What does Interactive mean when applied to computer-generated work? What are its limitations? In this drawing, each of the dots could be hotspots that take the viewer on to another screen. There is no key to the dots so the choice is random, unless a pattern builds up, and then the viewer may choose a certain size or colour of dot in order to receive more information on a particular theme.
How Interactive can a piece really be? It can't mimic our own thoughts, the images that come into our head when reading a novel, which come from our own personal picture library. Nor can it mimic our train of thought, based on our own experiences and the way we interpret words and images.
There may be advantages; an Interactive novel could allow us to experience alternatives to the main text. It could involve a multi-layered narrative with different paths and endings, all dependent on the choices the individual makes.
We could revisit chapters of a virtual book, replay the scenes, reorder events according to our own interpretation.
The same image could be viewed through other people's eyes,
and seen as a simple pattern,
or a complex image built form the information we are presented with and the knowledge we have already.
But in the end, it can never be truly exhaustive. There may be endless combinations and paths through, but it all depends on what is put in the piece in the first place. The cleverest games are those that offer numerous choices and levels, and engage their audience for the longest.
What does Interactive mean when applied to computer-generated work? What are its limitations? In this drawing, each of the dots could be hotspots that take the viewer on to another screen. There is no key to the dots so the choice is random, unless a pattern builds up, and then the viewer may choose a certain size or colour of dot in order to receive more information on a particular theme.
How Interactive can a piece really be? It can't mimic our own thoughts, the images that come into our head when reading a novel, which come from our own personal picture library. Nor can it mimic our train of thought, based on our own experiences and the way we interpret words and images.
There may be advantages; an Interactive novel could allow us to experience alternatives to the main text. It could involve a multi-layered narrative with different paths and endings, all dependent on the choices the individual makes.
We could revisit chapters of a virtual book, replay the scenes, reorder events according to our own interpretation.
The same image could be viewed through other people's eyes,
and seen as a simple pattern,
or a complex image built form the information we are presented with and the knowledge we have already.
But in the end, it can never be truly exhaustive. There may be endless combinations and paths through, but it all depends on what is put in the piece in the first place. The cleverest games are those that offer numerous choices and levels, and engage their audience for the longest.
1 comment:
I was trying to compare virtual experience with real experience, exploring an image of a painting on the net or standing in front of it; having a conversation or picking multi-choice answers, or playing a game with another person or pitching your wits against a programme.
Post a Comment