ABSTRACT
Games present some unique challenges because the aesthetic experience of playing a game is different than watching a movie in a theatre. Because acting theory is based upon observing and understanding human behavior, the basic rules apply unilaterally to stage, movies, television and video games. In a video game, the player is generally part of the action; in other words, she is an actual character in the game—except during cinematics, at which point the player sits back and watches a movie just as he would in a regular cinema. It is important, especially for game designers, to understand how this switching of aesthetic postures back and forth affects acting. Character faces in general are a challenge in games, which is why so many of them feature masks, oversized goggles or dark glasses that hide the face.
