Project Milo cancelled

Although project Milo has been cancelled for a number of years now, with a number of different explanations swirling around the internet as to why. I think its a massive shame that such a good opportunity and such a massive leap forward in modern technology has gone to such blatant waste.


Although primitive at the moment the core idea behind Milo is amazing. The ability to interact with a machine in such a way that it feels as if it real is surely something that needs looking into, especially by any self respecting RPG studio.


On its first reveal at E3 2009, Milo was able to have a full blown conversation with a number of people, make conscious changing decisions, recognize different people, react to different situations and moods, learn new words and use them in conversation, as well as directly interact with player and have an understanding of time and date.


Imagine if this was still under development, the possibilities are what people think of as space age, but are actually very much achievable. Imagine having an xbox avatar that you can treat as a close friend that knows everything about you and helps plan your day for you. An avatar that can teach you stuff and grow old with you. An avatar that will then become friends with your children and your childrens avatars. An avatar that will one day die? 

Milo

"If we look through the game, to 

see the ʻotherʼ God who is the game designer, it is interesting to ask where 

advances in technology will lead in enabling games to be less and less 

dependent on set paths. Will this mean that the more power a designer has to 

open the concept of character more and more, the more it will become open? 

Or will the structures described here still be needed? Will it mean that the 

ʻcoming-of-age-taleʼ, which is so traditionally set to follow the archetype of a 

young boy, will be opened to every contemporary player who will choose their 

gender, along with the way they navigate the world of the game?"

This point really interest me, and is something I have looked into a number of times and is the are that I plan to do my presentation on.

Characterisation is the sum of all the outward qualities: 

Physical appearance, mannerisms, style of speech and gesture, sexuality, age, IQ, occupation, personality, attitudes, values, where he lives, how he lives. 

True Character, lies behind the mask. True character ʻcan only be expressed through choice in dilemma. How the person chooses to act under pressure is who he is - the greater the pressure, the truer and deeper the choice to the characterʼ. 

Whatʼs in a name?

A name can act in a very similar way to a genre. Filling the audience with preconceived ideas that then fill the character with the audiences own individual characteristics that they've created. This can be seen in many films, books and games. For example 'the wanderer" from the fallout series. Just by using the name the wanderer the audience are instantly filled with the image of a loner, a hard man, who knows everything, quietly confident these are all characteristics that are instantly placed in that character subconsciously.

"the signifier is the form that the sign takes"

"the signified is the concept represented by 

the signifier"

Using Propps method of deconstructing and reconstructing stories in an almost mathematical way takes a very interesting view on the story-world and way that it acts as its own character in the narrative to create a coherent world.

"In creating worlds in which the environment can also function as a character, we can test 

how coherent that world is and how it is able to deliver meaning, by applying this way of 

thinking to our analysis."

Vladimir Propp

"Propp defines 31 functions. He maintains that in the folktale, the order in which the functions appear does not change. "


here is some of that list for a fairy tale \ folk tale:

II An interdiction is addressed to the hero. (Someone tells the hero not to do something) 

III The interdiction is violated. (The hero disobeys) 

XII The hero is tested, interrogated, attacked etc. which prepares the way for his 

receiving either a magical agent or helper. 

XV The hero is transferred, delivered or led to the whereabouts of an object of search. 

XVI The hero and the villain join in direct combat. 

XVIII The villain is defeated. 

XXIX The hero is given a new appearance.  

XXX The villain is punished. 

"Genre gives the story-tellers a kind of security"

Genre is very important in the direction of the story telling. Genre gives the story teller a safety net that they can fall back on as the audience has an understanding of the subject area already. This is normally evident in costume dramas and historic films as the audience can feel instantly settled in the story world as they already have preconcerted ideas of the what is happening and what it should look like.

This is obvious in films such as saving private Ryan.  When walking through large open fields its eerily silent and looks almost normal however the audience already knows that this wont last for long due to their pre gained knowledge. This pre gained knowledge furthers the story world and once again has the audience subconsciously participating.

"consider story worlds as so much more than a backdrop against which action can take place"

This is a very interesting area and idea. The fact that the story world is treated as its own individual character, it is used as another means of communication with the audience all be in a much subtler one. The story world works by taking our own preconceptions and using them to further the style and image of the narrative. This is clear in many films, for example Ridley Scotts opening scene from gladiator. Set in a dark and gloomy forest filled with angry barbarians, this image is used to set the 'tone' for the rest of the film, for the images and ideas that the forest creates, such as brutality, violence and anger are the main events throughout the rest of the film.

This simple yet effective idea has then given the audience a whole over view and tone to the movie within the first few minutes, instantly grabbing them and causing them to subconsciously interact withe story.

story worlds: an exploration of what works

"the world of the story is embedded in the story"

This statement is something that is very important in the creation of coherent story worlds. The idea that the world, whether it is in a book, film or game, is limited through the telling of the story. The job of the author or designer is to create a world that has enough space for the consumer to fill with their own images and ideas of what is before them. This is the delicate relationship between the story and the world, if it is overlooked or overloaded then the author risks alienating their audience and they wont want to believe in the story or the world.