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Towards Mapping the Evolving Space of Interactive Digital Narrative

Article · January 2013

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 Towards Mapping the Evolving Space
of Interactive Digital Narrative

Hartmut Koenitz1, Mads Haahr2, Gabriele Ferri3, Tonguc Ibrahim Sezen4,

and Digdem Sezen5
1
University of Georgia, Department of Telecommunications, 120 Hooper Street
Athens, Georgia 30602-3018, USA
hkoenitz@uga.edu
2
School of Computer Science and Statistics, Trinity College, Dublin 2, Ireland
Mads.Haahr@cs.tcd.ie
3
Indiana University, School of Informatics and Computing, 919 E Tenth St, Bloomington,
Indiana, USA
gabferri@indiana.edu
4
Istanbul Bilgi University, Faculty of Communications, santralIstanbul, Kazim Karabekir Cad.
No: 2/13, 34060 Eyup – Istanbul, Turkey
tonguc.sezen@bilgi.edu.tr
5
Istanbul University, Faculty of Communications, Kaptani Derya Ibrahim Pasa Sk. 34452
Beyazit - Istanbul, Turkey
dsezen@istanbul.edu.tr

Abstract. This workshop explores future research directions towards a better

categorization and comparison of IDN works, with the objective of a more
adequate understanding of this evolving field. In such a multidisciplinary area,
an effort is necessary to establish a shared space across different analytical
perspectives and practical approaches. As a complement to a position paper
presented at ICIDS 2013, the authors wish to demonstrate, discuss and improve
multidimensional spatial mappings considering well-known IDN examples as
well as novel cases from the periphery of the field.
Keywords: Interactive Digital Storytelling Theory and Practice, Interactive
Digital Narrative, Categorization, Mapping, Narratology, Digital Media.

1 Overview
Academics have long started from the assumption that Interactive Digital Narrative
(IDN) is somehow different from non-digital, non-interactive narrative. As to the
exact extent and nature of the difference, the debate shows no sign of concluding.
IDN has been viewed through a variety of theoretical lenses, from post-classical
narratology [1] and neo-Aristotelian Poetics [2, 3] to African oral traditions [4, 5],
French post-structuralism [6], or transmediality [7], to new media-specific views [8].
Regardless of the specific approach, the continuously evolving field of IDN
challenges many definitions. Indeed, the rapid changes enabled by new technology
create a dichotomic situation empowering creators and challenging theoreticians at
the same time. In this regard we have argued for an interdisciplinary approach [9].

H. Koenitz et al. (Eds.): ICIDS 2013, LNCS 8230, pp. 285–286, 2013.
© Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2013
 286 H. Koenitz et al.

The discussion at ICIDS 2013 will resume from the preliminary conclusions of the
workshops that took place at ICIDS 2012 and ICIDS 2011. In the 2013 workshop,
related to a position paper on the same subject [10], a research initiative towards
novel methods for categorization will be detailed with special attention to spatial and
comparative mappings. Furthermore, the pressing question of works to include in a
canon as a basis for a classification will be addressed. In addition, we will continue to
engage the question of a shared vocabulary as a necessary component for a widely
accepted categorization.

2 Workshop Format

We will introduce a range of possible mappings, including vectors representing

opposing value pairs, 3-dimensional plot diagrams and table of weighted categories.
Revised models will be tested with the help of workshop participants against a corpus
of representative IDN pieces. At the same time, attendees will be asked to propose
artifacts for a shared canon. The general objective of this workshop is to present,
evaluate and discuss an ongoing research effort towards better schematizations in this
field. Participants will engage in short analyses, theoretical discussions and
evaluations that will help in shaping research in the field of IDN. The results will be
shared on the Games & Narrative research blog (http://gamesandnarrative.net).

References
1. Ryan, M.-L.: Avatars of Story. University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis (2006)
2. Laurel, B.: Computers as Theatre. Addison-Wesley, Reading (1991)
3. Mateas, M.: A preliminary poetics for interactive drama and games. In: Wardrip-Fruin, N.,
Harrigan, P. (eds.) First Person: New Media as Story, Performance, and Game. MIT Press,
Cambridge (2004)
4. Jennings, P.: Narrative Structures for New Media. Leonardo Journal for Art and
Science 29(5), 345–350 (1996)
5. Harrell, F.: GRIOT’s Tales of Haints and Seraphs: A Computational Narrative Generation
System. In: Wardrip-Fruin, N.P., Harrigan, P. (eds.) Second Person. MIT Press,
Cambridge (2007)
6. Montfort, N.: Twisty Little Passages: An approach to interactive fiction. The MIT Press,
Cambridge (2003)
7. Jenkins, H.: Convergence culture: Where old and new media collide. NYU Press, New
York (2006)
8. Murray, J.H.: Inventing the medium: Principles of interaction design as a cultural practice.
The MIT Press, Cambridge (2011)
9. Koenitz, H., Haahr, M., Ferri, G., Sezen, T.I.: First Steps Towards a Unified Theory for
Interactive Digital Narrative. In: Pan, Z., Cheok, A.D., Müller, W., Iurgel, I., Petta, P.,
Urban, B. (eds.) Transactions on Edutainment X. LNCS, vol. 7775, pp. 20–35. Springer,
Heidelberg (2013)
10. Koenitz, H., Haahr, M., Ferri, G., Sezen, T.I., Sezen, D.: Mapping the Evolving Space of
Interactive Digital Narrative - From Artifacts to Categorizations. In: Koenitz, H., Sezen,
T.I., Ferri, G., Haahr, M., Sezen, D., Çatak, G. (eds.) ICIDS 2013. LNCS, vol. 8230, pp.
55–60. Springer, Heidelberg (2013)

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