On games and links: Extending the vocabulary of agency and immersion in interactive narratives

Abstract

The opposition between narrative agency - the ability for readers and players to make meaningful choices - and narrative immersion has been an ongoing conflict in the world of interactive storytelling. Some forms, such as games, have been argued to be more successful at balancing the tension between interactivity and immersion than forms like hypertext fiction [16]. Using these two forms as illustration, this paper will argue for the need for more nuanced understandings of "agency" and "immersion" by introducing definitions of diegetic and extra-diegetic agency alongside definitions of narrative and mechanical immersion. Extending the vocabulary of agency and immersion highlights some key differences in how games and hypertexts have been understood. © Springer International Publishing 2013.