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reference from JSTOR: source reads: "Tomb Raider is a 'third-person shooter,' in which the player actually sees the body of his/her own avatar."
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'''Third-person shooter''' ('''TPS''') is a [[video game genre|genre]] of [[3D computer graphics|3D]] [[action game|action]] [[Video game|games]] in which the [[player character]] is visible on-screen,<ref></ref> and the [[gameplay]] consists primarily of shooting.
'''Third-person shooter''' ('''TPS''') is a [[video game genre|genre]] of [[3D computer graphics|3D]] [[action game|action]] [[Video game|games]] in which the [[player character]] is visible on-screen,<ref>Anne-Marie Schleiner, "Does Lara Croft Wear Fake Polygons? Gender and Gender-Role Subversion in Computer Adventure Games," ''Leonardo'', Vol. 34, No. 3 (2001): 222.</ref> and the [[gameplay]] consists primarily of shooting.


==Origins as a genre==
==Origins as a genre==

Revision as of 21:49, 7 April 2009

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Third-person shooter (TPS) is a genre of 3D action games in which the player character is visible on-screen,[1] and the gameplay consists primarily of shooting.

Origins as a genre

Traditionally the broader shooter genre has always been predominantly third-person,[citation needed] but the concept of the third-person shooter as a distinct genre is more recent,[citation needed] and closely related to the rise in popularity of the first-person shooter both as a genre and a concept.[citation needed] Retroactively, many early 3D games like Tomb Raider and Fade to Black fulfill modern definitions of the genre and carry a considerable amount of influence,[citation needed] but at the time they were marketed as part of the action-adventure genre[2][3].

After the rise of first-person shooters,[citation needed] an increasing number of third-person action games have adopted control methods similar to their first-person counterparts, where one 2D input (usually the left joystick or set of keys) is used to make the player character move, and another (the right stick or mouse) is used to aim and turn independently.[4] Examples of this trend from as early as the beginning of the 2000s include American McGee's Alice[5] and Max Payne[6]. In more recent years, camera design has also changed to bridge this gap as well.[citation needed] Resident Evil 4 is seen as a key game in this transition.[citation needed] While third-person 3D games traditionally kept the view centered on the character,[citation needed] Resident Evil 4 moved the character to the side, with the view centered on the character's aim, just as in a first-person game[7].[citation needed] This "over-the-shoulder" camera design was a direct influence on Gears of War[8][9] and has become increasingly popular in other third-person shooters, like Stranglehold and Infernal.[citation needed]

These conventions have led to games which may be mechanically similar or indistinguishable from first-person shooter,[citation needed] but which are excluded from the genre by their camera view, making the "third-person shooter" terminology a descriptive means of distinguishing the two.[citation needed] Despite this, the term may still be correctly applied to any 3D shooting game in third-person,[citation needed] even if this usage is less common.[citation needed] Like first-person shooters and run and gun games,[citation needed] the term is rarely applied to games that do not focus on traveling on foot.[citation needed]

Design

Third-person shooters are a type of 3D shooter game, which is a subgenre of action game that emphasizes the challenge of aiming and shooting. These games are distinguished from other shooter games because the graphical perspective is rendered from a fixed distance behind the player's avatar, and slightly above them. They tend to be more realistic than 2D shooters, not just graphically but in terms of gameplay. For example, games often limit the amount of ammunition that the avatar can carry, and damage is usually assessed based on what part of the body is hit by a gunshot. The 3D nature of these games also allows enemies to hide around corners or behind doors in a way that is not possible in a 2D game.[10]

Relationship to first-person shooters

These games are closely related to first-person shooters,[11] which also tie to perspective of the player to an avatar,[10] but the two genres are distinct.[12] While the first-person perspective allows players to aim and shoot without their avatar blocking their view,[10] the third-person shooter shows the protagonist from an "over the shoulder" or "behind the back" perspective.[11][13] Thus, the third-person perspective allows the game designer to create a more strongly characterized avatar,[10] and directs the player's attention as if watching a film. In contrast, a first-person perspective provides the player with greater immersion into the game universe.[14]

This difference in perspective also has an impact on gameplay. Third-person shooters allow players to see the area surrounding the avatar more clearly.[10] This viewpoint facilitates more interaction between the character and their surrounding environment, such as the use of tactical cover in Gears of War,[15] or navigating tight quarters.[16] As such, the third-person perspective is more optimal for interacting with objects in the game world, such as jumping on platforms, engaging in close combat, or driving a vehicle. However, the third-person perspective can interfere with tasks that require fine aiming.[17]

Third person shooters sometimes compensate for their distinct perspective by designing larger, more spacious environments than first-person shooters.[18]

The boundaries between third-person and first-person shooters is not always clear. For example, many third-person shooters allow the player to use a first-person viewpoint for challenges that require precise aiming.[10] The first-person shooter Halo: Combat Evolved was actually designed as a third-person shooter, but added a first-person perspective to improve the interface for aiming and shooting.[19] The game switches to a third-person viewpoint when the avatar is politing a vehicle,[10] and this combination of first-person for aiming and third-person for driving has since been used in other games.[20] Metroid Prime is another first-person shooter that switches to a third-person perspective when rolling around the environment using the morph ball.[21]

Third-person games are also less prone to give players motion sickness,[citation needed] since they have a large on-screen avatar to focus on. [citation needed] In Japan, first-person camera design is seldom used compared to the West,[citation needed] so third-person shooters offer a compromise to bring Western game design styles to the Japanese audience.[citation needed]

Third-person design has disadvantages, as well.[citation needed] Camera control has long been an issue,[citation needed] particularly in closed spaces, where the distance between the camera and character cannot be fixed.[citation needed]

Definition

Nate Garrelts writes that "labeling a game a 'Third-Person Shooter' labels both a structural aspect ('third person') as well as its content (shooting)."[22]

History

Tomb Raider has been credited as the game that popularized the subgenre.[11] The game eschewed the popular first person perspective of games such as Doom, instead making use of "third person" viewpoints, wide 3D environments and a control system inspired by Prince of Persia.[13] Syphon Filter, which has been deemed the most popular third person shooter for the PlayStation,[4] combined the perspective of Tomb Raider with action elements of games such as GoldenEye 007 and Metal Gear Solid.[23] While in Tomb Raider and Syphon Filter the protagonists automatically aimed at antagonists,[4][13] later games such as Max Payne and SOCOM forced players to control aiming themselves by means of two control sticks or a keyboard and mouse.[4] Max Payne (2002) was acclaimed as a superlative third person shooter, inspired by Hong Kong action cinema.[24] The acclaimed Gears of War employed tactical elements such as taking cover,[25] using off-centre viewpoints inspired by Resident Evil 4.[26] The game also employed grittier themes than other titles and used a unique feature which rewarded the player for correctly reloading weapons.[27] Gears of War, as well as games such as Army of Two and the upcoming Quantum Theory place a greater emphasis on two player cooperative play.[28][29] Upcoming game Damnation, set to be published by CodeMasters, experiments with exceedingly tall levels and acrobatic gameplay.[30] As of 2009, the genre has a large audience outside of Japan, particularly in North America.[28]

Influence on popular culture

Alexander R. Galloway writes that the "real-time, over-the-shoulder tracking shots of Gus Van Sant's Elephant evoke third-person shooter games like May Payne, a close cousin of the FPS."[31]

References

  1. ^ Anne-Marie Schleiner, "Does Lara Croft Wear Fake Polygons? Gender and Gender-Role Subversion in Computer Adventure Games," Leonardo, Vol. 34, No. 3 (2001): 222.
  2. ^ http://www.mobygames.com/game/dos/tomb-raider/cover-art/gameCoverId,112248/
  3. ^ http://www.mobygames.com/game/dos/fade-to-black/cover-art/gameCoverId,27035/
  4. ^ a b c d Rouse, Richard, Postmortem: The Game Design of Surreal's The Suffering, GamaSutra, June 9, 2004, Accessed Apr 1, 2009
  5. ^ http://www.gamespot.com/pc/action/americanmcgeesalice/review.html?page=2
  6. ^ http://www.gamespot.com/xbox/action/maxpayne/review.html
  7. ^ http://cube.ign.com/articles/499/499572p2.html
  8. ^ http://www.gamasutra.com/news/gdc/?story=13106
  9. ^ http://www.gamespot.com/pages/unions/read_article.php?topic_id=25437676&union_id=7003
  10. ^ a b c d e f g Rollings, Andrew (2006). Fundamentals of Game Design. Prentice Hall. {{cite book}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  11. ^ a b c Harbour, Jonathan S., Microsoft Visual Basic game programming with DirectX (Cengage Learning, 2002), 63.
  12. ^ Geddes, Ryan, Beyond Gears of War 2, IGN, Sept 30, 2008, Accessed Apr 2, 2009
  13. ^ a b c Blache, Fabian & Fielder, Lauren, History of Tomb Raider, GameSpot, Accessed Apr 1, 2009
  14. ^ Hutcheon, Linda, A Theory of Adaptation (CRC Press, 2006), pp. 55-56
  15. ^ Levi Buchanan (2006-11-10). "'Gears of War' is next-gen at its best". MSNBC. Retrieved 2009-03-02.
  16. ^ Ryan Donald (2002-08-27). "SOCOM: US Navy Seals (PlayStation 2)". CNET. Retrieved 2009-04-02.
  17. ^ François Dominic Laramée (2002). Game Design Perspectives. Charles River Media. ISBN 1584500905 9781584500902. {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: length (help)
  18. ^ Määttä, Aki, GDC 2002: Realistic Level Design in Max Payne, GamaSutra, May 8, 2002, Accessed Apr 6, 2009
  19. ^ "Halo Move to First-Person Shooter Confirmed". Inside Mac Games. 2001-03-15. Retrieved 2009-04-02.
  20. ^ Sal Accardo (2004-09-24). "Star Wars: Battlefront (PC)". GameSpy. Retrieved 2009-04-02.
  21. ^ Louis Bedigian (2002-11-23). "Metroid Prime Review". GameZone. Retrieved 2009-04-02.
  22. ^ Nate Garrelts, The meaning and culture of Grand theft auto: critical essays (McFarland, 2006), 159.
  23. ^ Gerstmann, Jeff, Syphon Filter Review, GameSpot, Feb 12, 1999, Accessed Apr 1, 2009
  24. ^ Kasavin, Greg, Max Payne Review, GameSpot, Dec 11, 2001, Accessed Apr 2, 2009
  25. ^ Marc Saltzman, "Microsoft turns out gorgeous, gory shooter with 'Gears of War'," USA Today (11/30/2006).
  26. ^ Dobson, Jason, Post-GDC: Cliff Bleszinski Says Iteration Won Gears of War, GamaSutra, Mar 12, 2007, Accessed Apr 2, 2009
  27. ^ Adams, Ernest, The Designer's Notebook: Ten Years Of Great Games, GamaSutra, Nov 26, 2007, Accessed Apr 6, 2009
  28. ^ a b Nutt, Christian, That Tecmo Flavor: Kikuchi And Shibata On Surprising The Audience, GamaSutra, Jan 8, 2009, Accessed Apr 1, 2009
  29. ^ Ocampo, Jason, Lock and Load: Upcoming Military Shooters of 2007, GameSpot, Aug 4, 2007, Accessed Apr 1, 2009
  30. ^ Stuart, Keith, Damnation: the shooter goes vertical. I think I know what they mean, The Guardian, Mar 6, 2008, Accessed Apr 2, 2009
  31. ^ Alexander R. Galloway, Gaming: essays on algorithmic culture (U of Minnesota Press, 2006), 60.
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