Cutscene

The cutscene in the original Pac-Man game exaggerated the effect of the Energizer power pellet power-up.[1]

A cutscene or event scene (sometimes in-game cinematic or in-game movie) is a sequence in a video game that is not interactive, interrupting the gameplay. Such scenes are used to show conversations between characters, set the mood, reward the player, introduce newer models and gameplay elements, show the effects of a player's actions, create emotional connections, improve pacing or foreshadow future events.[2][3]

Cutscenes often feature "on the fly" rendering, using the gameplay graphics to create scripted events. Cutscenes can also be pre-rendered computer graphics streamed from a video file. Pre-made videos used in video games (either during cutscenes or during the gameplay itself) are referred to as "full motion videos" or "FMVs". Cutscenes can also appear in other forms, such as a series of images or as plain text and audio.

  1. ^ Matteson, Aaron. "Five Things We Learned From Pac-Man". Joystick Division. Archived from the original on June 16, 2016. Retrieved January 16, 2012. "This cutscene furthers the plot by depicting a comically large Pac-Man".
  2. ^ Hancock, Hugh (April 2, 2002). "Better Game Design Through Cutscenes". Gamasutra. Retrieved November 19, 2014.
  3. ^ Aaron, Marcus (2014). Design, User Experience, and Usability. User Experience Design for Diverse Interaction Platforms and Environments. Springer. p. 662. ISBN 978-3319076263. Retrieved November 19, 2014.