Agency and Authorship in Ludic Narrative Environments

Abstract

The evolution of new media forms in the context of contemporary ‘convergence culture’ [7] renders the entertainment industry increasingly interactive and participatory, encouraging ‘gamelike’ narrative forms that rely on the audience’s participation and agency [11, p. 3]. This doctoral research investigates choice-making in ludic environments – here, video games and transmedia storytelling – as spatial practice, in which the virtual and physical structures of the text allow the player/participant’s navigation, orientation, and (physical and mental) self-positioning within a choice-based system. Choice-making practices will be addressed through textual analysis and ethnographic research.