Looking back at the most ancient forms of storytelling, we have the visual (cave paintings, murals, etc.) and the audible (oral tradition). Combining the two, we have movies. But the third core component of storytelling is, I believe, experiential. Sitting around the campfire, hearing grandpa pass down the clan’s history involved the listener by making them a part of the grand tale he was weaving. Seeing those cave paintings evoked empathy in the guy from the cave next door, because he knew exactly what x_x meant, and thus knew to avoid ^(‘v’)^ when he was looking for dinner. (A crude example, but I think you get the point.) So it’s this experience, this placing yourself in the story, that is also a key component of storytelling I think, allowing the audience to more fully understand the meaning you are trying to convey. And video games do that, which is why I think they are important.

So, I’ll stay tuned to your blog and maybe this old dog will learn something new. Aarp, Aarp!