E3 2006 Panel 1.7
“Perfecting the mix of Story, Character Development, and Interactivity”

An exciting line in the history of game development has been crossed. After years of dialogue and ongoing attempts to deepen plot, build believable characters, and refine programming skills, game designers are now creating interactive experiences that rival a movie's level of depth and engagement. Can a game make you cry? Can it make you believe in a character's mission, in a character's struggle, strengths, weaknesses, and values? Through the inclusion of story specialists--actors, screenwriters, editors, and special-effects experts--games have made spectacular leaps in delivering an immersive experience. The industry's top designers will share the podium with crossover talent from a variety of entertainment arts as they discuss how to create a game that can hold a player's attention for ten to fifty hours, how they invest game characters with emotion, passion, and intelligence, how they build heartbreak, joy, and fear into the story, and what genres are needed in a single title to deliver a satisfying and complete experience.