Authoring Tools for Game Narrative: exploring tools to assist in the creation of narrative for video and computer games

This PhD studentship project aims to explore tools to assist in the creation of narrative for video and computer games. The department of Creative Technology at Bournemouth University (where the student will be based) has a long history of excellence in teaching and research in games and was awarded the 2016 TIGA “Best Educational Institution Award” for Games. The department also includes multiple internationally recognised award-winning experts in interactive narrative who will be directly supervising the project making this an exciting opportunity for PhD study for a student with an interest in interactive entertainment, digital narratives, and game design.

Narrative systems research aims to build machine-readable models of narrative and explore new forms of digital storytelling to augment both existing information and multimedia systems, as well as enhance entertainment applications such as games. Authoring tools and generalised models of narrative have been identified as key challenges by the wider narrative systems research community. This is in part because continued progress in the area is reliant on closer integration between technologists and creatives, and there is a need for tools that enable non-technical authors to create digital works in terms of the new models being developed. This poses difficult research challenges such as the adaptation of existing narratological theory to workable models, HCI research into interfaces for authoring tools, and evaluating the impact on writing itself.

This project aims to:

Explore the challenges surrounding authoring tools for interactive digital narrative and identify both improvements to the underlying models and interface design for authoring tool applications.

The project will be situated within the domain of narrative for games to scope the research, contribute to an area of significant impact, and build on the games research expertise and experience within the creative technology department at Bournemouth. The significant expected outputs and contributions of this project are as follows:
1. A new model for interactive narrative based on existing theory and the needs of modern game storytelling.
2. A design framework for authoring tools to allow non-technical users to create interactive stories in terms of the model for games.
3. User driven evaluation of both the model and framework through experimental study of a prototype tool built using the identified framework design.

This is a technical PhD, for which the successful candidate will apply and have the opportunity to practice both technical and scientific skills. This will include the development of formal models of game narrative, co-design of applications and models with domain experts, and UX evaluation of subsequent evaluations and the critical appraisal of underlying models and theories. The project will also train its student in academic research practice including contributing to and writing papers for international research workshops, conferences, and journals.


How to apply: Applications are made via out website using the Apply Online button below. If you have an enquiry about this project please contact us via the Email NOW button, however your application will only be processed once you have submitted an application form as opposed to emailing your CV to us.

Studentship candidates must have a degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Games Design, Games
Programming, or closely related discipline

Candidates for funded PhD studentship must demonstrate outstanding qualities and be motivated to complete a PhD in 3 years.

Fully-funded studentship candidates must demonstrate outstanding academic potential with preferably a 1st class honours degree and/or a Master’s degree with distinction or equivalent Grade Point Average. An IELTS (Academic) score of 6.5 minimum (with a minimum 5.5 in each component) is essential for candidates for whom English is not their first language.

In addition to satisfying basic entry criteria, BU will look closely at the qualities, skills and background of each candidate and what they can bring to their chosen research project in order to ensure successful completion.