| Video games are big business to the financial | | | | A sense of danger, or at least drama, is |
| world. It is important for video games developers | | | | important to a successful video game. To the |
| to constantly improve upon their existing games | | | | extent that a player is drawn into the game and |
| and to develop new ones. Companies hire | | | | feels involved is proportional to the success and |
| Hollywood calibre graphic artists to provide Oscar | | | | popularity of a video game. Graphic presentation |
| winning quality graphics. Focus groups try to spot | | | | of the game is integral to this and most games |
| trends and preferences to target what features | | | | require eye popping, three-dimensional artwork. |
| should be added to traditional games or | | | | The graphics must present and create a virtual |
| incorporated into new ones. Children are often | | | | environment that is alluring, navigable and ever |
| "hired" as consultants to test games and report | | | | changing in response to the player's actions. Most |
| on their appeal and flaws. They are paid with | | | | video games rely nearly equally, ironically enough, |
| newly developed games and game related items, | | | | both on repetition and the element of surprise to |
| such as a Nintendo player or Game boy | | | | create a hypnotic world that remains both |
| instruments. | | | | challenging and interesting. Most video games |
| But what features are crucial in the development | | | | must tell a story and the level of manual |
| of a popular Video game that will be successful | | | | dexterity required to play the game increases as |
| financially? Of all the elements that comprise a | | | | the complexity of the story line gets more |
| popular video game, interactivity is the most | | | | involved. |
| important. This feature enables the player to | | | | Finally, music plays a fundamental role in popular |
| explore virtual environments that range from | | | | video games. Music adds to the mood, the |
| realistic depictions of the normal world to highly | | | | element of surprise and the general tone of the |
| stylised, artistic virtual environments, and | | | | video game. Video game players no longer choose |
| sometimes alternate between them. Interactivity | | | | games on the basis of graphics and character |
| allows the flow of the game to change with the | | | | appeal alone. Now the type of music that is |
| player's movements and decisions, thereby | | | | incorporated into the game is equally important in |
| creating an individual scenario or experience for | | | | the selection process. And the overwhelmingly |
| each player and every game. Interactivity has | | | | most desired form of music in video games is |
| given rise to the phenomenon of emergent | | | | hip-hop. This form of music provides an intensity |
| narrative, which occurs within the context of the | | | | that draws the player in, and the rhythmic beat |
| game and represents the player's reactions to | | | | makes for a hypnotic quality. Hip-hop is the type |
| elements of the game and even his own | | | | of music that the player can coordinate his |
| reactions to them. It is this emergent narrative | | | | movements to and achieve a movement flow |
| concept that makes playing the game and | | | | with. Hip Hop gives energy of its own to the |
| experience that is unique to the players and to | | | | game and is rapidly becoming a key element in |
| each and every game played. | | | | the development of a popular video game. |