November 25, 2004
Suspended Disbelief
When "Majestic" was released by Electronic Arts in 2001, much intrigue was raised by its scope - this was a game that raised the level of interaction several notches by engaging players through unconventional methods such as voicemail, fax, and instant messaging.
Along comes the recent "I Love Bees" phenomenon, a detailed game that was essentially a lead-up to the release of Halo 2 for the Xbox platform. Released online as serial "episodes", the innovation of "I Love Bees" was the component in real space, where gamers used GPS coordinates to arrive at a telephone booth at an appointed time, and, if they were lucky, converse with a voice actor about the developing "I Love Bees" storyline.
Taking things one step further, "Regenesis" is a television show, but one that also allows participants to become more deeply involved. Registering on the show's website will enable you to access online video diaries and a password-protected website. The game's creators also use email dispatches and voice mail to deliver clues.
In film, the state of immersion where you are completely absorbed and temporarily ignore one's internal critical voice is called "suspension of disbelief". Console and online games are also absorbing and can transport players completely into new worlds. When games nibble at the edge of reality, invading traditional spaces of social interaction such as instant messaging and voice mail, the standards for creating a state of suspension of disbelief are raised to incredible proportions. (Posted by Michelle Kasprzak)
Posted by at November 25, 2004 01:16 AM
