University of Sussex
Browse

File(s) under permanent embargo

Sublime confusion in immersive performance and games

presentation
posted on 2023-06-09, 01:18 authored by Carina Ellinor Irene Westling
This study of the resposes of participants in Punchdrunk’s interactive performance theatre productions 2011-2014 reveals that affects normally considered negative (e.g. profound disorientation, confusion, and fear of failure) are framed as intriguing and even exhilarating by a majority of participants, and associated with corresponding motivation to learn, grasp and ‘figure out’ the challenges within the given environment. A subset of audience participants found the experience strongly aversive and where reasons were given, they were based on the same features that were framed as positive by the majority of participants, suggesting that the difference in reception is based on interpretative factors. Punchdrunk’s immersive theatre productions have often been compared to ‘real life computer games’ due to their narrative structure and the conditions for experience created by the sets, comprising in excess of 100 fully realised and interactive installation rooms.

History

Publication status

  • Published

File Version

  • Accepted version

Presentation Type

  • paper

Event name

2015 Annual Symposium on Computer-Human Interaction in Play (CHI PLAY 2015)

Event location

London

Event type

conference

Event date

October 03 - 07, 2015

ISBN

9781450334662

Department affiliated with

  • Media and Film Publications

Full text available

  • No

Peer reviewed?

  • Yes

Legacy Posted Date

2016-05-19

First Compliant Deposit (FCD) Date

2016-05-18

Usage metrics

    University of Sussex (Publications)

    Categories

    No categories selected

    Exports

    RefWorks
    BibTeX
    Ref. manager
    Endnote
    DataCite
    NLM
    DC