#SourcesSignificance

[pavelmamichev]

Sources and Significance - Critical Analysis

Carpenter, J. (2023). 'The Aesthetics of Human-Machine Interaction: Generative Textuality in Hello Games’s No Man’s Sky'. Journal of Aesthetics and Phenomenology. 9(2). pp. 184–185. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1080/20539320.2022.2150464 [Accessed 07th January 2024]

This article examines generative technology using the video game ‘No Man’s Sky’ as an example and the human-machine interaction that this technology can create. The author Justin Carpenter’s (a PhD in English and Literature) research focuses on the genealogy of the term ‘generative’. He also researches topics such as aesthetics, philosophy, and technology.

The reason I have chosen to write about this article is because I it is truly relevant to my practise. This is because the generative technology it mentions is becoming increasingly used in video games in our day and age, especially now that AI is becoming incorporated into many things (which can take the generative technology used in video games to a whole new level). I believe this technology if used right will aid in the development of most video games to come.

The video game “No Man’s Sky” is a space exploration sandbox game where the player is thrown into a universe of an epic scale, this scale is achieved via the implementation of generative systems. No Man’s Sky was one of the first games that attempted to utilise almost exclusively generative systems to shape itself, thus it is very relevant when discussing this topic.

In the beginning of the article, the author describes the video game No Mans Sky and discusses generative art theory and its history. Even stating that “generative art theory has preceded computers by thousands of years” giving examples such as “perspective” and “the golden section” which are techniques used in many art pieces both old and new”. However, I think the generative technology we use in modern day video games is much more complex than these examples and thus deserving a separate corridor from these older concepts, nonetheless this was an interesting perspective even though I don’t fully agree with it.

The section of the article I would like to focus on most are pages 184 and 185, these pages focus on “The procedural relationship between authorship, agency, and emergence in No Man’s Sky”. I find this section the most interesting as it brings together the previous points of the article and discusses these concepts more in depth, the author also gives more of his thoughts/opinions about them rather than describing the game or the theories themselves.

Here, the author states that with generative narratives, the player can influence outcomes and better create emergent experiences, while also adding that in video games, it is required that the player adopts a “lusory attitude” to better adopt the potentially “arbitrary or irrational” roles that the game requires of them to be more immersed.

He then references some ideas from a paper called “Games are Not” (2017) by David Myers which argues that the way in which meaning or information is created within games, if guided by the rules and procedures of the game itself act much differently from the way in which meaning, or information is typically understood outside of video games. This essentially means that in real life, we find meaning from more diverse and subjective experiences. However, in video games these experiences are shaped and constrained by the rules/narrative of the game.

After this, the author states that the forces through which players experiment with whilst playing the game, such as mechanics, gameplay loops and systems need not be opposed to narrative but rather should be part of the narrative itself.

This statement is then connected closer with No Man Sky and the author mentions that players lacked purpose because while the game had an immense and endless scale, it lacked depth. Each planet or creature encountered is like the previous in many ways. Players were able to endlessly explore this universe and perform various activities from “mining, flying to spelunking” but the game does not provide any good reasons to do so. This means that the generative systems were simply generating similar iterations of the same subjects (planets/creatures/fauna/etc).

The author then explains that eventually the player meets a character named “Atlas” a machine intellect who tries to give the player a sense of purpose via the goal of trying to reach the centre of the universe. However, once the player achieves this long and arduous goal, the game simply births a star and gives the player the same goal of getting to the centre of this new universe, thus prolonging the game infinitely. I believe this makes the player feel cheated by the developers who seem as if they were lacking the time/planning to create a worthwhile ending.

In the next section the text states that the developer “Hello Games” has attempted to address these issues with the game but have not been fully successful in doing so. They have added more activities and content to do in game but have not managed to fix the underlying issues with the generative systems that the game uses. The author then gives a quote by game critic Gareth Damian who said that No Mans Sky is not an an unlimited universe but rather a small universe that has many limits, the limits are recombined into endless variations to provide some illusion of scale, but this is easy for any player to see-through.

In conclusion, I think that anyone who plays No Man’s Sky will indeed produce their own emergent narratives to a small extent thanks to the generative systems in play. However this experience will not be so unique or separate from any other player (which makes the implementation of the generative systems lacklustre). The systems, in their current implementation at least, are not able to create a true emergent experience for the player. However I believe the use of these systems in No Mans Sky was still an important experiment in the history of video games and may prove to be a step in the right direction if future developers decide to expand and improve upon this technology.

To fully utilise this technology it should be combined with AI, as the main issue with the implementation of generative systems here is that they are limited to the initial algorithm or set of rules that the developer has set. The solution would be to create complex generative systems that produce other complex generative systems and so on and are smart enough to react with each other. I believe this would in theory create the kind of living universe that No Mans Sky attempted to because the generative systems will in this case be doing much more than simply creating different variations of the same few objects/patterns/algorithms.

References

Myers, David. (2017). Games are not: The difficult and definitive guide to what video games are. Manchester University Press.

Martin, Gareth Damian. (2016). “No Man’s Sky is a Theater of Processes". Kill Screen.

[pavelmamichev]

Sources and Significance - Reader

1.

Habel, C. Kooyman, B. (2013). 'Agency mechanics: gameplay design in survival horror video games'. Digital Creativity, 25(1). Available at: https://doi.org/10.1080/14626268.2013.776971 [Accessed 07th January 2024]

The article here analyses and reviews how developers use interactivity/agency mechanisms in their video game’s systems in horror games, particularly the “Dead Space” series. Even though this is published in 2013, Dead Space has recently gotten a remake in 2023, the systems in the game hold up very well even in modern times and thus I feel like this article is still very relevant.

The article suggests that a more explicit focus on agency mechanics in Horror Games could significantly improve the experience and that by focusing on this as well as the way the player interacts with these mechanic’s developers can expand their horizons of current game design limitations.

I found this article interesting because it talks about how in many horror games the locomotion is constricted, for instance in some parts of the level allowing movement only in tight corridors to get to the next part of the level. I think this point, as well as others in the article are useful pieces of knowledge that could help design levels/environments for horror video games in my future work.

2.

Collins, K. (2009). 'An Introduction to Procedural Music in Video Games'. Contemporary Music Review. 28(1). Available at: https://doi.org/10.1080/07494460802663983 [Accessed 07th January 2024]

This article discusses procedural music techniques used in video games as well as the future of this method of creating video game music. It states these techniques are not widely used even though they have a lot of potential for various reasons, for instance many people believe Linear music is of higher quality due to being able to use orchestra rather than music created digitally. The article predicts that in the future algorithms may be used to create particularly compelling procedural music in games.

While I am not currently studying music at university, I do create some digital music in my spare time with the hopes of creating my own video game in the future. I also believe some knowledge of music is helpful even for the artist/designer not only the musician as this allows the imagination to greater expand when creating concepts. Procedural music is particularly important for video games as I believe with the advent of AI it will become a more popular method of making music.

3.

Jones, A. (2015). Heaven's Hell. Culver City: Design Studio Press.

This book showcases the work of artist “Anthony Jones”. It features many compelling, interesting, and mysterious concept artworks and illustration of creatures and strange beings in a dreamlike world called “Heaven’s Hell”. A melancholy reality after death that incorporates elements of both Heaven and Hell.

I find this book useful to my own concept artwork because its emphasis drawing from imagination without much or no reference. Because of this, the artwork here is more different/unusual than many other concept artworks. It takes the opposite approach of having an idea, then looking for references and then trying to draw something. Rather it showcases the possibilities of taking a more creative approach of simply allowing what is in the imagination to fill the paper and thus creating something the viewer hasn’t seen before or can’t figure out the meaning of immediately.

4.

Goldfinger, E. (1991). Human Anatomy for Artists: The Elements of Form. New York: Oxford University Press.

Although this is published in 1991, this is still the most detailed and comprehensive book on anatomy I could find that is written specifically for artists. It’s a huge book that covers the process and techniques of drawing human figures, breaking down what goes on under the skin when the human form is in different poses or encounters light/shadow. Not only explaining these things but also showing the correct way to draw these elements.

This book is extremely useful, as the knowledge if learned will be crucial with drawing characters from imagination. Understanding anatomy is the fundamental key to be able to draw human figures well in different poses and expressing different emotions. I believe this book is the best for teaching that.

5.

Carpenter, J. (2023). 'The Aesthetics of Human-Machine Interaction: Generative Textuality in Hello Games’s No Man’s Sky'. Journal of Aesthetics and Phenomenology. 9(2). Available at: https://doi.org/10.1080/20539320.2022.2150464 [Accessed 07th January 2024]

This article is about how using generative game-design can improve the narrative of video games whilst using the game “No Man’s Sky” as an example. The article claims that generative game-design can make a unique emergent narrative for each player’s subjective experience, since many environments or aspects of the game are generated from scratch based on algorithms.

I found this useful because generative aspects in 3D technology (not just generative systems in video games) are becoming more and more useful and popular to utilise. I also agree with the article that when used right, this way of designing elements of games can indeed create emergent narratives for each player. However, I also feel generative game design can have its issues (at least the way implemented in No Man’s Sky) many elements of this game while unique are observably similar in many ways and lack depth.

6.

Le, k. Yamada, M. Yoon, F. Robertson, S. (2005). The Skillful Huntsman: Visual Development of a Grimm Tale at Art Center College of Design. Culver City: Design Studio Press.

This book is an incredibly useful concept-art book which showcases the design path a group of artists take to create the world of “The Skilful Huntsman” (based on a fairy-tale). It demonstrates their process and how they can come up with certain ideas which they develop further. It leaves nothing out by including characters, environments, and props/vehicles.

I feel this this is a valuable resource for myself as it’s full of great and inspiring examples of concept art. It also gives a path/process to follow that if repeated by any other artist, they’re more able to achieve a compelling result. Even though this book is from 2005, it is still well loved in our day and age because the fundamentals are still the same and this book teaches them well.

7.

Cassidy, S B. (2011). 'The Videogame as Narrative'. Quarterly Review of Film and Video. 28(4). Available at: https://doi.org/10.1080/10509200902820266 [Accessed 07th January 2024]

This article separates video game narratologists into two groups, ones who see games as a medium for expressing narrative, and ludologists who prioritize game mechanics first and foremost, however the article itself argues for a balanced approach with a focus on both. The article also explores the differences between narrative in games and movies. (The main difference being that the game’s narrative has the option of being interactive and non-linear).

I feel the information here is useful to me because it discusses ways in which a player’s interaction with the video game is what ultimately shapes the narrative. I agree with this approach, as this is one of the main strengths that video games that can help them to stand out from movies and other media types.  

8.

Block, B. (2007). The Visual Story: Creating the Visual Structure of Film, TV and Digital Media. London: Focal Press.

A Visual Story is a great book on cinematography which contains some incredibly useful and fundamental techniques that are used in film (and games) to this very day. The book breaks down these ideas into easy-to-understand examples using both drawings and examples from modern and well-known Hollywood movies. The book teaches the best ways to use cinematography to emphasise the narrative, mood, theme, or aesthetics of your movie (or video game cutscene). It also demonstrates the ways in which these visual storytelling principles are applied in practise.

I find the information here valuable and relevant to my practise. Because these techniques are useful not only in videogames and movies but also in my own concept artwork which can use these same techniques to strengthen the composition of my artwork. Much like The Skilful Huntsman, this source isn't recent however goes into more detail and explains these ideas more clearly than many newer sources I looked at. Therefore I decided to add it to this list.

9.

Adams, E W. (2014). 'Will computer games ever be a legitimate art form?'. Journal of Media Practise. 7(1). Available at: https://doi.org/10.1386/jmpr.7.1.67/1 [Accessed 07th January 2024]

In the beginning of this article, the author asserts that video games are merely a form of popular culture, and not considered Art by its literal definition(s). However, he also state’s that in the beginning, movies were also not considered art but now they are and suggest that therefore video games may also be considered art in the future.

He then states certain features that something requires to be considered Art, such as – content/expression, ideas, and a certain aesthetic. Also, most importantly that art makes you feel things.

For the most part video games have the priority to be fun over anything else, however I feel like the exploration of the subjects in this article is useful because they can give myself a different perspective to approach game development from, and having these ideas in mind can help to produce a more compelling video game.

10.

Kingslien, R. (2011). ZBrush Studio Projects: Realistic Game Characters. Indianapolis: Wiley Publishing Inc.

This book takes one through the professional and industry standard process of sculpting, modelling, texturing, and posing/finalising a video game character using the software Zbrush. It gives the reader step by step tutorials on each aspect of this process and covers all the needed techniques in detail.

Although the book is not the newest of its kind and some of these methods may not be 100% up to date with what is possible now, I still chose this book because it’s written by “Ryan Kingslien” who was one of the founders of Zbrush. Because he comes from a traditional sculpting background, the sculpting techniques in this book are very clever and still work extremely well on a fundamental level. There are few people who know Zbrush as well as one of the people who helped create the program and this makes the advice in this book invaluable in my opinion.

[pavelmamichev]

Sources and Significance - Blog Post 10

Session 10 - Pushing Limits, making sense of VR AR and MR technologies

I would like to analyse the effectiveness of VR in the video game - Resident Evil 7: Biohazard.

The game is an immersive and realistic first person shooter of the horror genre. It's already realistic visuals make it a great option for VR and I believe it does an incredible job of immersing the player in the world.

Utilising VR helps the game to achieve a higher state of hyper-realism.

However, VR still currently has limitations, which are that the user is stuck in a room or small space, and therefore can't walk or run in real life. Because of this, the player is still required to move via the directional buttons/analogue sticks on the controller. This definitely takes getting used to, can cause drowsiness and to an extent does damage to the hyper-realistic immersion that the game is trying to achieve.

This can be mitigated in video games where you are sat in a cockpit. A good example of this is Elite-Dangerous (a space simulator game).

Since the player is sat in a cockpit of a spaceship the whole game, the VR technology that is currently available is much better suited to it. There is nothing that takes the player out of the experience including the locomotion/movement that other VR games need to deal with.

Art/Sculpting VR

As a 3D Artist, I do a lot of digital painting and sculpting on the computer. This is done using a Wacom pen tablet, or a Cintiq (a Wacom pen tablet that has it's own screen to paint on). VR can be used to potentially improve my workflow, as seen in this video around 20minutes into it:

Using VR can create a more realistic sculpting experience and thus potentially improve speed, efficiency and the quality of my work. However it comes with it's own risks/challenges. The main one of these is that wearing heavy VR headset for extended periods could make me tired. And thus, this challenge could outweigh the benefits of using this method.

However, it is still good to have the option for doing this and to explore different perspectives/results, as you never know what might spark your creativity as an artist and this technology is no exception to that.

References

Frontier Developments. (2014). Elite Dangerous. [Video Game]. Frontier Developments.

LunchAndVR. (2023). Elite Dangerous VR - 4090 Max Graphics Gameplay. [Online Video] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGb2vU1Pffk [Accessed 28 December 2023]

Gravity Sketch. (2021). My 3D Workflow with Jama Jurabaev - Around Conference 2021. [Online Video] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5yIpPRVOF8 [Accessed 28 December 2023]

Capcom. (2017). Resident Evil 7: Biohazard. [Video Game]. Capcom.

Playstation Europe. (2017). Resident Evil 7: Biohazard | Launch Trailer | PlayStation VR. [Online Video] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nba4TX0sjp8 [Accessed 28 December 2023]

[pavelmamichev]

Sources and Significance - Blog Post 9

Session 9 - Emotions, the visceral side of digital media

For this blog post I want to analyse Visceral Theory in video games, and feel that Ghost of Tsushima would be a good example of some of these concepts in use.

One obvious way in which the game utilises aspects of Visceral Theory is via it's controls. It uses the PlayStation 5 controller's new features such as haptic feedback in combat to help the player feel the impact of swords and strikes and blows. As well as a dynamic trigger vibration when pulling back the string of a bow, which increases in strength as the player pulls the trigger causing more immersion and allows the player to embody the character they're playing as in the video game.

As the player travels across the land, the wind and soft leaves and rain are also felt through the controller giving an even greater sense of embodiment.

The games graphics and weather system is one way the world manages to engage the player emotionally. The wind and leaves, rain and sound of trees is done very realistically and beautifully which contrasts with the fast paced and blood-filled combat sections.

As the player progresses through the game, the interaction with the characters further provide more emotional engagement

One final element Ghost of Tsushima uses to engage the player emotionally is exploration. The player is able to explore the lands to discover landmarks such as vistas, treasures and other hidden secrets/locations which influence the players emotions.

All of these together are some ways Ghost of Tsushima uses to grasp players emotions on a visceral level.

References

Sucker Punch Productions. (2020). Ghost of Tsushima. [Video Game]. Sony Interactive Entertainment.

[pavelmamichev]

Sources and Significance - Blog Post 8

Session 8 - Politics. Diversity, inclusion and theories of Race and Gender

For this post I will analyse a recent piece of media for bias from the perspective of Race/Gender. The film I would like to analyse is Gods of Egypt (2016)

This film had gotten some criticism for casting predominantly white actors in the roles of characters who were from Ancient Egypt. I would agree that this takes from the realism of the movie. Even though the film is not trying to be fully realistic, it feels less believable if actors who look European are cast in the roles of ancient Egyptians. (I would have the same criticism if this was done visa versa). What could have been done to fix this, if possible?

More could have been done to fix this. For instance, a quick and easy solution could have been that the actors could be made to look more the part with the correct makeup design.

Another solution could have been to find actors who fit the world and time of the movie.

References

Proyas, A. (2016). Gods of Egypt. [Feature Film]. United States: Lionsgate.

Rotten Tomatoes Trailers. (2016). God of Egypt Official Trailer #1. [Online Video]. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJBnK2wNQSo [Accessed 27 December 2023]

[pavelmamichev]

Sources and Significance - Blog Post 7

Session 7 - Representation, Visual Culture and Identity

For this Blog post I will be analysing representation, visual culture and identity in the video game - Bioshock

The game is set in an underwater city called "Rapture" which was founded and built secretly by a man known as "Andrew Ryan". The idea of this city is that it provides and alternate ideology to capitalism/communism/religion or anything that exists in our time. Rather the ideology of the city is embodies extreme individualism, and puts no boundaries of any citizen regarding morality or state-control.

The game also features representation of Power Dynamics, particularly Authoritarianism. For instance, the leader of the city Andrew Ryan imposes his ideology over the city which is what led to the cities demise.

Another aspect of Bioshock that relates to this is Moral Choices. The game allows you to kill or save certain characters (in particular these mutated female children called Little Sisters). This relates to the idea of Multiple Readings as each player will be able to make their own choices based their personal perspectives and values.

References

2K Boston, 2K Australia. (2006). Bioshock. [Video Game]. 2K.

WarpNine. (2010). Bioshock Opening Scene. [Online Video]. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QfZ30sfjdLY [Accessed 28 December 2023]

Hall, S. (2013). The work of representation. [PDF]. Available at: https://uk.sagepub.com/sites/default/files/upm-binaries/55352_Hall_ch_1.pdf [Accessed 28 December 2023]

[pavelmamichev]

Sources and Significance - Blog Post 6

Session 6 - Narrative Theory and Interactive Narratives

For this blog post, I will analyse some narrative concepts used in the movie Gladiator by Ridley Scott.

The movie adheres to a number of famous narrative concepts. For instance

The film in many ways has a traditional narrative structure. Cook, P in The Cinema Book, describes this type of narrative as psychologically rounded, deep and with believable characters. This fits well with The Gladiator.

I believe the film also follows the Todorov narrative model - The film fits quite well alongside Todorov's narrative model in many ways.

In the beginning there is a state of equilibrium, with Maximus (the protagonist) being a great general in the Roman army. However, the emperor is dyeing and wants to make Maximus the next emperor. This makes Commodus (the emperors power hungry son) jealous who orders Maximus to be executed.. However he escapes and is captured into a slave trade where he becomes a Gladiator. This fits with the idea of the equilibrium being disrupted. Then, Maximus attempts to work his way through the ranks of gladiators to win his freedom and gain vengeance over his betrayal. This would fit Todorov's idea of trying to restore the equilibrium and then reinstating a new equilibrium with the dead of Commodus at the end of the film.

Another narrative Concept Gladiator follows is Levi Strauss' Binary Oppositions. This can be seen with the protagonist Maximus vs Commodus, which also symbolises Good vs Evil and Justice vs Corruption.

Emergent/Embedded Narratives

Gladiator contains mainly embedded narratives in order to expand the depth of the plot and characters. These narratives are mainly about Maximus' past and history as well as Commodus' corruption. The film also contains some stories of certain supportive characters like Lucila (Commodus' sister) to add depth and emotion to the main story of the film.

References

Scott, R. (2000). Gladiator. [Feature Film]. International: United International Pictures.

Clacken, H. (2004). Vladimir Propp's Theory of Narrativity and Ananse stories. [Article]. Available at: www.yorku.ca/mlc/4319/03-04/clacken/clacken6.html [Accessed 27 December 2023]

Cook, P. (1985) The Cinema Book. London: British Film Institute

[pavelmamichev]

Sources and Significance - Blog Post 4

Session 4 - Depiction, Strategies of Realism

I'd like to discuss realism in video games as I feel like we are in a very interesting time of technological advancement in the area of graphics and computing power. As technology increases the potential for realism in video games becomes much higher and more capable. Before, the graphical technology wasn't sufficient to look realistic therefore games would be pixelated and not visually believable. The player would need to rely on his/her imagination in order to feel a sense of immersion. However, now with current technology, they need not try so hard to feel immersed in virtual worlds.

Oblivion

In 2006, one of the most realistic games at the time was The Elder Scrolls: Oblivion which pushed the limits of realism in video games for it's time. It featured an open world that the player can explore full of all sorts of narratives and NPC's (non-playable-characters) to meet and trade with. As well as monsters to slay. It also had a day and night cycle for the world, as well as very intricately done dialogue options which are some of the ways it pushed realism in video games forward. However, graphical technology and the computing power of most computers was not high enough to allow for a true hyper realistic and immersive experience creating an Uncanny Valley effect. So the world ultimately looked and felt much more superficial compared to what's available now in 2023.

Red Dead Redemption 2

In comparison, one of the most realistic games made to date is Red Dead Redemption 2, a cowboy game by Rockstar Games which goes out of it's way to be as realistic as possible, aiming for a hyper realistic and immersive experience. While incorporating the latest visual technology, it also has many elements such as eating food or bonding with your horse which many players may dislike, as these things can feel "boring" and unnecessary aspects. But because this games features them it's able achieve a much higher level of hyper-realism.

NVIDIA and AI

Looking forward, AI will be able to make games even more hyper-realistic. Such as this new technology called "ACE" by NVIDIA which uses AI to create dynamic and realistic conversations with in-game NPC's (non-player characters which are controlled by the game). The player can use his voice to talk to an NPC and it creates dialogue on the fly for the conversation. This is a big step up from what games have currently done (pre-programmed dialogue options).

Indirect/Direct Realism (Deadspace Remake)

The previous video game examples all use "indirect realism" in someway or another within their immersive experiences, as they contain some kind of HUD or GUI on the screen such as a health bar, or a compass/map, this acts as a mediator between the player and the game and get's in the way of a full-hyper realistic experience. However, another type of realism technique used in games such as Deadspace is "Direct Realism" where there is no HUD/GUI in-between the game world and the player. In the Deadspace game, the HUD is built into the character, for instance the health bar is part of the spine of the character's suit rather than being an element on the HUD. This is a great way that certain games can be more realistic and immersive.

Immediacy + hypermediacy

All video game examples, especially Deadspace Remake have Immediacy in mind, they try to make the player forget that they are in a game world and strive for as much immersion as possible. As technology keeps improving, the Immediacy of video games which aim for realism is able to make greater and greater strides and it is exciting to watch the progress of this every year.

References

Motive Studio. (2023). Deadspace Remake. [Video Game]. Electronic Arts.

Shirrako. (2023). Dead Space Remake Gameplay 8K 60FPS RTX 4090 Ultra Realistic. [Online Video]. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XDRQwJK8rb8 [Accessed 31 December 2023]

NVIDIA GeForce. (2023). NVIDIA ACE for Games Sparks Life Into Virtual Characters With Generative AI. [Online Video]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5R8xZb6J3r0 [Accessed 31 December 2023]

KoroushGhazi. (2006). Oblivion - PC Gameplay 3. [Online Video]. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMyDndYnkaI [Accessed 31 December 2023]

Rockstar Games. (2018). Red Dead Redemption 2. [Video Game]. Rockstar Games.

DubStepZz. (2022). Red Dead Redemption 2 ►RTX 3090 Ti i9-12900KS Ultra Settings PC Gameplay! 4k Resolution 60fps. [Online Video]. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YisYNBBd3Jw [Accessed 31 December 2023]

Bethesda Game Studios. (2006). The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. [Video Game]. Bethesda Softworks, 2K Games.

[pavelmamichev]

Sources and Significance - Blog Post 3

Session 3 - Sources, Intertextuality and Transmedia

During our third lecture, we learned about transmedia and intertextuality. A transmedia franchise is one that expands across multiple media types. E.g. Movies + video games + books + more.

Transmedia franchises can seem powerful and unstoppable but they also have some limitations, for instance:

They could stifle the creativity of creators as they need to make sure the narrative of the franchise is consistent across multiple media-types. This also makes it difficult for newcomers to get involved into a franchise, if there are so many episodes and narratives across different media types it can feel overwhelming and difficult to know where to start.

However, transmedia franchises also have many positive effects: They have the potential to have more interesting stories, as creators are able to explore their narratives from different angles otherwise impossible. This can been seen especially strong in movies to video game conversions and vice versa. A video game allows the player to be inside the story him/herself. This allows for many new narrative possibilities and narrative types, such as emergent narrative structures to be incorporated into the franchise.

Jenkins, H. Says, in the article titled Transmedia 202: Further Reflections that "Transmedia storytelling represents a process where integral elements of a fiction get dispersed systematically across multiple delivery channels for the purpose of creating a unified and coordinated entertainment experience. Ideally, each medium makes it own unique contribution to the unfolding of the story."

Another positive feature of transmedia is it allows much wider audience engagement and participation. For instance, some people prefer movies while others may prefer video games or books. By spanning multiple media types, a franchise can reach a much wider audience.

A great example of a transmedia franchise is Pokémon -

It has a presence within many media types - Comics, cartoons, films, video games, toys and playing/trading cards. As well as more.

It also has many different narratives. For instance, the video-games have their own narrative which is separate from the TV cartoon but shares the common elements of the world, certain characters (and this provides a lot of intertextuality to the cartoon TV series, as the player can recognise them within the game), Pokémon species and ultimately the "hero's journey" of the protagonist, but this time the player is able to control the journey themselves and explore the world at their pace whilst collecting their favourite Pokémon.

Another large segment of the Pokémon franchise is the trading/collectors cards. These are collected by fans and traded + battled thus engaging participation and reach of the franchise itself.

These characteristics make Pokémon undoubtably a large and successful transmedia franchise.

References

Tajiri, S. (1996). Pokémon. [Animated Series]. Nintendo, Creatures, Game Freak.

Jenkins, H. (2011). Transmedia 202: Further Reflections. [Article] http://henryjenkins.org/blog/2011/08/defining_transmedia_further_re.html [Accessed 20 December 2023]

[pavelmamichev]

Sources and Significance - Blog Post 2

Session 2 - Tools, Media Specificity in a Digital Age

For this topic I will be analysing a piece of my own work (however, it is not only my own as I was part of a large team of artists) through the lens of Medium Specificity and Gesamtkunstwerk.

The work I will analyse is a music video I worked on previously for the song "Free Yourself" by the Chemical Brothers during my time at The Mill (VFX company) in London.

Media Specificity

Since the media type here is a music video, it uses some elements of media specificity that enhance the artistic expression of the song. Here are a few of the main elements this music video uses:

The main element of media specificity that many music video's use including this one is "Audio-visual Synchronization" - The shots of the video are in sync with the beats from the music. For example, each time a shot changes into it's next one, it will do this on one of the beats from the song. This creates a rhythm to the video, and syncs it to the music itself thus complimenting the underlying song.

A second element is the content/narrative of the music video. It features robots that come alive on their own and start raving/dancing in the warehouse they're locked in. This ties in with the theme of the song about "freeing yourself".

Tools

The part of the video I worked on was the creation and design of the blocky industrial robot seen coming out from the box at 1:43 in the video. The use of CG (3D Modelling, Texturing, 3D Design) are tools that are used in many media types. Mainly Film/TV & video games.

Other tools that were used were actors, cameras and filming equipment as well as digital-audio equipment (such as synthesisers) for creation of the music itself.

Gesamtkunstwerk

A music video may be considered an example of Gesamtkunstwerk as it contains many types of media combined. The main types of specific media from this music video are - Music (The song itself) which also includes some Vocal performance, Film & Narrative consisting various acting performances and filming techniques such as lighting and cinematography, and lastly CG (3D Art/VFX) for the creation of the robotics and any fantastical elements.

These elements are combined and seamlessly integrated with each other to create something resembling a "Total Work of Art" and thus the music video is more than just a video and more than just the music that is there on it's own.

References

The Chemical Brothers. (2018). Free Yourself. [Online Video]. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wzR_BVFsUU [Accessed 12 December 2023]

[pavelmamichev]

Sources and Significance - Blog Post 1

Session 1 - Introduction and Stories For the first week of Sources and Significance, we discussed different types of narrative's throughout history and within different media types (e.g. Films, Video Games, Books). I've decided to analyse the narrative of the video game "Elden Ring". Elden Ring is one of my favourite games, and also happens to have a very unique style of conveying it's narrative to the player.

The story itself is written by George R. R. Martin. (The writer of Game of Thrones). The game takes place in a world called "The Lands Between", a fantasy world of islands centred around a giant tree called "The Erdtree". Within the tree is a magical relic called "The Elden Ring" which is used to bless the realm with grace and thus keeps the reality/order of this world alive. The player takes the role of a "Tarnished" (human character that awakens within this world) tasked with getting to the Elden Ring to become the "Elden Lord" and thus changing/modelling the world to your liking. The game features an overarching "Branching Narrative" structure which offers 6 different endings depending on the actions that the player takes during their gameplay. There are also many characters and smaller stories within this larger one. The most compelling part of the narrative itself however, is the way in which it is expressed to the player. The game does not hold the players hand or try to lead them in a certain direction. Rather, characters and important story elements are purposely hidden from the player. This creates a feeling of an "Emergent Narrative" structure within the embedded branching narrative of the main story. If the player misses some of these story elements, it can have an effect on the larger story of the world and this makes the narrative feel more alive. In contrast, most other video games would make any important story elements clearly visible to lead the player towards them and make sure they do not miss anything. However, it is because Elden Ring does not do this, that it makes it a compelling and unique experience of discovery for the player. Narrative as Environment

In Elden Ring, the story is purposely vague in order to allow the player to discover it for themselves. A large part of the narrative is told through Environmental Storytelling. The player will see certain landmarks such as a castle on a hill or some ruins in the woods, these are placed with purpose to allow the player to discover the secrets of this mysterious world. Landmarks in this world are able to lead the player through the game and all of it's encounters. As well as the landmarks, there is the "Guidance of Grace" system, which consists of sunbeams that emanate through the clouds towards certain locations of interest and these can be visually seen by the player from a long way away.

In the paper "Measuring Player Immersion in the Computer Game Narrative", the author's state - "The framework of the games is interactive. A linear structure would limit the player’s freedom of action and control. Of course, the fixed structure of the narrative also conflicts with the concept of interactivity. Prewritten stories also restrict the players in their control of the development of the game story". I believe Elden Ring adheres to these principles, as it features "Non-linear Narrative Paths" which give a unique narrative experience to the player each time they replay the game from the beginning. The reason for this is they can discover different parts of the narrative based on different choices they make or new hidden secrets they discover in the world that they missed the first time around.

Ultimately, Elden Ring's narrative/story serves mainly to facilitate the journey of the player and what they decide to do. Their exploration of the world and the discovery of it's secrets is the "true" and emergent narrative experience of the game, thus all of these complex narrative systems and elements together make Elden Ring a very special video game for the unique experience it provides.

References

FromSoftware. (2022). Elden Ring. [Video Game]. Bandai Namco Entertainment JP, FromSoftware.

Quin, H. Rau, P-L, P. Salvendy, G. (2009). 'Measuring Player Immersion in the Computer Game Narrative, International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction'. International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction. 25(2). Available at: https://doi.org/10.1080/10447310802546732 [Accessed 28 December 2023]