fedor-bortnik-digital-media-blog

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Critical analysis - Character Immersion Versus Self-Projection.

Tu, C., Tunggal, J. and Brown, S. (2023) ‘Character Immersion in Video Games as a Form of Acting’, Psychology of popular media, 12(4), pp. 3-4.

The article named ‘Character Immersion in Video Games as a Form of Acting’ was written by three people, who have graduated from McMaster University: Carmen Tu, Jesaya Tunggal, and Steven Brown. While being from different kind of disciples, together they have decided the affection between the player and the avatar, and if by playing as one of the characters, the player acts or not.

 In this paper, they analyse the idea of playing games as a form of proto-acting, where users take the casual role of a character in a narrative and emotional arc. In addition, they examine multiple games and classify the roles of avatars in them.

From this blog, I would like to analyse the piece named ‘Character Immersion Versus Self-Projection’, which is on pages 3 and 4. I find this part very interesting due to my interest in the relationship between the player and the avatar that the player plays as. Is it possible to play as a character with a personality and still be immersed both by the game and the story?

In the passage of Character Immersion Versus Self-Projection. The authors begin with the idea that there are two processes of player and avatar interaction: The one where the player can project themselves into the body of the ordinary character - imagining them in the virtual world, and a second where they ‘immerse’ themself into a characterised, developed character.

The authors believe that the two processes can overlap, by also giving an example, that If a user plays the complicated character as an avatar, and then attempts to perform actions as the character would have - the player overlaps the processes together. Thus, intentionally or not, the player roleplays as the character. I believe by trying to play the role of the character, even on a casual level, they let themself be affected by the character immersion, since for this action they need to both understand the story and a character for role playing.

After explaining the two processes, authors then clarify an important note that when players roleplay, they do not lose themself in acting. Instead, players acknowledge their own and the characters' consciousness at the same time, as they balance two states of mind - authors call it a double consciousness. A state, where the user exists between two states of mind - between their own and the mind of a character. I think double consciousness allows us to feel character immersion when we play as a characterised avatar.

Authors begin the next paragraph by theorising how Character Immersion works compared to other types of immersion (for example, ludic, spatial, sensory, emotional immersions). To immerse a player, a game immersion is affected by various factors, like visuals, sound design, control mechanics, and a story telling, which is sometimes referred to as emotion immersion. Authors state that unlike other types of immersion, character immersion is affected by a narrative, since characters are dependent on narrative to interact with. In other words, a good, detailed story is required for character immersion to work since characters have to do any sort of action in the story. Without it - the writers are very limited on the ways on how

The authors further explain the theory by comparing the game and movie immersion with the theory: In films, we embody the characters to see their perspective. In video games - we are immersed in the character since we not only embody them, but also play as them, which goes beyond embodiment. In the last sentences, the authors highlight that when players are immersed in character, they are not just embodied, they are role-playing.

In the last paragraph, the authors state that when a player role-plays a character in the game, it should not be considered as dramatic acting, in which a player is dedicated to the role for a prolonged time. Instead, the players engage in proto acting, which is a form of rather quick and casual role-playing. Authors believe that while players proto act, they can switch between themself and the character due to double consciousness and an awareness of the two different consciousness between themselves and the character. With this information we can conclude that game developers should not take the player acting too seriously, since paying too much attention to it may distract the player (like failing the quest if you don't immerse to the character in a right way), but rather have a little space for such feature, make the character adapt to the player actions, or let the player impressionate tha character.

In my opinion, this is a very useful chapter, since it properly explains to the reader how the player interacts with a characterised avatar. With this text, a reader can understand a connection between the player and an avatar, since players do not always see them as an empty blank. Players can freely both immerse themself into a blank, or enjoy the game by playing a role of a character, and still be affected by a character immersion with a good story and world building.

By characterising the avatar, players can experience a new genre of video games, where story takes a major role. Game developers, writers and gamers themself can benefit from this theory since it will bring more possibilities for the character immersion. 

This text assists me in my study since it helps me understand the connection between the player and the avatar, and at what capabilities it can be done. When characterising the avatar, it is important to understand this process carefully, since by making an unenjoyable character - game developers risk ruining the immersion of the players. By understanding how the double consciousness process works, I can see when there is too much of characterisation and make this experience feel better.

[fedor-bortnik-digital-media-blog]

Reading Part

1 - Smith, P. and Riley, A. (2011) Cultural Theory: An Introduction. 2nd edn. Hoboken: Wiley.

 This book introduces its readers to the basic and general understanding of what culture means, and why it is important for us. The authors begin with classical social theory, and then move on to historical or modern theories. The reader can find explanations for various theories, about their importance at that time, and study more on the influential people who have a major contribution to social history. 

 With this study, I will reinforce my principal knowledge of culture. It will improve my learning speed, help me clarify vital and sensitive topics of this subject, and assist in understanding modern cultural theories. With this knowledge, I would be able to create characters with a deeper personality, stronger motives, and more unique and interesting lifestyles.

2 - Manovich, L. (2013) Software Takes Command. 1st edn. New York: Bloomsbury Publishing. DOI: 10.5040/9781472544988

Since the beginning of the 21st century, major technological advancements in a short time have drastically affected many industries, mediums, and arts of our society by digitizing them and introducing new tools that change the way things used to work. ‘’Software Takes Command’’ is all about understanding the language of the medium by analyzing how the new tools of a digital artist affect the new mediums.

 This book will help me see the way how intertextuality and transmedia work in a digital world. I will be able to understand more about how the concept of media shifted during the digital era. How a newly generated logic from various software has affected the other software, and how it all interacts with the mediums.

3 - Sloan, R.J.S. (2015) Virtual Character Design for Games and Interactive Media. 1st edn. Natick: CRC Press. DOI: 10.1201/b18445

In the modern video game industry, character design has a major role in designing unique virtual worlds and their stories. A masterful character design determines if players will immerse themself in the story and if the game will be memorable even when they have finished the story. With this book, I will be able to dig into the character creation on a fundamental level. Not only to understand the industry standard but to fundamentally understand the creative process of character creation.

As an enthusiast of character design - it is one of my vital subjects to study. With this, my virtual stories will get better - I will be able to create much deeper characters and understand what makes them interesting. 

4 - King, S. (2023) Digital Character Creation for Video Games and Collectibles. 1;1st; edn. Milton: CRC Press. DOI: 10.1201/9781003178057

A book about creating characters on an industry-standard level by Samuel King - an influential artist, who has worked with multiple influential game studios. The author will guide the reader through both recent technical aspects needed for this job and recent fresh trends in this field, no matter if the reader is an established professional in this field, or a beginner - who just starting to understand what to expect.

With this, I can understand what skills I need to learn or improve before classifying myself as an adept in this field. Here, I will be able to apply all my theoretical knowledge on making interesting designs, debate with the author, and improve my general skills in making great characters.

5 -  Tu, C., Tunggal, J. and Brown, S. (2023) ‘Character Immersion in Video Games as a Form of Acting’, Psychology of popular media, 12(4), pp. 405–413. DOI: 10.1037/ppm0000435

In this academic blog, the authors examine the hypothesis that playing video games is a form of proto-acting, which allows the players to have a stronger character and emotional immersion. In this blog, you can find theories about what kind of relations the player and a characterized avatar have.

I find this blog extremely useful since it highlights the connection between the player and the avatar in the video game: By having a characterized avatar player can still get immersed in the game, just on a different level. With this idea, players will feel much more immersed in the story by opening the new tools of character immersion. In addition, with several examples of video games and an analysis of their genres and characters in categories, the analysis showcases how the artists have a wide range of character immersion that can be created.

6 - Croissant, M., Schofield, G. and McCall, C. (2023) ‘Emotion Design for Video Games: A Framework for Affective Interactivity’, ACM Games: Research and Practice, 1(3), pp. 1–24. DOI: 10.1145/3625309

The article revisits and combines popular research in psychology, design, and human interaction to study and develop a better emotional interaction for modern affective video games. By revisiting the concepts of affection, developing an efficient module, and reinforcing the theory, the authors desire to assist the game developers and researchers in making the content that can adapt and interact with human emotions.

Affection is an important factor in game design since it’s what makes the games more memorable and colorful. I agree with this article that we should use common design practices, accurately test and check on how the targeted emotions work, and program the game in a way that it can individually adapt to the individuals and their progression.

7 - Garver, S., Adamo-Villani, N. and Dib, H. (2018) ‘The Impact of Visual Style on User Experience in Games’, EAI endorsed transactions on serious games, 4(15), pp. 153535–32. DOI: 10.4108/eai.5-1-2018.153535

In this blog, the authors analyze the visual style of video games and how it affects the experience of users. Throughout the study, authors analyze the reasons for choosing specific art styles, such as due to the budget, studio decision, or because of the targeted audience. And how do users react to such styles, for example: whether realism improves the immersion of the user, and if the stylized art affects the emotionality of the player. As an artist who studies character creation and the video game industry, I find this academic blog very useful in finding a preferred art style - the one that could satisfy me and the popular audience. With this knowledge, I would be able to find my desired art style, and make better visuals that would help me maintain the desired engagement with the users with my digital work.

8 - Koster, R. (2013). ‘What Games Are’. Theory of Fun for Game Design. 2;2nd; edn. Sebastopol: O'Reilly Media, Incorporated.

In this book Raph Koster, the author of the book analyses what makes games fun: Is it the fact that we have learned something new and exciting? or achieved at a task? or is it just a mixture of hormones in our brains that make us feel good? What makes some games truly exciting and when the popular game theories are too far?

With this edition, I can revisit the theory of what makes games fun. In addition, with this book I can improve my conceptual thinking to achieve a truly fun game: With this knowledge, I will be able to have better game stories and interesting theories.

9 - Schell, J. (2019;2020;) The Art of Game Design: A Book of Lenses, Third Edition. 3rd;3;3rd; edn. Milton: CRC Press LLC.

 Game design is an enormous field, where practically everything and anything can happen. To freely transverse through here, you need to know the fundamentals of how the game design works. With this book, you will find a large summary of many theories, thoughts, and concepts in every stage of the game design. 

 I do plan to create video games in the future, by being either a leader of the team or simply a member of it. This book is large, and with that many theories and thoughts, I would be able to reflect on my game thoughts and ideas. With this book, I will be able to learn many theories and use this text as a form of encyclopedia.

10 - Fraile-Jurado, P. (2023) ‘Geographical Aspects of Open-World Video Games’, Games and culture, p. 155541202311788. DOI: 10.1177/15554120231178871

This paper examines virtual locations from popular video games and then analyses the aesthetics of these worlds, the way they are constructed in games, and their interactivity with the players. In this blog, authors analyze several interesting techniques of world-building, such as ‘selective horizontal scaling reduction’, where you intentionally reduce the size of various locations to save resources on making the locations small and memorable, rather than long and tedious, and so on.

The world building is one of the essential parts of video game design. With this academic blog, I would be able to see better how players react to and feel in various worlds, and also how modern video game developers maintain the balance of realism and fun aspects in their projects. 

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10 - Has violence in video games gone too far?

Violence in video games has been a hot topic for a long time, and with more realistic graphics, and better video games - people come back to this topic from time to time to debate whether we should ban violent video games due to the risk of behaviour changes in the young generation… So should we?

Unrecord(2023) is a video game that is currently being developed by a game studio called DRAMA - the trailer reveal of the game has bombarded the internet with how realistic it is, but most importantly - how cruel and violent it is: With loud, realistic weapons, concerningly detailed shooting. With the release of that game, people have begun asking one question - Have video games have gone too far with realistic violence?

Violence is not a fresh subject in the game industry, especially in the first-person shooting genre. For example, Doom (1993) is one of the early large titles with that issue that got banned in some countries because of violence in the game - For example, when aliens die, they leave a bloody corpse behind them, there is blood, and there are strong, violent weapons. Despite the gore itself is not even detailed that much due to low resolution - the image still resembled the carnage, and that was enough to make the public think about the violence in video games - and whether they should ban violent games or not.

The affection of Violence in video games is a long-term topic in academic and scientific studies, since it is not an easy question, and depends more on the user’s life condition more than on the game itself. For example, in the academic blog named ‘Stress and Violence in Video Games: Their Influence on Aggression’ (2022), the authors write that “Though the American Psychological Association (APA) has taken a stance that violent games promote aggression (but not violent crime), reanalysis of their work has suggested that this claim is not supported by the extant literature and the APA may be misinforming the public.” (Genicelle Barrington, Christopher J. Ferguson, 2022, p.3)

Just like in any other media such as movies, music, and writing - violence is a fairly common tool in the artist's toolbox. Horror, drama, humour and others - it can be used in different mediums to create and shape unique and original content, and depending on exactly how they use such tools - We and the artists can determine how great the work is. 

And today, artists have a very large room for creativity. The list of topics on which the artist can create their content expands with each day, 

It is not difficult to find strong and sensitive mediums nowadays - since violence, just like any other sensitive creative instrument, has been used for a long time. However, it is beneficial to explore them because it can help diversify the mediums, and create new ideas that are genuinely entertaining and fresh for the public - can not only entertain the specific audience, but open discussion on various topics, create new cultural styles and so on.

Finally, in the modern world, video games will pursue the same regulations that other mediums follow. Before obtaining a licence - a medium must pass a content-sensitive check before being liable to legally distribute. The content must strictly follow the audience regulations and be properly constructed, since it can negatively affect the mentality of a young or unprepared audience, or even worse - shock them. And even the most sensitive mediums can be prevented from distribution if they fail to meet the limitations. 

So, Has violence in video games gone too far? In my opinion, not really. Despite the recent advancements in video game graphics - artists will have even more capabilities to do realistic graphics, and with that - more gore scenes. However, people enjoy mediums not because of that - but because of what said mediums can bring to the audience: New experiences, feelings, and a big enjoyment of content that was masterfully constructed by the artists.

References:

DRAMA (2023), Unrecord [Video game]. DRAMA. Available at: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2381520/Unrecord/.

id Software (1993), Doom [Video game]. id Software.

Genicelle Barrington, Christopher J. Ferguson. (2022) ‘Stress and Violence in Video Games: Their Influence on Aggression’, Trends in Psychology. DOI:10.1007/s43076-022-00141-2

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9. Interactivity and Immersion in Virtual Reality.

During one of my classes at my University, we discussed virtual reality - how it works, how it was created and its details generally. We discussed some theories that, for example, interaction can oppose immersive, or that too much of logic and game mechanics can ruin the immersion of the player. But how a combination of interaction and immersion can affect a virtual game? What would be the effects of that?

During the class, I got curious by a quote from Marie-Laure Ryan, where she states that “The aesthetic criteria of interactive drama will not be those of classical drama; the future of the genre will be as a game to be played and an action to be lived, not as a spectacle to be watched. [...] will this involvement be a source of aesthetic pleasure—will the game, in other words, be worth playing at all?” (Ryan 2003: 328). I wondered how this quote could work in some interesting VR titles, since both interactivity and immersion have a major role in virtual reality.

While this quote works smoothly for a VR game called Half-Life: Alyx (2020), where you play as Alyx Vance, who has the objective to save her father - you directly interact with the story and with the characters around you. Moreover - almost every entity in the game is interactable, the characters will react to some of your actions (like finding and wearing a helmet, or trying to close the elevators when a hostile fraction tries to capture you). In this medium - you play the game, and the user is continuously aware that the world around him is ‘an attraction’. This can be felt during some moments in the game, when you use a game menu, get a notification, or have subtitles for the dialogue - all these factors remind you that you are inside a virtual game.

However, if we look at a different game, called Into The Radius (2019), we see quite a different picture.

This time, in this game we play as a nameless character, who explores an isolated and destroyed world because of an unknown event. In this game, the main story is told through specific locations and by an ambient voice, once a player progresses through them. The user will have to listen, see and analyse all the visual and sound information they get if they desire to survive and progress in this game. The world will also not wait for the player to do something - it works on its own rules: Days will become nights, anomalies will reset, monsters will travel around locations, and anomalies will happen. The player can still find the story behind the locations, and events of past and present in traditional ways - such as reading notes and listening to tapes, which can be found by looting throughout the map. Into The Radius (2019) remains one of my favourite VR titles because of the way how the authors combine the immersion and interaction, by quickly teaching the player simple and intuitive controls and letting them use all human senses to gather information about the world and environment they are in.

In the end, I believe that it is important what developers are trying to pursue with their projects, since immersion in a virtual world is a very complicated factor. Too much logic or game mechanics can ruin a virtual game immersion since it can distract the player from the experience. However, a smart, intuitive design of a video game can help the developers push the limits further and develop interesting mechanics, that would make the player even more engaged. This can be said with the immersion as well, since by making virtual creatures with a wrong or simply improper design can disconnect the user from the experience. So why not use both the immersion and interactivity together?

Reference: 

CM Games. (2019) Into The Radius [Video game]. CM Games. Available at: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1012790/Into_the_Radius_VR/

Valve. (2020) Half-Life: Alyx [Video game]. Valve. Available at: https://store.steampowered.com/app/546560/HalfLife_Alyx/

Ryan, Marie Laure, (2003). Narrative as Virtual Reality. The John Hopkins University Press.

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8. How do affection and emotions work together in a modern game?

While affection is not an important structure in a core video game design, it is a valuable instrument in the principles of storytelling. Since the first generation of video games back then were a fresh medium and technologically limited, they were simple and focused only on interactivity and engagement with the user. One of the first games that is speculated to have a story and some form of emotional play, was Donkey Kong (1981). In which the author of the game Miyamoto ‘wanted to make sure the whole story, simple though it was, could be told on screen in a way that could be instantly grasped by players.’ (Travis Fahs, 2011)

Today, thanks to the advancements in technology and in video game creativity experience, video games have a very rich selection of tools and possibilities to work with compared to forty years ago. But how does the affection and emotions work in a modern game? Let's take God of War (2018) as an example.

The game God of War (2018) is about Kratos and his son, who have to fulfil the promise of his passed-away wife by releasing her ashes on the highest peak of a mountain. Through the adventure - they encounter dangers. They learn more about the world around them, and about the main threat that would eventually fight them.

God of War (Santa Monica Studio, 2018) works amazingly with affection since due to the developed story, a lot of moments happen with Kratos and his son Atreus. It's a story about how a distant father, with a story full of pain and suffering, teaches his son the way of life as a god. Throughout the story, we can feel the characters and immerse ourselves in character immersion - We can see how Kratos is having a hard time connecting to his son, avoiding conversation and even being ‘afraid’ to touch his shoulder. How he hesitates to explain his backstory or tell his son who he truly is, being afraid of negative consequences. Or how Atreus does not understand why he is not ready, and why his father always seems to be disappointed with him. 

Throughout the adventure, we not only feel various things with the characters and the story but also combine it with the interactive emotions by fighting challenging, colourful villains of this story. By the end of the game - We enjoy the story due to the colourful, memorable and distinguished moments. God of War (2018), would be a good example for the Kevin Patel quote where he states ‘Memorable games have the power to evoke a wide range of emotions. Whether it is the adrenaline rush of a high-stakes battle, the heart-wrenching sadness of a character's sacrifice, or the joy of overcoming an insurmountable challenge, emotions create a lasting connection.’ (Kevin Patel, 2023).

By combining affection and a well-developed story, video game developers can make the character immersion much stronger, since characters would have plenty of ways to react to the world and thus, provide a player with emotions and lore.

References:

Nintendo R&D1 (1981). Donkey Kong: Arcade Game [Video game]. Nintendo.

Travis Fahs, "The Secret History of Donkey Kong", Game Developer, 2017. Link: https://www.gamedeveloper.com/business/the-secret-history-of-i-donkey-kong-i-

Santa Monica Studio (2018), God of War [Video game]. Sony Interactive Entertainment. Available at: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1593500/God_of_War/

Kevin Patel, “What Makes Games Memorable”, Game Developer, 2023. Link: https://www.gamedeveloper.com/design/what-makes-games-memorable#close-modal

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7. How can creators use virtual reality to create?

Virtual Reality is still a relatively new type of medium in our existence, in which developers constantly create technological breakthroughs, by making devices require fewer and less of installations, making them smaller, faster and more accessible to the public. 

There are many definitions, for example - Melanie Chan wrote on her blog about virtual reality that “The term ‘virtual reality’ can be used to refer to computer-generated environments that involve some form of interactivity and immersion” (Chan 2014: 1). While I agree with this definition, I would say that many of us have different definitions of virtual reality. For me, for example - virtual reality is a digitalised, synthesised environment, with its own sets of rules, and such reality was created by both machines and humans. In this world, there are unique sets of rules, and anything can be possible.

With that in mind, How can virtual reality be used to improve, or even change the way the creators create?

One of the greatest powers of virtual reality is the ability to shape and construct an entire digital dimension in any way the developer pleases. In the real world, you must physically have the hardware, such as the keyboard or a drawing tablet - and adjust it to make it suitable for the task. In Virtual reality - it works differently: here, it can be done much faster, without obeying the rules of the real world. In other words - you can place your keyboard in any position you please, in mid-air - and it won't fall on the ground. 

I would like to take a quote from an article titled ‘Virtual Workplaces in the Metaverse’, which was written by Professor Gheorghe H. Popescu and other authors. In this article, Gheorghe H. states that “Virtually simulated environments can strengthen employee development by integrating quality tracking systems, spatial intelligence tools, computer vision techniques, and autonomous devices.” (2022, p.2). This quote proves to me that it is possible to apply virtual reality and it could benefit the users with a new, fresh point of view and improved productivity in new industries.

A good tool that could allow the artist to work in a digital environment, would be Gravity Sketch (Gravity Sketch Limited, 2017). This tool allows artists to draw in a virtual world and import images or graphics. You get the pretty familiar tools to draw with, however now you can do that in a 3rd dimensional way. 

When I had my own VR equipment, I tried Gravity Sketch (Gravity Sketch Limited, 2017) and enjoyed it, since the tool allowed me to sketch the environment I desired around me and let me be more immersed in the idea that I have.

The biggest challenge that the virtual world can have as a tool for designers would be the necessity of it. Virtual reality hardware can be expensive, it can be disorienting, hard to assemble and unnecessary, when you can have access to practically the same tools on a computer. However, the virtual world can still open and change the ways the artists work today.

Even though nowadays people in creative industries usually work on computers due to the efficiency of the system, I would say that it's pretty possible that designers today (and in the near future) would use virtual reality in some stages of work, due to the convenience or efficiency in this type of work. I myself consider using virtual reality, for example - to sketch characters and environments in VR to augment my emotional feeling of the ideas. But the virtual reality still has a lot of years of improvement and development to come to become a stand-alone tool for creativity - just like we use the computer today. 

References:

Gravity Sketch Limited (2017) Gravity Sketch (Version 6.1.9) [Computer program]. Available at: https://store.steampowered.com/app/551370/Gravity_Sketch/

Chan, M. (2014) Virtual Reality: Representations in Contemporary Media. New York, NY: Bloomsbury Academic.

Popescu, G.H., Ciurlău, F.C., Stan, C.I., Băcănoiu (Văduva), C. and Tănase (Veisa), A. (2022) ‘Virtual Workplaces in the Metaverse: Immersive Remote Collaboration Tools, Behavioral Predictive Analytics, and Extended Reality Technologies’, Psychosociological issues in human resource management, 10(1), pp. 21–34. DOI: 10.22381/pihrm10120222

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6. The use of representation in modern games.

There are a lot of video games with different identities in each media. In one game - it’s a story about a dystopian future, where the cultures, genders, and ideas have heavily mixed with each other, and the social classes have isolated themself from the outside world, only interacting with them for personal benefits. In another game - we have a story, where the civilisation has vanished because of an unknown event - and society is trying to live in this new world, by also trying to connect to isolated societies, even if it takes big risks to do so.

With the quote from John Berger, where he states that `depiction, picturing and seeing are ubiquitous features of the process by which most human beings come to know the world as it really is for them’ (John Berger 1972: 7). We must understand that the visual information is the first data that a human receives, but it is not the vital one. As an intelligent human being - an individual should not only see, but understand and learn what they are seeing, to avoid misunderstanding. Not every individual, however, understands that.

Each game as a media, has its own contents. Each game was developed by the individuals for a specific intention, at a different time in history, and for the audience of that time, while using the resources they had and initial ideas they had planned. Because of that - each game will have its own idea, which could correlate, conflict with the real world, or even isolate from it. The finished game exists in the real world as a part of the story, letting the users react to it.

One of my favourite videogames with colourful, and better representation of gender and people would be Cyberpunk 2077 (2020) since the game has a very big diversion of identities (due to the complexity of the story plot). In this game, you will find a lot of interesting characters, with deep backstories and importantly, individuals that are stuck in that time of a story plot. Some people are in trouble, some are sad due to their lifestyle. By interacting with the characters and engaging with them in some quests - you advance their story, and not always in a good way. It should be said with confidence that CD Project Red has done a lot of research on their characters, the identities of the real world and how would they work in the world of Cyberpunk 2077 (2020). 

A negative example of how representations have been made would be in Back 4 Blood (2021). In my opinion, the biggest problem with playable characters and their representations is that most of their backstory is rather simple, colourful and stereotypical. Each character represents a strong and common aspect of one of the many personalities of this game. Compared to non-essential characters in the game, the main characters are being highlighted both in clothing and in personality.

With these examples, I wanted to understand the quote created by Stuart Hall, where he concludes that  “Perhaps instead of thinking of identity as an already accomplished historical fact, which the new cinematic discourses then represent, we should think, instead, of identity as a ‘production’, which is never complete, always in process, and always constituted within, not outside, representation” (Hall 1989: 68). I think this quote highlights that characters with their identities do not remain unchanged during a story of a video game. Just like in real life, by interacting with the events throughout life the person changes - Their ideas, thoughts, and personality generally shift into something better, or different.

Making proper identities for video games, or any other media is crucial since players and users will be able to smoothly relate to the characters, and their cultures and understand them. 

References:

CD Projekt Red (2020) Cyberpunk 2077 [Video game]. CD Projekt. Available at: https://www.cyberpunk.net/gb/en/

Turtle Rock Studios (2021) Back For Blood [Video game]. Warner Bros. Games. Available at: https://store.steampowered.com/app/924970/Back_4_Blood/

Berger, J. (2008 [1972]) Ways of Seeing, London, Penguin.

Hall, S. (1989) Cultural Identity and Cinematic Representation. Framework: The Journal of Cinema and Media, vol. 36, no. 36, pp. 68-81.

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5. Semiotics in video games: how do developers use them?

Throughout our existence, humans have created different signs and symbols to communicate with each other - Warning about the danger, illustrating the experience and knowledge, and so on. With semiotics, we can study various signs and their meanings in different communities. And by using this knowledge we can not only understand the mentality between us and the symbols - but we could also create the ideal signs, which would be universally understood by various societies and individuals.

With learning more about this topic I got curious about the semiotics in video games: how do developers use them? And with that in mind, I have decided to analyse this question.

While learning more about this topic, I stumbled upon a quote by John Fiske, where he stated that 'denotation is what is photographed, connotation is how it is photographed' (Fiske 1982: 91). I enjoyed that quote and almost immediately it reminded me of a game called Unpacking (Witch Beam, 2021).

In this puzzle game - you play as a female character who, Throughout her life, frequently travels between houses with her luggage. With each episode, you will need to unpack various old and new items from boxes and place them in the different rooms of the chapter’s house. 

A player has a freedom in where to place the objects, but the arrangement itself must follow the logic, otherwise, you can't complete the level - For example, You can’t place eating forks in the middle of the floor - you must place them on any table or inside of the kitchen drawer. The game is divided into eight chapters, and with each completion you unlock the character’s diary note, in which she generally expresses her life in the episode.

What's interesting about that game is that the details of the story are explained through the symbolism of world objects and the layout of rooms. The locations will have a specific ambience and feeling with the way they are constructed and coloured. And you, as a player, can examine unpacked items to figure out the personality of the character you are playing as. For example - colourful clothing, cute animals, lots of toys.

With time, you will explore new items as a way to learn more about the story of our character - With new objects such as a book about how to draw, or a drawing tablet, the authors are creating a hint that the main character becomes interested in arts. What is interesting for me is that outside of the context - these objects are just simply denotations, but in the context of the game - they also have connotations. For example…

Denotation: A wooden doll is an item that helps artists to draw different poses. 

Connotation: Expression of the character's excitement with art and an optimistic personality through the doll, as every time we interact with the object - it changes the pose from standing to sitting, dancing and so on.

In addition, with each new chapter, you may encounter the same items from previous levels, with their visuals slightly altered. For example - on a final level, a toy of a pig will have a golden bow on their neck. This can, furthermore, represent that the item will have one simple meaning for one person, but a different value for our character - as a reminder of the past, or the colourful emotions of that time, and so on. What is also interesting is that with a different chapter, the object’s connotation can change and have a different meaning: Seeing an old plush toy from chapter one, and then a new toy in chapter 8 which looks familiar in design.

Semiotics is one of the most powerful tools that an artist of any kind of practice can have. With such a tool we can create symbols and images with deeper and better meanings. By understanding how semiotics works, game developers can create signs, words and images that the players would quickly and naturally understand. With that, game developers can not only improve, but also reinforce the ideas in their games, making them more exciting and interesting to interact with.

References:

Fiske, John (1982): Introduction to Communication Studies. London: Routledge.

Witch Beam. (2021). Unpacking [Video game]. Humble Bundle. Available at: https://store.steampowered.com/app/1135690/Unpacking/

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4. Can realism in video games go too far?

Realism is a popular topic on various mediums - it's one of the ways of how we can try to understand what we are seeing, feeling or hearing. But how do we represent the realism? 

Escape from Tarkov (2017) is a fine representation of the experience and sensory immersion. You play as a fragile soldier, who uses military equipment to deal an effective damage and get protected from it. Because of this setting, the player must use not only reflexes and speed but their tactical skills as well. Depending on the player's equipment and performance - they can drastically benefit or lose progress per each round.

Since this game tries to simulate the realism of our world, players can reflect on real-world knowledge to understand some mechanics of the game. For example, Escape from Tarkov (2017) simulates the way how each firearm’s ballistics work in real life. People who know the information on how such ballistics work in real life can apply them in this game.

However, it should not be forgotten that point of Escape from Tarkov (2017) is not a realistic combat, but rather takes some aspects of realism and converts it into a video game. Developers are taking realism, converting it into a mechanic, and then rebuild the mechanic into something more playable and fun. 

While developers refer to the real-life urban combat as much as possible, with realistic weapons and combat simulation, realism is only the second priority in their game. The main reason for that is simply because games are simply supposed to be enjoyable - ‘Playability is a big part of the abstraction that goes into game design as a way of making sure that the player is able to enjoy the gameplay.’ (Josh, 2018).

Red Dead Redemption 2 (2018) is a good example of how you could use the strategy of social realism in a video game. The story begins in 1899 - when the era of cowboys was coming to an end. Locations resemble the old, wild west, with small but growing cities, people riding horses and the life of an outlaw begins to cease. 

I think by applying the strategies of social realism, the game portrays the 20th century very well and players can enjoy more than just the game. but also interact with the world and characters around them: They can see how life was during these times, they can learn about characters, and not only. By doing various actions in the game, and having choices as a player during the main story, characters and the world will react to the play as if it is indeed 1899. Unlike the movies, with video games players can enjoy the gameplay, and also immerse themselves more deeply with its setting.

Understanding the strategies of realism is crucial in designing video games, as developers understand that when players play games, they are not seeking for the real world. When we play games, we are taking a break from life, by enjoying a different world, where something happens. By converting the realistic aspects of the real world into a video game - you will not make the game, or any medium fun. This is the task of a game developer, to make the player's journey exciting and memorable.

References:

Josh B. (2018). The Unrealistic Challenge of Realism in Video Games. Available at: https://www.gamedeveloper.com/design/the-unrealistic-challenge-of-realism-in-video-games

Battlestate Games (2017) Escape From Tarkov [Video game]. Battlestate Games. Available at: https://www.escapefromtarkov.com/

Rockstar Games (2018) Red Dead Redemption 2 [Video game]. Rockstar Games. Available at: https://www.rockstargames.com/reddeadredemption2

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3. SOURCES - Intertextuality and Transmedia

Intertextuality and transmedia are powerful tools, that allow the consumers to enjoy the same franchise as different mediums. We can not only enjoy the comics about the superman, but also watch the movies about the character, play games as a superhero and so on. This allows us to explore our favourite franchise even further, speculate more with friends about the lore, and generally have more excitement with the franchise. That is what makes transmedia a very interesting and exciting concept.

Henry Jenkins describes transmedia as… “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.” (2011) One of the biggest challenges of converting the medium (for example, adapting the movie into a video game), is understanding what made it great in the first medium, and then attempt to make it great in the second one. During the adaptation of the medium, artists must understand that, for example, applying the same rules from movie art to a game art will completely cross out the video game as a medium. 

Andrzej Sapkowski’s (1990) Witcher, as a franchise, is a great example of transmedia - Coming initially from books, then into games, into comics - and then finally into a series. The great fact about Witcher as a transmedia is that no matter which type of medium you choose, you will always get a story-oriented content: No matter if you read, play, or watch a movie - you will always have an opportunity to experience the world that the title is settled in, it’s characters, their level of actions and finally - the setting. Developers of each medium took the Witcher (1990) story as an independent source, ignoring the aspects of the original medium and focusing on the details of a new one. Each medium excitedly experiments with the original Witcher text and its own medium to expand on the existing world from a new perspective, such as an interactive world (video games), deep characters (books), and strong immersion (series). If the consumer did not enjoy one medium from the franchise - they can always try a different one and see if they will like it or not.

When the Witcher TV series (2019) was released, people did not enjoy the fact that the characters did not look familiar as from video games, but I don't think that they had to. Here, I agree with Henry Jenkins one quote where said that “Some have tried to argue that games are a key component of transmedia, but I do not want to prioritize digital media extensions over other kinds of media practices.” (2011), and I agree with this quote, since there are other components of transmedia like books, music, drawings that could also share the transmedia.

My final example of a media, that could support the quote above would be Sonic The Hedgehog (2020) - Coming from the game industry, and being released as a movie - it became extremely popular in the cinemas, claiming the viewer's hearts. What's great about this example is that the viewers do not have to play the game to love the movie. It became popular not because there was a game about the hedgehog or because of a large fan pool from the said game, but because of masterful use of the movie genre, good writing and so on.

Conclusion - Transmedia allows the creators to expand their ideas beyond one medium. With transmedia, people can not only read about their favourite fantasies but also listen to them, play them, and watch them. In other words - enjoy them in the best way they want to. With Transmedia there is only one big challenge -and it is to properly transfer or expand the selected media to a new medium, making sure it will be constructed reasonably and be enjoyed.

References:

Andrzej Sapkowski (1990), Witcher (9 vol.). Poland: SuperNowa.

Sonic The Hedgehog (2020), directed by Jeff Fowler. [Feature film]. Paramount Pictures

The Witcher (TV series), Netflix, December 20, 8:00.

Jenkins, H. (2011) “Transmedia 202: Further Reflection,” Henry Jenkins Pop Junction, 31 July. Available at: http://henryjenkins.org/blog/2011/08/defining_transmedia_further_re.html

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2. Can we consider videogames as a’’Total Work of Art?’’

The Total Work of Art, or Gesamtkunstwerk, is an existing topic, that believes in combining a median with other medians to create a perfect combination that would produce an astonishing result with the best amusement to the audience. With the session week from my class - We explored different medians and how at first they became isolated, and then eventually - united with other medians. After the lecture, I have finally asked myself - are videogames are a ’’Total Work of Art?’’

Gesamtkunstwerk is a total work of art, which combines all forms of art and combines it into the strongest piece of art as best as possible. The total work of art idea can be described well with a quote from Wagner, where he says “The spectator transplants himself upon the stage, by means of all his visual and aural faculties" (Wagner, The Artwork of the Future, 1849). This topic has a long story of debates, since initially, some people believed that an art should stay within its own medium. Eventually, however - people decided that art should be free not only to share but also to spread to other mediums. 

With this topic, I have decided to pick one of my favourite games called Deus Ex (2000). In short - it's a game about the dystopian future, where you - as an agent of a secret organisation, must unravel the crisis of the game's world in 3 possible scenarios.

The game has a very rich story in it. It discusses about modern and future problems of our real society, about politics and greed. It makes the player think, since their decision will affect the rewards and progression afterwards. What is even more interesting - is that theoretically, there are no right endings in this game. No matter what choice a player chooses between 3 endings - all of the endings will have benefits and problems. Because of that - a lot of speculation can be seen on various social platforms about the endings, organisations and moral concepts.

What's great about this game, and worthy to consider a total work of art - is its combination of mediums and a smart connection between them. The music is composed by Alexander Brandon, a professional composer, with a wonderful theme around the futurepunk. It's a music that actually plays depending on the player's action - If the player is exploring the world, the ambience of the level is being played. If the player is actively fighting someone - the combat music will be played. The same goes if the player dies, transitions between the levels, or has a conversation with the NPCS in the world.

This goes as well for characters, sound design, story plot, and the design of the levels. I can spend minutes explaining how well multiple factors and design play their role almost perfectly in this game.

This is why I think Deus Ex (2000) could be nominated as a Total Work of Art. It smartly uses different media, and reconstructs them in a proper way to fit the video game medium. Without the smart writing, creative music and sound design, and multiple other types of mechanics and aspects of the game - we wouldn't have gotten a game with a great immersion, incredible freedom of choice, an interesting story with the amazing replayability.

But would I call Deus Ex a total work of Art? Probably not, because It's hard to say in the creative industry what can be considered complete perfection. I am afraid that nothing can become an absolute perfection. Considering as well that the audience can get exhausted from specific median combinations and so on. But what can I say for sure is that video game medium is a type of medium that rewards experiments and welcomes any other medium to be combined with - if they will find a peaceful, or effective way to correlate with each other.

References:

Richard Wagner (1849) The Artwork of the Future. Leipzig: Richard Wagner.

Ion Storm, Deus Ex: Game of the Year Edition (2000) [Video game]. Available at: https://store.steampowered.com/app/6910/Deus_Ex_Game_of_the_Year_Edition/

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1. Narrative theory & interactive narratives

Video games and narrative are different things. In video games, you are a person interacting with the medium - by using a controller, you move inside the interactable virtual world to pursue any tasks that satisfy you as a player. In my thinking, the main objective of video games is to simply make the gamer engaged with the game and its interactivity.

Video game is not like movies, or paintings, or anything else - it's a new medium. This medium, just like any other, is a completely new environment, where different things have new priorities, and new rules are applied. The capabilities of a video game designer are different compared to other mediums, for example - a developer has more interactivity with the user, compared to other mediums, and so on. There is an interesting quote from Espen Aarseth, where he states that  “Unlike literature, games are not about the Other, they are about the Self. Games focus on self-mastery and exploration of the external world” (2004), and I support the quote.

However, video games are not as simple as it seems. It's easy to make something fun, creative, or exciting - and so is easy to ruin that experience. A game developer must understand initially what they are pursuing with their project, and to complete their objective - they can use almost any tool or idea they desire.

This comes to the question of how narration is used in games, and how important it is to this medium. I think the best way to use storytelling or narration with a video game would be to understand what the game will be about in the first place, and then decide on the story.

A good example would be I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream (1995). In short, the story of the game is about how global countries have developed 3 AIs to assist in fighting their enemies, however, the AI decided to go rogue and combine itself into an ultimatum AI. With that - the new system overtook the planet, killing a majority of the population, and leaving the last 5 known humans captured and tortured for an eternity. In this game, as a player - you must help the survivors escape from this aggressive AI by doing puzzles and solving the story.

The game is a recreation of the story of the book. As a mechanic for the gameplay, they took the point-and-click adventure genre - quite a common genre at that time. What is important is that developers understand both the genre of the game and the story of the book. In fact, they cooperated with the original author of the book to make sure that they understood the story well. Once the original author of the book had been contacted by the game developers - he decided to assist them in game development, by re-writing the ending, suitable for the game medium.

In conclusion, I would say that video games are an ultimatum experimental field, which would benefit from trying various combinations, and theories. To make a good video game - one must understand this medium, especially before integrating the other mediums. Videogames could benefit from a good story, good music, good art and so on. By not understanding the idea of a video game, even with interesting storytelling or exciting visuals, the gameplay will feel either odd or outdated - and what is the point of playing a game that the user does not enjoy?

References:

CyberDreams (1995) I Have No Mouth, and I Must Scream [Video game]. Cyberdreams.

Aarseth, Espen (2004). ‘Genre trouble: narrativism and the art of simulation.” First person: new media as story, performance, and game. Ed. Noah Wardrip-Fruin & Pat Harrigan. Cambridg The MIT Press.