MARIE DENWARD DENWARD MARIE UNIVERSITY. MALMÖ SOCIETY, AND CULTURE OF FACULTY EXPRESSION. OF FORMS AND SPHERES PUBLIC MEDIA, NEW IN DISSERTATION Media convergence may not only be defi ned and explained as a technological and MARIE DENWARD industrial phenomenon in today’s hybrid media landscape. Convergence also takes place as a bottom-up social process initiated by media users that move almost any- PRETEND THAT IT IS REAL!: where and everywhere in search of entertainment experiences, blurring the borders CONVERGENCE CULTURE IN PRACTICE of production and consumption. This thesis sheds light on the different types of media convergence that took place in the process of making the transmedia storytelling productionSanningen om Marika. The Swedish public service provider, SVT, and the pervasive games upstart company, PRACTICE IN CULTURE CONVERGENCE REAL!: IS IT THAT PRETEND The company P, combined their expertise in broadcasting and games development to craft this ‘participation drama’. Using an ethnographic approach, fi eld studies were conducted throughout the design, implementation and production phases. The author argues that even if instances of convergence could be identifi ed, the col- laboration did not proceed smoothly. The different logics of television, internet and games also created tensions and frictions. The blurring of fi ction and facts both in television genres and in games activities made the reception and interpretation of the audience differ extensively. Lastly, the analysis shows that the inherent asymmetrical relationship between producers and users in media highlighted issues of hierarchies and inequality between producers and participants and between participants. Marie Denward works as a senior researcher in the Game Studio Group at the multidiciplinary national research institute, The Interactive Institute, Stockholm, Sweden. MALMÖ UNIVERSITY2011 MALMÖ isbn 978-91-7104-096-1 INTERACTIVE INSTITUTE MALMÖ UNIVERSITY BOX 1197, 164 26 KISTA, SWEDEN 205 06 MALMÖ, SWEDEN WWW.TII.SE WWW.MAH.SE Pretend that it is Real!: Convergence Culture in Practice Dissertation series in New Media, Public Spheres, and Forms of Expression, Faculty of Culture and Society, Malmö University © Copyright Marie Denward 2011 © Photographs and Illustrations SVT: pages 19, 137, 139, 140, 149, 170, 185, 211 and 319. © Photographs and Illustrations The Company P: pages 101, 103, 112, 126, 127, 131-133, 135, 138, 145, 148, 160, 165, 166, 171, 172, 174, 226, 231, 273, 319 and cover picture. © Photographs and Illustrations Marie Denward: pages 123, 124, 163, 240-242, 244-245, 247, 249, 262, 265, 320-332 © Layout, Graphic Design Fredrika Berghult ISBN 978-91-7104-096-1 Holmbergs, Malmö 2011 MARIE DENWARD Pretend that it is Real!: CONVERGENCE CULTURE IN PRACTICE Malmö University, 2011 Culture and Society For information about time and place for the public defence and an electronic version of the dissertation, see http://dspace.mah.se/handle/2043/12240 CONTENT Content ACKNOWLEDGEMENT INTRODUCTION 19 1. AN EXAMPLE OF CONVERGENCE CULTURE 20 Research aims and questions Earlier research 2. MY STUDY 24 3. CONTENT AND STRUCTURE OF THESIS 25 Analysis part 1: The background and the participation drama Analysis part 2: The production process Analysis part 3: The debate and the Conspirare chat Analysis part 4: The participants Conclusions Notes THEORY 31 1. INTRODUCTION 31 Chapter outline Media convergence 2. CONVERGENCE OF INDUSTRIES 35 Broadcasting Broadcast production and organisation Broadcast culture of production The games industry Games industry production and organisation Games culture of production 3. CONVERGENCE OF TECHNOLOGIES 44 Convergence of television and internet Multimedia platforming Convergence of (digital) games and the internet Online gaming 4. CONVERGENCE OF TELEVISION, DRAMA AND GAMES 50 Television drama Games Storytelling as activity Interpretation versus confi guration 5. ’CONVERGENCE’ OF FICTION AND FACTS 56 Realism in media Mediated reality: television and realism Fabricated reality: blurring the real and the fi ctive 6. ’CONVERGENCE’ OF GAMES, PLAY AND ORDINARY LIFE 61 A defi nition of games The magic circle of play Pervasive games Spatial, temporal and social expansion Two sub-genres Pervarsive larps Alternate reality games 7. CONVERGENCE OF PRODUCTION AND CONSUMPTION 69 8. SUMMARY 73 Notes 77 METHODOLOGY Content Inductive research A classical evaluation study 1. ABOUT ETHNOGRAPHY 79 Mobile and multi-sited ethnography? 2. MY BACKGROUND 82 3. MY RESEARCH SCOPE 83 4. ETHNOGRAPHIC METHODS 84 Fieldwork Digital fi eldwork Participant observation Interviews Interview respondents’ profi les (game participants) Web survey Email survey In-game diary Other empirical material Textual analysis Genre Analysis Refl exivity: researcher as a tool 5. ANALYSIS 92 6. ETHICAL IMPLICATIONS: REVELATIONS AND PLEASURES 93 7. RELIABILITY AND VALIDITY 94 8. WRITING UP 95 Notes ANALYSIS PART ONE: THE BACKGROUND AND THE PARTICIPATORY DRAMA CHAPTER 1, IN CONCORDANCE: THE EARLY IMAGE 99 1. PREHISTORY 99 2. THE PRODUCERS / COLLABORATORS 100 The company P Swedish Television The corporation The team 3. INSPIRATION 105 4. THE EARLY DESIGN PHASE 107 Objectives and goals Motives 5. THE IMAGINED AUDIENCE: TIERED PARTICIPATION 110 The treatment audience The late March audience Pre-launch control issues 6. THE IMAGINED PRODUCTION 113 Crafting an entire universe Crafting participation A political message Notes CHAPTER 2, NEGOTIATED COACTION: THE FINAL CREATION 119 Content 1. STORY UNIVERSE 120 The Drama: a background story set in the past The True Story: a pervasive game set in the present Managing the game The main confl ict: two parallel websites Sub stories: chunky bites to grab A serious theme: a political message 2. PRODUCTION PARTS 128 The TV Drama The Conspirare website The forum and video blog: a game mastering tool Argos: an organiser and facilitator The SVT.se/marika website: asynchronous interaction The current affairs debate program The game activities Ordo Serpentis: the street game Spektaklet and Klippmaskinen Entropia Universe Marketing activities: the pre-game launch 3. SUMMARY 153 An illusionary reality: the joy and magic of an authentic game world A lesson to be learned: reality is not always reality Notes ANALYSIS PART TWO: THE PRODUCTION PROCESS CHAPTER 3, JOINING FORCES: 159 THE IMPACT OF CULTURES OF PRODUCTION 1. PRODUCTION PROCESS 159 Division of labour Their daily work Opposing cultures 2. IMPACTS ON DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION 167 The debate Online interaction Blogs Chats 3. SUMMARY 174 Notes CHAPTER 4, FRICTION, FRACTION...FRATERNITY?: 178 SPLITS AND NEGOTIATIONS 1. PRODUCTION-CULTURAL DIFFERENCES 179 Political-ideological split Internal frictions The novel production pulled organisational changes A successful mistake: the bolo of Maria at svt.se An unsuccessful marketing process Frictions between the teams The contractor-contracted relationship Feeling steamrolled 2. GAME DESIGN ISSUES 188 An overtly marketed fi ction... Internal tensions ...but as the process continued ambiguity arose Ambiguous messages 3. FRACTION 196 4. FRATERNITY 198 Acknowledgement 5. SUMMARY 199 Notes ANALYSIS PART THREE: TWO PRODUCTION PARTS CHAPTER 5, AN AUTHENTIC DEBATE 203 1. INTRODUCTION 205 Why a debate? Changed function and role Lukewarm response 2. A SWEDISH TELEVISION GENRE 206 Common genre conventions Genre conventions of debate programs Representation of reality Roles and relationships Composition and communication 3. ANALYSIS 210 Common genre conventions Basic themes, settings, iconography, characterisation, fi lmic techniques SMS tickers The reportages and interviews A narrative Current affairs debate conventions Representations of reality Roles and relationships Composition and conversation 4. A 360° ILLUSION... 217 ...but no participatory culture 5. SUMMARY 219 Notes CHAPTER 6, THE CONSPIRARE CHAT: 221 CONDITIONAL HOSPITALITY 1. INTRODUCTION 221 Why a new production part? Problems chatting, but why? Chats as virtual meeting places 2. THE CONSPIRARE CHAT 224 Background Detailed description Functions 3. HOSTS AND GUESTS? 227 Hospitality Chat, culture and hospitality Content On-the-fl y-invented strategies for managing participation Membership requirement Opening up of new chatrooms Talking participants back ‘onto track’ Parallel chatrooms Engaged but unsure Controlling membership registrations Engaged but ambivalent Yes, its a game, but what is fact and fake? Participants’ strategies 4. SUMMARY 234 Notes ANALYSIS PART FOUR: THE PARTICIPANTS CHAPTER 7, THE PLAYERS 238 1. INTRODUCTION 238 Who played the game? The online survey Overall statistics Survey participant profi les In-depth interview, email survey and in-game diary 2. GENERAL GAMEPLAY EXPERIENCES 243 What participants liked and disliked Parts well integrated and gave a rich experience Conspirare, TV drama & debate considered core Activity levels and interpretational stances Interpretational stances Ordo Serpentis not appealing What the players actually did 3. SUMMARY 255 Notes CHAPTER 8, ‘PRETEND THAT IT IS REAL!’ 258 1. BACKGROUND 259 Tiered participation would create various experiences The design clash 2. ON THE BRINK OF REALITY 259 Experiencing an authentic search, as reality Effects on experiences Ambiguous design: what made the production confusing Brink gaming One rule: ‘Pretend that it is real!’ 3. IMMERSIVE GAMEPLAY EXPERIENCES 271 Surpassing expectations: real challenges Players returning the favour The magician’s curtain: upholding the illusion The importance of collective make-believe, teamwork