Engagement through pixel realism: a pixelated rendering style in narrative games that can create engagement

• Main Author: Lee, Zheng Yang
• Other Authors: Gray Hodgkinson
• Format: Thesis-Master by Research
• Language: English
• Published: Nanyang Technological University 2023
• Subjects: Visual arts and music::Animation; Visual arts and music::Media
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/169614
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

All images on digital screens are often observed by the viewer and interpreted to create meaning. The manner in which these images are presented can range from realistic to abstract, invoking a variety of rendering styles. This thesis introduces Pixel Realism, a rendering style that uses moving pixelated artworks which are then rendered in a lifelike way in a game engine, allowing one to create engagement in narrative videogames. To unpack engagement, this research will use the framework by Daniel. M. and James. C (2001) where engagement can be broken down into categories of: (1) Interest (2) Curiosity (3) Involvement (4) Fidelity. A study of five participants involving a survey and playtest of a videogame designed in pixel realism, found that pixelated artwork can create a sense of curiosity and interest through readable, low-resolution, moving images. Coupled with lifelike rendering, the use of vivid and real-time information is found to create a greater sense of being “there” in the videogame world. Before diving into the world of pixelated artworks, an investigation into the origins of the mosaic will unpack how the deliberate arrangement of tiles can allow for meaning to be embedded into an object. Following that, this thesis will also introduce a method called Low-Resolution Art – a resource efficient way of producing pixelated artworks and discuss how its readability may impact player engagement. Lastly, this paper will discuss how pixel realism can be used to influence the design of storytelling elements in a narrative videogame.