Interactivity and Immersion

In Janet Murray's article on immersion, she doesn't just talk about storytelling mediums that are based on interactivity, she starts with the immersive quality of storytelling itself, and how that has manifested itself in artistic mediums throughout the centuries, from the novel to the computer game. One particular concept she touches on, is how stories can be objects of projection, like how infants find pleasure in teddy bears because of the associations they project onto that object. As she refers to this idea in psychology, I was reminded of other similar theories regarding immersion. Film theorist Daniel Dayan theorized that mainstream narrative films were produced in such away that an audience member was "sutured" to the screen as a way of regressing to the imaginary stage of development. Both theories suggest that there is a sweet spot that must be created by the artist in order to get optimum spectator immersion. If you go too far or don't go far enough, it becomes problematic. Dayan viewed the suture effect as undesirable, and that it was to be shattered by media that alienates, that rejects this immersion. Murray instead suggests a framework for immersion that is resistant to the side effects of anxiety, extreme pleasure, identity crises, and mental susceptibility. This framework aims at hitting that sweet spot. The other theory I thought about is referred to in the book I am reading for this class: How to Talk About Video Games by Ian Bogost. In it he refers to indie game developers who were inspired by the philosophy ideas of Milhayi Csikszentmihalyi regarding "flow." Flow refers to participating in an activity that matches well with our skill level, producing the optimum input/outputs and therefore a productive pleasure. The indie game developers thatgamecompany, took this philosophy in order to develop games that met that idea of "flow" or what we might call "being in the zone." This zone is immersion, full participation, connectivity, and projection of ourselves into another object. The game or medium becomes a second space where we have room to explore and experience fears, desires, anxieties, and emotions that we don't have the capacity to experience without some sort of external chambers. To put it in cliche terms, we lose ourselves to find ourselves.