How video games turn players into storytellers | David Cage

譯者: Lilian Chiu 審譯者: 易帆 余

The way we tell stories has naturally changed

我們說故事的方式 已經很自然地改變了，

since Aristotle defined the rules of tragedy

與大約兩千五百年前亞里斯多德

about 2,500 years ago.

定義的悲劇規則已經不相同了。

According to him,

根據他的定義，

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

敘事的角色要模仿生命

並讓我們感受到情緒。

And that's exactly what storytelling as we know it

在那之後，我們都知道

如此的陳述方式 一直都表現地很好。

has done very well since then.

But there is a dimension of life

但有一種生命的維度，

that storytelling could never really reproduce.

是敘事永遠無法複製再現的。

It is the notion of choices.

就是「選擇」這個概念。

Choices are a very important part of our lives.

選擇是我們人生中 非常重要的一部分。

We as individuals are defined by the choices we make.

我們每個人所做出的選擇， 定義了我們是什麼樣的人。

Some of our decisions can have very significant consequences

有些決定會造成很顯著的後果，

and totally change the courses of our lives.

完全改變我們人生的軌道。

But in a play, a novel or a film,

但在戲劇、小說，或電影中，

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

編劇會預先為角色做好決定，

and as the audience,

身為觀眾，

we can only watch, passively,

我們只能被動地觀看

the consequences of his decisions.

他的決定造成什麼後果。

As a storyteller, I've always been fascinated

身為說故事的人，我一直很迷戀

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

以虛構方式重新創造出

「選擇」這個概念的想法。

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

我的夢想是要讓觀眾

能站到主角的立場，

let them make their own decisions,

讓觀眾自己來做決定， 透過這麼做，

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

讓觀眾能說出自己的故事。

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

我在過去二十年一直在尋找 有什麼方法能做到這件事。

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

今天，我想要向各位介紹 一種新的說故事方式，

a way that has interactivity at its heart.

這種方式的核心是互動性。

Rather than exposing the theory behind it,

我不想要揭露 這種方式背後的理論，

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

因為那有點抽象，可能還有點無聊，

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

我認為，這是個好機會， 可以做一個小實驗，

I would like you, the people here at TED,

TED 的朋友們，我希望你們

to tell your own story.

能講你們自己的故事。

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

所以，我帶來了一個互動場景， 讓我們可以一起玩。

I've asked Vicky --

我請維琪——哈囉，維琪——

hello, Vicky --

to control the main character for us.

為我們控制主角。

And your role -- you, the audience --

而你們的角色——你們，觀眾——

will be to make the choices.

要負責做出選擇。

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

所以，我和維琪都不知道 會發生什麼事，

because it will all be based on your decisions.

因為那會依你們的 決定而有所不同。

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

這個場景來自我們的下一個遊戲，

叫做《底特律：變人》，

and we are in the near future,

背景是不久後的未來，

where technology made possible the creation of androids

在這個未來的科技能夠創造出

that look exactly like human beings.

外表和人類一樣的機器人。

We are in the shoes of this character called Connor,

我們要扮演的角色 叫做康納，他是機器人，

who is an android,

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

你們可以看到， 他連玩硬幣都可以玩得很炫。

He has this blue triangle on this chest,

他的胸口上有個藍色三角形，

as all androids do,

所有的機器人都有，

and now Vicky is in control of this character.

現在維琪在控制這個角色。

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

她可以四處走動， 她可以到任何地方，

她可以到處看看， 她可以和環境互動，

she can interact with her environment,

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

現在她可以透過做選擇， 來說她自己的故事。

So here we have our first choice.

這裡是我們的第一個選擇。

There is a fish on the ground.

地上有一條魚。我們該怎麼做？

What should we do?

Should we save it or should we leave it?

我們應該救牠？或是不管牠？

Remember, we are under time pressure,

別忘了，我們有時間壓力，

so we'd better be fast.

我們最好快點。我們該怎麼做？

What should we do?

Audience: Save it!

觀眾：救牠！ 講者：救牠？救魚？

David Cage: Save it? Save the fish?

(Video) (Fish plops)

（影片）（撲通聲） 講者：好了。

DC: There we go.

OK, we have an android who likes animals.

好，我們有一位 喜歡動物的機器人。

OK, let's move on.

好，繼續吧。別忘了， 我們有一個人質事件要處理。

Remember, we have a hostage situation.

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

（影片）女子：拜託，拜託， 請你救救我的小女兒！

Wait -- you're sending an android?

等等——你們要派機器人去處理？

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

警官：好了，女士，你得離開了。 女：你不能那麼做！

W: You can't do that!

Why aren't you sending a real person?

為什麼你們不派真人來處理？

DC: OK, she's not really happy.

講者：好，她不太高興。

Her daughter's been taken hostage by an android,

她的女兒被一個機器人 挾持當作人質，

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

當然，她正在驚嚇的狀態中。

Now we can continue to explore this apartment.

現在我們可以繼續探索這間公寓。

We see all the SWAT forces in place.

我們看到所有 霹靂小組隊員都就位了。

But we need to find this Captain Allen first.

但我們得要先找到艾倫隊長。 那是我們最先要做的事。

That's the first thing we need to do.

So, again, we can go anywhere.

所以，同樣的， 我們走可以到任何地方。

Vicky's still in control of the character.

維琪仍然在控制這個角色。

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

咱們來瞧瞧——喔，我想這就是 艾倫隊長。他在講電話。

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

（影片）康納： 艾倫隊長，我是康納。

I'm the android sent by CyberLife.

我是由「電腦生命」 派來的機器人。

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

艾倫隊長：咱們對所有 會動的東西開火。

It already shot down two of my men.

它已經槍殺了我的兩個手下。

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

我們很容易就能殺了它， 但他們位在陽台的邊緣——

如果它掉下去，她也會掉下去。

it if falls,

she falls.

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

講者：好，現在我們得要 決定我們要問隊長什麼。

What should be our choice?

我們要選什麼？暴走機器人的 名字？它的行為？情緒衝擊？

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

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

（影片）康納：它最近 有遇到任何情緒衝擊嗎？

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

隊長：我不清楚。這很重要嗎？

C: I need information to determine the best approach.

康納：我需要這項資訊 來決定最好的處理方式。

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

講者：好，第二個選擇。 也許我們能得到點資訊。

What should we choose?

我們該選擇什麼？ 觀眾：行為。

Audience: Behavior.

DC: OK, deviant behavior, Vicky.

講者：暴走機器人行為，維琪。

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

（影片）康納：它在此事之前 有沒有奇怪的行為？

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

隊長：聽著……唯一重要的 就是救出那個小孩。

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

講者：好，我們從這個傢伙身上 是無法得到什麼資訊了。

We need to do something.

我們得做點什麼。

Let's try to go back in the lobby.

咱們試試看回到大廳。

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

喔，等等——我好像看到在你的 右邊有一個房間，維琪。

Maybe there's something we can learn here.

也許從那裡能得到一些資訊。

Oh, there's a tablet.

喔，有個平板電腦。

Let's have a look.

咱們來看看。

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

（影片）女孩：這是丹尼爾， 世界上最酷的機器人。

Say "Hi," Daniel.

說「嗨」，丹尼爾。 丹尼爾：哈囉！

Daniel: Hello!

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

女孩：你是我最好的朋友， 我們會永遠在一起！

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

講者：這只是玩 這個場景的一種方式，

but there are many other ways of playing it.

但還有很多其它方式可以玩它。

Depending on the choices you make,

根據你所做的選擇， 我們可以看到很多不同的行為，

we could have seen many different actions,

many different consequences,

許多不同的後果，

many different outcomes.

許多不同的結果。

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

所以這應該能讓你們稍微了解 我身為互動編劇的工作是什麼。

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

線性編劇需要處理的是 時間和空間，

as an interactive writer,

而我身為互動編劇，

I need to deal with time, space and possibilities.

我需要處理的就是 時間、空間，和可能性。

I have to manage massive tree structures,

我得要管理很大的樹狀結構，

where each branch is a new variation of the story.

每一條分枝都是 故事的一個新變化。

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

針對一個場景，我需要 想出當中所有的可能性，

and try to imagine everything that can happen.

並想像所有可能會發生的事。

I need to deal with thousands and thousands of variables,

我需要處理數以千計的

變數、條件，和可能性。

conditions and possibilities.

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

就結果來說，一般 電影劇本大約一百頁，

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

像這樣的互動式劇本 大約是四千到五千頁。

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

這樣你們就對 這項工作有點概念了。

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

但，我認為，最終，

這段體驗是非常獨一無二的，

because it is the result of the collaboration

因為它是合作的結果，

between a writer creating this narrative landscape

由編劇來創造這個 敘述故事的地景，

and the player making his own decisions,

再由玩家做他自己的決定， 說他自己的故事，

telling his own story and becoming the cowriter

成為共同編劇，

but also the coactor and the codirector of the story.

同時也是這個故事的 共同演員和共同導演。

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

互動敘事是說故事方式的革命。

With the emergence of new platforms like interactive television,

隨著新平台的出現，如：

互動式電視、虛擬實境， 以及電玩遊戲，

virtual reality and video games,

it can become a new form of entertainment

它變成了娛樂的一種新形式，

and maybe even a new form of art.

甚至是藝術的一種新形式。

I am convinced that in the coming years,

我深信，在接下來幾年，

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

我們將會看到更多更多

感人的且有意義的互動式體驗，

created by a new generation of talents.

由新一代的才子創造出來。

This is a medium waiting for its Orson Welles

這是一種媒體， 在等它的奧森威爾斯，

or its Stanley Kubrick,

或是它的史丹利庫柏，

and I have no doubt that they will soon emerge

且我不懷疑它們很快就會出現

and be recognized as such.

並得到這樣的認可。

I believe that interactive storytelling can be

我相信，互動敘事會像是

what cinema was in the 20th century:

二十世紀時電影扮演的角色：

an art that deeply changes its time.

深深改變該時代的一種藝術。

Thank you.

謝謝。

(Applause)

（掌聲）