Meaning and emotion in Squaresoft\u27s Final Fantasy X: Re-theorising realism and identification in video games

This thesis takes the position that traditional theories of realism and identification misrepresent the relationships between players and videogames, and that a cross·disciplinary approach is needed. It uses Ed Tan\u27s (1997) and Torben Grodal\u27s (1997) analyses of narrative, cognition, and emotion in film as a basis for interrogating existing research on, and providing a working model of, video gameplay. It develops this model through an extended account of Squaresoft\u27s adventure role-playing game Final Fantasy X (FFX) (2001), whose hybrid narrative and game macrostructures foreground many of the problems associated with video games. The chapters respectively address; existing research on video games; how perceptual qualities of the interface determine the reality status of gameplay; how narrative and game codes regulate or retard interest; FFX\u27s henneneutic coding of reality; the dual narrative and game coding of video game characters; the uses and limits of the psychoanalytic concept of identification when analysing video games; how gameplay promotes empathetic emotions towards characters; how players develop empathetic emotions towards themselves; and how the disjunctive quality of play may have un existential quality

Imaginative play with blended reality characters

Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, School of Architecture and Planning, Program in Media Arts and Sciences, 2011.Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.Includes bibliographical references (p. 132-137).The idea and formative design of a blended reality character, a new class of character able to maintain visual and kinetic continuity between the fully physical and fully virtual; the technical underpinnings of its unique blended physical and digital play context and the evaluation of its impact on children's play are the contents of this thesis. A play test study with thirty-four children aged three and a half to seven was conducted using non-reactive, unobtrusive observational methods and a validated evaluation instrument. Our claim is that young children have accepted the idea, persistence and continuity of blended reality characters. Furthermore, we found that children are more deeply engaged with blended reality characters and are more fully immersed in blended reality play as co-protagonists in the experience, in comparison to interactions with strictly screen-based representations. As substantiated through the use of quantitative and qualitative analysis of drawings and verbal utterances, the study showed that young children produce longer, detailed and more imaginative descriptions of their experiences following blended reality play. The desire to continue engaging in blended reality play as expressed by children's verbal requests to revisit and extend their play time with the character positively affirms the potential for the development of an informal learning platform with sustained appeal to young children.by David Yann Robert.S.M

As cinemáticas e narrativas de jogos digitais: implicações para o design de jogos

Game cinematics integrating filming techniques, cutscenes, and animations are likely to have a pivotal role in the player experience, emotional attachment, and relatedness to the game narrative content. In recent years, the avoidance of cuts to generate a seamless and connected game experience has challenged older patterns on storytelling in games and find new ways of intertwining gameplay with the narrative. However, a one-size-fits-all strategy may not be applied when considering different storytelling purposes, structures, and language used in diversified game genres. The purpose of this research is to examine the contributions of cinematics to affect game story comprehension, especially in young adults. A multi-stage development research method is applied, encompassing the following activities: (1) identification of requirements to develop game cinematics based on the literature review and interviews with 16 scholars and industry professionals in Game UX, and cinematic development; (2) Development of a Game Cinematics experiment for the game Mutation Madness, using first- and third- perspectives; and a (3) Comparative evaluation of game cinematics in terms of experience and narrative comprehension. The cinematics developed are tested with 46 young adults to assess the effect of the Point Of View (POV) camera on visual attention and story comprehension in Mutation Madness, using an eye- tracking experiment. The results suggest that third- perspective in game cinematics constitute omniscient knowledge of the story, evoking the sense of time and focusing on the story agents, while first- perspective visually guides the player to the game events happening in the time of gameplay. This research contributes to the Communication Sciences and Technologies field by presenting a set of best practices developing game cinematics.As cinemáticas de jogos que integram técnicas de filmagem, cutscenes, e animações, tendem a ter um papel central na experiência do jogador, envolvimento emocional, e relação com a narrativa. Nos últimos anos, os padrões mais antigos inerentes ao processo de contar histórias nos jogos têm sido desafiados pela ausência de cortes e interrupções na experiência, de modo a garantir a interconexão e o entrelaçar da jogabilidade com a narrativa. No entanto, a adoção de uma estratégia de dimensão única pode não atender a diferentes propósitos da narrativa, estruturas e linguagem utilizadas em diferentes géneros de jogos. O objetivo desta investigação é compreender o modo como as cinemáticas podem afetar a compreensão de histórias de jogos, especialmente em jovens adultos. O método de investigação de desenvolvimento é aplicado, subdividido nas seguintes etapas: (1) Identificação de requisitos para desenvolver cinemáticas de jogos com base na revisão da literatura e entrevista a 16 académicos e profissionais da indústria em experiência de jogo, e desenvolvimento de cinemáticas; (2) Desenvolvimento de cinemáticas do jogo Mutation Madness, com recurso à primeira e terceira perspetiva; e (3) Avaliação comparativa das cinemáticas de jogo em termos de experiência e compreensão da narrativa. As cinemáticas desenvolvidas são testadas por 46 jovens adultos, recorrendo à metodologia eye-tracking, para avaliar o efeito da perspetiva da câmara [Point Of View (POV)] na atenção visual e na compreensão da narrativa do jogo Mutation Madness. Os resultados sugerem que a cinemática em que é adotada a terceira perspetiva no jogo proposto contribui para um conhecimento omnisciente da história, evocando o sentido do tempo e concentrando-se nos agentes da história, enquanto a primeira perspetiva orienta visualmente o jogador para os eventos do jogo que acontecem no tempo da jogabilidade. Esta investigação contribui para a área das Ciências da Tecnologia da Comunicação ao apresentar um conjunto de melhores práticas para desenvolver as cinemáticas nos jogos.Mestrado em Comunicação Multimédi

Character Body Expression in 3D Computer Animation: a New Posing Approach.

Creation of 3D character animations is a complex and time-consuming process, and the character animator has to simultaneously consider a multitude of factors in order to create high quality expressive animation. The 12 Principles of Animation are traditionally considered as the main guidelines for creating high-grade character animation. The main focus of this research is the process of animating the 3D character’s body expression and the animator’s practice, particularly the Posing phase of the animation process. Although posing is not one of the 12 Principles of Animation, it can be considered as the superposition of a subset of those principles that the animator has to keep in mind, while creating key-poses for any specific movement of an animated character. Additional factors that should be considered by the animator during the Posing stage are body language and acting, along with the technicalities of the 3D character manipulation. Hence, Posing is regarded as an intricate process, making it rather challenging for the animator to avoid involuntary neglect of the large number of the aforementioned characteristics. This aspect of the 3D animation process is extremely important for the final creative result of the animation, in terms of character's expression, because if the key-poses are not well defined, the computer may not be able to generate sufficiently expressive animation. This would often result in work that may be subjectively judged as lower quality animations. This research developed the hypothesis that the key to create more expressive 3D character animation is located within Posing, in the Animation Blocking phase of the process. This thesis proposes that a systematisation of the Posing procedure taking advantage of certain Traditional Animation, Fine Arts and Acting concepts and their underlying rationale, can greatly benefit the animator. This thesis presents a new posing approach to 3D character animation, as a conceptual guideline which promotes the arrangement of the body parts into naturalistic patterns of expression. This is achieved by combining the concepts of Power Centre, Line of Action, Contrapposto and Serpentine Line in a systematic way, around a conceptual flow of force. These comprehensible high-level concepts make Posing and the animation process less complicated and more accessible. This allows animators of different levels to create more believable character body expressions in an easier and less time-consuming fashion, introducing better methods of more efficient workflows resulting in improved creative results over shorter periods of time. It is also demonstrated how the aforementioned concepts can be applied to a variety of animation styles – ranging from the more realistic to the more cartoonish ones. A prototype of a 3D Pose Tool was also developed, based on the rationale of the proposed approach, with the objective of being used as a visual guide for generation of new poses to be included in the case studies. Additionally, this tool produces visual evidence in the analysis of specific good and bad examples of character posing. This thesis, therefore, makes the argument that the proposed solution – whether accompanied with the complementary 3D Pose Tool or not – gives the animator the possibility to work the character body expression as a whole. Thus, avoiding stiffness and ensuring that the essential steps of posing are not neglected in the process. This was demonstrated with several cases, which give evidence of the usefulness of the approach as a contribution to create more expressive character animation and to produce it in a more efficient way

Nabokov : the artist against caprice

This study examines the use of detachment in the novels of Vladimir Nabokov, a detachment that has earned Nabokov an undeserved reputation as an aesthete interested only in manipulating his characters within intriguing artistic patterns. I attempt to show that Nabokov's detachment is a device for provoking both his protagonists and his readers into shedding their complacency and assuming a perceptive1, engaged stance toward the world. His detachment imitates, and thereby exposes', a power I call Caprice, a whimsically destructive force at large in the world, as inexorable as the Fates, yet never as predictable. Nabokov's weaker characters cannot decipher Caprice's patterns, and they become alienated ciphers, lost in madness or drifting on the periphery of life. His artist heroes, though, are strong enough to insistently carve out their own moral niches within the chaos of an amoral world. The Nabokovian hero's artistic sense is grounded in a continual awareness of the beauties as well as the horrors of the phenomenal world; and he uses his imagination to highlight these beauties and transform the horrors. He controls the imaginative constructs with which he reshapes his world

Investigating User Experience Using Gesture-based and Immersive-based Interfaces on Animation Learners

Creating animation is a very exciting activity. However, the long and laborious process can be extremely challenging. Keyframe animation is a complex technique that takes a long time to complete, as the procedure involves changing the poses of characters through modifying the time and space of an action, called frame-by-frame animation. This involves the laborious, repetitive process of constantly reviewing results of the animation in order to make sure the movement-timing is accurate. A new approach to animation is required in order to provide a more intuitive animating experience. With the evolution of interaction design and the Natural User Interface (NUI) becoming widespread in recent years, a NUI-based animation system is expected to allow better usability and efficiency that would benefit animation. This thesis investigates the effectiveness of gesture-based and immersive-based interfaces as part of animation systems. A practice-based element of this research is a prototype of the hand gesture interface, which was created based on experiences from reflective practices. An experimental design is employed to investigate the usability and efficiency of gesture-based and immersive-based interfaces in comparison to the conventional GUI/WIMP interface application. The findings showed that gesture-based and immersive-based interfaces are able to attract animators in terms of the efficiency of the system. However, there was no difference in their preference for usability with the two interfaces. Most of our participants are pleasant with NUI interfaces and new technologies used in the animation process, but for detailed work and taking control of the application, the conventional GUI/WIMP is preferable. Despite the awkwardness of devising gesture-based and immersive-based interfaces for animation, the concept of the system showed potential for a faster animation process, an enjoyable learning system, and stimulating interest in a kinaesthetic learning experience

A study of how the technological advancements in capturing believable facial emotion in Computer Generated (CG) characters in film has facilitated crossing the uncanny valley

A Research Report submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirement for the Degree of Masters of Arts in Digital Animation at the University of the Witwatersrand (School of Digital Arts) Johannesburg, South AfricaIn recent years, the quest for capturing authentic emotion convincingly in computer generated (CG) characters to assist exceedingly complex narrative expressions in modern cinema has intensified. Conveying human emotion in a digital human-like character is widely accepted to be the most challenging and elusive task for even the most skilled animators. Contemporary filmmakers have increasingly looked to complex digital tools that essentially manipulate the visual design of cinema through innovative techniques to reach levels of undetectable integration of CG characters. In trying to assess how modern cinema is pursuing the realistic integration of CG human-like characters in digital film with frenetic interest despite the risk of box office failure associated with the uncanny valley, this report focuses on the progress of the advances in the technique of facial motion capture. The uncanny valley hypothesis, based on a theory by Sigmund Freud, was coined in 1970 by Japanese robotics professor, Masahiro Mori. Mori suggested that people are increasingly comfortable with robots the more human-like they appear, but only up to a point. At that turning point, when the robot becomes too human-like, it arouses feelings of repulsion. When movement is added to this equation, viewers’ sense of the uncanny is heightened when the movement is deemed to be unreal. Motion capture is the technique of mimicking and capturing realistic movement by utilising technology that enables the process of translating a live actor’s performance into a digital performance. By capturing and transferring the data collected from sensors placed on a body suit or tracked from a high definition video, computer artists are able to drive the movement of a corresponding CG character in a 3-Dimensional (3D) programme. The attention of this study is narrowed to the progress of the techniques developed during a prolific decade for facial motion capture in particular. Regardless of the conflicting discourse surrounding the use of motion capture technology, these phenomenal improvements have allowed filmmakers to overcome that aspect of the uncanny valley associated with detecting realistic movement and facial expression. The progress of facial motion capture is investigated through the lens of selected films released during the period of 2001 to 2012. The two case studies, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (2008) and Avatar (2009) were chosen for their individual achievement and innovative techniques that introduced new methods of facial capture. Digital images are said to undermine the reality status of cinematic images by challenging the foundation of long held theories of cinematic realist theory. These theories rooted in the indexical basis of photography, have proved to be the origin of contemporary viewers' notion of cinematic realism. However, the relationship between advanced digital effects and modern cinematic realism has created a perceptual complexity that warrants closer scrutiny. In addressing the paradoxical effect that photo-real cinematic realism is having on the basic comprehension of realism in film, the history of the seminal claims made by recognized realist film theorists is briefly examined

Open destinies : modern American women and the short story cycle

This thesis examines the juncture between the short story cycle form and gender politics. It explores how twentieth-century women from the United States have been using the form to represent and question gender identity. The introduction outlines commentaries on the story cycle and considers definitions of the form. It includes case studies of earlier twentieth-century cycles by American women: cycles such as Mary McCarthy's The Company She Keeps that have been passed over by critics of the form. Chapter One presents Eudora Welty's The Golden Apples as a cycle paradigm, examining conventions such as the form's metafictional dimension and its preoccupation with communal identity. Chapter Two argues that Grace Paley's scattered Faith narratives set a standard for more dispersed versions of the form. Chapter Three considers how Joyce Carol Oates uses the sequential cycle to represent gender identity as a social construct. Chapters Four and Five examine the macrocosmic cycles of Gloria Naylor and Louise Erdrich and consider changes in their form and gender politics. The final 'composite' chapters explore postmodern versions of the form such as Susan Minot's Monkeys. The prose works of Sandra Cisneros stretch across the story cycle continuum, whilst Toni Morrison's Paradise is universally regarded as a novel. Readings of contemporary cycles by Melissa Bank, Elissa Schappell and Emily Carter demonstrate that American women are re-invigorating the form to facilitate the plural identity of the postmodern heroine