Narrative Interface Design: The Use of Interface Elements to Enhance The Narrative Experience in Videogames

Candidate: Ben Lin
Type: Master of Applied Science, Interactive Arts (MASc-IA), School of Interactive Arts and Technology
Date: May 28, 2007
Senior Supervisor: Jim Bizzocchi, Assistant Professor
Thesis: Download Thesis Document

Abstract

This thesis examines the phenomenon of the player switching between story experience and game flow in the process of gameplay. It considers whether and how the design of the interface can facilitate player oscillation between the enjoyment of story and the pleasurable flow of effective gameplay.  The research argues that the oscillation can be reduced through the incorporation of narrative content and sensibility into the design of game interfaces; a number of narrativization design strategies are suggested to support the argument.

Using the research method of case studies, this thesis studies several game examples that utilize the suggested design strategies to achieve unique gaming experiences, better blending the immersive narrative experience of story and the active awareness of the interactive process of gameplay.