Over the past week I’ve been thinking a bit more about Gambarato’s systems theory. Yes, it’s an interesting theory, but how does it apply to the transmedia product we’re creating for Project Brief 4?

If we think about systems, supersystems and subsystems, we could say that the world in which our story is set (that of ACP and the Artifact retrieval) is the supersystem. The system is, of course, the main story we’re telling within the ACP database – that of Jack tracking down the parts of Osiris. In that case, the subsystem could be Jack, as a character.

So is our story open or closed? I think our story is primarily a closed system. Yes, there are certain interactive elements and the platform does require the audience to actively navigate their own way through the story. However these measures of interactivity are limited and they don’t allow the audience much affect on the narrative or it’s outcome.