Playing At Narratology: Digital Media As Narrative Theory (theory Interpretation Narrativ)

In __Playing at Narratology__ Daniel Punday bridges the worlds of digital media studies and narrative studies by arguing that digital media allows us to see unresolved tensions, ambiguities, and gaps in core narrative concepts. Rather than developing new terms to account for web-based storytelling, Punday uses established narrative forms to better understand how digital media exposes faulty gaps in narrative theory. Punday's __Playing at Narratology__ shows that artists, video game developers, and narrative theorists are ultimately playing the same game. Returning to terms such as __narrator, setting, event, character,__ and __world,__ __Playing at Narratology__ reveals new ways of thinking about these basic narrative concepts--concepts that are not so basic when applied to games and web-based narratives. What are thought of as narrative innovations in these digital forms are a product of technological ability and tied to how we physically interact with a medium, creating new and complicated questions: Is the game designer the implied author or the narrator? Is the space on the screen simply the story's setting? __Playing at Narratology__ guides us through the evolution of narrative in new media without abandoning the field's theoretical foundations. In Playing at narratology, Daniel Punday bridges the worlds of digital media studies and narrative studies by arguing that digital media allows us to see unresolved tensions, ambiguities, and gaps in core narrative concepts. Rather than developing new terms to account for web-based storytelling, Punday uses established narrative forms to better understand how digital media exposes faulty gaps in narrative theory. Punday's Playing at narratology shows that artists, video game developers, and narrative theorists are ultimately playing the same game. Returning to terms such as narrator, setting, event, character, and world, Playing at narratology reveals new ways of thinking about these basic narrative concepts - concepts that are not so basic when applied to games and web-based narratives. What are thought of as narrative innovations in these digital forms are a product of technological ability and tied to how we physically interact with a medium, creating new and complicated questions: is the game designer the implied author or the narrator? Is the space on the screen simply the story's setting? Playing at narratology guides us through the evolution of narrative in new media without abandoning the field's theoretical foundations Introduction: An Archaeology of Narratology -- Narration, Intrigue, and Reader Positioning in Digital Narrative -- Space across Narrative Media -- UI Time and the Digital Event -- Number and Movement in the Construction of Digital Characters -- Algorithm and Database in Possible Worlds Theory -- Conclusion : Narrative Theory, Play, and Artifact "Argues that digital media reveals much about core narrative concepts. Looks at games, web-based narratives, and algorithms in order to rethink narrator, setting, character, event, and world-building"-- Provided by publisher Daniel Punday. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.