Beyond Linear Narrative Augusto Baal Enters Norrath Katie Whitlock

"Play is older than culture” It is inherent in our nature. Used to transcend reality, breaking from the mundane to experience the extraordinary. Huizinga points to "dressing up" as the highest level of this, suggesting that the donning of disguise or mask equals perfection of play – “becoming another being”. The culture of play remains strong within our society. The manner of play is changing, adapting to the mediatized culture of the present. For Rushkoff, video game is a "mediated dream space," which allows individuals to join in fictional realities to play "dress up" and to pursue a hero's quest unavailable in modern society The video game player of today is a performer. He/she is actively engaged in an interactive state that is both physical and mental, playing a character. Narrative, however simplistic, houses this performance in a virtual world, a performance space that can allow an unlimited creative freedom.

Games versus Stories This is the essential difference between game designers and storytellers: The game designers see the universe - everything! - as a gigantic physical system that need only be simulated with sufficient fidelity to achieve any goal.

Gamification

Early Industrial games use film structures: which ignores the dimension of interactivity available to gaming and the use of an emotionally evocative dramatic experience. Later games emerge that use Post-Aristotelian theater narratives: create interactive fantasy systems i.e. MMORPG, WOW. Rather than following Aristotelian rules of drama, these massive worlds parallel the writings of another, more modern, theatre theorist - Augusto Boal.

MMORPG Introduce social relationships in games: – Dungeon “like” Role playing games – online communities MUDs (text based) MMOs add AI in games – Games became situational: a simulacrum of the real-world (or a fantastic version of)

Augusto Boal's Forum Theatre

Spect-actor A meld of audience and actor An active participant in drama Influencing the narrative Altering the narrative to suit the individual's ideas. Theater becomes at the cross-road of narrative and action It becomes a place of revolution via democratic theater

Everquest- Boal’s theater

Massive multiplayer games are unique in that they depend upon the community to survive, just as Boars Forum relies on society to thrive. The community is the reason to play the game as its presence and involvement alters the experience. The player becomes a part of the game and its virtual community, joining a social network that gives the player agency, a capacity for change in every action and choice. Player immersion Hyper reality

For example

As technology continues to improve and becomes further enmeshed in everyday life, the potential grows for gaming to extend its presence. This connection between real life and gaming will further Boal's concept of the Forum by providing a place for the exploration ideas and narratives. With the integration of computers and cell phones, virtual worlds hold the potential to become active theatrical forums in which individuals become characters in ever-changing narratives that are influenced and shaped by the people

Gaming Industry

Gaming layer to the world

Impact of games?

England 2011