REKINDLE

INFO

Abstract

A first-person narrative experience in VR where the interactor embodies a gay protagonist on a journey to retrieve lost memories.

Set in a dystopian future, where a regime enforces stringent heteronormativity through the manipulation of memories, this project endeavors to push the boundaries of interactive narrative in virtual reality, exploring how embodiment and agency driven interactions can enhance narrative, hence deepen user engagement and emotional connection.

Advisors

Dr. Janet Murray, Dr. Jay Bolter

Role

Director, Technical Designer, Unity Developer, 3D Designer/Animator

Timeline

Aug 2022 – Present

Tools

Unity, Blender, Maya, Motion Builder, Substance Painter

Collaborators

Jinyu Qian: 3D Design (prison scene)
Xuedan Gao: Music & Sound Effect
Brayan Llamoza: Mocap Dance

Recognition

CHI 2024

May 11-16, 2024, Honolulu

The project was recently accepted at CHI 2024.

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ICIDS 2023 Art Exhibition

Nov 14-17, 2023, Japan

A preliminary version of this project was presented at the International Conference on Interactive Digital Storytelling (ICIDS) 2023’s 10th Art Exhibition: Traversing Boundaries, Barriers, and Borders.

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Overview

Motivation

Fostering understanding and empathy towards the LGBTQ+ community.

Research Challenge

How might we more effectively leverage the interactivity in VR to create dramatic agency, thereby enriching the narrative?

Goals

Create a first-person narrative experience in VR where the interactor embodies a gay protagonist that focus on:

Dramatic Agency

By leveraging interactivity within the narrative, the project aims to endow the user with meaningful agency, allowing for a significant impact on the story's progression and outcome.

Active Creation of Belief

Designing interactions that are not only coherent and grounded in the narrative but also contribute to the construction of interactor’s belief of the story, hence enhance the narrative.

Interactions

Achieving Active Creation of Belief through coherent interactions

The design ethos of this project rests on conveying the story through coherent interactions that’s grounded from narrative, naturally weaving user interaction together with the story, to achieve “Active Creation of Belief.”

To achieve this, I introduced the concept of a “headspace”, a functional virtual environment that connects the reality the memories dimension.

Entering the Headspace from Reality through a Virtual Headset

The narrative journey begins in the bedroom. Prompted by a mysterious box written with the words "remember who you are”, leading the interactor to find a headset inside - a memory retrieval device. As the interactor puts on the virtual headset, they enter a memory retrieval sequence, followed by a transition to the headspace.

Virtual Headset

Memory Retrieval Sequence

Headspace

From Headspace to Memories Dimension through a portal

In the headspace, the interactor will acquire the "Memory Collector," a pivotal interactive artifact. The act of grasping the Memory Collector triggers a door opening; after passing through the door, the interactor will enter the memories dimension and traverse the storylines to recover memories.

Acquiring Memory Collector

Passing through the portal

Arriving at the Memories Dimension

Memory Collection Mechanics

Creating dramatic agency with interactivity

Memory Collector

Central to the experience is the design of the memory collection mechanics. In the Headspace, the interactor obtains the artifact “Memory Collector,” this interactive artifact aids the interactor in identifying, collecting, and revisiting the memories they have collected, allowing them to explore and uncover memories scattered throughout the virtual environment.

Identify

As the interactor gets closer to the sites of memories, the collector illuminates, serving as a visual indicator. Upon reaching these memory sites, these memories materialize as animated particles, evoking the sensation of reliving past moments.

Collect

When the interactor presses the VR controller's trigger, the Memory Collector absorbs the memory particles, the bar indicator shows the interactor how many memories they have collected.

Once all the memories have been collected, the bar indicator will be fully illuminated.

Revisit

The Memory Collector also facilitates the revisiting of previously acquired memories. Each memory, once collected, is presented as a holographic display on the collector.

Transcendence - return to Headspace after memory collection

Upon gathering all the memories, the portal to the memory dimension will open again, allowing the interactor to return to the headspace to return the memory collector.

The interactor’s act of returning the Memory Collector triggers the memory particles to materialize as statues, creating a sensation of the protagonist's reclaimed memories.

All the statues – representing the reclaimed memories – become particles along with the headspace, drifting away.

The interactor returns to the reality - the bedroom.

User Studies