John 500 words

I am hoping to make a program based around a user-controlled feed-based command system, which could be used for a variety of separate programs or apps for use with the ipad.

My project was initially about helping combat the recognized drop in reading interest experienced by children aged 9-11. Whilst researching this it became apparent that the future of the printed word is looking somewhat bleak. It also seems that in the ever expanding world of digital reading devices the ipad will *probably* come out on top, due to its ability to adapt to changes in the digital environment. It also has a sensitive and potentially multi-functional touchscreen, which can be used in a number of ways.

As previously discussed, I have ideas about implementing satellite tracking, voice recognition, multiple non-linear narratives, and a levelling-up and reward system with a view to getting kids to read. I’m happy with the way these ideas can help determine and customize the story, narrative and reading level to suit the child, but it seems a bit boring to just have the text displayed on screen as it would be in a book. Until recently I had no way of displaying text in a way that allows it to be read differently to the printed word, and, crucially, it’s important that the device is able to keep track of how much the reader has read, otherwise skipping ahead and ‘cheating’ would be too easy.

I think I can combat this with the idea of ‘strings’, in this case a string ‘feeding’ from the back of the screen (or horizon) to the front, with words displayed in different sizes according to their ‘distance’ from the front of the screen. The child could read along with their finger, following the path of the string, with the words they have read ‘disappearing’ off the front of the screen and the new word feeding in from behind. The string could loop where there are big words to make the finger hover longer, giving the reader time to read the words, or, seeing as the ‘speed’ of the string is determined by how fast the child reads, they could stop it altogether by simply removing their finger. At this point another facet of the program could come into play, breaking the word down into syllables or spelling it phonetically, if so desired.

How much the string distorts, and from what direction the reader deciphers text, could also be constantly evolving to suit the user. So far I have only thought about this with a view to presenting a new way of reading, and have not considered the implications it could have for narrative impact.

When I was thinking about strings it made me draw a comparison to the Rock Band/ Guitar Hero series of games, as they feature a set of commands on a rail, constantly moving towards the player. This made me think about how a touch screen could be used to convey this sort of ‘rhythm action’ game, and, on the ipad especially, I think it presents some exciting opportunities. Firstly, the Rock Band guitars allow for the use of 5 buttons on one hand and a lever with the other. If playing with an ipad on a flat surface, a string-based rhythm action game could have up to 10 points of command (one for each digit), allowing for a far greater scope of interaction with the game. Also, the player would essentially be tapping or dragging commands over the screen, meaning even if they cannot hear what is happening on the device, a viewer would still hear and see a coherent rhythm taking place.

Perhaps most exciting is the idea of allowing the ipad to access personal files to customize your playing experience. A series of correct notes could trigger a shape to appear on screen, then the next would make an outline appear to be drawn next to it, and eventually it would become apparent that all these elements add up to create a photo of the player (or their friends, or parents, or dog etc.) drawn from the memory banks of the ipad itself. Internet connectivity means that the ipad can recognize where the player is, take a photo of a nearby landmark from google maps and present that to them as they play. This would be especially great if playing someone from another country over the internet, and having their landmarks show up. Maybe a photo from each players ipad could be combined into one image somehow. I dunno.

As it also ‘ties’ in (arf) with the string idea, I am considering switching the focus of my project to the strings, and producing the first five chapters of a story, maybe two songs/levels of the game outlined above, and a bunch of other ideas, including a photo viewer and social networking timeline. I have not even thought about customizable strings usage, for which I’m sure there are many ideas. This way I won’t have to focus on writing a coherent children’s book, which is an MA in itself, and I can present a whole bunch of opportunities using the strings idea.