HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

''Façade'' is a 2005
interactive storytelling Interactive storytelling (also known as interactive drama) is a form of digital entertainment in which the storyline is not predetermined. The author creates the setting, characters, and situation which the narrative must address, but the user ( ...
video game A video game or computer game is an electronic game that involves interaction with a user interface or input device (such as a joystick, game controller, controller, computer keyboard, keyboard, or motion sensing device) to generate visual fe ...
by Michael Mateas and Andrew Stern. Conceived by the developers as an "interactive drama", ''Façade'' tasks the player to use text input to converse with two characters, Trip and Grace, who are experiencing conflicts in their relationship. The game uses
artificial intelligence Artificial intelligence (AI) is the capability of computer, computational systems to perform tasks typically associated with human intelligence, such as learning, reasoning, problem-solving, perception, and decision-making. It is a field of re ...
methods, including
natural language processing Natural language processing (NLP) is a subfield of computer science and especially artificial intelligence. It is primarily concerned with providing computers with the ability to process data encoded in natural language and is thus closely related ...
, to simulate a conversation between the player and two characters. The developers, Mateas and Stern, both carried an interest in artificial intelligence and interactive entertainment, and began work on the game in 1998. Upon release, ''Façade'' received praise for its innovative design and generated commentary about the potential use of
artificial intelligence Artificial intelligence (AI) is the capability of computer, computational systems to perform tasks typically associated with human intelligence, such as learning, reasoning, problem-solving, perception, and decision-making. It is a field of re ...
in
video games A video game or computer game is an electronic game that involves interaction with a user interface or input device (such as a joystick, game controller, controller, computer keyboard, keyboard, or motion sensing device) to generate visual fe ...
. It received the Grand Jury prize at the Slamdance Independent Games Festival and was a finalist for the 2004
Seumas McNally Grand Prize The Seumas McNally Grand Prize is the main award given at the Independent Games Festival (IGF), an annual event that takes place during the Game Developers Conference, one of the largest gatherings of the indie video game industry. It was first aw ...
. Following release, ''Façade'' received further retrospective praise for its design, although sources expressed mixed views on the contemporary impact and influence of the game. ''Façade'' is the subject of numerous scholarly analyses, and has been discussed both as a digital play and as electronic literature. Due to the awkward and unexpected behaviour that could occur from its interaction model, the game generated a
cult following A cult following is a group of fans who are highly dedicated to a person, idea, object, movement, or work, often an artist, in particular a performing artist, or an artwork in some medium. The latter is often called a cult classic. A film, boo ...
and Internet
memes A meme (; ) is an idea, behavior, or style that spreads by means of imitation from person to person within a culture and often carries symbolic meaning representing a particular phenomenon or theme. A meme acts as a unit for carrying cultural ...
from
Let's Play A Let's Play (LP) is a video (or screenshots accompanied by text) documenting the playthrough of a video game, often including commentary and (in some cases) a camera view of the gamer's face. A Let's Play differs from a video game walkthrough ...
videos on
YouTube YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...
. A planned sequel, ''The Party'', was announced but discontinued in 2013.


Gameplay

Played in a first-person perspective, the game is set in an apartment where the player can move around freely using the keyboard. Prior to starting the game, the player also selects a name from a list, which is reflected in how the game's two characters, Trip and Grace, address them. Players interact with Trip and Grace using text input to speak, or can use the mouse to select parts of their body to interact with, including options to comfort, hug or kiss the characters at any time. The game uses
natural language processing Natural language processing (NLP) is a subfield of computer science and especially artificial intelligence. It is primarily concerned with providing computers with the ability to process data encoded in natural language and is thus closely related ...
, identifying certain key words in player input and deducing its context, to influence the conversation and the reaction of Trip and Grace to the player's conduct. The couple can react to these in several ways, such as laughter, excitement, surprise, and anger. If the player behaves inappropriately, Trip and Grace react with great offense. Persistent rudeness can lead to the player's removal, and so does excessive physical intimacy. The behaviour of the characters and the progression of the narrative is open-ended, influenced by these interactions. Players can also click to interact with various objects and pieces of furniture in the apartment, which prompt reactions or new conversations from the characters.


Plot

''Façade'' is an interactive drama video game, structured as a one-act story about a married couple, Trip and Grace. The player assumes the role of a long-time friend, invited for an evening get-together at the couple's apartment in New York City. At first, Trip and Grace are friendly, but they become hostile as the player witnesses the devolution of their marriage. The game begins with a black screen and a voiceover from Trip, who is calling the player to invite them to the apartment. After the player has chosen their name, they
spawn Spawn or spawning may refer to: * Spawning, the eggs and sperm of aquatic animals Arts, entertainment and media * Spawn (character), a fictional character in the comic series of the same name and in the associated franchise ** ''Spawn: Armageddon' ...
in front of the door, overhearing an argument between the couple. Afterwards, Trip opens the door and lets the player inside. The player can discuss various topics with Grace and Trip during their stay, such as the couple's recent vacation in Italy, the drinks Trip prepares at the bar, and Grace's attempts at redecorating the apartment. Other subjects of conversation can be about their work, hobbies, families, sex life, or the prospect of their divorce. As ''Façade'' progresses, the couple gets into a fight, exchanging various accusations and passive-aggressive remarks. The player is prompted to take sides in the argument, which culminates in either Grace or Trip asking them a question about their relationship. When the game approaches its final phase, the couple seek advice from their friend about how to fix their marriage and what is wrong with either of them. Eventually, Grace or Trip can confess a long-kept secret about themselves or the relationship. For example, before the night Trip proposed to her, Grace had a sexual affair with someone without telling him. Afterwards, ''Façade'' will end in three ways: either Trip or Grace end their relationship, the two reconcile, or they tell the player that nothing has changed and continue arguing once they have left. The game is meant to be replayed several times, so that the player can discover other ways their conversations with the couple could have gone.


Development

Mateas co-developed ''Façade'' with Andrew Stern over five years, self-funded and with a limited budget. Prior to development, Mateas was a doctoral student at the
Carnegie Mellon Carnegie may refer to: People *Carnegie (surname), including a list of people with the name **Andrew Carnegie, Scottish-American industrialist and philanthropist * Clan Carnegie, a lowland Scottish clan Institutions Named for Andrew Carnegie * ...
School of Computer Science, and Stern was a programmer and designer on the virtual pet
video game A video game or computer game is an electronic game that involves interaction with a user interface or input device (such as a joystick, game controller, controller, computer keyboard, keyboard, or motion sensing device) to generate visual fe ...
series Petz. Mateas and Stern met presenting at a series of conferences on the intersection of artificial intelligence and interactive entertainment, and began initial work in 1998 on a long-term "interactive drama piece" and "commercial product prototype". In 2000, Mateas and Stern formally commenced a full-time collaborative project to "build an interactive story world integrating believable agents and interactive plot", with a plan to create a game around a "domestic drama in which a married couple has invited a player over for dinner." To develop organic and believable character behaviors, Mateas and Stern developed a complex programming framework named "A Behaviour Language" to program and organize the expressions of multiple characters as "believable agents", and a "drama manager" to organise events in the story to guide the interactions towards a tension and resolution of the plot. ''Façade'' was released for
Windows Windows is a Product lining, product line of Proprietary software, proprietary graphical user interface, graphical operating systems developed and marketed by Microsoft. It is grouped into families and subfamilies that cater to particular sec ...
in July 2005 as a free download from the developers' web site. Following the release of ''Façade'', Mateas and Stern planned to create a follow-up project titled ''The Party''. Building on the design of ''Façade'', ''The Party'' was planned to feature around the plot of being invited a dinner party, in which gameplay would be expanded to accommodate ten characters, greater environmental interaction, and more mature complex narrative beats, including sex and violence. Intended as a commercial product, Stern noted that ''The Party'' required investment to fund a small team of designers and programmers necessary to create the game's
artificial intelligence Artificial intelligence (AI) is the capability of computer, computational systems to perform tasks typically associated with human intelligence, such as learning, reasoning, problem-solving, perception, and decision-making. It is a field of re ...
. In 2013, Mateas confirmed that development on ''The Party'' had ceased in order to pursue other projects.


Reception

Many critics gave ''Façade'' positive reviews at the time of its release. Several publications like
NBC News NBC News is the news division of the American broadcast television network NBC. The division operates under NBCUniversal Media Group, a division of NBCUniversal, which is itself a subsidiary of Comcast. The news division's various operations r ...
, ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'', ''
Newsweek ''Newsweek'' is an American weekly news magazine based in New York City. Founded as a weekly print magazine in 1933, it was widely distributed during the 20th century and has had many notable editors-in-chief. It is currently co-owned by Dev P ...
'', and ''
The Boston Phoenix ''The Phoenix'' (stylized as ''The Phœnix'') was the name of several alternative weekly periodicals published in the United States by Phoenix Media/Communications Group of Boston, Massachusetts, including the now defunct ''Boston Phoenix'', '' ...
'' praised the game for its technical achievements, writing that it was an important step for the evolution of video games, interactive entertainment, and AI. ''
Gamasutra ''Game Developer'' (known as ''Gamasutra'' until 2021) is a website created in 1997 that focuses on aspects of video game development. It is owned and operated by Informa TechTarget and acted as the online sister publication to the print maga ...
'' wrote that ''Façade'' was "one of the most important games ever created, possibly the most important game of the last ten years," above ''
The Sims ''The Sims'' is a series of life simulation video games developed by Maxis and Video game publisher, published by Electronic Arts. The franchise has sold nearly 200 million copies worldwide, and is one of the List of best-selling video game fran ...
'' and ''
Grand Theft Auto ''Grand Theft Auto'' (''GTA'') is an action-adventure video game series created by David Jones and Mike Dailly. Later titles were developed under the oversight of brothers Dan and Sam Houser, Leslie Benzies and Aaron Garbut. It is prima ...
''. The reviewer, Ernest Adams, called the game's design "revolutionary" and "technically ambitious", listing five areas of technical achievement: its natural language parsing and conversational interaction, natural language generation, emotional modelling, facial expressions, and body language. ''The Economist'' mused: "as graphics improve, artificial intelligence is becoming an ever more important part of designing video games." Critics also wrote about how the game handled its characters and story, and they also found its attempts innovative. Adams praised ''Façade'' for being unlike most video games at the time, highlighting its lack of a victory condition and focus on personal relationships that he found believable. Many others said that ''Façade'' showed, with complex AI, that video games could be just as compelling when they are character-driven instead of action-driven. As Set Schiesel, who did the ''New York Times'' review, wrote: "
his His or HIS may refer to: Computing * Hightech Information System, a Hong Kong graphics card company * Honeywell Information Systems * Hybrid intelligent system * Microsoft Host Integration Server Education * Hangzhou International School, ...
is a future where games are driven as strongly by characters as combat ndas much soap opera as shooting gallery". ''Newsweek'' and NBC News argued that ''Façade'' represented a step in the right direction for creating interactive drama characters with emotional depth; ''Newsweek'' said that this had special appeal towards female gamers, who began to be represented only within the past decade. Other publications covered the game's open-ended nature and praised how the player could change the story in real time instead of adhering to a pre-determined narrative branch. In the views of ''
Wired Wired may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music * ''Wired'' (Jeff Beck album), 1976 * ''Wired'' (Hugh Cornwell album), 1993 * ''Wired'' (Mallory Knox album), 2017 * "Wired", a song by Prism from their album '' Beat Street'' * "Wired ...
'', ''Façade'' approach provided a more immersive experience. ''Façade'' won the Grand Jury Prize at the 2006 Slamdance Independent Games Festival. An early version of the game was also nominated as a finalist for the Open category of the
Seumas McNally Grand Prize The Seumas McNally Grand Prize is the main award given at the Independent Games Festival (IGF), an annual event that takes place during the Game Developers Conference, one of the largest gatherings of the indie video game industry. It was first aw ...
at the 2004
Independent Games Festival The Independent Games Festival (IGF) is an annual festival at the Game Developers Conference (GDC), the largest annual gathering of the independent video game industry. Originally founded in 1998 to promote independent video game developers, ...
.


Legacy

Retrospective assessments of ''Façade'' have recognized the game's technical achievement in its application of artificial intelligence and popular appeal. Describing the game as an "important research and cultural milestone", ''Game Developer'', formerly ''Gamasutra,'' identified ''Façade'' as a project that made an "indelible mark on video games" due to the uniqueness and complexity of its design of artificial intelligence. Similarly, ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
'' cited ''Façade'' as an "interesting" milestone and "fascinating experiment" in the advancement of emotional
artificial intelligence Artificial intelligence (AI) is the capability of computer, computational systems to perform tasks typically associated with human intelligence, such as learning, reasoning, problem-solving, perception, and decision-making. It is a field of re ...
. The game was also recognized to have attracted mainstream attention, unusual for an independent video game at the time. ''
Rock Paper Shotgun ''Rock Paper Shotgun'' is a British video game journalism website. It was launched in July 2007 to focus on PC game, PC games and was acquired by Gamer Network, a network of sites led by ''Eurogamer'', in May 2017. History ''Rock Paper S ...
'' noted the game "was cutting edge enough to warrant scientific papers being written about it, but playable and interesting enough to be spread around the games world". Throughout the decade since its release, ''Façade'' developed a
cult following A cult following is a group of fans who are highly dedicated to a person, idea, object, movement, or work, often an artist, in particular a performing artist, or an artwork in some medium. The latter is often called a cult classic. A film, boo ...
and spawned several Internet
memes A meme (; ) is an idea, behavior, or style that spreads by means of imitation from person to person within a culture and often carries symbolic meaning representing a particular phenomenon or theme. A meme acts as a unit for carrying cultural ...
, largely due to "
Let's Play A Let's Play (LP) is a video (or screenshots accompanied by text) documenting the playthrough of a video game, often including commentary and (in some cases) a camera view of the gamer's face. A Let's Play differs from a video game walkthrough ...
" videos on
YouTube YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...
that exploited Grace and Trip's awkward reactions to what the AI deemed inappropriate behavior, which was sometimes nonsensical. Many high-profile YouTubers at the time accrued millions of views on their playthroughs; ''
PC Gamer ''PC Gamer'' is a magazine and website founded in the United Kingdom in 1993 devoted to PC gaming and published monthly by Future plc. The magazine has several regional editions, with the UK and US editions becoming the best selling PC games m ...
'' attributed the game's "second coming as an Internet meme" to
PewDiePie Felix Arvid Ulf Kjellberg (born 24 October 1989), better known as PewDiePie, is a Swedish YouTuber, best known for his gaming videos. Kjellberg's popularity on YouTube and extensive media coverage have made him one of the most noted online pe ...
's first video about the game, which garnered over seven million views, and also named Jacksepticeye and The Gaming Lemon as further contributors to increasing ''Façade'' mainstream exposure. ''Game Developer'' commented that "arguably 'Façade''biggest impact is that people know what it is outside of the academic conference circuit". Some retrospective reviews have expressed mixed views on ''Façade's'' execution as a simulation of interpersonal interaction, with ''Rock Paper Shotgun'' observing that the subsequent influence of the game on the broader industry had been largely overstated. ''PC Gamer'' noted that "if you play ''Façade'' as it was intended...their AI system holds up remarkably well", praising the character reactions to player inputs, although noting the game's "reliance on genuine interaction...makes it ripe for abuse". Describing the game as "an experiment rather than a finished game", Chris Dahlen, writing for ''1001 Video Games You Must Play Before You Die'', noted "the graphics are basic, and the parser's not perfect; Grace and Trip often react to a suggestion they don't recognize with an awkward stare or look of horror." Although considering the game's praise as warranted and "hugely influential" of its time, Julie Fukunaga of ''Stanford Daily'' critiqued the game as "visually jarring" and "frequently glitchy", finding the narrative presented an unrealistic representation of marital conflict and featured "irredeemable characters".


See also

* Cybertext * Expressive Intelligence Studio


Notes


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Facade (video game) Freeware 2005 video games 2000s interactive fiction Art games Windows games MacOS games Video games developed in the United States Video games with cel-shaded animation Video games with gender-selectable protagonists Video games featuring non-playable protagonists Single-player video games Works about divorce Video games set in New York City American electronic literature works