appealing is the fact that we can make choices. “…The interactive nature of games as something that separates the relatively new medium from older media such as films and books” (Dubbleman 158). Video games can be used as an escape, just like how books or movies, and each gives different aspects and uniqueness that can fit the many different characteristics of a human being. Dubbleman sees video games as an extra source of entertainment that is unique in its own manner. With books and novels, most of the time we can’t depict what is going to happen to the characters or what the plot is, but with video games having the interactive side, these outcomes could possibly be altered. “…Many narrative driven games still allow players to shape the development of a narrative” (Schmierbach, Limperos 528) that books and movies can’t always offer. Having relatable characters throughout the game also gives the game a psychological spin. If the main character is going through something you have or are experiencing, it makes the meaning of the game even more significant. In some cases, the main characters mother or father has died. There are many people in the world that has happened to, so in some respect, they can relate to the characters. “Ultimately all the characters of these games are forced to push their limits and act desperately while dealing with their most hidden fears” (Patrunjel 44). This can add many different emotional levels to the game. The usage of video games could be used as an escape from one’s own reality because they get to be something they most likely aren’t. It gives the player a sense of control, the option to make choices that may not be applicable to everyday life, and simply to get one’s mind off of something. The fact that we can have such authority over a game could truly inspire an individual. The player is placed in the alternate reality that they can become someone or something that they are not, we can control so many different aspects in video games. This could potentially help someone learn a life lesson, for example, if a video game character is being bullied in the story, and the player has the choice of either standing up for themselves, or remain being picked on in the game. If the player were to choose to stand up for themselves, this might also give them the strength and courage in real life to do so. That is how “… the player becomes the hero and experiences adventures of his own” (Dubbleman 158).

            Going along with the concept of interactivenss with video games, the ability to make choices is incredible. Just like the previous example, it can teach us a lesson or teach us something valuable that we could possibly apply to real life. Players may decide to apply ethical, real logical thinking behind making decisions, or they may be the complete opposite of their true personality. For example, someone who is a tender-loving, caring person may find a video game like Grand Theft Auto  (where breaking the law, reckless driving, and murdering people is considered ‘okay’) to be quite enjoyable because they can become someone their not, and they can make choices that they wouldn’t make in real life.  “…Some game players do use moral judgments during game play, and these feelings can impact outcomes of the game-playing experience such as enjoyment” (Schmierbach, Limperos 527). The part of decision making can reflect our morals (to an extent). A main point reflected in Schmierbach and Limperos’s article revolves around decision making in video games. “Recent research has illustrated that some game players do use moral judgments during game play, and these feelings can impact outcomes of the game-playing experience such as enjoyment” (Schmierbach, Limperos 527) which insists that not only are video games enjoyed through their graphics, gameplay, or other factors, but decision making can enhance overall experience.

            One of the greatest games I’ve personally played within the last year was “The Last of Us.” Set many years after the zombie apocalypse, Joel and Ellie are just trying to survive and escape enemies like zombies and other survivors. It’s the way that the game presents itself to be so real, even when its fiction. In the beginning, Joel’s daughter is killed, which causes emotional distress. In return, many years after the incident, Ellie is introduced. The two have their own conflicts, but in the end, they share a father-daughter relationship, in which they both care for each other. This adds to the emotional aspect of the game because we know that Joel last his daughter at the start of the zombie apocalypse and now Ellie has sort of taken her place. Main characters can die; no one is safe, which would be true if it were actually happening. It’s true horror. “Reality assumes presence, which has a privileged position along two parameters, space and time; only here and now are completely real. By its very existence, the narratives suppresses the now (accounts of current life) or the here (live television coverage), and most frequently the two together (newsreels, historical accounts, etc.)” (Dubbleman 160). This basically insists that only here and now is real. We can’t change the past, and as much as we want to predict the future, we can’t always have that control. In Joel’s case, the loss of his daughter was a horrible, tragic event that took an emotional turn on his entire life. However, although many years later, a new face has, in a sense, taken her place (Ellie).

            Finally, the ultimate goal of the game is pretty important. What was the main objective of the game? Did you save the princess from the monster? Did you replay this game to see if there was anything you missed regarding items or the plot? Was the game meant to teach you something about life or morals? Whatever it may be, if the player enjoyed the game and got something out of it that can prove to be the ultimate goal. “Audiences enjoy media more when good characters win or achieve a desired outcome and when bad characters lose or are punished” (Schmierbach, Limperos 528). Players enjoy playing games where the good guys thrive and the bad guy has some sort of traumatic demise or falling. However, in retrospect, some players may enjoy playing the bad guy because it could potentially give them a type of alter-ego that they might not be able to express in real life. Tilo Hartmann and Peter Vorderer wrote the article “It’s Okay to Shoot a Character: Moral Disengagement in Violent Video Games,” which conclude that “…players could perceive their effective harm-doings as a proof of their own superiority” (97).  Good people can be bad guys and get the sense of what it feels like to do wrong doings, or perhaps troubled players can play the hero and even learn something about themselves to help them in life.

            Silent Hill is potentially one of the greatest games derived from a psychological- horror narrative. It uses dark, eerie atmospheres, unique monster developments, deeper meanings that may be overlooked in the monsters and characters themselves, and is a true spin on horror. “Concerning the factors of silence, solitude and darkness, we can only say that they are actually elements in the production of that infentile morbid anxiety from which the majority of human beings have become quite few” (Freud 20). The game uses easy techniques like how “players may find books, notes, recordings, messages, or hear dialogue or narration from in-game characters” (King et al 98). Also the perspective of how “… the story-teller has a peculiarly directive influence over us; by means of the states of mind into which he can put us and the expectations he can rouse in us, he is able to guide the current of our emotions, dam it up in one direction… and he often obtains a great variety of effects from the same material” (Freud 19). Characters as essentially a main aspect throughout the series. Some you meet may be your companion, or your worst enemy, while others presence isn’t exactly stated, which leaves room for many questions and wondering (which adds to the suspense of Silent Hill because of its true being of the unknown). In Silent Hill, “…even though the player controls the main character, those characters have names, existing connections with other characters, and personalities that cannot be altered by the player” (Schmierbach, Limperos 529). However, this is slightly false, because in Silent Hill: Shattered Memories, which is a re-imagining of the original games (this focuses more on the psychological aspects rather than scary and suspenseful action), the character can actually alter the course of the game itself. “In Silent Hill: Shattered Memories the player begins the game from a perspective of a mentally disordered person in front of the Psychiatrist and literally has to take some psychology tests” (Patrunjel 44). Questions on the tests can include “What were your favorite subjects in high school?” “How many alcoholic drinks do you consume in a week?” or “Are you more outgoing or timid when it comes to your personality?” All of these questions add up to give the player a different route to take that spins the storyline and even the character’s personality around. For instance, Cybil, the police officer, can come across as hostile and down to business in one interpretation, but if the character chooses different answers on these tests, she may come across as seductive and more of a sexual object. Another would be the appearance of a certain monster, given the name “Raw-Shocks.” They are given their name by the ink blot tests, Rorshach test, often used by psychologists to determine traits such as personality (which also relates to the story because the main character’s daughter, Cheryl, is admitted to a psychologist and has to take similar tests). These are manifestations that chase you and try to take you down. Their appearance alters depending on choices made throughout the game. In one aspect, they may appear more feminine, with features like larger breasts, firm buttock, and more of a womanly stance/structure. In another form, they have bloats all over their body and are far more grotesque and offensive looking.

            Apart from this spinoff of a re-imagining of Silent Hill, the original series prove to be a classical horror with psychological turns. “… Horror game narratives bring forth strong ethical and extreme moral problems the individual has to face while playing the game and advancing through story” (Patrunjel 43) which Silent Hill masters. In these games “… the player is thrown into a dangerous situation with a clear, undeniable “kill to survive” motivation. The evil forces are numerous and all deserve to die” (Patrunjel 42). The fact the resources are also limited in Silent Hill also gives the aspect of a fight or flight response. The player could potentially try to kill the enemy, or run away from it. Ewan Kirkland, who wrote “Restless Dreams In Silent Hill: Approaches to Video Game Analysis,” states that Silent Hill is“… an action adventure game employing a third person perspective, and drawing on horror film iconography, in which a typically average character navigates a maze-like landscape, solving puzzles, and fighting off monsters with limited ammunition, energy and means of replenishing it” (Kirkland 172). “Action is divided between the maze-like streets of Silent Hill and the town’s equally maze-like attractions, public buildings and apartment blocks” (Kirkland 172). Only one enemy appears in Silent Hill: Shattered Memories, while the original series has a vast enemy field. “Monsters are grotesque and inhuman in design, shuffling strait-jacket creatures, nurses with faceless heads, screeching things walking on knife blades” (Kirkland 172). The nurses in most cases represent the main character’s sexual frustrations like being sexually abused, or sustaining a low libido. Silent Hill also may make references to other games, like Resident Evil, through its monsters. “… The demonic dogs of SH1, SH3, and SH4 reference a defining moment in Resident Evil” (Kirkland 173).

            Silent Hill offers a vast backstory of what the town is really about and what it revolves around. For example, “SH1, SH3, and SH4 involve protagonists uncovering the past activities of a sinister cult; while the relationship between James and his dead wife Mary is gradually revealed throughout the psychologically complex SH2” (Kirkland 169). The cult praises the god of Alessa, a little girl whom the town thought to be dangerous as a little girl. Alessa faced many problems growing up, especially in school where she was picked on critically and even molested by the janitor which is a true psychological scar. Then on top of that, being accused of being a witch, thus being burned to death. In Silent Hill 3, the main character Heather is literally a rebirth of Alessa, without knowing it until the very end when Heather gives birth (through her mouth) of a fetus that represents Alessa (the darker side of Heather). “In SH3, church paintings narrate the cult of Silent Hill, while detached locations from Heather’s past, including her school-room, childhood room and apartment, illustrate her partially-forgotten past” (Kirkland 169). While in Silent Hill 4, a main baddy of the game is Walter Sullivan, a murderer with a corrupted upbringing as well. “In Silent Hill 4: The Room, for example, the serial killer Walter Sullivan (previously abused in his childhood at the Silent Hill orphanage) ritually murdered humans, animals and committed suicide in order to become undead and get control over the victims manifestations in his version of Otherworld, thus condemning their souls to eternal suffering” (Patrunjel 42). He is also seen as sadistic because “… the murderous activities of Walter Sullivan (SH4), cutting cryptic numbers into his victim’s bodies, evokes the psychological serial killer game” (Kirkland 171). By usage of choices, back story development, characters personalities and own fears and manifestations that symbolize monsters, and the usage of a dark, creepy atmosphere all contribute to a psychological spin that the Silent Hill series offers, that other games may not.

            From the way that the game is made, to the tiny details like the crack in the mirror, video games are there for an escape from our own reality. We can put ourselves in these characters shoes and experience these challenges through narratives and puzzles. There are many key points that make the game enjoyable, like the graphics, storylines, and the ability to make choices, but those who add their own psychological twist on horror, like Silent Hill, can add to the enjoyment of video games. The developers know what the audience wants and gets inside their heads to develop a hopeful piece of work. To think how video games will be in the future is truly eye opening. Technology is advancing rapidly and it builds curiosity to what the future will bring.

 

 

 

Works Cited

Dubbelman, Teun. “Playing the Hero: How Games Take the Concept of Storytelling from Representation to Presentation.” Journal of Media Practice 12.2 (2011) 157-172.Academic Search Complete. Web. 11 Mar. 2014.

Freud, S. (1919). The ‘Uncanny’. The Standard Edition of the Complete Psychological Works of Sigmund Freud, Volume XVII (1917-1919); An Infantile Neurosis and other Works, 217-256.

Hartmann, Tilo, and Peter Vorderer. "It's Okay To Shoot A Character: Moral Disengagement In Violent Video Games." Journal Of Communication 60.1 (2010): 94-119. Academic Search Complete. Web. 27 Mar. 2014.

Http://segaretro.org/Generations_of_video_games. N.p., n.d. Web.

http://www.infoplease.com/spot/gamestimeline1.html. N.p. n.d Web.

King, Daniel, Paul Delfabbro, and Mark Griffiths. "Video Game Structural Characteristics: A New Psychological Taxonomy." International Journal of Mental Health & Addiction 8.1 (2010): 90-106. Academic Search Complete. Web. 27 Mar. 2014.

Kirkland, Ewan. "Restless Dreams In Silent Hill: Approaches To Video Game Analysis." Journal of Media Practice 6.3 (2005): 167-178. Academic Search Complete. Web. 1 May 2014.

PĂTRUNJEL, Flaviu. "Death Games And Survival Horror Video Games: On the Limits Of Pure Torture Show Entertainments." Scientific Journal of Humanistic Studies 4.7 (2012): 38-45. Academic Search Complete. Web. 1 May 2014.

Schmierbach, Mike. Limperos, Anthony M. “Virtual Justice: Testing Disposition Theory in the Context of a Story-Driven Video Game.” Journal of Broadcasting & Electronic Media 57.4 (2013) 526-542. Academic Search Complete. Web. 25 Mar. 2014.