Space, Agency, Meaning and Drama in Navigable Real-Time Virtual Environments

Does our preoccupation with navigable space distract us from the expressive potential of interactive media? Can our understanding of spatial context in virtual environments (VEs) be expanded to incorporate social reasoning and behavior? Drawing on the theoretical foundations and practice of Architecture, this paper considers the relationship between person and environment in the real world and in navigable real-time three-dimensional digital worlds. The first part discusses the cyclical and bidirectional nature of the person ↔ environment relationship with interactive involvement as the basis for meaning construction and behavior guidance. The second part considers the differences brought in by the representative nature of computer-based interactive three-dimensional (3D) worlds. The examples for discussion are derived from the rich field of videogames. This is followed by an overview of the principal components of Shenmue II, a role-playing game, and a case-study examination of one...

• Type: Conference
• Year: 2003
• Where: DIGRA
• Authors: Stanislav Roudavski, François Penz
• Keywords: DIGRA 2003, Navigable Space, Spatial Context, Virtual Environment