Exploring the experiences of gamers playing as multiple first-person video game protagonists in Halo 3: ODST’s single-player narrative Richard Alexander Meyers Bachelor of Arts Submitted in fulfilment of the requirement for the degree of Master of Arts (Research) School of Creative Practice Creative Industries Faculty Queensland University of Technology 2018 Keywords First-Person Shooter (FPS), Halo 3: ODST, Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), ludus, paidia, phenomenology, video games. i Abstract This thesis explores the experiences of gamers playing as multiple first-person video game protagonists in Halo 3: ODST, with a view to formulating an understanding of player experience for the benefit of video game theorists and industry developers. A significant number of contemporary console-based video games are coming to be characterised by multiple playable characters within a game’s narrative. The experience of playing as more than one video game character in a single narrative has been identified as an under-explored area in the academic literature to date. An empirical research study was conducted to explore the experiences of a small group of gamers playing through Halo 3: ODST’s single-player narrative. Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was used as a methodology particularly suited to exploring a new or unexplored area of research and one which provides a nuanced understanding of a small number of people experiencing a phenomenon such as, in this case, playing a video game. Data were gathered from three participants through experience journals and subsequently through two semi- structured interviews. The findings in relation to participants’ experiences of Halo 3: ODST’s narrative were able to be categorised into three interrelated narrative elements: visual imagery and world-building, sound and music, and character. Within these categories there were a number of convergent and divergent themes that provided a contextualised understanding of the multi-character experience. The findings also provided an understanding of the roles of paidia and ludus – two long-standing theoretical constructs – in the gameplay. This research may serve to benefit video game developers and contribute to an understanding of the player experience from the perspective of gamers themselves. ii Table of Contents Keywords......................................................................................................................i Abstract.......................................................................................................................ii Table of Contents.......................................................................................................iii Glossary of Terms......................................................................................................vi Statement of Original Authorship..........................................................................viii Acknowledgements....................................................................................................ix Chapter One: Introduction........................................................................................1 1.1 Rationale for the Study...........................................................................................1 1.2 Methodology...........................................................................................................2 1.3 Thesis Overview.....................................................................................................3 Chapter Two: Video Game Narrative.......................................................................4 2.1 The Field of Video Game Research........................................................................4 2.1.1 Video game research into narrative and character...................................4 2.1.2 The roles of narrative and character in video games................................6 2.1.3 The evolution of video games..................................................................7 2.1.4 Narratology and Ludology.......................................................................8 2.1.5 The roles of paidia and ludus in video games..........................................9 2.2 Video Game Narrative Elements...........................................................................11 2.2.1 Visual imagery and world-building........................................................12 2.2.2 Music and sound....................................................................................12 2.2.3 Character................................................................................................13 2.3 Defining Contemporary FPS Games....................................................................13 2.4 The Entertainment Value of FPS Games...............................................................14 2.4.1 Engagement............................................................................................15 2.4.2 Immersion..............................................................................................15 2.4.3 Identification..........................................................................................16 2.4.4 Enjoyment..............................................................................................17 2.5 Research Context..................................................................................................18 2.5.1 Gameplay and cinematics......................................................................18 2.5.2 Halo, a transmedia franchise..................................................................19 2.5.3 Halo 3: ODST........................................................................................19 Chapter Three: Halo 3: ODST.................................................................................20 3.1 Narrative Evolved.................................................................................................20 3.2 Halo 3: ODST’s Narrative Context.......................................................................21 3.3 Creating A Different Halo.....................................................................................22 3.3.1 Visual imagery and world-building........................................................24 3.3.2 Sound and Music....................................................................................25 3.3.3 Character................................................................................................26 3.4 Paidia and Ludus in Halo 3: ODST......................................................................27 3.5 Research Questions...............................................................................................28 Chapter Four: Methodology....................................................................................29 4.1 The Approach to Inquiry.......................................................................................29 iii 4.2 Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis (IPA).....................................................30 4.3 The Use of IPA in Video Game Research.............................................................31 4.4 The Selection of Participants................................................................................31 4.5 Ethical Considerations..........................................................................................34 4.6 Quality and Validity..............................................................................................35 4.7 Data Collection.....................................................................................................36 4.7.1 The experience journal...........................................................................36 4.7.2 The interview questions.........................................................................37 4.7.3 Data preparation.....................................................................................38 4.8 The Hermeneutic Process.....................................................................................38 Chapter Five: The Single-player Narrative Experience........................................41 5.1 Essence of the Experience....................................................................................41 5.1.1 An immersive noir narrative..................................................................42 5.1.2 Non-linear episodic narrative style........................................................43 5.1.3 Multiple playable characters..................................................................43 5.2 The Player Experience of Visual Imagery and World-building............................44 5.2.1 The desire for discovery and exploration...............................................45 5.2.2 The highs and lows of navigation..........................................................46 5.2.3 Nostalgia through intertextuality...........................................................47 5.2.4 Analepsis................................................................................................48 5.2.5 Player suggestions for improvement......................................................49 5.3 The Player Experience of Sound and Music.........................................................50 5.3.1 Silenced weapons and the implication of stealth...................................51 5.3.2 Atmosphere and all that jazz..................................................................52 5.3.3 Audio-logs and embedded narrative......................................................53