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Narrative and Dynamic Systems: Finding Story in the Mechanics of Play


Tuesday, 1st February 2005
University of Tampere, lecture hall 1096, PinniB
Video venue: University of Art and Design Helsinki, Media Centre Lume, Sampo Auditorium

Katie Salen, Director of Graduate Studies, Design and Technology Program, Parsons School of Design, New York

How do we tell stories within media that are non-linear, media like digital games, hyperfictions, and databases? How can we craft narrative experiences that emerge from the dynamics of interaction, narratives experienced within procedural systems? What is the role of narrative in designing meaningful play? The lecture will take a design-centric view of the relationship between narratives and games, linking together issues of signification, simulation and storytelling. The emphasis will be on exploring design strategies that exist to integrate choice, agency, and representation into the more traditional needs of character, plot, drama, time, space, and event.