General News - Jonathan Nolan Interview

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PCGamesN has interviewed Westworld writer Jonathan Nolan about the similarities between sandbox games and the new HBO TV Show:

Interstellar co-writer Jonathan Nolan thinks writing game stories is a "fascinating challenge"

Jonathan Nolan - younger brother of filmmaker Christopher Nolan - has just launched a TV adaptation of Westworld on HBO, along with his wife, Lisa Joy. The show is about a futuristic theme park where people can go and live out their darkest fantasies on a bunch of androids which only exist serve a person's every whim. Does this sound familiar?

It should do, because they're basically NPCs made (synthetic) flesh. There are some interesting comparisons to be drawn between Westworld and open-world games, so it's no surprise videogames came up in a recent interview with the husband and wife duo.

Our best sandbox games list is as close as you'll get to Westworld.


In an interview with Vice, the comparison between the show and open-world games was made, and Nolan answered with gusto.

[...]
Thanks Farflame!

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Well, it has triggers in the fictional storylines but what was more interesting is the (phony) reality show, survivor ripoff The Colony where they appeared to set up real people doing to do that. And it was hilarious watching these non-RPGers contestants not recognize it. I'm pretty sure the producers had to prompt them - i.e. turning the rotten pig fat into fuel at the back of the dead meat truck they were going to walk away from. But they didn't prompt them to buy the laptop - I still wonder what was on it.

It seems more to me Westworld is more PhilipKDickensian and what it means to be human. I believe I even caught a blade runner reference or two. Its consistent too with some of the themes the Nolan brothers like to do - like that bad Johnny Depp film.
 
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Where is the fail state in Westworld though? I don't generally play games with god mode turned on.

True, that is one major component that would have to change to be a good game as essentially being able to kill any "NPC" without consequences would completely destroy the immersion factor. Although at the end of the second episode
I think Dolores may have just found a real gun to defend herself with so that could be interesting

The show also highlights one major reason why I have no interest in MMOs / multiplayer RPGs. There will be idiots running around talking in modern slang, spoiling stuff for others, and shooting people for no reason just because they think it's funny, or they're bored. Another immersion killer.

It's a great show so far but I'm not sure it actually represents the ultimate RPG of the future or anything. Despite Brian Fargo saying just that on twitter. Of course it would be great to have an RPG with NPCs that react to whatever you do with "realistic" emotions.
 
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I was reading where the show was having production problems - basically HBO fired Warner Bros. probably due to the shake up at HBO. Apparently Jonathan and his brother have control issues so HBO had to tell him to cool it. But the big thing was some story rewrites

Which they seem to be lampshading in the first two episodes. but don't quote me on that. I haven't read the book or seen the movie.

Also, the "hosts" seem to have some memories of being scalped, so I wonder if Ed Harris is a JJ Abrams type flashback. I know the scene where Ed Harris meets Delores again might tell us otherwise but I deleted the episode off my tivo.
 
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