From real spaces to virtual spaces: The metaverse and decentralized cinema

Developments in computer and communication technologies, which constitute the starting point of concepts such as decentralization, virtuality, simulation, augmented reality and metaverse, have also brought new forms of expression and designs in art to the agenda. In addition to the decentralized data architecture and metaverse areas that emerged in parallel with the development of network technologies, applications that increase the user's interaction and beleaguered experience such as virtual reality, augmented reality and mixed reality have increased their effectiveness in this field. The metaverse spaces that emerge with the cooperation of software, art and architecture offer their users a more similar life simulation of natural life through augmented reality vehicles or screens. Here, users can perform new experiences for artistic production and consumption as well as daily life practices such as socialization and communication. Metaverse spaces, which include the design of a three-dimensional virtual universe that can be supported by augmented reality, are free from all the constraints of the real world as a cinematic plateau. It is seen as a great advantage that the real film set can create a cinematic work without expensive equipment such as cameras, lights, and sound away from all the negativities of the natural shooting conditions. The fact that the production, distribution and screening of cinema works can be realized within this field brings a new understanding of decentralized cinema to the agenda. Decentralized cinema, which has begun to rise in the expanding virtual geography of the metaverse virtual space with its advantages such as virtual characters and scenes and creative space fictions, is an art form worth examining. This study focuses on the possible future transformations of cinema in terms of production and representation in the context of the relationship of virtual and augmented reality technologies with developing metaverse areas. The emergence of a new cinematic ecology; The opportunities and obstacles it provides to producers are examined with the philosophical criticism method through concepts such as virtual and augmented reality, web 3.0, metaverse in terms of audience experiences it offers for screening.  As a result of the study, it was concluded that the metaverse area has many advantages in terms of the production of cinema works, democratization of the production and distribution of works, digital privacy and security for metaverse artists, and recognition of ownership for digital works of art

Creating Characters in a Story-Telling Universe

Extended story generation, i.e., the creation of continuing serials, presents difficult and interesting problems for Artificial Intelligence. We present here the first phase or the development of a program, UNIVERSE, that will ultimately tell extended stories. In particular, alter describing our overall model of story telling, we present a method for creating universes of characters appropriate for extended story generation. This method concentrates on the need to keep story-telling universes consistent and coherent. We also describe the information that must be maintained for characters and interpersonal relationships, and the use of stereotypical information about people to help motivate trait values. The use of historical events for motivation is also described. Finally, we present an example of a character generated by UNIVERSE

Automated state of play: rethinking anthropocentric rules of the game

Automation of play has become an ever more noticeable phenomenon in the domain of video games, expressed by self-playing game worlds, self-acting characters, and non-human agents traversing multiplayer spaces. This article proposes to look at AI-driven non-human play and, what follows, rethink digital games, taking into consideration their cybernetic nature, thus departing from the anthropocentric perspectives dominating the field of Game Studies. A decentralised post-humanist reading, as the author argues, not only allows to rethink digital games and play, but is a necessary condition to critically reflect AI, which due to the fictional character of video games, often plays by very different rules than the so-called “true” AI

Technology-Supported Storytelling (TSST) Strategy in Virtual World for Multicultural Education

Learning culture through stories is an effective way for multicultural education, since stories are one of the most powerful and personal ways that we learn about the world. Storytelling, the process of telling stories, is a form of communication and a universal expression of culture. With the development of technology, storytelling emerges out of diverse ways. This study explores the storytelling in virtual worlds for multicultural education, and devises a Technology-Supported storytelling (TSST) strategy by examining and considering the characteristics of virtual worlds which could be incorporated into the storytelling, and then uses this strategy to teach Korean culture to students with different culture background. With this innovative TSST strategy in virtual world, this study expects to provide a guide to practice for teaching multicultural in digital era

Goal-oriented hierarchical task networks and its application on interactive narrative planning

Two of the most commonly used AI architectures in digital games are Behavior Tree (BT) and Goal-Oriented Action Planning (GOAP). The BT architecture is script based, highly controllable but barely expandable. On the other hand the GOAP architecture is planner based, barely controllable but highly expandable. This thesis proposes a hybrid AI architecture called Goal-Oriented Hierarchical Task Network (GHTN); combining planner based approach of GOAP with script based approach of BT. GHTN modifies the Hierarchical Task Network (HTN) architecture by replacing its iterative planner with a goal oriented planner, while maintaining the BT-like scripting capabilities of HTN. GHTN's iterative-planner hybrid architecture is suitable to be used for Interactive Narrative Planning. Using GHTN with a previously crafted domain, it is possible to obtain a non-repetitive and continuous narrative flow which can also be directed by external goals. The user is presented with choices that are intelligently chosen to push the narrative towards the goal; then, depending on the answers new choices are generated. The initial state of the world and the goals are specified by a Scenarist who has the knowledge of the domain. The proposed architecture is tested on Interactive Narrative Planning task with an example domain set in the Lala Land universe, and the architecture is tested with several initial world states and goals

Alternative Realities/The Multiverse: A Metaphysical Conundrum

Films of every era reflect the concerns and fears of Western society. The acceleration of technology, the loss of a concrete world, the uneasy relationship with humans and ever increasing complex machines are inducing a fear of losing the ability to discern reality. The reality of ideas from science and the world around are woven into the narratives that we use to explain life.The films we watch reflect our hopes and fears and as the fears increase so do films with a shared theme of alternative realities. To know reality and search for the true Self is the job of the hero and the protagonist in recent alternative reality films

Hide and sneak: story generation with characters that perceive and assume

We describe the design of a perception system for the characters in the Virtual Storyteller (VST), a character-centric story generation system. Previously, these characters were omniscient; stories involving sneaking and deception could not be generated. To remedy this, we limited the characters' visual perception using simple rules. We enabled the characters to make assumptions about the story world, so they can plan toward goals in spite of incomplete knowledge. Using the distinction between the character and actor roles of agents in the VST, we can use the assumptions to steer the story plot

Loading World: (re)Creating Life, Nature and Cosmos in Evolutionary Computer Games

As a generalised field of study, artificial life has produced specific meanings and narratives about what it means to be alive: structured around the concepts of code, information, evolution, connectionism, emergence and cybernetics that connect silicon and carbon life together. Evolutionary computer games and popular programs have introduced the general player and user to advanced artificial life creations, with games based on the nurturing and breeding of silicon creatures placed within new digital natures conceived as computational regimes. Considered is the question of how it has become possible to talk of silicon entities as being alive, and to explore their relationship with carbon life as presented within evolutionary computer games. Similarities between digital and material proposed within computational regimes are also investigated. Playing computer games is developed as a productive practice that constructs meanings, stories and narratives within play. Tracing spiritual and scientific myths and narratives of construction, creation and change, reveals how common stories about life, nature and cosmos are employed in the building of bonds between silicon and carbon. Evolutionary computer games are presented as actively promoting themselves as artificial life products creating links with the life and biological sciences. Meaning produced within play is shown to naturalise and normalise specific definitions of life steeped in neo·Darwinian evolutionism and cybernetics, and how our digital creations have become perfected examples of the essence of this life. Whether this conceptualisation of life, nature and cosmos works within computational regimes is questioned and discussed. Reflecting similar arguments contesting the neo·Darwinian evolutionary perspective within biology, the assumptions employed within this framework are investigated and challenged. Utilising Bruno Latour's program of political ecology and his concepts of proposition and habit. An alternative framework is suggested to examine artificial life, utilising Bruno Latour's program of political ecology, his concepts of proposition and habit, and our relation with these entities