10.1 Introduction

The clock hands have slowed to a crawl. Dinner feels like an eternity. The conversation sounds to me like it is echoing through a long pipe. The food is fine, the conversation is not uninteresting, but I am struggling to avoid running back to the TV. No, I am not missing my favorite network TV program. I cannot wait to return to a game on my Sony Playstation where my character has just been captured by terrorists. The terrorists are holding a U.S. nuclear facility in Alaska and are blackmailing the U.S. government. Earlier, they captured my partner and are threatening to kill her. I have been trying to break out of the cell where they are holding me between torture sessions. I have not yet discovered how to escape, but ideas are bouncing around in my head and I can hardly wait to try them.

This is the best combination of cinematic narrative and interactive game play that I have ever experienced, and I am severely entranced. A few million other people are also shelling out their entertainment budget for the month for this game. The market has spoken, and this is a must-have game because it provides an exciting and unique experience. What makes a game great? What magic potion hides within that piece of plastic that causes many millions of people to spend $50 of their discretionary money and 50 hours of their lives with software designed to be difficult to...