©2005 University of Central Florida Convergence Laboratory Provocative Statement: Truly interactive stories have yet to be successfully.

©2005 University of Central Floridawww.mcl.ucf.edu Media Convergence Laboratory

Provocative Statement:Provocative Statement:

Truly interactive stories have yet to be Truly interactive stories have yet to be successfully done outside of live successfully done outside of live

theater.theater.

Christopher StapletonChristopher StapletonDirector, Media Convergence Director, Media Convergence

LaboratoryLaboratoryFaculty, School of Film & Digital MediaFaculty, School of Film & Digital Media

Florida Interactive Entertainment Florida Interactive Entertainment AcademyAcademy

University of Central FloridaUniversity of Central Florida


Mission Statement:Mission Statement:

To create a truly interactiveTo create a truly interactive

and immersiveand immersive

story experience story experience

successfully outside of a live theater.successfully outside of a live theater.


I create story I create story experiences…experiences…

Universal Studios Islands of Adventure


QuickTime™ and aSorenson Video 3 decompressorare needed to see this picture.

Discovery Channel: Daily Planet

By melting the boundaries By melting the boundaries between real and virtual with between real and virtual with

Mixed RealityMixed Reality


It’s more than technology…It’s more than technology…It’s more than content…It’s more than content…

Mixed Reality Aquarium


It’s the Power of the It’s the Power of the Interactive ImaginationInteractive Imagination

““What is in the book What is in the book is only one fourth is only one fourth of the story. It is of the story. It is like an iceberg like an iceberg where three-where three-quarters of the quarters of the story you don’t story you don’t see, it is beyond see, it is beyond the page.”the page.”

Ernest HemingwayErnest Hemingway


Media Evolution Media Evolution (without (without Interactivity)Interactivity)One hundred years of successful passive One hundred years of successful passive mediamedia

From capturing motion to capturing From capturing motion to capturing imagination…imagination…


Media EvolutionMedia EvolutionExpanding capabilities to overwhelm the Expanding capabilities to overwhelm the sensessenses

Leaving little to the imaginationLeaving little to the imaginationand participation of the audienceand participation of the audience


Media Evolve = Audience Media Evolve = Audience DevolveDevolve

Television even laughs and applauds for usTelevision even laughs and applauds for us


Media Revolution, Beyond Media Revolution, Beyond InteractivityInteractivity

From mechanical & electronic capture…From mechanical & electronic capture…

to digital interactivity…to digital interactivity…to simulated to simulated

experience...experience...


Experiential Media: Experiential Media: Convergence of Media Convergence of Media

As immersive as Military As immersive as Military SimulationSimulation

As Intuitive as As Intuitive as PlayPlay

As Meaningful as As Meaningful as educationeducation

As visceral as a As visceral as a Theme parkTheme park

As compelling as As compelling as motion picturesmotion pictures

As interactive as video As interactive as video gamesgames


A hybrid of video game and theme park (on steroids)A hybrid of video game and theme park (on steroids)

Story ExperienceStory Experience


Is it interactive story or game?Is it interactive story or game?Same Characters, Emotions, Events, Same Characters, Emotions, Events,

EnvironmentsEnvironments

From Movie… to theme park… to video From Movie… to theme park… to video game…game…

From Story…to Play… to GameFrom Story…to Play… to Game


Game Developer:Game Developer:

““Too much story ruins a good game!”Too much story ruins a good game!”



““Too much story ruins a good game!”Too much story ruins a good game!”

““You stop the flow of the game…You stop the flow of the game…

…but it is OK for a reward at the end.”…but it is OK for a reward at the end.”



Too much story ruins a good game!Too much story ruins a good game!

Story Teller:Story Teller:

Too much game ruins a good story!Too much game ruins a good story!



Too much story ruins a good game!Too much story ruins a good game!

Story Teller:Story Teller:

Too much game ruins a good story!Too much game ruins a good story!

““You stop the flow of the story You stop the flow of the story Leave the interactivity to the game”Leave the interactivity to the game”


Expanding the Interactivity of Expanding the Interactivity of StoryStory

PASSIVEPASSIVE INTERACTIVEINTERACTIVE

GameGamessStoriesStories

Either / OrEither / Or



PASSIVEPASSIVE INTERACTIVEINTERACTIVE

Stories and gamesStories and games

ToTo

TelevisionTelevision

MindlessMindlessCaptivatingCaptivating

EntertainingEntertaining

FunFun

ExperiencExperiencee

EnthrallingEnthralling

Non-LinearNon-Linear

All-SensoryAll-Sensory

Interactive- Interactive-

ImaginationImagination

Sports/Sports/

TrainingTraining



PASSIVEPASSIVE

REACTIVEREACTIVE




FunFun

INTERACTIVEINTERACTIVE

ACTIVEACTIVETwitchingTwitchingExploratoryExploratory

Story-Story-

BranchingBranching

Peripheral-Peripheral-

SensorySensory

CuriosityCuriosity

Puzzles Puzzles

GamesGames

ANDAND

ExperiencExperiencee

EnthrallingEnthralling





Sports/Sports/

TrainingTraining

WigglingWigglingExhilaratinExhilaratin

gg

VisceralVisceral

Multi-Multi-

SensorySensory

TactileTactile

Theme Theme

ParksParks


Interactive Spectrum of StoryInteractive Spectrum of Story

PASSIVEPASSIVE

REACTIVEREACTIVEWigglingWigglingExhilaratinExhilaratin

gg

VisceralVisceral

Multi-Multi-

SensorySensory

TactileTactile

EngagingEngagingCompellingCompelling

IntellectualIntellectual

EmotionalEmotional




FunFun

INTERACTIVEINTERACTIVE

ACTIVEACTIVEExperiencExperienc

eeEnthrallingEnthralling





DREAMSDREAMS

TwitchingTwitchingExploratoryExploratory

Story-Story-

BranchingBranching

Peripheral-Peripheral-

SensorySensory

CuriosityCuriosity

CinemaCinema Theme Theme

ParksParksPuzzles Puzzles

GamesGames

MUDDsMUDDs

RPGsRPGsSports/Sports/

TrainingTraining

User-User-DrivenDriven

EngagingEngaging

UnpredictablUnpredictablee

User-Created User-Created

ContentContent

HapticHaptic

PUZZLEPUZZLESTORYSTORY GAMEGAME PLAYPLAY

ANDAND



What is the difference?



EMPATHY ME


PLAYPLAY GameGamessStoriesStories

Author Intent

Players Pursuit


Experiential Movie TrailerExperiential Movie Trailer

Immersed like a theme parkImmersed like a theme park

Looks like a filmLooks like a filmPlays like a gamePlays like a game


Convergence of story Convergence of story conventionconvention

StoryStory

GameGame

PlayPlay



ExposureExposureStoryStory

GameGame

PlayPlay

QuestionQuestion



ExposureExposure

UnderstandingUnderstandingCreateCreate

StoryStory

GameGame

PlayPlay

QuestionQuestion



ExposureExposureShareShare

ExpressionExpression


StoryStory

GameGame

PlayPlay

QuestionQuestion



ExposureExposureShareShare

Memorable Memorable ExperienceExperience

ExpressionExpression


StoryStory

GameGame

PlayPlay

QuestionQuestion


Entertainment, Training, Entertainment, Training, EducationEducation

The business of making memories for a lifetimeThe business of making memories for a lifetime


Interactive Narrative in Interactive Narrative in CyberspaceCyberspace

EnvironmentalEnvironmental EncyclopedicEncyclopedic ParticipatoryParticipatory ProceduralProcedural

-Janet Murray, Hamlet on the Holodeck-Janet Murray, Hamlet on the Holodeck


Interactive Story Research:Interactive Story Research:Passive to Interactive to experiential Passive to Interactive to experiential StorytellingStorytelling

Agency AbsorbingAuthoring

Actor

Audience

Author

Screen Play

Interactive Acting

Improvisation Theater

Participatory Theater

Screen Play

Role Playing Games

Video Games

Artificial Intelligence

Screen Play

Author’s Intent Player’s Pursuit


Procedural: Story Procedural: Story EngineEngineMR Engine: Modeling Human ExperienceMR Engine: Modeling Human Experience

Real-time, immersive, 3D, visceral multi-modalReal-time, immersive, 3D, visceral multi-modal


Mixed Fantasy ContinuumMixed Fantasy Continuum(adding imagination to (adding imagination to

technology)technology)

AugmentedAugmented Virtuality (AV)Virtuality (AV) Augmented Reality (AR)Augmented Reality (AR)

Imaginary Reality(Story)

FilmFilm

Magic ShowMagic Show NovelNovel

Virtual Reality(Media)

Compelling Mixed Reality

(The Play)

Traditional Traditional Theme parkTheme park

Ari

stot

le’s

-Med

ia-

Ari

stot

le’s

-Med

ia-

Imag

inat

ion

Con

tinu

um

Imag

inat

ion

Con

tinu

um

Milgram’s Reality-Virtuality ContinuumMilgram’s Reality-Virtuality Continuum

P.T

. Bar

nu

m R

ealit

y-P

.T. B

arn

um

Rea

lity-

Imag

inat

ion

Im

agin

atio

n

Con

tinu

um

Con

tinu

um

Physical Reality

(Interface)


We have just begun We have just begun inventing the future of inventing the future of

interactive storiesinteractive stories




We need to beWe need to beMaking Creative LeapsMaking Creative Leaps




We need toWe need toMaking Creative LeapsMaking Creative Leaps

Not just repeat successNot just repeat success


Melting the Boundaries Melting the Boundaries Between Science and Between Science and

FictionFiction

The Shared ImaginationThe Shared Imagination

http://www.mcl.ucf.edu © 2003 University of Central Florida [email protected]


We wish to thank our partners

Institute for Simulation and TrainingSchool of Computer ScienceSchool of Film and Digital Media

©2005 University of Central Florida Convergence Laboratory Provocative Statement: Truly interactive stories have yet to be successfully.

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