Abstract: In traditional film, the audience has no effect on the story. The narrative is created by the filmmaker, and then presented as a 'done deal' to passive viewers. In a computer game, on the other hand, what happens on the screen is directly influenced by what the player does. However, this very interactivity makes it much more difficult to design narratives with the kind of sophistication and depth found in traditional film. In most cases, computer games rely on highly stereotyped narrative genres (such as sports and war stories), or severely constrain the player, so that genuine interaction is limited to narrow tasks (kill this monster, solve this puzzle) but does not affect the overall plot. In this talk, I will present several examples of interactive narrative structures found in existing games, and discuss some of the design considerations behind them. I will also talk about some new interface devices, such as psycho-physiological sensors, which could support more sophisticated kinds of interaction. Finally, I will discuss interactive narrative as it is created in improvisational theatre, and some lessons game designers might learn from improv.

Kim Binsted's Bio: Kim Binsted is an assistant professor in the Information and Computer Sciences Department at the University of Hawaii. She received her BSc in Physics from McGill University in 1992, and her PhD in Artificial Intelligence (Thesis title: "Machine humour: an implemented model of puns") from the University of Edinburgh in 1996. She then became a researcher at the Sony Computer Science Laboratories in Tokyo, where she worked on entertaining and emotionally responsive interface technologies. She left Sony to start I-Chara KK, a company which developed intelligent social agents for mobile phones. She came to UH in January of 2002, where she has been doing research on computer-generated humor in chat interfaces, and building a prototype hypothesis management system for scientific collaboration. She will be teaching a graduate-level course on interactive narrative in autumn 2003. Kim has been doing improvisational comedy since 1986. She also enjoys kayaking, diving and flying.

Abstract: Dr. Reed is president of Oceanic Imaging Consultants, Inc. which provides solutions for mapping the seafloor for the world's military, commercial and academic markets. This talk describes his work in the areas of acoustics, remote sensing, and cutting edge technology as applied to problems in marine geology and geophysics.

Tom Reed's Bio: Tom Reed, president of Oceanic Imaging Consultants, Inc., received his undergraduate degrees in Economics and Geological Sciences from Harvard and MIT in 1982, and his Ph.D. in Marine Geology and Geophysics from the University of Hawaii at Manoa in 1987. His research at UH included development and programming of automated techniques for analysis and mapping of the seafloor with side scan sonar. This research was performed largely for the Office of Naval Research in association with the UH SeaMARC II Seafloor Mapping Program. In 1993, Dr. Reed founded Oceanic Imaging Consultants, Inc. to answer the growing need for commercially available seafloor mapping software, services and systems. Reed's education and experience combines expertise in acoustics, remote sensing, and cutting edge technology as applied to problems in marine geology and geophysics. http://www.oicinc.com/about/president.htm

A flyer for the event is available here (pdf)