How video games turn players into storytellers | David Cage

翻译人员: Carol Wang 校对人员: Tianji (Homer) Li

The way we tell stories has naturally changed

自从约 2500年前，亚里士多德 定义了悲剧的规则以来，

since Aristotle defined the rules of tragedy

我们讲故事的方式

about 2,500 years ago.

自然而然地发生了变化。

According to him,

他认为，

the role of storytelling is to mimic life and make us feel emotions.

讲故事的作用就是再现生活中的场景, 让我们的情感受到触动。

And that's exactly what storytelling as we know it

众所周知，从此之后

has done very well since then.

对故事的叙述越来越引人入胜。

But there is a dimension of life

但生活中有一个维度，

that storytelling could never really reproduce.

是故事永远无法真正再现的，

It is the notion of choices.

这就是”选择“的概念。

Choices are a very important part of our lives.

“选择”是我们生活中 非常重要的一部分，

We as individuals are defined by the choices we make.

作为个人，我们是由自己 所做出的选择来定义的；

Some of our decisions can have very significant consequences

我们的一些决定可能 会产生非常重大的后果，

and totally change the courses of our lives.

甚至彻底改变我们的人生历程。

But in a play, a novel or a film,

但在戏剧、小说或电影中，

the writer makes all the decisions in advance for the characters,

作者已提前为角色做了所有的决定，

and as the audience,

而作为观众的我们，

we can only watch, passively,

只能被动地

the consequences of his decisions.

目睹作者的决定所产生的结果。

As a storyteller, I've always been fascinated

作为一名故事叙述者，

我一直痴迷于在小说中 再现这种“选择”的概念。

with the idea of recreating this notion of choices in fiction.

My dream was to put the audience in the shoes of the main protagonists,

我的梦想是让观众 站在主角们的立场上，

let them make their own decisions,

通过自己做决定，

and by doing so, let them tell their own stories.

来讲述自己的故事版本。

Finding a way to achieve this is what I did in the past 20 years of my life.

我花了 20 年的时间，想要 找到实现这一目标的方法。

Today, I would like to introduce you to this new way of telling stories,

今天, 我想向大家介绍 这种讲故事的新方式，

a way that has interactivity at its heart.

一种以“互动”为核心的方式。

Rather than exposing the theory behind it,

与其直接揭示其背后

which could have been kind of abstract and probably a little bit boring,

有点抽象，可能还有点无聊的理论，

I thought it would be a great opportunity to do a little experiment.

我觉得倒不如利用眼下这一 难得的机会来做一个小实验，

I would like you, the people here at TED,

我希望在座的你们

to tell your own story.

能够讲述属于自己的故事。

So I came with an interactive scene that we are going to play together.

所以，我带来了一个大家 可以共同参与的互动场景。

I've asked Vicky --

我会邀请维琪——

你好，维琪——

hello, Vicky --

to control the main character for us.

为我们操控主角。

And your role -- you, the audience --

而你们的角色—— 作为观众的你们——

will be to make the choices.

将要做出选择。

So Vicky and I don't know what's going to happen,

维琪和我都不知道 接下来会发生什么，

because it will all be based on your decisions.

因为，接下来要发生的一切 将完全取决于你们的决定。

This scene comes from our next game, called "Detroit: Become Human,"

这一幕取自我们的下一个 游戏 “底特律: 成为人类”，

and we are in the near future,

场景是在不久的将来，

where technology made possible the creation of androids

利用科技所打造的机器人

that look exactly like human beings.

看起来和人类一模一样。

We are in the shoes of this character called Connor,

我们现在站在康纳这个角色的立场，

who is an android,

他是个机器人，

and he can do very fancy things with coins, as you can see.

就像你看到的那样， 他会用硬币玩酷酷的小把戏，

He has this blue triangle on this chest,

就像所有的机器人一样，

他的胸部有个蓝色三角形标识，

as all androids do,

and now Vicky is in control of this character.

现在维琪正再操控这个角色，

She can walk around, she can go anywhere, she can look around,

她可以（让角色）四处走动、 可以去任何地方，

可以环顾四周、 可以与环境互动，

she can interact with her environment,

and now she can tell her own stories by making choices.

现在，她可以通过选择 来讲述自己版本的故事。

So here we have our first choice.

好了，现在我们要做出第一个选择。

There is a fish on the ground.

地上有一条鱼，

What should we do?

我们该怎么办呢？

Should we save it or should we leave it?

我们是该拯救它，还是置之不理？

Remember, we are under time pressure,

记住，我们没有太多时间，

so we'd better be fast.

所以最好快点。

What should we do?

我们该怎么办呢？

Audience: Save it!

观众：救它呀！

David Cage: Save it? Save the fish?

大卫 · 凯奇：好，救起这条鱼对吧？

(Video) (Fish plops)

(视频)(鱼扑棱了一下)

DC: There we go.

大卫 · 凯奇：鱼得救了。

OK, we have an android who likes animals.

看来我们的机器人喜欢动物。

OK, let's move on.

那么， 我们继续前进。

Remember, we have a hostage situation.

别忘了，我们还要去处理人质事件。

(Video) Woman: Please, please, you've got to save my little girl!

(视频)女人： 求你了，求你了， 请一定要救救我的女儿！

Wait -- you're sending an android?

等等——你们派了一个机器人来？

Officer: All right, ma'am, you need to go.

警官： 好了， 女士，你该走了。

女人：你们不能那么做！

W: You can't do that!

Why aren't you sending a real person?

为什么不能派一个真人来呢？

DC: OK, she's not really happy.

大卫 · 凯奇：好吧, 这位女士不高兴了。

Her daughter's been taken hostage by an android,

她的女儿被一个机器人扣为人质，

and of course, she's in a state of shock.

当然， 她正处于震惊的状态。

Now we can continue to explore this apartment.

现在，我们可以 继续侦察这个公寓了。

We see all the SWAT forces in place.

可以看到，所有的特警部队都已就位。

But we need to find this Captain Allen first.

但我们得先找到艾伦上尉，

That's the first thing we need to do.

这是我们需要做的第一件事。

So, again, we can go anywhere.

同样，我们可以去任何地方，

Vicky's still in control of the character.

维琪还在操控这个角色。

Let's see -- oh, I think this is Captain Allen. He's on the phone.

我们来看一下—— 哦，我想 打电话的那人正是艾伦上尉。

(Video) Connor: Captain Allen, my name is Connor.

(视频)康纳： 艾伦上尉，我叫康纳。

I'm the android sent by CyberLife.

我是数字生命组织派来的机器人。

Captain Allen: Let's fire at everything that moves.

艾伦上尉： 我们对所有 移动的东西开火吧，

It already shot down two of my men.

它已经打死了我的两个手下。

We could easily get it, but they're on the edge of the balcony --

我们本来可以很轻易地制服它， 但他们现在在阳台的边缘——

如果它掉下去，

it if falls,

she falls.

她也会掉落下去。

DC: OK, now we need to decide what we want to ask the captain.

那么，现在我们需要决定 想问上尉什么样的问题，

What should be our choice?

我们的选择应该是什么？

Deviant's name? Deviant's behavior? Emotional shock?

是问这个离经叛道的机器人的名字？它的 古怪行为？还是它的情绪是否受到了刺激？

(Video) C: Has it experienced an emotional shock recently?

(视频)康纳：它最近情绪受过刺激吗？

Capt A: I haven't got a clue. Does it matter?

上尉：我不知道。 这（和绑架）有什么关系吗？

C: I need information to determine the best approach.

康纳：我需要了解更多信息 以确定最好的（营救）方案。

DC: OK, a second choice. Maybe we can learn something.

大卫 · 凯奇：好了, 第二个选择来了。 也许我们可以了解一些东西。

What should we choose?

我们应该选择什么？

Audience: Behavior.

观众： 行为。

DC: OK, deviant behavior, Vicky.

大卫 · 凯奇：好，维琪， 问它是否举止古怪。

(视频)康纳：你知道在这之前 它的行为是否很奇怪吗？

(Video) C: Do you know if it's been behaving strangely before this?

Capt A: Listen ... saving that kid is all that matters.

上尉：听着，救那个孩子才是最重要的。

DC: OK, we are not going to learn anything from this guy.

大卫 · 凯奇：看来，从这个 家伙身上了解不到什么信息。

We need to do something.

我们需要做点什么，

我们再回到客厅试试吧。

Let's try to go back in the lobby.

Oh, wait -- there's a room over there on your right, Vicky, I think.

哦，等等—— 维琪， 你右边好像有一个房间，

Maybe there's something we can learn here.

也许我们可以在这里 了解到一些信息吧。

Oh, there's a tablet.

哦, 有一个平板电脑，

Let's have a look.

我们一起来看看。

(Video) Girl: This is Daniel, the coolest android in the world.

(视频)女孩：这是丹尼尔， 世界上最酷的机器人，

Say "Hi," Daniel.

说 "嗨" 丹尼尔。

Daniel: Hello!

丹尼尔：哈罗！

G: You're my bestie, we'll always be together!

女孩：你是我最好的朋友， 我们会永远在一起！

DC: That was just one way of playing the scenes,

大卫 · 凯奇：那只是场景的一种玩法，

还有很多其他的玩法。

but there are many other ways of playing it.

Depending on the choices you make,

根据你做出的选择，

we could have seen many different actions,

我们会看到许多不同的动作，

many different consequences,

许多不同的结果，

many different outcomes.

许多不同的结局。

So that gives you an idea of what my work is about as an interactive writer.

这样你们就能了解，我作为 一个互动作家的工作是什么。

Where a linear writer needs to deal with time and space,

一个线性作家只需要构思时间和空间，

as an interactive writer,

而作为一个互动的作家，

I need to deal with time, space and possibilities.

我要考虑时间、空间， 以及其他各种可能性。

I have to manage massive tree structures,

我必须处理大量分支结构中的情节，

where each branch is a new variation of the story.

而其中每个分支都是 故事的一个新的变量。

I need to think about all the possibilities in a given scene

我需要思考一个特定 场景中的所有可能性，

and try to imagine everything that can happen.

并努力想象一切 可能会发生的事情。

I need to deal with thousands and thousands of variables,

我需要处理成千上万的变量、

conditions and possibilities.

各种情况和可能性，

As a consequence, where a film script is about 100 pages,

结果就是，一个电影 剧本只需大约 100 页，

an interactive script like this is between four and five thousand pages.

而像这样的交互式剧本，长度 却在 4000 到 5000 页之间。

So that gives you an idea of what this work is about.

以上给大家介绍的就是我的工作内容。

But I think, in the end, the experience is very unique,

但我认为，最终这种 体验将是非常是独特的，

because it is the result of the collaboration

因为它是共同协作的成果，

between a writer creating this narrative landscape

由创造这种叙事场景的作家

and the player making his own decisions,

和自己做决定的玩家共同来完成，

telling his own story and becoming the cowriter

玩家在讲述自己的故事， 并成为故事的联合创作人、

but also the coactor and the codirector of the story.

联合演员和联合导演。

Interactive storytelling is a revolution in the way we tell stories.

互动的故事叙述是我们 讲故事方式的一场革命，

With the emergence of new platforms like interactive television,

随着像互动电视、

虚拟现实和视频游戏 等新平台的出现，

virtual reality and video games,

it can become a new form of entertainment

它可以成为一种新的娱乐形式，

and maybe even a new form of art.

甚至可能成为一种新的艺术形式。

I am convinced that in the coming years,

我坚信，在今后几年里，

we will see more and more moving and meaningful interactive experiences,

我们还将看到越来越多、 由新一代人才创造的、

created by a new generation of talents.

感人而有意义的互动体验。

This is a medium waiting for its Orson Welles

这是一个在等待它的奥森 · 威尔斯

或斯坦利 · 库布里克出现的媒介，

or its Stanley Kubrick,

and I have no doubt that they will soon emerge

而我相信他们很快就会出现，

and be recognized as such.

并成为新时代的电影大师。

I believe that interactive storytelling can be

我相信，互动的故事叙述

what cinema was in the 20th century:

会成为 20 世纪电影的新貌：

an art that deeply changes its time.

一种深刻改变时代的艺术！

Thank you.

谢谢！

(Applause)

（掌声）