Understanding Entertainment: A Whole-Brain Approach
Jesse Schell

1. What is entertainment?
   • Interest as the basis of all entertainment experiences
   • Interest curves
     • What are interest curves?
     • Psychological basis of interest curves
     • Good curves / Bad curves
       • The hook
       • Building excitement
       • Anticipation
     • Controlling expectations
     • The "whole" experience
2. What comprises interest?
   • Inherent interest
   • Poetry of Presentation
   • Psychological Proximity
     • Me, You, Them
     • Examples
       • Proximity to "iconic" characters
       • Immersion into environment
     • The many facets of psychological proximity
       • Examples of shifting proximity
       • The power of empathy
   • Analysis of various entertainment examples
   • Weaving a braid of great entertainment
3. Virtual worlds
   • The basis of all storytelling
   • Examples
     • "Traditional" storytelling
     • Episodic Entertainment
     • Interactive worlds
     • Multidimensional fantasy worlds
     • The synergy of community
4. Interactive Storytelling - the art of indirect control
   • Environment - controls the eyes
     • Where you look is where you go
     • The illusion of freedom is better than freedom
   • Interface - controls the hands
     • A virtual world is real when you forget the interface exists
     • A good interface puts limits in the right places
   • Avatar - controls the body
     • Physics: real vs. expected - The paradox
     • Avatar as voodoo doll: simulating kinesthetics
   • Story - controls the mind
     • Goals and objectives
     • Other characters
       • Non-player characters
       • Player characters
5. The future of entertainment
   • Story and play - The basis for all education
   • Peace through superior storytelling