Thesis complete and open to the public

Well really it was completed about two months ago.

So here it is: Interactivity and Narrative: the role of a videogame writer.

 My examiners' reports were fair in their criticism - I could have easily been more specific with references, cleaned up paragraphs for better flow, and there were/are typos evenly spread through the thesis.

Overall though pretty good, they recommended further study, with particular attention to the above flaws. So I'm happy about that, how the mark reflected those comments, and how everything worked itself out.

Other than that though this post will be another stop-gap for a little while. I do have a review of XCOM: Enemy Within though if you're yearning for something game related. Everything is finally ending work-uni-life wise for the year, so hopefully I'll have time to recuperate, recharge and write.

Till that time, I'll catch you later.

Intermission

Alright. I know I've been radio silent for the last month, but I do have an important reason for that – finishing up the last bits and pieces of my thesis (which I’ll post after I've received corrections for it), but also presenting, spruiking, and charming people into listening to my PhD proposal.

That is “Narrative Structures in Videogames.”

Here’s the brief:

Research Proposal: Narrative Construction In Videogames

This thesis is concerned with providing a methodology to analyse narrative based games, furthering the already established research of Janet Murray and Chris Bateman to incorporate new forms of narrative. Through providing a methodology for different narrative structures - the linear, multi-linear, and emergent – the narrative direction of various games can be analysed more comprehensively allowing for more critical links between narrative and gameplay. To incorporate this methodology The Last Of Us, The Walking Dead and Gone Home will be analysed in respect to each of these narrative structures.

So far so good in terms of applying (I did so back at the end of October), and in getting supervisors – still all I have to do now is wait. Quick bit of trivia before we let this proposal go, apparently actor guided agency/Barthian viewpoints on narrative is the "in" thing currently (I discovered this through the response of a potential supervisor).

Other than that I've been writing up reviews for AuReview, in their VideAU section. So far I've published two articles on Bioshock: Burial At Sea, and Assassin’s Creed 4 Black Flag. So that’s pretty exciting.

I should have another coming out this week for XCOM Enemy Within.

Currently, due to the wait of both results, graduation and the PhD for next year things seem to be in a state of purgatory – I’m tempted to write more about the independent games scene in Melbourne. But for that I want to do it properly and have it as a project that continues onward regardless of how busy I get (unlike a certain blog). Regardless I should have some more posts coming up in the next couple of weeks.

For now I'm holidaying in Canberra, before Christmas, and work grab hold of me.