How Video Games Scare Us, And Why We Like It (RollingStone)

[Dusk Golem]

Rolling Stone published an article about horror video games, and asking several horror game directors and higher-ups what they think about the genre: http://www.rollingstone.com/glixel/features/why-video-games-scare-us-and-why-we-like-it-w509983

Includes quips by Kōshi Nakanishi, director of Resident Evil 7, John Johanas & Trent Haaga, director (John) & Writer (Haaga) of The Evil Within 2, Brad Furminger, who worked on Eternal Darkness, Ian Dallas, who directed What Remains of Edith Finch, and Teresa Lynch, a researcher at The Ohio State University.

Here's one choice quote for four of them, but there's a LOT more at the article.

Teresa Lynch: "When people are talking about what it is that scares them in games, the number one thing that they spontaneously report is having to be involved, be involved in making the decisions and playing with the controls. So, that element of being in charge of their own destiny, in a fear experience, in a horrifying experience like that, is something that is definitely influencing the responses that people have in game environments."

Click to shrink...

Furminger thinks trust -- and breaking that trust -- is one of the big elements that makes video games scary. Players trust designers to plop them in scenarios where they could win -- and be entertained -- but are also trustful that the designers have given them the necessary tools. "Horror kind of spits in the face of that, and you want the player to feel a little bit helpless," Furminger says. "You want them to trust you, right, so that they let their guard down, but then as soon as they kind of get into a comfortable space it's up to us as designers to breach that trust and suddenly, you know, put them in a situation where they don't feel like they have the tools to succeed, even though they really do."

Click to shrink...

"We are hard wired to need fear, because fear is what helped us survive all of this time," Haaga says. "And now that we live in a safe place we have to create artificial things in order to feel that aspect of what it is to be human, you know what I mean? The drive to reproduce, the drive to avoid death and survive, are like ... the only things that we're here for, really. People are still going to want to have sex, even if you can make babies, you know, in a test tube," he added. "And I feel like people still want to be scared."

Click to shrink...

"Instead of thinking about what we should incorporate, we thought about what we should get rid of," Kōshi Nakanishi, who directed Resident Evil 7, tells Glixel through a translated email interview. "Things like a tenacious hero or large-scale action would detract from the scariness. Instead, we left in the things that make Resident Evil a horror game. We introduced an average character the player can empathize and feel scared with, placed them in an enclosed space to emphasize their isolation, and made ammo scarce to accentuate the tension that comes from trying to survive."

Click to shrink...

"Overcoming fear is an addictive experience," Nakanishi says. "When humans experience fear (even simulated fear), the brain releases chemicals such as noradrenaline to survive. These chemicals are addictive, and they say those who experience this rush from horror remember how good it felt and want to experience it again. Horror is like a legal high."

Click to shrink...

 

[Deleted member 1074]

keeps me sharp keeps the blood pumping gives u options for when that 12 gauge is gonna come handy in a biohazard outbreak.

although I agree at face value horror isnt only about the unknown and jump scares but a great portion is in the psychological aspect.