show, don't tell? play, don't show! | stanislav costiuc

Show, Don’t Tell? Play, Don’t Show!

Stanislav Costiuc, Game Designer, Ubisoft

Video Game Maturity

Infancy

1958-1985

Childhood

1985-2005

Teenage Years

2005-Present

WHAT MAKES US UNIQUE?

INTERACTIVITY!!!(duh)

Aspirations

Someday I

want to be

just like

you!

Deep Emotional Connections

Learning From Other Mediums is Good…

…But How to Harness the Power of Interactivity?

UNLIMITED

POWEEEE

EEEEEEEE

ER!!!

INTERACTIVITY ALLOWS TO BUILD

EMOTIONAL CONNECTIONS IN A WAY

ONLY VIDEO GAMES CAN

Show, Don’t Tell

“Don’t tell me the moon is

shining, show me the glint

of light on broken glass.”

– Anton Chekhov

Empathy

Projection

Play, Don’t Show

“Don’t just show me

sadness in somebody’s

eyes, make me endure

through it myself.”

– Stanislav Costiuc

ADD VIDEO HERE

ADD VIDEO HERE

Projection

Cutscene – Empathy Interaction - Projection

I decided that Lee

should kill Duck so

Kenny, as the father,

wouldn’t have to.

I am Lee and I have to

go through the decision

by targeting the child’s

head and pulling the

trigger.

Applicable to All Genres and Inputs

How to follow play don’t show principle?WHAT DO I WANT TO SAY?

How to follow play don’t show principle?TRUST

How to follow play don’t show principle?PLAYER AGENCY

How to follow play don’t show principle?HOPE

Was Alone example

Thank You! Questions?

E-mail:

stas@stanislavcostiuc.c

om

Website:

www.stanislavcostiuc.co

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YouTube Channel:

youtube.com/c/Farlands