Connecting the Dots: Quantifying the Narrative Experience in Interactive Media
Studenteropgave: Kandidatspeciale og HD afgangsprojekt
- Hakon Jarl Hannesson
- Thorbjørn Reimann-Andersen
4. semester, Medialogi, Kandidat (Kandidatuddannelse)
In this paper narrative in interactive media is analyzed, with a special focus on emergent narrative. Based on the theory discussed, this paper details the creation of an online survey consisting of five narrative analysis methods. What these methods measure is: emergent narrative (questionnaire designed in this paper), narrative transportation, player immersion, individual game mechanics effect on emergence of narrative (questionnaire designed in this paper), and the Bartle player type. Each test subject answered the survey for one out of twenty games chosen for this research. The twenty games were chosen based to meet one of three inclusion criteria’s. Firstly on their descriptive narrative, which indicates a strong emergent narrative experience, communities, secondly the emergent narrative potential and thirdly for their use as comparative or baseline measurements. The test was conducted during a three week period in May-June 2015 and the survey received answers from 14 259 people. The results strongly indicate that the emergent narrative questionnaire worked in measuring emergent narrative, when compared to the self-reported emergent narrative experience. (P = 0.06 < 0.05) with a strong correlation of R (14) =0.947, p < 0.05. It is therefore assumed that the questionnaire created in this paper, worked relatively well in classifying emergent narrative based on the explanation given to the test subjects. Furthermore, the results also indicate that there is a medium and strong correlation between the emergent narrative questionnaire, and narrative transport or player immersion, R (14) = 0.559, P = 0.024 < 0.05 and R (14) = 0.521, P = 0.039 < 0.05 respectively. Narrative transport and immersion can therefore be concluded as significantly influential in games where emergent narrative is likely to appear. The amount of data gathered was great and covers a wide range of different aspects of the interactive narrative experience. Much further work is needed in order to analyze and look at this data, and we are sure there are still a number of interesting findings hiding within it.
Specialiseringsretning | Spil |
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Sprog | Engelsk |
Udgivelsesdato | 30 jun. 2015 |
Antal sider | 138 |
ID: 215614907