Understanding the Entertainment in Interactive Entertainment

1. Understanding the Entertainmentin Interactive Entertainment

2. Media Psychology [Salomon “The Study of Television in a Cross Cultural Context”, 1985] Understanding the Entertainment in Interactive Entertainment

3. Media Psychology [Salomon “The Study of Television in a Cross Cultural Context”, 1985] Understanding the Entertainment in Interactive Entertainment

4. Our Argument Understanding the Entertainment in Interactive Entertainment games

5. The Users’ engagement and enjoyment depends on Understanding the Entertainment in Interactive Entertainment • participant’s cognitive abilities • previous experience with media • visual processing abilities • mind set • beliefs, expectations, and attitudes influenced by culture

6. A Review Multi-cultural read on Assassins’ Creed Magy Seif El-Nasr, Maha Al-Saati, David Milam, and Simon Niedenthal

7. Study 3 • How background culture, disciplinary background, previous knowledge influences the game-playing experience?

8. Assassins’ Creed – Nostalgic feeling of home “Walking towards the city of Jerusalem evoked much emotion; my heart beats as I approach. As I hear the chanting of the monks, the sounds of the church bells, I know I am closer to this magical city—this place of conflict. As I reach Jerusalem, I listen carefully; perhaps I can hear the sound of an Athaan piercing through the skies. To many people, Jerusalem is a holy land. To go there, is a journey of a lifetime, a dream, perhaps they would want to fulfill at one point in time. For a Middle-Easterner, wandering through the Assassins’ Creed game world might be purely driven by nostalgia, in the hope of identifying with the elements of the past. I was in it to explore a heritage many, like me, have deemed lost.” ─Maha Al-Saati

9. Assassins’ Creed – escape to an adventurous land “I spent a fair amount of time during December 2007—a month during which my town in Sweden got a sum total of 6 hours of direct sunlight—in hot, sunny and dry conditions. Unlike the thousands of Swedes who fled the gloom to places like Thailand aboard chartered jets, I was bathing in the simulated radiance of medieval Jerusalem, Acre, and Damascus in the game Assassin’s Creed, climbing towers and mosques, leaping along rooftops, knocking off a few conspirators.” ─Simon Niedenthal.

10. Visual Design • Environment as Narrative • Architectural Patterns • Lighting

11. Architectural Patterns & City Structure • Chaotic city structure • Maze-like

12. Architectural Patterns & City Structure • When analyzing the urban environment: • zigzagged, narrow paths • never-right angled edges • Districts of ethnicities • nodes (city squares, markets) • landmarks (mosques, churches, and castles)

13. Architectural Patterns & City Structure • Architectural patterns: • Domes • Mosque’s minarets • Courtyards • Flat rooftops According to Christopher Alexander’s A Pattern Language • Screened windows (Mashrabiyas) • Hanging bridges (Saabaat)

14. Minaret • Architectural Patterns: Functionality • To a westerner, these are mere ornamental towers. • Used for climbing to: • escape from enemies • view of the landscape • Name: Minaret • Function: broadcast Muslim call for prayer

15. Culture and architecture Roof garden • Arch. Patterns based on Islamic teachings • Privacy principle • House interior is regarded as private • Must be visually guarded • House solutions resembled hijab Masharabeya - exterior

16. Culture and architecture building solutions: Roof gardens Courtyards Screened Windows

17. Culture and Architecture To a Middle Easterner: • privacy provider • climate solution • Provide lighting • Provide ventilation To a Westerner • interpret them as jail bars

18. Lighting and impact on emotions lighting color filters: • Damascus: Warm tone, dry city • Jerusalem: Greenish, rainy, subtle detail • Acre: Blue, cool seaside town, slight fogginess • Emotional effects • Nostalgic feeling for a Middle-Easterner • Impact of lighting on Game mechanics for a westerner

19. Characters • Actions & Behaviours: • (‘cool guy’-like) manner • Fair complexion: clean-shaved face • Posture: • Head: bowed down, forward, Torso: pointed forward • Arms: towards the back • Attitude: • Altair depicts a reflective and determined character

20. NPCs and crowds • II. Character Design (Other NPCs) • 300 or more different character types: Middle-Eastern, French, English • Culture and Motion • energy & pacing • hand gestures and body language • personal space • posture during conversation

21. Effect of the game on different groups • Nostalgic feeling for Middle Easterners away from home • Likeness to visuals for middle easterners (feels like home) • Likeness to architecture and detail for westerners

22. Conclusion • Conclusion User experience depends on culture, beliefs, and disciplinary background ** study is limited to 4 close readings

23. Acknowledgement • Questions and Comments? • Ubisoft team, especially • Jade Raymond for interview • Mr. Christophe Martin and Mr. Luc Duchaine for screenshots and images