Point of View

Okay, guys. I'm going to try to use video game screenshots to show you Point of View (POV) in action. Let's go.

First Person POV is simple. The narrator is a character in the story. We see the story through that character's eyes.

Here I am playing Minecraft, looking at my pig and chicken (or is it a duck?) We know that I'm playing in first person, because I see the world (or story or game) through the eyes of a person in that world.

Third Person Limited POV is a little more complex.  The narrator is not a character in the story but tells the story through one person's experiences and thoughts.

Here I am playing Modern Warfare 3, obviously being a saboteur (shame on me).  We know that I'm playing in third person limited, because I see the world from the eyes of a nameless camera (the narrator) who is not a character in the story.  However, the camera (or narrator) follows one character around for the whole time.

Third Person Omniscient is simple.  The narrator is not a character in the story but tells the story through many people's experiences and thoughts.  This guy knows everything!

Here I am playing Age of Empires III, and I've just made it to the Fortress Age.  We know that I'm playing a third person omniscient game, because the camera is not a character in the story and it focuses on more than one character--in this case, all of the guys with blue bars over their heads.

So, think of changes in POV as a gradual zooming out.  In first person, we are as close as it gets.  Zoom out a little, and you get third person limited.  Zoom out even more, and you get third person omniscient.

Note: you will also learn about second person POV, but I could not figure out a video game that uses it.  I'll discuss that in another post.  (By the way, if you have an example, either post it in the comments, or tell me in class.  I would love to add it if it works!)

Click on the "point of view" label to see more lessons on this topic!

Now, in the name of full disclosure, I will admit that I was not the one playing these games.  While I have indeed played all of these games (some better than others), I found these screenshots using a Google image search.  They are courtesy of the following websites:

http://vygame.net

http://tube.7s-b.com

http://www.planetxbox360.com