Video games are built on a number of principles, most importantly interactivity. A user must be able to interact with the in-game environment in a way that affects the plot and allows you to move forward. While some games provide an immense depth of interactivity and variety of plot, most are heavily scripted and provide very little flexibility in the plot. However, Disney wants to make games more interactive in general.
Engadget reports that Disney's research division is looking into how to make games more interactive. The company has developed its own platform that allows for decisions made inside a game to have more of an impact on the story before. The platform makes it easier for creators to add in plot arcs and changes to whatever action the players choose.
When talking about this update, Engadget mentions a game from the presentation video where players are interacting with a pair of bears. If the player were to take away the beach ball that the bears were playing with, the game could react so that the bears ask the player for the beach ball, or it could just walk over to the beach ball vendor and buy a ball, or it could get a ball from the treasure chest. The point is that the game engine provides NPCs with the potential of making one of many decisions according to the player's actions.
Ex-Disney researcher and Rutgers University assistant professor Mubbasir Kapadia told Engadget that "Our method of modeling multiple story arcs and resolving conflicts in the storylines makes it feasible to author interactive experiences that are free form, rather than constricted."
This program is still in the research stage and won't be implemented for a long time. But if Disney's theories prove to be a viable programming method, it could open up some really interesting gaming potential for open-sandbox or choose-your-own-adventure games.
