![]() But it is surprising to me that a computer program could actually come across as possessing a recognizable personality. So it seems that not only do people dislike talking to neurotic humans, but they also dislike talking to neurotic computers. On top of that, the researchers found that the length of time that the students spent talking to the bot was inversely correlated to how neurotic they though it was. In addition, the researchers were able to manipulate the students’ feelings about the bot by changing whether or not it used the students’ first names and how long it took to respond. Even though the students knew they were talking to a computer, they actually showed general agreement in their perception of the bots personality traits (e.g., friendliness, thoughtfulness, neuroticism, etc.). What fascinated me about the study was that the students clearly perceived the program as having human-like qualities. A recent article in the journal Computers in Human Behavior describes a study in which a group of college students chatted with a conversation bot (i.e., a computer program capable of engaging in a conversation). One possibility may be the use of conversational programs. At the very least, this has already got me thinking about what the next wave of advances will look like. I hope this will pave the way for further innovations in conversation and storytelling. This is meant to lend a more dynamic quality to conversations, and judging by the recently published review for Mass Effect in Game Informer, the system works very well in practice. The game’s conversation system allows players to choose from multiple responses, with the added option of interrupting an NPC with the chosen response or waiting until they are done speaking. That’s why the forthcoming Mass Effect has me so intrigued. ![]() Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion does a good job of extending the basic formula by giving the player a menu of topics to choose from when conversing, but it’s really not fundamentally different from what’s come before. For the most part, however, these choices are of little consequence beyond providing a touch of variety to the standard grind of gathering information and exploring. More recently, games have increased the complexity of these “conversations” by including points where the player can choose between a set of responses, which in turn affects the next thing the NPC will say. Just walk up to an NPC, hit the talk button, and he or she spits out some preprogrammed dialogue. The player’s onscreen avatar usually doesn’t say anything in most RPGs. To be honest, it isn’t really a conversation at all. ![]() In many cases, NPCs will repeat the same thing over and over again no matter how many times the player talks to them. In many role-playing games (RPGs), players can talk to various non-player characters (NPCs) by walking up to them and clicking on a button to hear what they have to say. It's like mental crop rotation.I’ve been thinking recently about how conversations occur within videogames. I'm really keen on doing a wide range of things. "I never set out to be a novelist," he admits. ![]() Though he plans to take a break from CD-ROMs, Adams says he's interested in developing another Internet or console game (possibly in conjunction with the impending Hitchhiker film). Still, according to industry analyst Mark Hardie of Forrester Research, book-inspired games have yet to spawn what he calls "a runaway hit." The brand-name association generally accounts for an "early big rush," he says, but the interest eventually wanes.įor Adams, that big rush is liable to come from his Hitchhiker fans, whose rabid appetites have accounted for the author's more than 15 million books in print. "Assuming you, your potential market is open to everyone who already likes your brands." "Brands already have a place in the heart of the consumer, so are more likely to capture attention in the stores," says Creative Wonders' Holly Smevog. Creative Wonders hit with its CD-ROM versions of Madeleine. Her Interactive makes games based upon popular books like the Vampire Diaries and, coming soon, Nancy Drew. Established books provide a safe way for these companies to attract buyers. ![]() The book-brand name game is especially relied upon by girlware developers, who are competing to win the trust of wallet-wielding parents. "Having a recognizable brand name attached helps make people notice, but that's not enough. His game didn't," noted Ken Gordon, producer for the publishing company. "With Tom Clancy, every book that comes out sells millions of copies. ![]()
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