From: Rob Kall (smile_at_compuserve.com)
Date: 2001-05-31 15:57:02
Message text written by "John S. Anderson, MA"
>
Actually, video games are engaging for far different reasons than even the
most stimulating neurofeedback display.
I want my clients to remain engaged in the process. If an engaging
display,
game format, interesting sounds and visual feedback encourages that
interest, then I'm all for it.<
Funny you should mention video games. For about two years now, I've had a
growing itnerest in the science of STORY-- structure, elements, dynamics,
hero's journey, etc.
To that end, I have actually begun organizing a meeting for writers,
screenwriters, narratologists, mythologists,algorithm and game developers
on the Science of Story. (Late September, 2002 LA, CA) and already have 16
speakers.
That's where this post comes in. I just reviewed a realvideo lecture on the
use of story in games, and it seems that the better games do have stories
woven into them.
Simpler games just have shooting and fighting, but when it's possible to
put characters the game player can relate to, and challenges which engage
the player, games retain their interest and "replay" value longer.
This is an aspect of biofeedback software that has yet to be developed. I
can imagine characters who go through different adventures, who gain powers
or new weapons after reaching certain criteria levels with biofeedback,
(current score keeping could provide the point counts. )
One consideration in good story development is that the protagonist and
other main characters go through a "character arc" of personal growth or
change (sometimes for the worse.)
One example of this in biofeedback is by the Israeli firm, Ultramind,
headed by Tuvi Orbach, in which a sea creature, as it performs better w ith
GSR feedback, evolves to a land dwelling human. I'd be curious if I am
missing any other examples. It seems most of the animation biofeedback out
there consists of simple cartoons or games which just keep score, rather
than more sophisticated plots as I've described.
It seems to me it ought to be possible to build in character "evolution"
over sessions, using across session data as well as real time feedback. The
evolution might be in the form of getting access to more powers, faster
response times, higher "levels" of the game, etc.
Just a thought for you software developers out there.
Rob Kall
If anyone is interested in seeing what I've put together on the storycon
conference so far, e-mail me and I'll send you a speaker prospectus
Futurehealth, Inc.
211 N. Sycamore St., Newtown, PA 18940 215-504-1700, fax 215-860-5374
www.futurehealth.org
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are after. " Henry David Thoreau 1817-1862
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