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The Pixel Storyteller

The Pixel Storyteller

Written by: 512
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About this listen

Video games have come a long way since "Tennis for Two" in 1958. Since then games have been played in arcades, in our homes, on the go, by ourselves and with our friends. We've fought zombies, robots, and turtles. We've explored sprawling medival landscpaes and underwater cities. And for many of these games, there's a story behind them. When most people hear "Storytelling through video games," they'll usually think of it as a recent thing; large hyper realistic projects that play more like movies. But stories in video games -both in their mechanics and their development- go a ot deeper than one might assume. I am 512, and I'm here to tell you the stories of these games, as well as provide some insight on their design and show the impact a game can have.

Johan Harworth 2025 Art Science Fiction
Episodes
  • Episode 1 | Bioshock: "I chose..."

    Episode 1 | Bioshock: "I chose..."
    Jul 7 2025

    Description:

    A game tells a story about a city at the bottom of the ocean, that’s a marvel. But that same game lays out the blueprints on how a video game can tell an incredible story. That sounds more like…a miracle. To start off this brand new series, I invite you back to the year of 2007 and into the world of Bioshock to show you through detailed analysis and storytelling techniques how this game tells a story, and how we have more choice to interact with the world than what we initially believe. Spoilers for Bioshock’s story and gameplay lie ahead.

    • Summary and Analysis of Bioshock
    • Brief history of First Person Shooter games
    • Juxtaposition of gameplay and story

    Play the game here!: https://store.steampowered.com/app/7670/BioShock/

    Sources:

    • AltraWave7 | Bioshock 1 Remastered - Director’s Commentary (All Parts): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hA2bFztt1KI
    • ResearchGate | Canonizing Bioshock: Cultural Value and the Prestige Game (the research article I mentioned): https://www.researchgate.net/publication/282464622_Canonizing_Bioshock_Cultural_Value_and_the_Prestige_Game
    • PC Gamer | Ken Levine Apologizes for Bioshock’s Final Boss Battle: https://www.pcgamer.com/ken-levine-apologises-for-bioshocks-final-boss-battle/
    • Game Developer | Ken Levine on Bioshock’s Narrative Drive: https://www.gamedeveloper.com/design/ken-levine-on-bioshock-s-narrative-drive
    • The New Yorker 100 | Why Gamers Can’t Stop Playing First-Person Shooters: https://www.newyorker.com/tech/annals-of-technology/why-gamers-cant-stop-playing-first-person-shooters
    • Gameopedia | The Evolution of First Person Shooter (FPS) Games: https://gameopedia.com/blogs/the-evolution-of-first-person-shooter-(fps)-games
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    37 mins
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