GameFrame: Lessons on Perseverance from the Video Game Medievil
It appears the workplace has become even more critical of original ideas. Although being desirable in terms of having clear directions of certain procedures, maintaining clarity at all cost has led to a decrease in original thinking. Not only are corporate phrases being made fun of on social media, but relevant general management publishers have been advising on how to be entertaining in the workplace, such as Harvard Business Review. Books like Big Magic encourage original thought and thinking of the workplace differently, which is often just a method of virtue signalling in the modern workplace.
My research augments this work by exploring the potential of aesthetic storytelling to help improve the modern workplace by recognizing, appealing to, and harnessing the power of humanity at work.
Aesthetic storytelling refers to the use of visual elements such as images, videos, and graphics to tell a story. Aesthetic sstorytelling can be very effective in building attachment with employees because it appeals to them on multiple levels. It entertains them while conveying important information about the desired topic. Essentially, aesthetic storytelling relies on artistic elements that go beyond cognitive processing and trigger emotional responses to make the message more memorable. You may not remember the whole story, but you will instantly remember how a certain element of the story made you feel.
Like all powerful stories, memorable video game stories are written to be emotionally engaging. Games challenge players to overcome the hurdles and puzzles posed to the protagonist and make such narratives visually experiential. Multimedia aspects of video games create emotionally engaging aesthetic experiences and provide a wide range of symbols that can be interpreted by the player. Meaning is deciphered at a deeper level, while the superficial level is about entertainment while playing the game.
Exploring the realm of video game insights for leaders
Opinions about the use of video games in leadership and professional development are somewhat mixed.
Some leaders and professionals view video games as a valuable tool for developing skills such as problem solving, decision making, and strategic thinking, and believe that video games can be used to simulate real-world scenarios. They believe that video games can be used to simulate real-world scenarios. Video games provide us with an interesting and varied way to learn about new situations in an interactive and engaging way, without adding to an already stressful workday. However, others believe that video games are a distraction and have no place in professional development. They argue that video games are not a substitute for traditional learning methods and that time spent playing video games could be better spent on other activities.
“GameFrame” is an original concept Carin and I came up with to frame key lessons from game narratives. It refers to the idea of using the narrative structure and design elements of video games as a framework for learning and development.
GameFrame involves analyzing the gameplay, story, and mechanics of a video game to identify and frame key lessons that can be applied to real-world scenarios in management and other fields. In this way, the lessons become more relevant and actionable without requiring leaders to play the video game themselves. Or it can inspire them to try something new and encourage different thinking.
Recently, I rediscovered an old video game that I loved to play as a kid — “MediEvil”, which came out for the PlayStation in 1998. There’s something powerful about older games with poor graphics because they all seemed so real. They stimulated the imagination and caused us players to imagine the rest of the plot. Graphics aside, this GameFrame can teach us a valuable lesson about being resilient and embracing our true selves as leaders.
MediEvil: The classic redemption story?
Once upon a time, the evil sorcerer Zarok hid after being defeated by the arcane hero Sir Daniel Fortesque in the great battle for the kingdom of Gallowmere. Hundreds of years later, the kingdom downsized its armies and the evil wizard decided to raise an army of the dead to take over the kingdom. By mistake, Zarok awakened the body of Sir Daniel, who becomes the only hope for Gallowmere.
As Sir Daniel, you fight the raised dead, and by defeating them you’ll free their soul from the burden imposed by the evil sorcerer. You’ll solve puzzles to get through the levels and build your character for the final “boss” fight (battle against the strongest enemy in the level or a game fragment) against Zarok.
The challenges increase as you advance, and your character gradually acquires new weapons that do more damage. You, the player, also develop your puzzle-solving and platforming skills, as new mechanics are introduced in the game’s later levels. The final “boss” fight is its own puzzle, in which you’ll defeat the evil wizard Zarok and come to your rest.
But that’s a boring story, where’s the catch?
The catch is in the story itself. Sir Daniel was only a common soldier in the great battle for the kingdom of Gallowmere, not a hero. In fact, he was the first soldier to fall in battle, being struck in the eye by an arrow in an odd twist of faith. The injury remains after he rises from the dead.
As a cruel joke, Daniel had been praised as the hero who had defeated the evil sorcerer. In time this joke became the truth: he was posthumously awarded a knighthood. For all true heroes, Daniel was a clown and a symbol of incompetence coupled with bad luck, and definitely not worthy of praise.
So he is, in a sense, an impostor. He happens to be raised from the dead and remains the only hope of Gallowmere because all the other great heroes of the great battle were turned into bronze statues after their deaths. They cannot be resurrected but their ghosts populate the Hall of Heroes, an area that Daniel visits after successfully completing each level. When you complete all the objectives, the heroes reward you with their weapons, accepting you as a true hero. You become one of them.
Sir Daniel, the outsider, needs to overcome doubt others have in him in order to earn the respect of the true heroes, his reference group, whose recognition he seeks.
Sir Daniel is a skeleton who is often accused of having no brains, which would make it impossible for him to solve the puzzles in the game. And the snide comments from the Heroes do not make it easy for him. He wants to show everyone that he belongs there and has earned his hero title. But he has no jaw, so his actions need to speak for themselves in order to become real.
Praised by the common people and ridiculed by the experts, Sir Daniel is a classic example of an individual shaping his impressions through actions, which are then used to gain an advantage and shows how difficult it is to restore a damaged reputation.
The power of myths and gossip in the workplace
Time for a short break from the video game. It’s time to talk about gaming in the workplace and our stories in the office. A great example of how workplace stories shape the narrative of reality in the workplace are hero stories, self-advocating personal branding narrative, and gossip.
We’ve all been Sir Daniel in one way or another during our careers where someone has spread gossip about us and we’ve had to deal with it to some degree.
Gossip is one of the most powerful tools we have in the workplace. It can be used as currency we trade, or as a voice of the people which can help understand informal organizational structures and how people respond to organizational change. While some view gossip as harmless fun, it can actually have a serious impact on your career advancement. It can be used to build relationships or destroy them. If colleagues are whispering behind your back, they’re probably not very willing to help you climb the corporate ladder. They may even block your attempts at advancement altogether. Gossip about how Sir Daniel managed to become a knight limited the other heroes’ willingness to cooperate. A seemingly trivial story has big implications.
When it comes to shaping reality, gossip can be incredibly influential. It can spread false stories about managers, team members, or even organizational departments and ultimately have a negative impact on team effectiveness. Are we really bullies and assholes who do not respect our colleagues? Could the influence of perceived disrespect in the workplace, influenced by the stories others tell about us and the stories we tell ourselves, be to blame?
Self-enhancing stories make it easy to create mythical heroes in the workplace. Narcissists in the workplace use this particularly effectively to boost their performance and contributions.
Stories in the workplace that portray you as a hero can have a significant impact on your career advancement. When your colleagues or manager tell stories about how you went above and beyond to help them, it can lead others to view you as a valuable employee and potential leader. It can also help solidify your reputation as someone who is capable of solving problems. Consequently, these stories can help you advance in your career faster than if you did not have such stories to tell.
However, there is also a downside to being known as a “hero” at work.
First, it can be difficult to live up to such an image — no one wants to be seen as infallible. Second, you might find that your colleagues expect you to solve every problem or find miraculous solutions. Besides, people do not like brown heroes. And when something goes wrong (and it often does), you are likely to be held accountable for your actions — even if you did not actually have any control over them. Sir Daniel had to fill a major capability gap to meet these heroic expectations because he was a complete warfare rookie.
Sir Daniel’s secret weapon: the character arc
Myths in the workplace often contain archetypes and symbols that represent deeper truths about how we see ourselves and the world around us. We often have unrealistic expectations about our work and our behavior in the workplace. When these expectations are not met, we can feel disappointed or even disillusioned with our careers. Sir Daniel decided to rise to the challenge and get the job done.
A character arc is the development of a character over the course of a story. It can be described as a journey that the character goes through from beginning to end.
The purpose of a character arc is to show the growth or change in the character’s thoughts, feelings, and behavior. Starting with the initial desire or motivation to begin the journey, the character is faced with challenges that prevent the achievement of that goal.
As these challenges progress, the character’s story arc evolves and teaches them what the true need is. Sir Daniel wanted to defeat Zarok. In fact, he needed the approval of his affinity group to feel purposeful. Act of acceptance is symbolized by the last weapon unlocked in the game, the Mastery of Lightning, which happens to be the strongest weapon in the game and represents the combined power of the heroes in the Hall of Heroes. In the final battle, Sir Daniel raises an army of fallen heroes to fight Zarok’s army of the dead and heals them with this lightning. In the end, he lives up to the myth for which he was mocked and becomes a hero general.
So what can we learn from the videogame MediEvil?
Medievil is an excellent example of a lesson about resilience for leaders because the protagonist is initially portrayed as a heroic and accomplished knight, but is later revealed to actually be an incompetent and unqualified impostor.
Such a narrative arc can serve as a metaphor for leaders who struggle with proving themselves and shows the importance of accepting and embracing one’s limitations. The game also shows how Sir Daniel overcomes his personal insecurities and becomes a true hero by accepting his weaknesses and using his unique skills to ultimately succeed. This arc carries a couple of valuable lessons to consider when dealing with adversity in the workplace:
- Actions speak louder than words. One of the main themes of MediEvil is redemption and a second chance. Sir Daniel does not have a jaw to advocate for himself, but he’s willing to rip off his arm if no other weapons are available to continue his journey. No matter what cards you get, you have agency over them.
- Be yourself. I know that’s corny. But being yourself is the best way to counter the feeling of feeling like an impostor. Although he’s risen from the dead, Sir Daniel has retained all his quirks and personality traits from when he was alive. He ‘speaks’ in an old-fashioned way, mispronounces words, and generally acts like someone who isn’t used to modern society. Don’t be afraid to be different — people will appreciate you more for who you really are than for who you pretend to be.
- Life isn’t always fair…but sometimes it’s a matter of time and perspective if we play the game to the end. One thing that is definitely not in Sir Daniel’s favor is luck (it’s practically non-existent). But instead of letting it get him down, he uses it as motivation to work harder and achieve his goals anyway. The lesson here? No matter how bad things seem sometimes, there’s always a way to overcome them, as long as you’re willing to try hard enough. Even if that means ripping your arm off to catch the thieving imp that stole your sword!
- There is no time like the present. There is an old saying from somewhere in Europe, suggesting that Nature serves you with a comb once you are bald. In other words, the experience you need today, you will learn tomorrow when you no longer need it. You learn best by doing, and if you fail in your attempts, that’s fine as long as you learn from it what needs improvement.
Video games are a great pastime, but they can also provide valuable real-life lessons. Sir Daniel is not a corporate talent, BUT some of the lessons he learns on his journey can be applied to everyday corporate life. If only we could bridge the gap between the real world and the possible world through our imaginations…
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This article was written by
Antonio Sadaric is passionately curious about organizational symbolism, corporate cultism and general mechanisms of social learning in various contexts. His consulting work at BUFFED focuses on leadership upskilling and helping (fin)tech scale-ups humanize organizational development. Co-author of Capt. Bossman’s Workplace Stories — the world’s first picture book for professionals.
Carin-Isabel Knoop leads the Harvard Business School’s research and case writing group and has helped HBS faculty members write more than 200 case studies on organizations and managers around the world. Learning about managers’ challenges pushed her to make their lives better, which lead to the publication of Compassionate Management of Mental Health at Work with Professor John A Quelch (Springer, 2018). She also co-founded HSIO (Human Sustainability Inside Out), and speaks and publishes about mental health in the U.S., French, and Spanish-language spheres. She enjoys soft-serve ice cream, pragmatic idealists, and postcard writing.
