BA4 Contextual Studies: Creating Coherent Worlds #6

CS Lecture With Kim | Coherent Worlds and the Notion of Theme

A few days ago, our tutor, Kim, gave us a lecture to consider for contextual studies on the notion of theme. I found this really interesting as she spoke a lot about theme parks and how they are themed and why. I LOVE theme parks :D

Theme Lecture | My Notes

When you establish a theme you must use every means possible to reinforce that theme to your audience so that it is totally effective. 

The theme of a video game is made apparent when the audience understands what it’s about and what ties it all together.

Theme parks are coherent worlds, they take you to places where you can do things you wouldn’t normally be able to do such as Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida. I have been to both these parks and can honestly say that you do feel like you are in another world. For example, there is an area dedicated to Marvel at Islands of Adventure where every building looks like it has been ripped straight from a marvel comic, there are also rides influenced by characters. It would be a marvel fan’s dream.

Another theme park to consider is Disney Land. Disney have run their theme park resort for years as an attraction for all things Disney. Everything there is themed so that people feel like they are in the Disney stories. 

Themes are usually a mixture of history, content, character and how the person is involved in “the event”. 

 

When thinking about our games, we should consider the theme, what is the theme? As well as, are we using every possible means to explore it? If the answer is yes then your theme should be strong and apparent. 

Theme Park Rides | Coherent Worlds & Theme

I’m giving this it’s own section because I have a lot to show and say. I suggested Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure to Kim during the lecture as more examples of how theme parks actually become themed (as opposed to just being “a bunch of rides”).

Islands of Adventure, as I mentioned previously, is a theme park split up into differently themed areas (islands, if you will). I visited these parks in the summer just gone (2012) and currently the busiest themed area is, surprise surprise, Harry Potter Land. 

Harry Potter Land, A Coherent World?

Now, I’m not a huge fan of Harry Potter, nor am I a fan of queuing up 90 minutes for a ride which breaks down and leaves me stuck, upside down in the dark, half way round! (I got to ride it again straight after without queuing, BOOM!). However, this place felt magical. It was strange. I don’t know if it was all the kids wandering around in 30 degree heat wearing full body harry potter capes or the fact I hadn’t drank anything for a while but seriously, that place was buzzing! I appreciated it even though I wasn’t a Harry Potter fan and I really did feel like I was in another world! 

You could really sense the theme in this place, it even had the Hogwarts train which made sounds. Everyone who worked in this area of the theme park had to dress in accordance with the books/films so that the place really was made believable! And it worked! 

  

The ride is an even better example of creating a coherent world and making the audience feel like they are a part of it. You literally get to fly through Hogwarts with Harry and friends experiencing popular aspects of the Harry Potter world, such as a game of quidditch. When I managed to get back onto the ride after it had broken down, I was sat near 2 extreme Harry Potter fans, one of which was literally shouting “IM GOING TO CATCH THAT QUIDDITCH BALL, JUST WATCH ME”. I found this interesting as the ride is a simulation, its all on a long screen which you are pulled past in a carriage; there IS NO quidditch ball to catch  but he felt so totally immersed in this world and ride that he felt the need to tell everyone.

Skip to 9:30 for the ride, however, before that this video gives you a really good look at the Harry Potter area of the park! Video used uploaded to YouTube by TheCoasterViews

Marvel Land, A Coherent World?

There is another area in Islands of adventure which is theme completely with Marvel, Marvel characters, Marvel inspired buildings, Marvel inspired food and Marvel merchandise. Anything a Marvel fan would dream of! Like Harry Potter, I’m not a big reader/follower of Marvel but I can still appreciate it! I thought this was an incredibly visually striking part of the park and all the rides here are inspired by Marvel characters, Spiderman and Hulk for example. 

 Hulk has it’s own rollercoaster. Even the space where you queue is Hulk themed! Everything is green and purple and looks scientific, it’s fantastic. Unlike the Harry Potter ride, Hulk is just a rollercoaster, not a virtual experience but it STILL resembles Hulk both in its design and attitude. I went on this rollercoaster 3 times in a row once (was SO lucky the queue’s were minimal) but I had to stop myself after the third ride as my head felt like it was going to explode. This ride is fast, ferocious and gnarly; everything Hulk is. It smashes you from the launch area into the sky while a voice says a line appropriate to both the Hulk AND the rollercoaster. It’s very clever and holds the theme together even though this is just a roller coaster.

The coaster carriage itself is themed too, it is green (as are the tracks) and bulky, large in stature like the hulk; the whole ride is built to be intimidating to keep in theme with the Hulk. It’s fantastic, easily one of the best rollercoaster's I have ever been on.  

Video uploaded to YouTube by user wwwCOASTERFORCEcom
  

Jurassic Park, A Coherent World?

This is another huge section of the park and it’s all Jurassic Park themed! It’s AMAZING :D It genuinely feels like you’re in another world. The entire section of the park is packed full of luscious greenery, all the different exotic tree’s and shrubbery you would find in the films.  There are photo opportunities posted around with Jurassic Park film elements such as a huge dino fossil sticking out of the ground and the truck they use in the films to travel around the islands; it’s all there! Even the signs telling you where to go are themed! 

  

Here is a picture of me really getting involved in the Jurassic Park world ;D I was in a store full of Jurassic park inspired toys, gifts, jewellery, books…there was TONS of it! The best thing being, of course, dinosaur hats like the one I am wearing hahaha. Again though this really does pull the theme together. If this was a normal shop it wouldn’t have felt half as involved with the Jurassic Park worl as it does being a themed shop! 

  

The ride here is called River Adventure and it literally takes you on a tour of the island on a river boat. At various points of the ride you will encounter dinosaurs (models of course, or hang on…were they real!? Haha) and it is themed as if you were actually AT a REAL jurassic park! Its fantastic. 

Like in the film, things go wrong, and you soon find yourself in a broken area full of mean dino’s and broken equipment! It really does make you feel like you’re in the film! 

Video uploaded to YouTube by user deathbyillusion

Back to My Lecture Notes!

If considering theme as an objective for the CS presentation, research how the media pulls the person into its world.

Think about why themes pull audiences in and how they make believable worlds in both video games and theme parks. 

No matter what element of media or how complex it is, there will always be a story in that world. 

Consider how different games with different themes can effect the audience in the same way. For example, Fallout 3 is a huge, open world RPG with multiple stories happening at any given time. 

  

Whereas Journey, for example, is a short abstract art game with little obvious plot and no RPG elements.

  

Yet both these games can force the player to feel similar emotions. The theme of both games is very different, Fallout has themes of nuclear war, terrorism, violence and gore whereas Journey has themes of art, colour, friendship and travel. Yet both of these games and their themes evoke the same emotions despite their themes (AND WORLDS!) being very different. 

We could also consider how visual styles point towards genre and theme to create a coherent world, a player would instantly recognise Red Dead Redemption as a western themed game just by looking at its world, inhabitants and style.