mickey mouse magic with immersion, interactivity and intertextuality: a case study of kingdom hearts

8/13/2019 Mickey Mouse Magic with Immersion, Interactivity and Intertextuality: A case study of Kingdom Hearts

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Mickey Mouse Magic with Interactivity and Immersion:

A Case Study of Kingdom Hearts

Video games are increasingly an object of American cultural consumption (Strehovec

200) even as their content has been the subject of extreme cultural consternation

(Hoppenstand 183). Sevent!ei"ht percent of #.S. households pla video "ames re"ularl

and video "ames have "arnered a rapidl expandin" a"e ran"e amon" $mericans %ho

pla everthin" fromAngry Birdsto Words with Friends toCall of Duty(&ntertainment

Soft%are $ssociation). 'n some %as the commercial and critical success of the

Kingdom Hearts video "ame franchise could be attributed to the combination of the near

ubiuit of the video "ame (*achelor 2+,) and the near!universal nostal"ia for -isne

(/he $udience in the ilderness -isneland and alt -isne orld).

'n part -isnes success emer"es from the traditional $merican values ofpioneerism and small!to%n pastoralism. 4et nostal"ia lar"el blurs the realit of the

frontier and the small!to%n life. 5ost $mericans have never lived in these places6their

experience of them is mediated b -isne (/he $udience in the ilderness 7ohnson).

$nd et -isne itself as a staple of childhood similarl becomes an object of nostal"ia

that can then be capitalied b a %ide audience that includes not just children but teens

and adults throu"hKingdom Hearts (7ohnson 9ins:).

Kingdom Heartscame about as a result of a joint project bet%een Suaresoft no%

Suare!&nix and -isne 'nteractive $rts. /he t%o or"aniations share a buildin" in


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7apan. /he idea for the "ame ori"inated %hen Suaresoft producer Shinji Hashimoto met

%ith a -isne executive in an elevator (;antaat). /he project too: more than 100

emploees from both Suare and -isne (


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interactivit and immersion. *ut first it %ould be useful to set the "ame in the context of

its "enre and set this research in the context of prior video "ame literature.

@e% "ames on the mar:et operate %ith the de"ree of intertextualit asKingdom

Hearts fe% "ames on the mar:et achieve its financial and commercial success and no

other "ame connects the po%erhouse that isDisney%ith a mainstream role!plain" "ame

compan. @or these reasonsKingdom Heartsma:es an ideal subject for analsis.

Kingdom Heartsis a role!plain" "ame or B9; as the "enre is commonl

:no%n. 'n the di"ital medium a role!plain" "ame usuall involves the use of one or

more plaable avatars %ho travel throu"h a hi"hl!developed fictional %orld. 'n terms of

narrative "enre a majorit of role!plain" "ames are fantas and science fiction stories.

Storlines are tpicall linear there are often bonuses for plaers %ho ma:e decisions the

characters %ould li:el ma:e in the narrative and conseuences for those %ho do not.

/he avatars effectiveness in performin" certain actions is often based on in!"ame

statistics and influenced b findin" certain items achievin" certain "oals or "ainin"

battle experience in the "ame (


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hile video "ames are often examined from a mass media perspective

($nderson *o"ost 7uul Beha:) considerin" the consumption ofKingdom Hearts from

a popular culture perspective allo%s for a robust analsis of the theories of immersion

and interactivit in considerin" the relationship most inte"ral to those theories6the

relationship bet%een the plaer and the "ames persona for the plaer. Popular culture is

what happens to the materials of mass culture when they get into the hands of

consumers (Convergence Culture136). And at their core, both immersion and

interactivity are concerned with the consumption of a media product. /hrou"h the

consumption of video "ames humans develop their identit and reif social realities

(*o%man). $s a process itself role!pla encoura"es interactivit and immersion in that

the plaer ta:es a role from %ithin the narrative architecture of the "ame (*o%man

;ame -esi"n as Farrative $rchitecture). /he values behavior and dominant order of a

societ are implicit in the embodied architecture of a "ame %hich reinforces the

normative standards of the societ throu"h di"ital re%ards and punishment (;aile 81).

4et as ;aile found in the face of culturall dominatin" values on their "ames even

children plaed an active role in subvertin" the messa"es "iven to them via their a"enc

in "amepla (;aile D2!D3).

'n academic stud %or:s li:eKingdom Heartsare often i"nored as a result of

their status as a popular culture medium and their appeal to children (5c5orran ++E). 'n

a similar %or: 5c5orran traces the intertextualit of the 1DE8 movie Chitty-Chitty

Bang Bang toDon Quiote and the %or:s of >harles -ic:ens. Such intertextual %or:s

provide insi"ht into the process throu"h %hich people ma:e meanin" out of ne% texts

throu"h the lens of existin" texts (5c5orran ++G). $nd as ?arson ar"ues intertextualit


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is a strate" of stortellin" (?arson 10G0).

/he video "ame is not solel a medium for %astin" idle time6it is rich

stortellin" platform. (*o"ost).

ideo "ames allo% the plaer to have an embodied experience in %hich

meanin"s are discovered throu"hout the "ame in the encounterin" of different si"ns6

%ords actions and objects (;ee). /his is similar to that had %hen a person interacts %ith

a boo: or movie but the narrative %or:s in a presentalo"ical manner in %hich stor

events are created in the present (-ubbelman 1ED).

/he storline of a video "ame is made up of four thin"sA "ame desi"ner choices

the %a the plaer causes those choices to pla out as result of the order heIshe finds

thin"s the actions the plaers avatar carries out and the plaers ima"inative projection

about the characters plot and %orld of the stor (;ee 82). ?earnin" challen"es

reinforces andIor hones cultural models and this learnin" happens throu"h immersion and

interactivit (;ee).

/hese t%o sides of a theoretical arc run throu"h video "ame studies and can be

summaried as ho% plaers affect their avatar and ho% avatars affect the plaer. $vatars

are the fi"ures that appear on screen in place of indeed as direct etensions of the

spectatorA sites of continuous identification (Beha: 103). /he plaer not onl

participates in the "ame throu"h the avatar but is a spectator of the "ame as %ell. /he

plaer experiences the avatars %orld and %atches it as a sort of interactive movie.

/echnolo" increasin"l ma:es it possible for plaer!avatar relations to be more

prevalent and closer. *ut Beha: %ould also sa the relationship %ill al%as feel


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incompleteA partiall as a result of the dominative po%er the plaer has over the avatar.

/he plaer can :ill his avatar at %ill and he can reincarnate the avatar as %ell.

/his interactive control over the avatar has numerous effects on the plaer. /here

is an inherent dualit in %hat as :no%n as "ame time J that is time in %hich the plaer

is himIherself and also the avatar in their "ame %orld (7uul). /his combines %hat 7uul

called pla time J actual real %orld time the plaer experiences J and event time

%hich is the time ta:en in the "ame %orld. 'n other %ords %hen plain" a video "ame

the plaer simultaneousl experiences t%o distinct passa"es of timeA that %hich happens

in realit and that %hich happens in their "ame.

&vent time is rarel as simple as a formula (i.e. 20 minutes of pla time K 20

hours of event time). 'n the modern da "ames freuentl event time is interrupted %ith

cut scenes that feature enhanced "raphics and are often presented as %idescreen6

complete %ith blac: bars at the bottom of full screen television sets. /he cut scenes are

presented in such a %a to emphasie the appearance of a cinematic moment and indicate

to the plaer that event time is not "oin" to remain static (7uul). 5an role!plain" "ames

are littered %ith these cut scenes so indeed event time hardl moves except durin" cut

scenes %here months can pass in a matter of seconds.

Immersion and Intertetuality

'n order to examineKingdom Hearts! it is crucial to flesh out the definitions of

immersionand interacti"ity. @our properties ma:e the video "ame a medium for literar

creation. Spatial and encclopedic content are %hat ma:e a "ame immersive procedural

and participator content are %hat ma:e a "ame interactive (5urra).

'mmersion is the experience throu"h %hich a fictional %orld acuires the


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presence of an autonomous lan"ua"e!independent realit populated %ith live human

bein"s (Ban 1,). 'mmersion is %hen content "oes from simulation to become

stimulation (Strehovec) and as "ame content develops increasin" representational po%er

immersion presents a sort of alternate idealied realit (Schroeder 1G0).

/his realit has its o%n lan"ua"e customs that are autonomous from the real

%orld. /hus immersion in a textual %orld is different from immersion in the real %orld

(Ban).

Some have ar"ued that immersion cuts out the real %orld %hich seems unli:el.

&ven in the most intense sta"e %hen the traveler is absorbed in the texts %orld the

plaer ma for"et his concerns but the plaer doesnt for"et he is plain" "ame (Ban).

/he final sta"e in immersion leavin" the actual countr is :e in that respect. @or an

immersive experience to be "ood one the plaer has to come up for air.

/he term interacti"ity li:e immersion is used in so man different contexts that it

is %orth definin" as %ell. 'nteractivit as the codified renderin" of responsive behaviors.

/his is %hat is most often meant %hen %e sa that computers are interacti"e#(5urra

+,). 'nteraction brea:s do%n into technolo"ical and pscholo"ical phenomena.

'nteraction reuires realism mobilit and modifiabilit (Ban). hen translated to

narrative lan"ua"e these three elements indicate plaer choice. /he ver choices that

propel the narrative for%ard ma:in" the narrative more immersive at the same time

ma:e it more interactive. 'n the increasin"l common role!plain" "ames that reuire

choices to move the narrative for%ard the pendulum is pulled in both directions at once.


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7en:ins similarl ar"ued that immersion and interactivit cannot be separated. He noted

that the ver structure of the video "ame medium encoura"es %orld buildin" and thus

bac:stor or embedded narrative. /he %a a video "ame is plaed ma:es it inherentl

different from other stortellin" media (


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Kingdom Heartsas narrative

/he narrative ofKingdom Heartshelped marr immersion and interactivit. 'n the

"ame theor pendulum studies of immersion tend to examine the effects of the avatar

and the "ame narrative on the plaer %hile studies of interaction tend to stud the effects

of the plaer on the avatar and the "ame narrative. Ho%ever the abilit of both to occur

depends on man of the same elements. /he narrative of Kingdom Heartsmana"es to "o

in both directions ma:in" the "ame at once more immersive and more interactive. 't

maintains a rich intertextualit %hich re%ards plaers for :no%led"e of related texts that

one must brin" to the "ame.

/he use of -isne andFinal Fantasycharacters throu"hout the "ame creates an

experiential nostal"ia in that plaers have fe%er barriers to entr in the immersive

experience. 9lacin" themselves in the avatars shoes is not a challen"e because the have

done it before in countless -isne movies and in previousFinal Fantasy "ames.

/he reasonKingdom Heartsma:es a "ood text for examination is in the numbers

and in the plot. &ver ear the video "ame business ma:es more mone than Holl%ood

(;ee). Since its release in 2002Kingdom Heartsand its seuel have shipped more than

10 million copies %orld%ide (


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@or a "ame to have sold so man copies "ained such enthusiastic fan support and to have

%on so man a%ards this is more than an avera"e "ame.

/he stor follo%s Sora a 1,!ear!old bo in a remote location called the -estin

'slands. He lives there %ith t%o friendsA Bi:u and =airi (Kingdom Hearts'nstruction

*oo:let). #sin" a :e Sora is able to destro creatures called Heartless %ho are

destroin" the different -isne andFinal Fantasy%orlds slo%l brin"in" %orlds %hich

should be separate in close contact. 'n /raverse /o%n the first %orld Sora encounters

Sora meets ?eon and 4uffie. ?eon is a thinl dis"uised Suall the main character of

Final Fantasy &''' and 4uffie %as the mischievous fan!favorite ninja from Final

Fantasy &''. 4et this is the same to%n %here Sora also meets -onald -uc: and ;oof of

-isne lore. 'n the %orlds that follo% places that should be distinct end up bein" home to

a host of different characters from both -isne andFinal Fantasy %orlds. /he characters

are put in situations the mi"ht not have been in their ori"inal stories but nevertheless

the act in %as the characters %ould.

/hrou"hout the "ame Sora uses his =eblade to loc: different %orlds. 't at

once :eeps the %orld from bein" destroed b the Heartless and unloc:s other %orlds

%hich are accessible via a ;ummi Ship %hich travels bet%een %orlds. /he ;ummi

Ship is :ept in "ood %or:in" conditions b >hip and -ale6-isne characters %ho

appear as the starship en"ineers in the "ame. Soras travel to different %orlds is in

man %as reminiscent of -isne theme par: experience6an experience that can be

identified %ith b people across the "lobe6and it builds on the -isne nostal"ia %ritten

into the text (Salamone M Salamone 8G).

Sora discovers that behind all of the evil is a man named $nsem %ho is plannin"


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to overta:e the last %orld =in"dom Hearts and the onl %a to unloc: it is b usin" the

seven princesses. /his includes all the classic -isne princessesA *elle >inderella

7asmine. but it also includes his friend =airi. 'n the end Sora -onald and ;oof defeat

$nsem but find =in"dom Hearts overrun b the Heartless. /he :in"65ic:e 5ouse6

arrives. He and Bi:u loc: =in"dom Hearts closed from the inside %hile Sora loc:s it

from the outside (=in"dom Hearts). 'n the last scene of the "ame the Sora decides to find

a %a to rescue 5ic:e and Bi:u. He returns to -isne >astle %ith -onald and ;oof to

find a letter %aitin" for them from =in" 5ic:e. /he endin" clearl foreshado%s the

seuelKingdom Hearts ''(=in"dom Hearts).

Kingdom Heartsas immersive

/here are man scenes %orth of textual analsis but for the purposes of this

research the first episode of the "ame %ill serve as a :e observation. /his section ta:es

place in a dream that is disconnected from the time of the rest of the "ame. /he openin"

ma:es an ideal subject for examination in that the openin" of a video "ame as in man

narratives serves as the hoo: desi"ned to pull the plaer into an immersive experience.

$t the same time it is desi"ned to "ive the plaer a sense of %hat is to come in terms of

stor and "amepla. /he dream seuence has numerous ualities that add to the

immersive experience. 'n order to map it 5c5ahans elements of immersive presence

serve as a "uide. /hose dimensions are social input realism avatar sense bloc:in"

social response and transportation.

@irst the dream itself be"ins %ith a cut!sceneA the hallmar: of linear stor

structure and a :e part of immersion. /his is %here the computer is trin" to accomplish

the fourth dimension sense bloc:in" b immersin" the senses both %ith audio and video.


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'n the dream Sora is at his home of -estin 'slands and at various times tries to reach out

to friends =airi and Bi:u onl to find himself pulled a%a b inexplicable forces. /he

dream seuence is interspersed %ith narration. /he auditor narration of Sora performed

b voice actor Hale 7oel Lsment ponders %hether this dream is real. /he cut scene has

a letterbox border reinforcin" that this section of the "ame is a movie over %hich the

plaer has no po%er (7uul). *ut in this case the dream serves an important function.

$ccordin" to 7uul there are narrative events %hich are difficult to address in the video

"ame mediumA flashbac:s and flash!for%ards amon" them (7uul). 'n a flashbac: the

characters actions in the flashbac: %ould have to be useless other%ise it could possibl

upset present time durin" a "ame. $ flash!for%ard %ould similarl ma:e a characters

actions in the present time useless. /hese sorts of events are better served %ith a

cinematic seuence. /his part of the dream if made as interactive as most of the stor

%ould li:el onl serve to frustrate the plaer. 'n this scene Sora is at the %him of

po%ers beond his control unable to accomplish anthin". So in this case the more

immersive choice of a cut!scene is the onl choice that ma:es sense as havin" no control

of a character %ould be less immersive. 'n recent ears "ame desi"ners have become

better at buildin" cut!scenes or desi"nin" artifacts %hich point bac: to past events (7uul).

* ma:in" those events part of the non!controllable more cinematic portion of the "ame

"ame desi"ners can enli"hten plaers on those events in a more accessible manner.

Lnce the cut scene is over the "ame be"ins to prompt the avatar to perform

certain commands in order to teach the plaer the "ame. $t this point the plaer is able

to use an avatar the third dimension of 5c5ahans presence (5c5ahan). /he plaer

uses Sora to explore the surroundin"s. /he surroundin"s themselves are not necessaril


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realistic J 5c5ahans second dimension J but the are realistic in the context of the

"ames narrative (5c5ahan). /his scene is after all a dream but even here Soras

:eblade ma:es a sound %hen it s%in"s throu"h the air. hen he hits crates or barrels

the "ame produces a realistic sound and he can even destro them. His feet clap %hen he

%al:s across the floor. $ll of this evidence points to the avatars abilit to affect the

phsical environment %hich adds to the realism of the di"ital environment.

$s the plaer be"ins to use the avatar to perform the computers commands the

plaer is re%arded %ith further narration and items that %ill be available for use after the

dream is finished. $ll re%ards "ained throu"h choices serve to perpetuate immersionA

further narration presses the narrative for%ard and items allo% the plaer to have ne%

choices some time in the future6%hether to use the item and ho% to use the item. /he

soft%are is trin" to allo% the plaer to accomplish 5c5ahans fifth de"reeA respondin"

to the computer li:e it is a social bein" (5c5ahan). 'f the plaer has the avatar respond

to the ;od!li:e computer narration li:e the plaer %ould in the real %orld upon hearin" a

voice from no%here then the soft%are has accomplished the "oal of socialit.

hen the plaer travels from one place to another the narrative ta:es him there.

$s Sora travels throu"h this part of the dream he is %al:in" on cathedral!esue stained!

"lass %indo%s %hich depict the stories of -isne lore. hen he is travelin" from one to

the other at various times the floor brea:s dissolves or creates a ne% path to another

floor. So transportation is supported b the narrative so the avatar can travel in the

seamless manner 5c5ahan describes (5c5ahan). /he one dimension of immersive

presence lac:in" in this section ofKingdom Heartsis that of social input.Kingdom


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Hearts%ill never achieve this dimension to the same extent as someone plain" World of

Warcraft %here the are chattin" via avatars %ith another real person. 'n World of

Warcraft! man of the characters met in the di"ital %orld are not controlled b computer

but b another plaer throu"h the internet. Ln the %holeKingdom Hearts does mana"e

to provide realistic textual conversation %hich is relaed via conversation bubbles. *ut

in this scene even the textual social interaction is lac:in". So all in allKingdom Hearts

addresses five of the six dimensions of presence.

Kingdom Hearts as interactive

$t this point %e %ill examine ho%Kingdom Heartsmana"es to achieve

interactivit despite its clear immersive tendencies. 'f an immersion text is one in %hich

the avatar affects the plaer b invitin" him into the narrative an interactive text is one in

%hich the plaer affects the avatar and the avatars narrative b the choices made. /hese

choices ran"e from choices of euipment the order of %orlds Sora visits %hat sideuests

are attempted and %hat response is "iven in certain scenarios. 'n order to map the

elements of interaction this paper %ill use Bans elements of interactive presence.

7en:ins conceptualies interactivit as procedural %hen he discusses "ame desi"n

as architecture (7en:ins 12D). ithout the rules %ithout the structure of the "ame that

interactivit provides the narrative %ould not %or:. 'f the plaer cannot trust that %hen

he presses a controller button that the avatar %ill respond to his command the structure

of the "ame brea:s do%n. 'n a similar manner Ban conceptualies interactivit as

participator. She defines interactivit as a theor %here the plaers %orld reacts to


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their input (Ban EE). $nd she notes that an increase in interactivit also euates to an

increase in presence. /he more effect the plaer can have on the avatar and on the

narrative the more the feel present in the narrative. Lf course in the real %orld most

actions ta:en have ver real conseuences so plaers expect similar occurrences in the

"ame. Bans dimensions of interactivit are realism mobilit and modifiabilit (Ban).

'nteractive realism differs sli"htl from that of immersive realism. 'mmersive

realism depended on the environment %hether thin"s ma:e sounds %hen the plaer hit

them and %hether "ame elements fit the %orlds social construct. hetherKingdom

Heartsachieved interactive realism partiall depends on the television resolution of the

plaer and thus varies from case to case (5c;loin @arrar M =rcmar EG Hou Fam

9en" M ?ee E1+). /his realism creates ineuit amon" the audience in that those %ith a

hi"her socio!economic status6 %ho can afford more expensive audioIvisual euipment

6are "ranted a more immersive experience.

*ut on a broader scale the soft%are provides a lar"e amount of realism in their

renderin"s of the characters. Soras "ender a"e and relative sie are all fairl eas to

understand in the resolution provided b the "ame althou"h %hether the television

transmits that resolution is another matter. >omparativel the "raphics durin" cinematic

scenes are similar to those seen in (hre) and in!"ame "raphics are little %orse.

5obilit depends on the abilit to explore surroundin"s in a realistic manner. $

plaer is not able to move his bod and see his avatar move his bod in response.

Ho%ever the plaer does have an abilit to feel close proximit to objects throu"h the

technolo".Kingdom Heartshas a first!person component %hich addresses this. $s the

plaer is travelin" throu"h the dream the plaer is instructed on ho% to loo: in a first!


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person manner throu"h Soras ees. 'ndeed vie%in" in this %a is at times the onl %a

to find certain items. /his also accomplishes %hat Beha: described as the juncture of

spectatorship and participation (Beha: 103). * usin" first!person mode achieved b

pressin" the Select button on the controller the plaer can achieve that (Kingdom

Hearts'nstruction *oo:let). hen this button is pressed rather than loo:in" over the

avatars shoulder the plaer is loo:in" throu"h the avatars ees at the surroundin"s.

/he third component of interactivit modifiabilit is :e to man "ames. $

number of thin"s can be modified in video "amesA avatar appearance avatar

personalitIcharacteristics avatar action environment and plot (Ban 5eado%s

5urra).Kingdom Hearts does not allo% the plaer to "enerate his o%n avatar as in

World of Warcraft or*he (ims.So avatar appearance cannot be altered b the plaer to

his choosin". 9laers experience "reater interactivit %hen the are "iven the option of

creatin" their o%n avatar (7in +E1). Ho%ever there are different computer!preset

appearances that Sora ta:es on %hen attendin" other %orlds. @or instance %hen Sora and

his part travel to the Hallo%een /o%n of *he +ightmare Before Christmas Sora and his

part all ta:e on a "houlish appearance as a result. /he same occurs in $tlantica of *he

,ittle ermaid. 'nKingdom Hearts! the plaer is "iven a Sora %ho must represent all

plaers. Sora is "iven the appearance of a &uro!>aucasian even thou"h the audience for

Kingdom Hearts is thorou"hl international. Ln the one hand Sora is narrativel

presented as a character %ithout racial identit. 4et on the other hand one could ar"ue

that it supports Se!@ai Shius concept of the video "ame as a place %here the dominatin"

status of %hites is at once re!evaluated andIor reified (Se!@ai Shiu 122!123). $s %ith

mechanical realism this creates an ineuit in the interactive experience.


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'ndeed the character development of Sora throu"hout the "ame is ver limited so

his personalit is also ver static. $t the be"innin" of the "ame Sora has one "reat "oalA

to see other %orlds and one "reat loveA his friends (=in"dom Hearts). $nd so the

majorit of narrative character development happens to the characters around Sora not

Sora himself. @or instance Soras friend Bi:u starts out the "ame as an all later

becomes jealous and %or:s a"ainst Sora and then eventuall repents. /hat bein" said

Soras characteristics6in this case his statistics that determine ho% %ell he performs in

battle6can be altered from the be"innin" of the "ame (=in"dom Hearts).

'n the dream episode mentioned earlier Sora is ta:en to a place %here he faces a

choice of %hat po%er %ill be his stren"th and %hat po%er %ill be his %ea:ness. His

choices are a s%ord for attac: po%er a shield for defensive po%er and %iards staff for

ma"ic po%er. $s mentioned earlier in this paper a role!plain" "ame relies heavil on

statistics to determine ho% the avatar does in the actions he or she performs and this is

the case %ithKingdom Hearts(*abovic). -ependin" on %hether Sora chooses the s%ord

the shield or the rod Sora can ta:e more hits deal more dama"e or heal himself more

efficientl %ith the ma"ic spells he learns later in the "ame.Kingdom Heartsma not let

the plaer choose the avatar but the plaer can choose the %a his avatar performs. /his

is just one of man choices made in the "ame and indeed one of the man made in the

dream seuence. 4et these choices are not separate from the stor narrative as %hen a

plaer is creatin" an avatar in *he (ims but rather these choices are an inte"ral part of the

narrative. 'f the avatar does not have statistics that allo% him to perform %ell the avatar

%ill die and the narrative %ill end. 'ndeed ma:in" choices and interactin" %ith the

"amin" console is the onl %a to activel propel the narrative for%ard (=in"dom Hearts


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Bevie%). /hese character choices increase modifiabilit thus interactivit %hile

simultaneousl increasin" immersion and pressin" the narrative for%ard.

/he plaer can also influence his parts characteristics. ?ater in the "ame %hen

-onald -uc: and ;oof join Soras part the plaer is unable to control them directl as

he can Sora. Ho%ever the plaer does have the choice of choosin" ho% the %ill act in

battle %hat actions the %ill ta:e and %hen the %ill ta:e them. 'n this sense controllin"

other part members is more strate"ic than control of Sora (Kingdom Hearts'nstruction

*oo:let). Sora can be controlled moment!to!moment b the plaer but the actions of his

allies must be strate"icall planned. 'n addition

the plaer later has the abilit to choose the euipment used b Sora and his part. hile

Sora and the part never chan"e their clothes as a result of an euipment chan"e their

%eapons also ta:e on different appearances (Kingdom Hearts'nstruction *oo:let). $s

mentioned earlier the onl time the parts appearance chan"es is %hen the travel to a

different %orld %here people are dressed in a different cultural context. *ut the

euipment does chan"e the avatars characteristics %hich helps him in battle.

>ontrollin" avatar action overlaps %ith the mobilit element of Bans

interactivit (Ban). $vatar action is the most basic characteristic of "ame modifiabilit

and it is one %hereKingdom Heartssucceeds.Kingdom Heartsuses a command menu in

order to control the avatar. 'n some role!plain" "ames the plaer has a button to attac:

and a button to "uard. 'nKingdom Hearts!there are easil accessible buttons for actions

such as jumpin" and dod"in" but more complex actions li:e castin" spells or usin"

items usuall reuire the command menu. So the plaer is literall ma:in" doens of

choices about an avatars actions %hile in active combat. Such interactivit raises plaer


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participation to a ne% level (>astronova).

Hittin" the same object must cause the same effect ever time in order to :eep the "ame

realistic in an immersive sense (>astronova). So realism that increases plaer

participation6and thus increasin" interactivit6also increase immersion. So plaer

choice not onl propels the narrative for%ard but also is actuall necessar for the

avatars survival. /he avatar can also affect his surroundin" environment6a :e part of

modifiabilit and one of the characteristics of interactivit. 'n the dream episode at the

be"innin" ofKingdom Hearts Sora has to destro a crate. /hrou"hout the "ame Sora

must use his :eblade to push pull and brea: certain objects and %hen Sora affects those

objects the respond in expected %as.

/he abilit to modif the plot also adds to interactivit (Ban). 5ain stor

elements cannot be affected inKingdom Hearts but b ma:in" choices Sora %ould li:el

ma:e6"ood!natured choices6the avatar is re%arded %ith items %hich help him

complete the narrative. *ut ne"ative choices affect the "ame ne"ativel. @or example

durin" the "ame Sora encounters 9on"o and 9erdita of the -isne movie /

Dalmatians. 'n the "ame all DD dalmatian puppies have been :idnapped b the Heartless.

&ver time Sora brin"s bac: a fe% puppies he is "iven a ne% item. 'f he mana"es to

"ather all the dalmatian puppies he is "iven an up"raded ma"ic spell %hich is ver

useful durin" battle (;ame @$Ns). 'f Sora chose to not "ather an puppies he %ould not

receive an of the re%ards.

Kingdom Heartsas intertetual


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-isne ima"er and lore is laden throu"hout the dream seuence.hen Sora has to ma:e the choice about %hat his stren"th and %ea:ness%ill be the smbol of the 5ic:e 5ouse ears is on all the threeA thes%ord the shield and the %iards rod. &ver floor Sora %al:s on is astained "lass colla"e of a different -isne storA the first is (now White!

the nextCinderella!and (leeping Beauty.$fter crashin" throu"h the>inderella stained "lass %indo% Sora finds himself bac: in a treehouse in-estin 'slands %ith three of his contemporaries. $ll of them are oun"erversions of beach!oriented characters fromFinal Fantasy"ames. /hethree each as: him about his priorities6more choices that influence thestatistics mentioned earlier.

'ntertextualit adds to the immersive experience ofKingdom Hearts! especiall in

terms of 5c5ahans social response element of presence (5c5ahan). 't is easier to

respond to an avatar li:e a real person if one has alread seen the response performed in

movies boo:s or in other "ames. /his social response builds on the nostal"ia fans of

both -isne and Suare!&nix experience %hen the see characters and stor situations

%ith %hich the are familiar. ;ee describes this as situated meanin" (;ee). 't is %orth

notin" that in combinin"Final Fantasylore %ith -isne lore a considerable number of

texts come %ith -isne. -isne has re%or:ed man stories over the ears and thus the

have access to a number of texts not immediatel ascribed as -isne. @or example

Aladdinappears inKingdom Heartsas a -isne text. *ut before it %as a -isne text

Aladdin%as the printed short stor $laddin and his 5a"ic ?amp in 0ne *housand and

0ne +ights. $nd before it %as a printed short storin 0ne *housand and 0ne +ights!it

%as an oral tale (?undell). $lso *ar1an appears inKingdom Hearts.*ar1an!of course

%as a -isne movie but before that there %ere several *ar1an television pro"rams in the

mid!1D00s. 'n the 1DG0s and earlier in the 1D30s there %ere *ar1an radio pro"rams

(elshman). 'n 1D1, the ori"inal novel %or: *ar1an of the Apes%as published. Fon!

traditional -isne characters that appear %ithin the -isne lore structure include $lice

fromAlice in Wonderland 7ac: S:ellin"ton of+ightmare Before Christmasand *elle


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and *east fromBeauty and the Beast.

'n the case studs dream episode there is little re%ard for :no%in" the stories of

other characters. *ut in other episodes there is. @or example %hen Sora reaches the

%orld of $"rabah :no%in" the stor ofAladdin%ill help the plaer :no% %here to ta:e

the character in order to propel the narrative for%ard. /here is onl a certain amount of

narrative that can ta:e place until $laddin has to ta:e the part into the >ave of

onders. So the intertextualit adds to the immersive experience because not onl is the

plaer en"a"ed in theKingdom Hearts narrative but in the narratives %ithin in it

narratives of %hich man plaers %ill alread be familiar. /he intertextualit also adds to

the interactive nature of the "ame b increasin" the "ames modifiabilit6Kingdom

Hearts2%ea: point in interactivit. 'ntertextualit raises the sta:es for modifiabilit. /he

choices not onl shift the nature of ho% thin"s happen inKingdom Heartsbut in the

narratives %ithin it as %ell. @or instance Sora could cause $laddin to ma:e a choice he

mi"ht not have actuall made in the ori"inal text. $nd %hile the avatar could suffer for

ma:in" choices that shift the plot and re%arded for choices that stic: to the plot the

plaer has the po%er to affect more than just theKingdom Heartsnarrative but the other

narratives embedded in the "ame as %ell.

't should be noted that this sort of intertextualit has occurred in other "amesA

most notabl (uper (mash Bros. Brawl another popular a%ard!%innin" "ame . 'n this

fi"htin" "ame the plaer can battle the secret a"ent Sna:e from etal $ear (olid!


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a"ainst ?ui"i from (uper ario Bros.or ?in: from,egend of 3eldaa"ainst 9i:achu

from%o)emon. /he difference bet%een (uper (mash Bros.andKingdom Heartsis that

(uper (mash Bros. Brawl does not provide an re%ards for :no%in" the stories of the

different textual characters. $t times inKingdom Hearts plaers can at least receive

narrative re%ards if not items enhanced spells and the li:e for piecin" to"ether the

intertextual narrative. 'ntertextualit increases the immersive and interactive value of

Kingdom Heartsb %eavin" old narratives in %ith the ne%.

Similarl =eebau"h describes a rich catalo" of fair tales that inform ,ittle 4ed

4iding Hood2s 3om5ie BBQfor the Fintendo -S. /he intertextual nature ofthe "ame

provides narrative re%ards %hile servin" as a cipher for the problems consistent in the

human conditionA the nature of innocence the lon"evit of nostal"ia the stin" of betraal

and the human difficult in conceptualiin" the nature of evil (=eebau"h GDD).

4et %hile the intertextual nature of,ittle 4ed 4iding Hood2s 3om5ie BBQ%or:s

to enhance the "ame and unite an audience %hat happens in =in"dom Hearts is a bit

more complex. hileKingdom Heartsbecomes more immersive and interactive throu"h

its intertextualit perhaps the "reatest stren"th of the narrative6the connection to

-isne nostal"ia6also becomes its central challen"e. /he immersive experience of the

"ame runs into a %all %ith the depiction of a post!racial Sora %ho is predictabl a

%hite >aucasian (Se!@ai Shiu). /he interactive experience of the "ame is challen"ed b

its realism %hich can differ dependin" the screen sie and spea:ers6such elements that

clearl privile"e the immersive experience of a hi"her socio!economic status (Hou

7in"hui et al.). /he social ineuities incumbent in the racial and technolo"ical privile"in"

runs counter to the ver central messa"e and vision of -isne6access for all children


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(9ins: xiii). Lne must applaud the intertextual nature of the "ame for introducin"

plaers via embodied experience to the stories of centuries of classic texts (;ee). 4et

one must also uestion %hether mechanical realism and the lac: of avatar modifiabilit

leave some plaers out of -isne and Suares classroom (5urra Ban). /his is not a

char"e to be leveled solel %ith -isne and Suare as much as it is indicative of the

nature of ho% video "ames are consumed.

/he uniue nature of role!plain" "ames and in particular Kingdom Heartsbrin"

to"ether the t%o sides of the theoretical spectrum immersion and interactivit. /his paper

loo:ed at ho% each of these theories plaed out in the first fe% minutes of the "ame. /he

narrative of the "ame especiall in relation to its intertextual nature helped marr

immersion and interactivit to create a uniue "ame experience. 4et the -isne nostal"ia

so central to the intertextual nature of the "ame also presented the central challen"e to

immersive and interactive pla throu"h the ineuities produced b the depiction of the

avatar and mechanical realism.


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!orks Cited

$nderson >rai" $. hica"o 200G.

-ubbelman /eun. ompan ?ine.< $ame (pot. 200,. ol. 2012..

lass and >osmos in Homeideo ;ames.


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5inneapolis 5FA #niversit of 5innesota 9ress 2003.

Hou 7in"hui et al. it F4A Fe% 4or: #niversit 9ress200E.

7en:ins Henr. ambrid"eA 5'/ 9ress 2002.

7in Seun"! $. $nnie. rime Satanism and Suicide amon"9laers as >ritics >laimW


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?arson =atherine B. it F4ABoutled"e 2003.

5c5orran ill. aractacusA 'nfluence 'ntertextualit and >hitt>hitt *an" *an".< *he 6ournal of %opular Culture 3D.G (200E)A +GE!+D.

5eado%s 5ar: Stephens.%ause : 9ffect. *er:le >$A Fe% Biders 9ress 2002.

5ichaels 5iles.


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mickey mouse magic with immersion, interactivity and intertextuality: a case study of kingdom hearts

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