iMyth

Tag: Interactive Storytelling

  • Microsoft’s Holographic HoloLens Experience

    Here it is guys and galls. Microsoft, in support for their Windows 10, released information about a holographic AR headset they have been working on called, “HoloLens”. With Hololens, the user’s perspective of reality is altered and changed.

    Microsoft HoloLens

    In my prior article, Immersive Storyworld, I call for a technology which transforms an existing physical reality into a new alternative virtual storyworld. Will HoloLens be able to satisfy that need? It hard to tell, I’ll need to grab one of these, along with an Occulus Rift, and do me best to start developing a virtual reality experience. Time will tell.

  • Animating Camera Direction in VR

    Challenges For VR Animators

    This article explains some of the problems associated with storyTelling in VR. It also provides some initial methods how animators are resolving them.

    I added an article summary in a new page: Animating Camera Direction in VR

  • Message From Kim Davidson

    Message From Kim Davidson

    While this is a sponsored add, I think Kim Davidson does a spectacular job introducing how procedural tools, such as Houdini, can be used for generating Grammar Based Universes. I believe, in the very near future, the consumer demand for digital assets and digital content will exceed the supply of available resources. In other words, there will be more demand for game, film and other digital media assets than the world’s digital artists can supply. Procedural techniques will be necessary to meet the demand. I further believe that for interactive Storytelling to take off, the interactive experiences will probably take place within Grammar Based Storyworlds. When the story worlds are Grammar Based, or procedurally generated, the individual experiencing the Storyworld is bound only by his imagination and rules originally generated by the Storyworld creators.

  • Possible Directions for VR?

    I came upon an article from Gamasutra lately discussing the possible avenues upon which VR could entertain:

    http://gamasutra.com/blogs/KimberlyVoll/20141028/228726/Game_Design_in_VR_Pushing_Off_from_a_New_Frontier.php

    Ultimately the article says that if VR is only good for first person shooters, what else can it be used for?

    The article mentions that one of the possible uses of VR could be towards interactive storytelling:

    “Interactive narrative (an opportunity to generate different points of connection brought about by presence in a story)”

    I concur with this belief for it is one of the angle upon which I believe I will be able to launch Raconteur. Interactive Storytelling is still in its infancy. There is a mountain of work needed to be done before anything like the Holodeck is created. In the US, money for research flows where there is opportunity to make money. This is where I believe VR can help interactive Storytelling. I consulted Chris Crawford about this opportunity. He concluded the more substantial problems of language were slowing the progress of Interactive Storytelling, “the central problems in interactive storytelling are not matters of presentation; our killer problems are matters of language.”

    Indeed, VR may be a superficial aspect of Interactive Storytelling especially concerning interpersonal interactions within the story. However, VR Is “virtually” here. By exploiting this wave I feel we could piggy-back the realm of Interactive Storytelling to increase attention and ultimately funding for addressing the big problems within the field. The more people and we have creating demand for Interactive Storytelling, the greater the opportunity to mature it to its full potential.

  • Why Raconteur’s Business Model will Succeed

    I look for occasional motivations and conformations that what I am trying to do with Raconteur is the right thing and the approach I am taking will succeed.

    I recent came upon this article in Gamasutra which talks about the business side of game authoring:

    http://www.gamasutra.com/blogs/PaulWu/20141110/229786/How_to_Make_Games_a_Real_Business.php

    While I am not trying to develop Raconteur as a computer game company, I am trying to develop it as a juxtaposition with the film world. This article explains many of the problems plaguing game developers and offers possible solutions to resolve those issues. These solutions are are mostly taken from the film world. I have integrated many of these same concepts into the Raconteur business model.
    This mutual thought process gives me inspiration that the direction I am trying to take Raconteur is a good one.

  • Back After a Long Siesta

    Greetings – I have been asleep at the wheel lately and not contributing to my blog. This does not mean, however, that I have not been looking for inspiration and other motivations into the realm of immersive interactive storytelling.

    I will be flooding my blog with all of the goodies which I have collected over the past few months. As always, if you have any questions or concerns, do not hesitate in dropping them by.

  • 4 Layers of Interactive Narrative in Games

    Check out this new article a created Based on the article Thomas Grip created for his lecture at the GDC.

    4 Layers of Interactive Narrative in Games.

    I think it is interesting because it may be a methodology to incorporate plot and story into an otherwise barren sandbox. The Crawford engine is plagued by this constant threat. This will always be the responsibility of the content creator. However, if tools and workflows are incorporated to help facilitate this way of thought, the task of creating an open story world with plot can become a reality.

  • Grammar Based Facades

    This is very cool and has me super excited

    [embedyt]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rS-PLQ3tfzY[/embedyt]

    This is a way to define the look, style and motif through a grammar based facade.

    When used by an interactive storyteller, entire worlds can be generated rapidly.

    Of course, down the road, more variability will be needed. However, this is a great start. I look forward to be able to use tech like this in the very near future.

  • No Man’s Sky

    I have done very little in the world of Interactive Storytelling recently. The game title I am associated with has been in Alpha for the last month. We just went past “Art Freeze”  which means the real bugs are being resolved.

    Needless to say, one of the biggest news items was the big hit at E3 last week. No Man’s Sky was evidently the darling of the show.

    [embedyt]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZO40WBNA60[/embedyt]

    I am really excited about this development. Here is an interactive procedural universe crawler. Now this may not be the most “plot-driven” of storyworlds. It does represent an initial, procedurally generated universe that has gained some commercial appeal.

    This game has yet to be release. There is no telling if it will actually be a commercial hit or not. However, if it it it will be one of the first, commercially viable interactive story worlds.  As a game it may not be spectacular. However, as an open, expansive and unlimited universe it is a pioneer; one which others will follow and start building on the expertise.

    I am very excited for these fellow and hope they have a big hit on their hands. It will open the doors for future, unbounded story worlds. As defined before, it will be considered as the “First”  “Grammar Based Universe”.

    Very Exciting!

  • Chris Crawford’s On Interactive Storytelling

    I have been crazy busy at work delivering the next big installment to the annual video game empire.  I have not had much time to do any research let alone do any blogging.

    I finally finished reading Chris Crawford’s On Interactive Storytelling, V2. It is dramatically different from the first version. In my humble opinion the second version is easier to read and overall less biased by Chris Crawford’s ego. The overall tone of the book is not necessarily one of optimism but of sobering reality. Crawford believes in the inevitable evolution of interactive storytelling. However, he warns of the present and future pitfalls. He also does a fair job of tearing down current attempts to create the new media form. I found this to be disappointing. I wanted to find directions and signposts that would help guide new interactive storytellers on the path of success. That is not to be found here. What you will find are descriptions of others’ attempts and why Crawford believes they failed. He outlines what he thinks to be a stable foundation for an interactive storytelling engine. But he himself can not guarantee success. To be fair, Crawford does a good job interpreting his own attempts and justifying their failures. In all I found this version to be an essential text describing the current state of the art in interactive storytelling. It explains the successes and failures of the evolution. Anyone who is thinking of pursuing interactive storytelling should read this to help guide their own development and be entertained as Crawford playfully rips apart everyone and himself.