RPG's and Bolter

In chapter 7 Bolter talks about the interactive fiction. When I was reading this chapter all I could think about was the video games that I played. Bolter talks about how fiction has become more interactive to the reader. In a sense I would be able to determine the outcomes of the stories by selecting the text. So if I choose to "walk down the stairs" I might get eaten by the dragon that waits at the bottom. To me its almost like being in the story. The reader takes control of the plot and manipulates it to their liking. Not only can this type of text be found in books and online but in the last decade the interactive text has gone into the video game world.




This game is called Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic. This game itself was countlessly awarded and recognized for it
new and interactive game play. By new, I'm meaning new game play interaction to the role playing genre. The game lets you manipulate the story based on the decisions you make in the game. In the story you are a Jedi that has lost his memories and journeys along to regain them. As you quest along you are met by good and bad decisions. If you make dark choices you are drawn closer to the darkside of the force. If you make good one the lightside is your path. At the end of the game the ending is greatly determined by the choices you have made in your quest.




As you can see in the video the player interacts with the story by communicating with the non-player characters. When they stop speaking the player is open to ask more questions or make a decision which can lead to a different part of the story. So the selection 1. and 2. statements act like a hypertext. The hypertext like in the stories which Bolter discuss have the same elements. It makes me wonder what lies ahead with this new text interaction.

T L M

I just wanted to put up a link to my Techno Literacy Memoir. I had so much fun making it. I just wanted to share it with everyone one more time. Enjoy.

You should also enjoy some of my other work on my youtube page afterwards. 

I choose to use video because its what I am most familiar with. Like I said many times before Screenwriting is my passion and this was a fun to make. When I was researching to make this video I learned alot about the technology I used. Some of the technology I went over I didnt realize that it helped me in the certain ways of my education until I reviewed them. I filmed this video at Target as a well as a few other spots that didnt make the cut "sadly". As I went to the different stores I saw the new and different technologies that children now use. All of the technologies that are used today are either digital and electronic. When I was younger it was all text in a book and maybe a video.  I even saw more and more video games that were educational. The Vtech introduces a new way to play video games. It makes learning more enjoyable by bringing along familiar characters. You can learn math with Spiderman, read along with mario and spell with Dora. To me even though its hard to get kids to sit down and learn in their spare time at least they can have some relation to fun. This was just one of the many new technologies I observed while doing research. 

My Grandma can do it

My brother works at Computer Dimensions, the Apple store. The other day we got into a deep conversation about the new Imacs that are about to come out. I was thinking about buying one of the latest models, but he told me to wait. Steve Jobs was trying to keep the computers a secret, but our friend recently went to a Mac convention in Las Vagas and heard about them. He had to sign a release form about keeping his mouth closed, but he shared it with his boys. Now, I cannot say what is going to be put into the computers, but they are going to be amazing. I will never understand how technology keeps advancing so rapidly. I have had a computer since I was 12, and every 6 months something new comes out. I can never keep up. I bought my first Mac last year, and it was top of the line. Now, it's 1,000 dollars cheaper and slower than the rest. It's exhausting trying to keep up with technology because it changes too fast. 

Let us return to the conversation with my brother. He then tells me about this one old couple that came into the store a few days ago. They knew what they wanted and got to the point. They walked up to my brother and said, "I need a computer with a webcam and lots of gigabytes for my phot os and music.” They had read that the iMac with Ichat was the best to use. He was pretty shocked that they new what they were talking about. My brother asked them how they new so much about computer technology. They told him that their grandchildren told them about how computers were the best way to stay close to them and gave them all sorts of details about all the things a computer could do that would allow them to keep in touch.  The older man said "I might be old, but I can still learn a thing or two." Then, the couple told my brother that this was their third computer to buy in two years. I was like wow! I've only had 3 in the last 10 years. It made me feel like I am way behind them.  This story made me think about my grandma and how she would ask me to come over and help her learn some stuff about their computer, but I really just never took the time. I never really had the patience to explain how everything worked. However, she somehow learned.  It wasn't long before she was sending me E-greetings through my email. Then, she would pop up on AOL and instant message me.  Despite what some may think about the learning capacities of the elderly, I am sure that they are quite able to keep up with and learn about the unique and complicated technologies that exist today.