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Sony's Phil Harrison Talks Emotion in Games

Posted by Zonk on from the games-are-for-adults-apparently dept.

The increasingly enjoyable games coverage continues on the MTV site, despite the horrible flash interface. Stephen Totitilo sat down for a chat with Sony's Phil Harrison, and comes away with some interesting perspectives on the year. Mr. Harrison discusses Sony's outlook on their launch, the overall role of games in world culture, and the topic of game content as it relates to 'appropriateness'. Specifically, he dealt with the 'controversy' over Rockstar's well-received title Bully. From the article: "Harrison called it a 'storm in a teacup' stirred by politicians and media, embarking on a familiar argument that games aren't really just for kids. In this case, movies and books had delved into similar subject matter and seldom faced such protest. Did that give Harrison, someone with nearly unparalleled power to greenlight video games, any pause about the material he thinks he can offer gamers? 'It has absolutely not changed my approach,' he said. 'I fervently believe that the biggest challenge we face is that our industry is referred to as video games, and games are supposed to be fun,' he said, adding that games shouldn't have to only focus on light topics. 'Games should deal with fear, should deal with comedy and with death. They should deal with peril, with drug offenses.'"

5 of 64 comments (clear)

  1. I doubt games will ever evoke much emotion by hey! · · Score: 1, Interesting

    Emotions are evolution's guide for us through situations that bear on our future well-being or survival.

    Games are ways of doing things that would, in the same real world situation, evoke very strong emotions. But you don't feel the same emotions in a game because the game is safe. You don't even feel the same emotions to a lesser degree; instead you feel emotions limited to your success or failure in the game: anxiety, frustration and happiness.

    What makes a game less emotionally immersive than a book or movie is that games reward emotional discipline. Strong emotional states interfere with absorbing and reacting to new information. In a game, strong emotion like panic leads to "choking", the failure to perform a task that you have perfected.

    Maybe you cried when ET died. The only way you could feel the same way in a game is if you had nothing to do. Perhaps there will be hybrid entertainment forms in the future having emotionally immersive and task immersive components.

    --
    Post may contain irony: discontinue use if experiencing mood swings, nausea or elevated blood pressure.
    1. Re:I doubt games will ever evoke much emotion by markbt73 · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Floyd staggers to the ground, dropping the mini card. He is badly torn apart, with loose wires and broken circuits everywhere. Oil flows from his lubrication system. He obviously has only moments to live.

      You drop to your knees and cradle Floyd's head in your lap. Floyd looks up at his friend with half-open eyes. "Floyd did it ... got card. Floyd a good friend, huh?" Quietly, you sing Floyd's favorite song, the Ballad of the Starcrossed Miner: ....

      As you finish the last verse, Floyd smiles with contentment, and then his eyes close as his head rolls to one side. You sit in silence for a moment, in memory of a brave friend who gave his life so that you might live."
      --
      "Oh boy! Are we going to try something dangerous?"
    2. Re:I doubt games will ever evoke much emotion by rudeboy1 · · Score: 5, Interesting

      I concur. Join a WoW guild run when they successfully bring down a boss for the first time, after weeks of trying. You, my friend will see hear more emotion on Vent than you know what to do with.

      --
      Raging in an online forum won't do anything for the world around you. To see change, you must take action.
  2. Interesting by thatguywhoiam · · Score: 3, Interesting
    Trying to watch the video from Toronto results in:

    COPYRIGHTS RESTRICT US FROM PLAYING THIS VIDEO OUTSIDE THE U.S.

    Note to MTV: my personal Emotion Engine is registering MILD ANNOYANCE

    --
    If Jesus wants me it knows where to find me.
  3. Re:They let him out again... by HappySqurriel · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I actually saw that quote from a completely different perspective ...

    After hearing for months about how difficult the PS3 was to program for, I thought the quote almost sounded like he was admiting that the PS3's 'theoritical' performance would be far greater than the PS3's 'Actual' performance ...

    Maybe I'm wrong, but I suspect he meant the quote to be taken as "Think of how great games will be in the future" but I think it really says "You're paying $600 for a system based on promised performance which the PS3 will never meet".