Cutscene
In 1966, Mabel Addis designed The Sumerian Game on a mainframe computer. This early title synchronized a slideshow with an audio recording to introduce its setting. Players could not skip the sequence, creating what functioned as an unskippable introductory cutscene. Taito released Space Invaders Part II in 1979 and introduced brief comical intermission scenes between levels. The last invader who got shot would limp off screen during these pauses. Namco followed this trend with Pac-Man in 1980 by featuring brief comical interludes about Pac-Man chasing Blinky. Shigeru Miyamoto took the concept further with Donkey Kong in 1981. His game used cutscenes to visually advance a complete story rather than just offering comic relief. Data East released Bega's Battle in 1983 and introduced animated full-motion video cutscenes with voice acting. These sequences developed a story between shooting stages and became the standard approach for game storytelling years later. Ron Gilbert introduced non-interactive plot sequences in Maniac Mansion in 1987 within the point-and-click adventure genre. Tecmo released Ninja Gaiden for the Famicom in 1988 and featured over twenty minutes of anime-like cinema scenes. These scenes were intertwined between stages and gradually revealed the plot to the player.
Cutscenes became much more common with the rise of CD-ROM as the primary storage medium for video games. This format offered much greater storage space that allowed developers to use cinematically impressive media such as FMV and high-quality voice tracks. Live-action cutscenes have many similarities to films and often utilize fully constructed sets. The Wing Commander IV title used well known actors such as Mark Hamill and Malcolm McDowell for the portrayal of characters. Electronic Arts produced movie tie-in games like The Lord of the Rings and Star Wars titles that extensively used film footage from production. Enter the Matrix used film footage shot concurrently with The Matrix Reloaded and was directed by the Wachowskis. Douglas TenNapel created The Neverhood Chronicles in 1996 using stop motion animation and puppets sculpted out of plasticine. Pre-rendered cutscenes are animated and rendered by the game's developers taking advantage of CGI techniques. Real time cutscenes are rendered on-the-fly using the same game engine as the graphics during gameplay. This technique is also known as Machinima but generally offers lower detail than pre-rendered versions. Some games allow the player character to wear several different outfits and appear in cutscenes wearing the chosen outfit. Super Mario Odyssey, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas demonstrate this adaptability.
Such scenes are used to show conversations between characters and set the mood for the experience. Developers use these sequences to reward the player or introduce newer models and gameplay elements. Cutscenes can create emotional connections and improve pacing within the gameplay loop. They serve to foreshadow future events or show the effects of a player's actions. The Portopia Serial Murder Case released in 1983 utilized cutscenes extensively alongside Valis in 1986. Phantasy Star and La Abadía del Crimen appeared in 1987 with similar narrative integration strategies. Ys II: Ancient Ys Vanished , The Final Chapter, Prince of Persia, and Zero Wing all featured cutscenes in 1989. Since then, cutscenes have been part of many video games, especially in action-adventure and role-playing genres. Interactive cutscenes involve the computer taking control of the player character while prompts appear onscreen. This gameplay mechanic requires the player to follow button presses in order to continue or succeed at the action. Quick time events have their origins in interactive movie laserdisc video games such as Dragon's Lair and Road Blaster. These mechanics allow developers to maintain engagement even when interactivity is temporarily removed from the standard controls.
Director Steven Spielberg criticized the use of cutscenes in games calling them intrusive. He stated that making the story flow naturally into the gameplay is a challenge for future game developers. Hollywood writer Danny Bilson called cinematics the last resort of game storytelling. He argued that a person does not want to watch a movie when they are playing a video game. Game designer Raph Koster criticized cutscenes as being the part that has the largest possibility for emotional engagement. Koster claimed that because of this, many memorable peak emotional moments in video games are actually not given by the game itself. It is a common criticism that cutscenes simply belong to a different medium. Others think of cutscenes as another tool designers can use to make engrossing video games. An article on GameFront calls upon successful video games that make excessive use of cutscenes for storytelling purposes. Rune Klevjer states that a cutscene does not cut off gameplay but is an integral part of the configurative experience. If well implemented, cutscenes can be an excellent tool for building suspense or providing crucial visual information.
The integration of non-interactive sequences has become standard practice across modern video game design. Developers now routinely combine live action, pre-rendered, and real time rendering techniques within single cutscenes. Popular games such as Myst, Wing Commander III, and Phantasmagoria used film of live actors superimposed upon pre-rendered animated backgrounds during the 1990s. Final Fantasy VII primarily uses real-time cutscenes yet includes scenes where real-time graphics combine with pre-rendered full motion video. The pairing of live action video with real time graphics remains rarer than other combinations but appears in titles like Killing Time. These hybrid approaches demonstrate how the industry evolved from simple slideshows into complex cinematic experiences. Cutscenes now serve as essential tools for communicating a storyteller's vision to players worldwide. They have influenced how developers approach pacing and emotional engagement throughout the medium. The legacy of early experiments by Addis, Miyamoto, and others continues to shape current standards. Modern audiences expect high-quality cinematics that seamlessly blend with interactive segments. This expectation drives ongoing innovation in storage media and rendering technology.
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Common questions
Who designed The Sumerian Game in 1966?
Mabel Addis designed The Sumerian Game on a mainframe computer in 1966. This early title synchronized a slideshow with an audio recording to introduce its setting.
When did Data East release Bega's Battle and what cutscene innovation did it feature?
Data East released Bega's Battle in 1983 and introduced animated full-motion video cutscenes with voice acting. These sequences developed a story between shooting stages and became the standard approach for game storytelling years later.
Which games used live-action actors in cutscenes during the 1990s?
The Wing Commander IV title used well known actors such as Mark Hamill and Malcolm McDowell for the portrayal of characters. Popular games such as Myst, Wing Commander III, and Phantasmagoria used film of live actors superimposed upon pre-rendered animated backgrounds during the 1990s.
What is the difference between real time cutscenes and pre-rendered cutscenes?
Real time cutscenes are rendered on-the-fly using the same game engine as the graphics during gameplay. Pre-rendered cutscenes are animated and rendered by the game's developers taking advantage of CGI techniques.
Why do some critics like Steven Spielberg criticize the use of cutscenes in games?
Director Steven Spielberg criticized the use of cutscenes in games calling them intrusive. He stated that making the story flow naturally into the gameplay is a challenge for future game developers.