Buccitelli, Anthony, B., (2016). Digital Ethnography: Anthropology, Narrative, and New Media. Journal of American Folklore, 129(511), pp. 100-101.
Rachael, Huszarh., (2015). Subtropolis: Breaking New Ground in Immersion and the Power of Theme, The George Washington University, pp. 1-39.
Ryan, Marie-Laure., (2016). Narrative as Virtual Reality 2: Revisiting Immersion and Interactivity in Literature and Electronic Media, Revised Edition, Beaverton: Ringgold Inc, pp.17-34.
Marie-Laure Ryan, a prominent literary critic and scholar-in-residence at the University of Colorado at Boulder has written a study that analysis the meaning of the term virtual and what it means to for audience immersion and interaction as the line between the real and the virtual is becoming blurrier. As the technology improves and these virtual worlds become more lifelike, the risk of these virtual plains becoming forms of escapism increases. Ryan also explores the reasons behind the cultural and technological changes as she argues that the two are intertwined as technology conforms to the need of the population and vice versa.
Ryan brings up the point about the virtual space previously being a representation of reality and could potentially become its own reality. This level of immersion is what makes a narrative in this virtual world more impactful and here lies the opportunity and threat of these emerging forms of narratives. The study uses several sources both technological and philosophical ones that she unpacks and applies to the issues brought up. The fact that this was published this year makes it a much more current and relevant source to refer to when making our project. However, despite it being titled as Narrative as Virtual Reality 2, it is not actually a follow up to the first edition as it is a revised version of the first Narrative as Virtual Reality. This might simply mean that there were things in the first edition that are irrelevant now that are simply removed but it also means that no new research or finding were included in this edition.
Welsh, Timothy, J., (2011). Immersive Fictions: Modern Narrative, New Media, Mixed Reality, University of Washington, pp. 59-78.
Dr. Timothy J. Welsh, an assistant professor of English at Loyola University has written about the relationship between the media consumer and the media itself and how it is immersion on a level that has no precedence. Welsh compares traditional mediums such as print media to video games, a ‘newer’ form of media and tests the immersive experience that they offer. What he found is that users were more immersed in a vicarious level though a video game rather than a book. The manner media forms are evolving would suggest that media is becoming more and more immersive.
Welsh explains that the ability to play as yourself in a fictional setting is what truly creates a visceral type of immersion. There are characters that the media user can use to project themselves within the narrative in films and books but is their limitations as none of those mediums can claim to give the user ownership over their actions within the narrative. It is clear that the author has a passion for interactive media as the sheer number of examples of video games. It is always ideal that the author has first hand experience with the subject matter and Welsh seems to have a considerable amount. The limitation of this source however, is the released date as it was published in 2011. This was a time where the new media that we have today (VR and AR) were not readily available or even viable for consumer consumption. Despite this, the concepts brought up in this study can still be applicable to today’s technology.