Practising listening skills - video games
Practise your listening skills by watching this short clip. Answer the questions that follow and then check your responses against the sample answers.
This clip explores the development and design of computer games, illustrated with examples. The investigation follows the process by visiting the different departments of a games production company with key workers explaining their roles.
Computer game development
Question
What does Sherry McKenna think are the most important features of computer games? How does she illustrate this idea?
Great storytelling and characters. She refers to Hollywood and says games have to tell great stories, like films, as they need to entertain.
Question
How does the script for a game differ from a film?
A film is linear – you watch it straight through from beginning to end. Games are interactive, so the order in which they are played can vary.
Question
What is the most rewarding aspect of Senior Production Designer, Farzad Varahramyan’s, job?
The fact he creates every tiny detail of the fantasy world of the game – from the cup on the table to the whole landscape.
Question
Why is sound important to the gaming experience?
It makes the experience more realistic; it might give you a clue to something that is about to happen or give you feedback.
Question
What is the role of the presenter? Why does she appear in each segment?
Her job is to ask questions and to link the different sections together. She asks the questions the viewer might want to ask which makes us feel more involved.
Question
What is the purpose of this clip?
To inform the audience about the process of creating a computer game.
Question
Who might watch this clip? Why do you think it would appeal to this audience?
The clip would mainly appeal to young people, particularly those interested in working in computer games. This is because it is presented by a teenager who represents the target audience and it gives details of the different jobs people do.
