The Cast

  Probably the most obvious and essential to a story are its characters.  Characters give a story life, excitement, conflict, and resolution.  Without characters stories would probably be abstract and non-linear.  Characters, as they pertain to video games, are controlled by game players and it is left to the players to define who the character is that they are controlling.  I have heard that all the character development happens in cut scenes of games to further the story and that the player does not have control over those inner thoughts or feelings of characters that lead them to act a certain way.  Interestingly enough, some recent games have attempted to fix this consensus, and although the methods are not perfect, they show that the future holds serious potential for complete control over playable characters.

    The role-playing game Mass Effect has noteworthy features of character development through its character creation process.  When you first create your character you can choose your gender and choose various background and visual elements to personalize your character, but also shape his or her identity. You may also choose from three different classes: a soldier, an engineer, or a biotic.  Each class has its advantages, disadvantages, and special abilities that pertain to it, but you can also be a hybrid of different classes if you so choose.  The great thing about all of these features is that during the game you encounter other characters and you must engage in conversation with them.  Based on the things you made your character out to be determines how you get spoken to by others and in essence, how you are thought of in the game world.  Also, when you are talking to other characters in the game you are given the choice of how to respond to them; how you respond will dictate what kind of person you are by adding points to two categories: Paragon and Renegade.  Paragon is the "good guy," I mean you are already a good guy to start the game, but this classification means that you are polite, cool, etc.  Renegade, however, means that you talk violently, take no bullshit, and that you threaten people.  This has a great impact on the overall story because you become notorious or "that guy" within the game world and it shows.  All of your actions based on what type of person your character is will affect the ending of the story as well and playing through the game as a different class gives some variance in game play as well.  

Main character as a Renegade.  The red/orange meter by his head shows that he is almost a 100% villainous, hardcore, Terminator-like bad-ass.  The light blue meter shows how much "good" is in him or his potential to be good.  His personal features also change with his personality of what the player makes him to be.  His face seriously looks evil.     

In contrast to the Renegade above, this woman is almost 100% Paragon.  She is not evil at all really and it shows in her "Talents" panel in the right of this screenshot.  She is not intimidating and has incredible charm. How fitting.  Obviously this can all change and she can be a tough girl  who may give ol' John (just above her) a run for his money.  

Features like these tend to only show up in role-playing games, but hey, it's a great start to what can hopefully become a game player essentially controlling his or her own character development and story with the movement of a joystick and pressing some buttons.