To succeed MR games must transform from cabinets of curiosities to fun emotionally compelling interactive narrative spaces. Advances in input, displays, and AI open up vast new opportunities in game design and narrative. In this talk we time travel to GDC 2020 and take a peek at the 3 MR games many of us want to play. The talk features 3 compelling future MR scenarios to illustrate 5 core MR design techniques. We dive deep into the design requirements for compelling MR that takes advantage of virtual world overlays, depth maps of existing terrain, NPC and object interaction, and character customization.

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Matrix vs. Pokemon Go: The Battle for the Hollodeck
VRDC 2017 San Francisco September 22, 2017 @NicoleLazzaro

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How Emotion Drives Play
Advanced the art of game design
@NicoleLazzaro
Inspired Millions of Developers
“Every designer should learn
to read this language.”
Will Wright, Designer of The Sims
The 4 Keys to Fun
DRAFT
Globally Recognized Expert on Emotion and Play 25 Years

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iOS App Store: http://bitly.com/TiltWorld
Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sCWmy0T73d4
16K
Tilt World planted trees

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Follow the White Rabbit

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This is a
Design Talk
MR

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About the
Future
MR

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Narrative "
Spaces
0

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Give Me
the Feels

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For More than 15 Minutes

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How I Want MR to Feel

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Narrative
spaces create
a series of
emotions
def

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The 4 Keys
Each emotion has a function
Interaction design leverages
each to create more
compelling experiences
• Curiosity > explore
• Frustration > goal
• Amusement > social bond
• Satisfaction > value
Free Download 4K2F.com

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Easy Fun Micro Loop
Hard Fun Main Loop
People Fun Social
Engagement Loop
Serious Fun Meta Loop
The 4 Keys to Fun Increases Engagement
The 4 Keys to FunUse the 4 Keys to Fun: Best selling games allow players to move between different kinds of play.

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Matrix vs
Pokemon Go
To create the most
emotion what’s the
right approach for
emotional MR
games of the
future?

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Mixed Reality
Road Map
Progression of
experiences more
important than of
technologies
Augmented
Reality
Virtual
Reality
Mixed
Reality

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Virtual Reality
Pulls the fictional
world around the
player

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World is
MR’s Genre
1

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World is MR’s Genre
World
Interaction
is the Game

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Narrative
Spaces
Mousetrap Board
Game Milton
Bradley vs.
Mousetrap Play by
Agatha Christie

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VR Need Environments that Tell the Story: Elementary Dear Data

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Depth Map
Is the Gameplay
2

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4 Crayons
VR
VR Design is More Architecture than Film

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Depth Map World

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VR Objects & Depth

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Make it Feel

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World
Progress is
The Story
3

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Story is Progress

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Objects
Fun
Immersive
Interaction
Real
World FriendsNPCs
Story
Shared Goal
Goal for MR Progression Systems

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Changes to World Tell the Story

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Changes to World Alter Understanding of Who We Are

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Augmented
Reality
Fictional overlays or
items separate from
but positioned in
the real world.
Today they tend to
be windows or
objects separate
from the real world
but locked in space
and viewable from
multiple angles.

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AR Narrative Spaces

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Pokemon Go

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Game Boards
There’s more to AR

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Portals
There’s more to AR

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Don’t Play While
Driving
Actually this is
where AR get’s
interesting when
virtual characters
respond to real
world terrain and
events.

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AR Narrative Spaces

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Terrain Frame
Events
Flexible
Player
Event Frame and Terrain Triad for AR Narrative Spaces

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Narrative AR Overlays

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AR Narrative
Spaces
Require Unique AI

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Player
Augmentation
Feed Story Engine
Voice
Touch
Object
Recognition
NPC
Interaction
AI for Responsive Narrative Spaces

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AR World Building

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AR AI Powered World Mappings

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Real Objects Play a Role

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Object Narrative

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AI Respond to Real World

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Woman in Red Dress AR

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Woman in Red Dress AR

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With Dynamically Constructed Consequences from Story Engine

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… and zombies

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MR
When we get there
the real and the
virtual are fully
mixed

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DIY Murder Mystery Dinner Party

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Feel Like Game of Thrones Need Something to Do

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AI to Hide the Body

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Explorable
NPCs
4

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Exploreable NPC Interaction

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Non Player Characters

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Narrative NPC Depth Through Moral Choice
They give you
choices

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Narrative NPC Cause You to Question Who They are in the World

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Narrative NPC Let You Bring Your Friends

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Narrative
Player
Customization
5

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More than Thematic Immersion

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Room for the Player (Richard Dansky)

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Narrative Player Character Fun and Expressive

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Rustle of Silk

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Or Just Be Someone Else! Mindshow

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I am Batman

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Character Customizations Mean Something to the Story

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True MR
How do we know
we’re close?
MR

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True MR When a Real Sparrow Invites You to Tea

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True MR: When You Can Eat Scones and Drink Earl Gray Hot

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True MR: When an NPC Picks Your Pocket

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Designing Narrative Spaces
1. World is MR’s Genre
2. Depth Map is the Game
3. World Progress is Story
4. Explorable NPCs
5. Narrative Player
Customization
MR

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How Will You Make Your Narrative Spaces Feel?

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The End?

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@NicoleLazzaro
Nlazz@xeodesign.com
XEODesign.com Free Download
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*
WTF?Where’s the Fun?
Follow the
White Rabbit
Narrative Spacesfor MR
Tilt World