There are many differences between motion pictures and computer narratives. The most apparent difference between the two mediums is the usage of real people and avatars. In motion pictures, real people are used to act out a movie or TV episode. Meanwhile, computer generated avatars are created in video games. These avatars serve as the “actors” in video games and as the main characters of the story as well. The environment varies greatly in each of these mediums as well. For motion pictures, the creators of the film or TV series need to make sure the costumes they create, the furniture they purchase, etc., properly fit the world they want to represent. For video gaming, every diegetic aspect is created by CGI technology, so the designers of the video game can create anything they need for their project virtually.

Another major difference between video gaming and motion pictures is the general theme of control. Motion pictures are passive, they are presented to you and then you observe them. However, in video games, you are able to take control of an avatar and play interactively. The aspect that control greatly affects is the narrative. While watching a motion picture, the narrative proceeds linearly from beginning to end and you have no control of the outcome. Video game narratives, especially "Call of Duty," have been making great strides and creating narratives in their campaign that are very similar to motion picture narratives. They’ll hire well-known actors to do voice overs for the avatars and hire big name directors and writers to create the narrative.The difference between computer gaming and motion picture narratives is that you take control of one of the avatars and how you act and play the game directly affects the outcome of the narrative, leaving the narrative open. In video games, there are many more protagonists involved with the narrative, which usually means you are able to play as multiple protagonists in the game.

Also, cinematic trailers play a vital role in the difference between these mediums. If a video game comes out with a cinematic trailer, it has the overall professional feel of a movie trailer. However, what gets the viewer of a cinematic trailer more excited is that while watching the trailer, the viewer knows that he’ll be able to go out and play the game himself rather than go to a theater to passively watch the motion picture.