Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Telling Stories Through Space: The Mindstage Project

  • Conference paper
Technologies for Interactive Digital Storytelling and Entertainment (TIDSE 2006)

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNPSE,volume 4326))

Abstract

Mindstage is a real-time multi-user 3D virtual environment used to explore the relationships between a linear story and the virtual world in which it unfolds. The prototype uses as its narrative spine an illustrated lecture on film design by Christopher Hobbs. It provides a stage for interaction featuring a customized 3D environment based on this material, with the necessary actors and objects in it. The main design issues were mapping the linear talk onto the virtual space, and the implementation of various interactive features within it. We argue that a careful use of spatial design supports a degree of non-linear story-telling without compromising the core linear content.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 39.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  1. Aarseth, E.J.: Allegorien des Raums: Räumlichkeit in Computerspielen Zeitschrift für Semiotik, pp. 301–318 (2001)

    Google Scholar 

  2. Aarseth, E.J.: Cybertext: Perspectives on Ergodic Literature. The John Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, London (1997)

    Google Scholar 

  3. Aarseth, E.J.: Quest Games as Post-Narrative Discourse. In: Ryan, M.-L. (ed.) Narrative Across Media: The Languages of Storytelling, pp. 361–377. University of Nebraska Press, Lincoln, NE (2004)

    Google Scholar 

  4. Bates, J.: The Role of Emotion in Believable Agents. Communications of the ACM 37(7), 122–125

    Google Scholar 

  5. Bates, J., Loyall, B.A., Reilly, W.S.: An Architecture for Action, Emotion, and Social Behaviour. In: Castelfranchi, C., Werner, E. (eds.) MAAMAW 1992. LNCS, vol. 830, pp. 55–68. Springer, Heidelberg (1994)

    Google Scholar 

  6. Blumberg, B.: Old Tricks. New Dogs: Ethology and Interactive Creatures, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (1997)

    Google Scholar 

  7. Bolter, J.D.: Writing Space. In: Computers, Hypertext, and the Remediation of Print, Lawrence Erlbaum Assoc, Mahwah, New Jersey, London (2001)

    Google Scholar 

  8. Brophy, S.P.: Constructing Shareable Learning Materials in Bioengineering Education. IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Magazine 22(4), 39–46

    Google Scholar 

  9. Crawford, C. Understanding Interactivity (draft 7.0). n.n., n.n. (2000)

    Google Scholar 

  10. Dillenbourg, P.: Virtual Learning Environments EUN Conference 2000, Brussels (2000)

    Google Scholar 

  11. Friedman, T.: Civilization and Its Discontents: Simulation, Subjectivity, and Space. In: Smith, G. (ed.) Discovering Discs: Transforming Space and Genre on CD-ROM, pp. 132–150. New York University Press, New York (1999)

    Google Scholar 

  12. Fuller, M., Jenkins, H.: Nintendo and New World Travel Writing: A Dialogue. In: Jones, S.G. (ed.) Cybersociety: Computer-Mediated Communication and Community, Sage Publications, Thousand Oaks, pp. 57–72. Sage Publications, Thousand Oaks (1995)

    Google Scholar 

  13. Harrison, S., Dourish, P.: Re-place-ing Space: The Roles of Place and Space in Collaborative Systems. ACM Press, New York (1996)

    Google Scholar 

  14. Hayes-Roth, B., van Gent, R.: Improvisational Puppets, Actors, and Avatars. Miller Freeman, San Francisco (1996)

    Google Scholar 

  15. Herman, D.: Story Logic: Problems and Possibilities of Narrative. University of Nebraska Press, Lincoln, London (2002)

    Google Scholar 

  16. Hillier, B., Hanson, J.: The Social Logic of Space. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge (1984)

    Book  Google Scholar 

  17. Jenkins, H.: Game Design as Narrative Architecture. In: Harrington, P., Wardrup-Fruin, N. (eds.) First Person: New Media as Story, Performance, and Game, MIT Press, Cambridge (2004)

    Google Scholar 

  18. Jenkins, H., Squire, K.: The Art of Contested Spaces. In: King, L. (ed.) Game On: The History and Culture of Video Games, Universe, New York, pp. 64–75 (2002)

    Google Scholar 

  19. Loomis, J.M., Lippa, Y., Klatzky, R.L., Golledge, R.G.: Spatial Updating of Locations Specified by 3-D Sound and Spatial Language. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition 28(2), 335–345

    Google Scholar 

  20. Loyall, A.B.: Believable Agents: Building Interactive Personalities. Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh (1997)

    Google Scholar 

  21. Lynch, K.: The Image of the City. MIT Press, Cambridge (1960)

    Google Scholar 

  22. Mateas, M.: Interactive Drama. In: Art and Artificial Intelligence, Carnegie Mellon University (2002)

    Google Scholar 

  23. Mateas, M., Sengers, P.: Narrative Intelligence. John Benjamins Publ. Co., Amsterdam (2002)

    Google Scholar 

  24. Mateas, M., Stern, A.: Integrating Plot, Character and Natural Language Processing in the Interactive Drama Façade. Fraunhofer IRB Verlag, Darmstadt (2003)

    Google Scholar 

  25. Murray, J.H.: Hamlet on the Holodeck. In: The Future of Narrative in Cyberspace, MIT Press, Cambridge (1997)

    Google Scholar 

  26. Nitsche, M., Roudavski, S., Thomas, M., Penz, F.: Building Cuthbert Hall Virtual College As a Dramatically Engaging Environment. In: Binder, T., Gregory, J., Wagner, I. (eds.) Proceedings of the Participatory Design Conference 2002, CPSR, Malmoe, pp. 386–390 (2002)

    Google Scholar 

  27. Nitsche, M., Roudavski, S., Thomas, M., Penz, F.: Drama and Context in Real-Time Virtual Environments: Use of Pre-Scripted Events as a Part of an Interactive Spatial Mediation Framework. In: Göbel, S., Braun, N., Spierling, U., Dechau, J., Diener, H. (eds.), pp. 296–310. Fraunhofer IRB Verlag, Darmstadt (2003)

    Google Scholar 

  28. Richens, P., Nitsche, M.: Mindstage: Towards a Functional Virtual Architecture. In: Martens, B., Brown, A. (eds.) 11th International CAAD Futures Conference, pp. 331–340. Springer, Vienna (2005)

    Google Scholar 

  29. Riedl, M., Saretto, C.J., Young, M.R.: Managing Interaction between Users and Agents in a Multi-agent Storytelling Environment. ACM Press, New York (2003)

    Google Scholar 

  30. Ryan, M.-L.: Narrative As Virtual Reality. In: Immersion and Interactivity in Literature and Electronic Media, The John Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, London (2001)

    Google Scholar 

  31. Schroeder, R.: The Social Life of Avatars: Presence and Interaction in Shared Virtual Environments. Springer, London (2002)

    Google Scholar 

  32. Siegel, D.: The Nine Act Story Structure. In: Proceedings of the Computer Game Developers Conference 1996, pp. 421–431. Miller Freeman, San Francisco (1996)

    Google Scholar 

  33. Smith, H.: The Future of Game Design: Moving beyond Deus Ex and other dated Paradigms Multimedia International Market, Montreal (2001)

    Google Scholar 

  34. Stone, A.R.: Cyberdaemmerung at Wellspring Systems. In: Moser, A.M. (ed.) Immersed in Technology. Art and Virtual Environments, pp. 103–118. MIT Press, Cambridge (1996)

    Google Scholar 

  35. Szilas, N.: Interactive Drama on Computer: Beyond Linear Narrative. AAAI Press, Menlo Park (1999)

    Google Scholar 

  36. Taylor, T.L.: Play between Worlds. In: Exploring Online Game Culture, MIT Press, Cambridge (2006)

    Google Scholar 

  37. Tomlinson Jr., W.M.: Synthetic Social Relationships for Computational Entities. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (2002)

    Google Scholar 

  38. Tosca, S.: The Quest Problem in Computer Games. In: Gőbel, S., Braun, N., Spierling, U., Dechau, J., Diener, H. (eds.) Technologies for Interactive Digital Storytelling TIDSE, pp. 69–82. Fraunhofer IRB Verlag, Darmstadt, GE (2003)

    Google Scholar 

  39. Weinbren, G.: The Digital Revolution is a Revolution of random Access. In: Telepolis (online magazine) Heise, February 17 (1997)

    Google Scholar 

  40. Wimberley, D., Samsel, J.: Interactive Writer’s Handbook. The Carronade Group, Los Angeles, San Francisco (1995)

    Google Scholar 

  41. Wright, W.: Content, Compression, and Creativity Living Game Worlds Symposium, Atlanta, GA (2005)

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Literature, Communication & Culture, Georgia Institute of Technology, 686 Cherry Str., Atlanta, GA, 30332-065, USA

    Michael Nitsche

  2. Paul Richens, Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering, University of Bath, Bath, BA2 7AY, UK

    Paul Richens

Authors
  1. Michael Nitsche
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Paul Richens
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Digital Storytelling Dept., ZGDV e.V.,, Rundeturmstr. 10, 64283, Darmstadt, Germany

    Stefan Göbel

  2. Digital Storytelling Dept., ZGDV e.V., Rundeturmstr. 10, 64283, Darmstadt, Germany

    Rainer Malkewitz

  3. Zentrum für Graphische Datenverarbeitung, Rundeturmstr. 12, 64283, Darmstadt, Germany

    Ido Iurgel

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2006 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

About this paper

Cite this paper

Nitsche, M., Richens, P. (2006). Telling Stories Through Space: The Mindstage Project. In: Göbel, S., Malkewitz, R., Iurgel, I. (eds) Technologies for Interactive Digital Storytelling and Entertainment. TIDSE 2006. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 4326. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/11944577_6

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/11944577_6

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-540-49934-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-540-49935-0

  • eBook Packages: Computer ScienceComputer Science (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation