should it be designed?
Rebecca Phillips
BA (Hons) Interior Architecture & Design Final Year
Research Project
The player is not in the game world, they are sat at a device taking part in the story; in every great story it is the main character that makes you care.
This page uses secondary sources to analyse and discuss several key reasons why video game designers should design the player character, primary survey results are used to support or contradict these points.
For many choosing to play a video game it is the opportunity to take on a different role that is so appealing. As written by Jeremy Snead in Video Games: The Movie (2014), you can become this character living in a different world and even in the simplest form this is very appealing. For example, after the crash of ’83, Nintendo released their new console the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES); this system was bundled with the Super Mario Bros game that introduced the 8-bit form of Mario, one of the most recognisable characters in the world today.
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Miller (2004) explains that the reason both adults and children take part in games is to simply have fun, ‘you get to play an exciting role and do things you’d never be able to do in reality,’ (Miller, C.H., 2004, p.219). Considering this, becoming a different character allows the players to push their own traits aside and they can therefore make decisions they would not as themselves but they have the freedom of being this fictional character, and with a well defined character that the player can understand, they may decide to make the decisions they believe the character would make, adding more purpose to the story rather than running around aimlessly. As Perreault (2014) states, ‘when I played The Last of Us, I realized I didn't have to kill those doctors. But I did, like many others who played the game. In real life, if I were to imagine myself in the midst of a zombie apocalypse -- which is perhaps most like a university during finals week -- I'm not sure I would have killed the doctors. But I was part of telling the story and I believe Joel would have killed them.'
Ince (2006) comments on the fact that the player is always aware of their surroundings, ‘a player, no matter how good the immersive experience, is always aware that he sits in front of a screen using some kind of interface device. The character always inhabits the game world.’ 45% of survey respondents said that they prefer to play in the third person perspective therefore they want to see a designed character in the game world, and 24% of respondents make their decisions in the game based on how they think the character would act therefore taking on the role, however of that 24%, 45% state that they pay little or no attention to the cut scenes and dialogue. This is slightly contradictory as to take on the role of a character you have to understand them through their speech and their backstory, so to not pay attention to the narrative the players are not aware of the characters motivations to then act on. Also 56% of respondents stated that they make their decisions based on how they think the consequences will affect their progress in the game, which suggests they are detached from the character.
To what extent do you personally see the player inhabiting the character? Some people very strongly feel that they expect the player to take on the character as an alter ego. I go on the other side of it, where I view a game character as I would a character in a film. I have empathy, but I don't inhabit game characters in that way.
Haden Blackman: I really think it depends on the game. For me, I've certainly had experiences where I feel like I inhabited a character that was really well defined. Again, in an RPG (role-playing game), where you're creating your character from scratch, I feel like I'm all-in and I am that character. But I've also had experiences with well defined characters that were well written and human on some level -- even if they were superhuman in other ways -- that I felt like I was inhabiting. I think a lot of it has to do with camera, and whether or not you're seeing the character, and you're associating the look of the character with the character. But a lot of it has to do with writing and characterization, and how well that character is written. I tend to find that when I am in first person that I'm me, and I forget that I'm playing a character, because I'm not constantly reminded who that character is. When I'm playing a third person game, when it's someone who is well written and I can relate to -- or is aspirational, even, someone I would want to be, and I can channel my 13-year old self, then I get sucked in, and it's completely immersive for me.
Nutt, C, 2014
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"If you want emotion you have to have the human face"
Mark Cerny
Video Games: The Movie, 2014
As important as it is to have a well-scripted plot and detailed setting in a story it is the characters that bring it to life. Morris states that ‘part of the reason a story is interesting is who it’s happening to’. She continues to explain that ‘great stories get you emotionally involved with the characters’ and the plot matters more to us when we feel a character is real.
Edge (2014) makes the point that in a video game strength is an essential trait of a character due to the action and obstacles that lie ahead, however it is the characters flaws that make them real. Wendig (2014) lists 25 things a great character needs, one being internal conflict as it ‘allows us to relate to these characters.’ By making a character feel real the player can emotionally connect with them, they form a relationship with the character. As explained by Karl Stewart in Video Games: The Movie (2014), having an association and attachment with a character in a game makes you feel for the story more, you feel like you are there.
78% of respondents stated that they pay close or some attention to the dialogue and cut scenes indicating that they are willing to understand the story of the character. Furthermore, 86% of these respondents chose Action and/or Adventure and/or Role Playing Game as their favourite genres, these three genres typically contain more in depth designed characters and narratives compared to other genres so for the consumers choosing to purchase these games the story may be a key influence. This is supported by Lebowitz’s research in 2009, which showed that 52% (the highest percentage of that questions responses) of his respondents count story as one of the three most important factors in their decision to buy a game, he also explained that in the written answers from respondents many stated that they couldn’t always judge a games story before they bought it, therefore they focused on games that seemed to have interesting settings or characters.
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In terms of design and creativity, the designers can really add depth to a character as they would if writing a character for a novel or a film, as Ince (2006) explains, the character ‘should be fully rounded with a relevant back story, clear motivation and a well-defined sense of what makes them tick. You must understand what makes them behave the way they do in the game world.’ Well written characters can really enhance a game, Nutt (2014) comments on the game The Last of Us, he bases its emotional impact largely on the performance of the characters.
Case Study: Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater
Publisher: Konami
System: Sony PlayStation 2
Release Date: November 17, 2004 (US)
Genre: Stealth Action

Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater is the fifth game in the Metal Gear series, but acts as a prequel, trading the near-future setting of the other titles for the Cold War era of 1964. Snake (American covert agent) is tasked with stopping Volgin’s (leader of a rogue faction within the USSR) plans and eliminating The Boss (a woman revered as the mother of the American special forces). With the exception of the superhuman powers used by a handful of villains and a few instances of technology that seems a little ahead of its time, Snake Eater’s plot remains realistic and historically accurate. But the intricacies of the Cold War, nuclear deterrents, and secret weapon development take backstage to the goals and emotions of the characters themselves.
Snake is strongly conflicted about his mission. Though he understands that killing The Boss is necessary to prevent an all-out nuclear war, he’s naturally upset at the thought of murdering his longtime friend and mentor. He also finds himself consumed with the question of why a woman who had dedicated her entire life to the service of her country has chosen to defect. From the mysterious double agent Eva to the members of The Boss’s Cobra Unit (each of which has named himself after the single emotion that consumes him when in battle), and Snake’s helpful yet eccentric radio support team, each character is interesting and memorable. The characters have a goal that drives them and a backstory explaining how those goals came about. In the end, even the more outlandish characters like the electricity-shooting Volgin feel quite real and believable.
In the center of it all lies the relationship between Snake and The Boss, leading to an emotionally charged debate about the importance of loyalty and to whom or what that loyalty should be given before the two engage in their final battle. When the game pauses, waiting for the player to pull the trigger one final time to end her life, the player can feel the conflict and sorrow filling Snake’s mind. Over the course of the game, it has become clear just how close he and The Boss were, and that whatever her reason for defecting, killing her is a mistake – but unavoidable. The shocking revelation that follows, explaining the true goal and purpose of The Boss’s final mission, adds even more to Snake’s and the player’s conflicted feelings, leading up to a highly emotional ending as Snake ignores the honor and accolades given to him by the government to instead stand before The Boss’s grave, saluting the woman who was, above all else, a true patriot.
Players have often cited Snake Eater’s ending as one of the most emotional moments in gaming, yet the ending has such a strong impact only because the rest of the story spent so much time building up the characters and their relationships. Without knowledge of Snake’s feelings, The Boss’s dedication, and the heavy stakes riding on their missions, all of which are carefully explained and developed over the course of the game, the ending would lose much of its impact and nearly all of its emotion. As Snake Eater shows, it’s only by taking significant time and effort to make players care about the characters that any serious emotional connection and impact can be made.
(Lebowitz, J. and Klug, C., 2011., pp. 108-110)
Lebowitz & Klug (2011) believe that when designing a character young writers have a fear of making them too specific because they think this means the audience will not be able to relate to them so instead they make them very general which he believes is a mistake.
One very unique character in recent film history is Forrest Gump. He is perhaps one of the most unique and quirky characters to inhabit modern cinema, yet the film was a big hit and the character was universally hailed as a great hero and extremely likeable. To a large part, that was due to the portrayal of the character by Tom Hanks, as he delivered the performance truthfully and honestly. But the biggest success of the character was his humanity, expressing his emotions through his actions, his inability to be brave except when put to the test, and his emotional honesty (again when forced). I’d bet that when his character was described in early meetings, there was great concern people wouldn’t like him or be able to relate to him. But his unique, specific character was perhaps the greatest charm of the film.
—Chris
(Lebowitz, J. and Klug, C., 2011)
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There lies the additional point of once the player feels connected to the character they can then feel responsible for them. UkyoConvoy (2014) details their thoughts whilst playing the character; they stated that they wanted to play as a good guy because they wanted to like him as a character.
Lebowitz & Klug (2011) conclude that 'the entire point of stories is to let us experience other places and other lives. When we feel sympathy for a tragic heroine or deep hatred for a villain, it proves just how much a part of the story we’ve become. We’re no longer just observing a fictional event; to us, the place and characters have become alive and real. They’re not strangers on a page – they’re our friends, companions, and enemies, and as such, we truly care what happens to them.' (Lebowitz, J. and Klug, C., 2011, p107)
‘In many games the identification of the player with the on-screen representation – the avatar or player character – is an important part of the gaming experience. Few such representations have become as widely known as Lara Croft, the all-action heroine of the Tomb Raider games, but her iconic status is as much a testimony to the importance of strong game characters as to the compelling interactive nature of the games she appears in.'
(Ince, S, 2006, p16)
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Case Study: KINGDOM HEARTS II
Publisher: Square Enix, Inc
System: Sony PlayStation 2
Release Date: March 28, 2006 (US)
Genre: Action RPG

The original KINGDOM HEARTS, an action-packed world-hopping adventure featuring a wide range of characters from both Disney movies and FINAL FANTASY games, won over fans of both and went on to win critical acclaim and commercial success, launching one of Square’s most popular series.
The story of KINGDOM HEARTS follows Sora, a young boy who awakens one night to find his best friends missing and his home overrun by shadowy beings called Heartless. Unable to stop the destruction of his world, even with the help of the mysterious Keyblade, Sora finds himself in a strange town, where he meets Donald Duck and Goofy. As it turns out, Sora’s world was only one of many (most of which are based on various Disney movies) and all are under threat from the Heartless. As the Keyblade wielder, he joins Donald and Goofy in their search for King Mickey in order to find his friends and stop the Heartless.
With most of their movies based around fairy tales and other classic stories, Disney has a long history of creating their characters around common archetypes such as the princess, the hero, and the cold, calculating villain. When looking over their large collection of films, you’ll quickly notice that it’s rare for Disney’s characters to deviate too far from their standard archetype. However, the fact that their characters still retain their charm and popularity after so many years is a testament to the strength and creativity that goes into them. Even though they generally behave in predictable ways that are fully appropriate for their archetype, Disney characters have very well-established and entertaining personalities, be it Ariel’s driving curiosity or Aladdin’s wit and confidence. They also exhibit strong, believable emotions and react to situations in ways that perfectly fit their personalities. Just because they’re characters in a children’s cartoon doesn’t prevent them from showing love, anger, and even despair as the situation warrants it. Standard archetypes or not, Disney characters are all surprisingly human (even the nonhuman ones).
KINGDOM HEARTS II follows this trend, not only by accurately portraying the Disney characters, but by imbuing the series’ cast of original characters with the same style and charm. Cheerful, adventurous, and always eager to push forward, Sora easily fits the standard hero archetype, but even he becomes overcome with loneliness and depression at times when worrying about the unknown fate of his friends.
Despite following the standard hero archetype, Sora is a strong and believable character.
Xemnas, KINGDOM HEARTS II’s main villain, is a similarly interesting character. Despite being a perfect example of the cold, calculating villain with a complex master plan, careful manipulation of those around him, and a focus on his ultimate goal over all else, he still comes across as a deep and even pitiable character when his true purpose is revealed.
Archetype: A general character type such as the gambler or mentor that can be adapted for use in many different kinds of stories.
(Lebowitz, J. and Klug, C., 2011., pp. 86-88)
Respondents were asked to name the first video game character that springs to mind, the most common names that appeared were; Lara Croft, Crash Bandicoot, Sonic and of course Mario, all highly commercialised characters. A recognisable video game character has the ability to attract new users into the gaming world, it also allows developers to continue the story with several installments as you would with a film or book franchise, allowing their fans to explore the world further and increasing sales. 49% of respondents stated that they would buy a game based on its character, which suggests a well-defined character representing the game is a key factor in developing it for the consumer market.
Additionally creating video games using existing characters from film and book franchises such as Harry Potter and Star Wars, can draw their own fans into the gaming world. Max Landis in Video Games: The Movie (2014) says that ‘you cant change how a song sounds halfway through, you cant change the end of a book while you’re reading it, but in certain games your decisions have a direct outcome on the ultimate fate of characters,’ this statement relates to the comment Wil Wheaton makes in reference to Star Wars, he imagines a scenario where the whole film is changed due to one decision. For fans of franchises and their characters, to be able to play their hero adds to their enjoyment of the story and also the option to potentially change the whole course of the story is an appealing factor.
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Although 45% of respondents stated that they prefer to play in third person perspective, only 17% of those make their decisions based on how they think the character would act, the results of the whole survey show that 56% of respondents make their decisions based on how they think the consequences will affect their progress in the game, therefore indicating a detachment from the character, it may be that players prefer the third person perspective because you get a better view of the game setting. However, 78% of respondents stated that they pay close or some attention to the dialogue and cut scenes, which shows that the story is important to them, and to have a great story you need real characters that the player can emotionally connect with. Finally, 48% of respondents stated that they would buy a game based on its character with Mario and Lara Croft being the most popular names respondents thought of, showing that a well designed character has the ability to attract consumers to purchase a game, yet only 24% of respondents actually prefer to be given a character or a choice of characters that they cannot change.