Scene-Driver: reusing broadcast animation content for engaging, narratively coherent games

ABSTRACT

Scene-Driver is a software toolkit for the reuse of broadcast animation content to provide new engaging experiences for children. It has been developed and tested using content from the children's television series "Tiny Planets". Scene-Driver can be used to produce variations on a domino-like game. When playing, the child selects from a set of tiles that depict, for example, characters from the series. The child manipulates the direction of a story in the Tiny Planet world by their choice of tile. The successful selection of a tile will result in a scene from the show being played. A scene is defined as a section from an episode which has certain self-contained narrative elements such as conflict introduction, conflict resolution or comedic event. A scene-supervisor uses these descriptions to ensure that as well as having all the properties prescribed by the child's choice of tile, the scenes are presented in a coherent order according to certain plot and directorial principles. Inter-scene continuity is provided in the form of transition scenes which depict the departure and arrival of relevant characters between one scene and the next. Preliminary evaluations have demonstrated the potential of Scene-Driver to produce engaging and usable games based on broadcast content for young children.

REFERENCES

• 1: Airey, A., Plowman, L., Connolly D., and Luckin R. Rating children's enjoyment of toys, games and media. Paper presented at 3rd World Congress of the International Toy Research Association on Toys, Games and Media, London, 2002.
• 2: Chatman, S. Story and Discourse: Narrative Structure in Fiction and Film. Cornell University Press, London, 1978.
• 3: Szlias, N. Interactive Drama on computer: beyond linear narrative. American Association for Artificial Intelligence, 1999.
• 4: Thorndyke, P. Cognitive structures in comprehension and memory of narrative discourse. Cognitive Psychology 9 (1977) 77--110

INDEX TERMS

Primary Classification:
  I. Computing Methodologies
  I.2 ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
      I.2.8 Problem Solving, Control Methods, and Search
          Subjects: Plan execution, formation, and generation

General Terms:
Algorithms, Design, Human Factors

Keywords:
AI planning algorithms, animated interfaces, child directed interface, interactive narrative, interface evaluation, visual interaction