I see, please tell me more - Exploring virtual agents as interactive storytellers

Abstract

This study explored the effect of a virtual agent, used as a storyteller in an interactive story, with the purpose of distributing information to leaders at the municipal government of Esbjerg, Denmark. The aim was to investigate the influence an agent might have on the user experience, when comparing it to a story with no agent. A simple story was implemented where the user could choose which parts to read. A test was held where ten participants went through the story with and without an agent as a storyteller, and took part in a focus group discussion. Data on story choices and time was saved and analysed along with the focus group data. From the overall findings it can be concluded that a storyteller agent has a positive impact on the experience. Furthermore, that interactive storytelling requires care in placement of important information, so as to avoid it being missed. © 2013 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.