Arno Hartholt, Jon Gratch, Stacy Marsella, and Kim LeMasters
USC Institute for Creative Technologies
Gunslinger is an interactive-entertainment application of virtual humans that transforms an iconic Wild West movie scene into a vivid semblance of reality. The project combines virtual human technology with Hollywood storytelling & set building into an engaging, mixed-reality, story-driven experience, where a single participant can interact verbally and non-verbally with multiple virtual characters that are imbedded in a physical saloon. All of these techniques and technologies are used with the primary goal of engaging and immersing the participant. This talk focuses on the design and development processes behind Gunslinger, emphasizing the importance of rich interaction between elements, rather than a single approach, in achieving a unique and engaging experience.