What is a Visual Novel?

ACM SIGCHI

16 Oct 202105:28

Summary

TLDRThe video discusses the growing popularity of visual novels, a genre of narrative-focused games originating in Japan. With the rise of free engines like Ren'Py, visual novels have become accessible to both novice developers and a wide range of players. These games are also used in education and health for topics like language learning and underrepresented narratives. Despite the genre's popularity, there is no unified academic definition. Through a literature review and analysis, the video proposes a new definition based on 10 core features, aiming to guide future design and research.

Takeaways

📚 The visual novel is a widely popular narrative-focused game genre, originating from Japan, and has seen a global surge in popularity.
🎮 Free game engines like Ren'Py have made visual novels more accessible to independent designers and novice developers.
🌍 Visual novels are accessible to a wide range of players and skill levels, making them suitable for high-impact domains like education and health.
📖 Visual novels have been used to teach various topics, including language learning (e.g., Kanji Combat), chemistry, and cooking.
🏳️‍🌈 The genre has also been used to explore underrepresented narratives, including queer stories, as seen in Dream Daddy.
📑 Despite the genre's popularity, there is no unified academic definition of what constitutes a visual novel, with definitions ranging from interactive textbooks to multi-ending adventure games.
🎨 A systematic review of visual novels and their academic definitions revealed 22 design features, with 10 core features appearing in 95% or more of the analyzed games.
🎵 Some key features, such as background music, on-click progression, and menu choices, were often present in games but not consistently reflected in academic definitions.
📝 The study's unified definition of visual novels includes a focus on art, aesthetics, and interaction, while acknowledging that story quality and narrative structure are important but not required.
🔑 The research presented a new unified definition for visual novels based on analysis of 30 academic definitions and 54 visual novels, emphasizing their versatility and potential for use in educational and research domains.

Q & A

What is a visual novel?
-A visual novel is a genre of narrative-focused games, originally from Japan, that has gained global popularity. It typically blends text-based storytelling with visual elements and player interaction.
Why has the popularity of visual novels increased in recent years?
-The rise in popularity is partly due to the availability of free visual novel game engines like Ren'Py, making it easier for novice and independent designers to create visual novels.
What makes visual novels accessible to a wide variety of players and developers?
-Their simple mechanics and the availability of free development tools like Ren'Py make visual novels accessible to players with different skill levels and to developers with varying levels of experience.
In which high-impact domains have visual novels been used, and why?
-Visual novels have been used in domains like education and health because their accessibility makes them effective tools for teaching and engaging with topics like language acquisition, chemistry, and even mental health.
Can visual novels address social issues? Give an example.
-Yes, visual novels can explore narratives related to underrepresented communities. For example, 'Dream Daddy' is a visual novel that explores queer narratives.
Is there a unified academic definition of visual novels?
-No, there is no unified definition of visual novels in the academic literature. Definitions vary, ranging from describing them as interactive textbooks to adventure games with multiple story endings.
How did the researchers in the script approach defining visual novels?
-They conducted a systematic literature review and analyzed existing visual novels. Through this, they identified a set of key features and used them to construct a unified definition.
What are the key categories identified in academic definitions of visual novels?
-The definitions converged on four categories: art and aesthetics, interaction, narrative structure, and story quality. These were used to help identify the core features of visual novels.
What are some core features of visual novels identified in the analysis?
-Core features include background music, click progression, and action/dialog menu choices, among others. These were present in 95% or more of the visual novels studied.
What does the new unified definition of visual novels emphasize?
-The new definition emphasizes the core features like art and aesthetics, interactivity, and accessibility, making visual novels highly suitable for both entertainment and research domains.

Outlines

00:00

📖 Introduction to Visual Novels

The paragraph introduces the concept of visual novels, a popular genre of narrative-focused games originating in Japan. These games have gained widespread popularity globally, especially due to the availability of free visual novel game engines like Ren'Py, which have made the genre accessible to both novice and independent developers. Visual novels are also known for being accessible to players of all skill levels, leading to their adoption in high-impact areas such as education and health, where they are used for teaching subjects like language acquisition, chemistry, and cooking. The genre's accessibility makes it a valuable tool for both entertainment and research.

05:01

🌍 Addressing Social and Cultural Narratives

This paragraph highlights the genre's ability to explore complex narratives, particularly those of underrepresented communities, such as queer narratives. An example of this is seen in the visual novel *Dream Daddy*. Despite the genre's growing popularity and accessibility, there is no unified definition in academic literature. Visual novels are variously defined as interactive textbooks, multi-ending adventure games, or through more intricate frameworks involving aesthetics and design. Nonetheless, the fans and players of the genre seem to intuitively agree on what constitutes a visual novel, suggesting a set of common criteria that could be formalized into a unified definition.

🧠 The Need for a Unified Definition

The lack of consensus among academic definitions of visual novels is discussed, with the observation that most definitions only capture a small subset of elements. Players, publishers, and fans seem to agree on what a visual novel is, even though academic definitions remain fragmented. This suggests that a unified definition is both possible and necessary. Such a definition would not only aid in the design and study of visual novels but also improve their use in high-impact areas like education and health, where the genre's accessibility and simplicity could be leveraged for significant benefit.

📊 Research Methodology and Key Findings

This paragraph summarizes the methodology used to define visual novels. The research involved a systematic literature review of existing definitions combined with an analysis of visual novels themselves. The outcome was the identification of 22 design features, with 10 core features being found in 95% or more of the visual novels analyzed. The core features mostly fall within the categories of art, aesthetics, and interaction. Interestingly, while narrative structure and story quality are important to visual novel design, they were not deemed essential for defining the genre.

🎨 Defining the Core Features of Visual Novels

This section delves into the analysis of existing academic definitions, revealing widespread agreement on certain features—particularly interactivity, which was mentioned in 20 definitions. However, there was little agreement on other features. Some elements, such as background music, click-based progression, and action/dialog menu choices, were barely mentioned in academic definitions, despite being present in over 95% of the visual novels in the study. This led to the creation of a new definition that incorporates all 10 core features.

📝 Presenting the New Unified Definition

The final paragraph presents a new unified definition for visual novels based on an analysis of 30 academic definitions and 54 visual novels. The genre's widespread appeal and accessibility make it an ideal medium for various applications and research domains. The unified definition is intended to support further research and development in areas like education, providing a clearer framework for the genre’s use and study.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Visual novel

A visual novel is a narrative-focused game genre originating from Japan. It typically combines storytelling with visual elements and player interaction, often through text and images. The script discusses how visual novels have gained global popularity and are used in various fields such as education and health.

💡Accessibility

Accessibility refers to how easy it is for players and developers to engage with visual novels. Due to free game engines like Ren'Py, visual novels have become more accessible to both novice creators and a wide range of players, making them useful in educational and health-related domains.

💡Ren'Py

Ren'Py is a free visual novel game engine that allows users to create visual novels with little to no programming experience. It is highlighted in the video as one of the key factors contributing to the global spread of visual novels by making development accessible to independent designers.

💡Education and health

Education and health are two domains where visual novels have been effectively applied due to their accessibility and ability to engage users. Examples include teaching second language acquisition and other educational subjects. This demonstrates the potential of visual novels for high-impact areas beyond entertainment.

💡Narrative

The narrative is central to the visual novel genre, as these games often focus on storytelling. The video mentions that while story quality and structure are important, they are not necessary for defining the genre itself. Visual novels may also explore unique narratives, such as those concerning underrepresented communities.

💡Underrepresented communities

Underrepresented communities, such as the LGBTQ+ community, are mentioned in the script as groups whose stories are increasingly represented in visual novels. An example given is 'Dream Daddy,' a visual novel exploring queer narratives, showing how the genre can provide a platform for diverse storytelling.

💡Systematic literature review

A systematic literature review is a method used to identify and analyze existing research and definitions of visual novels. In the script, this method is used to establish core features of visual novels by reviewing academic definitions and analyzing existing visual novels.

💡Core features

Core features are the essential elements that define a visual novel, according to the research in the video. These include aspects like art, aesthetics, and interactivity, which were found in 95% or more of the visual novels analyzed. Identifying these features helps establish a unified definition for the genre.

💡Interactivity

Interactivity is one of the most widely agreed-upon core features of visual novels. It refers to how players engage with the story through choices, dialogue menus, and on-click progression. The script emphasizes that interactivity is a key aspect that distinguishes visual novels from other forms of media.

💡Unified definition

A unified definition of visual novels is the goal of the analysis discussed in the script. By identifying core features and conducting a systematic literature review, the researchers aim to create a comprehensive definition that can guide both the design and academic study of visual novels. This definition could enhance their use in research, education, and other fields.

Highlights

Visual novels are a popular and widely recognized genre of narrative-focused games, originating from Japan.

The rise of free visual novel game engines like Ren'Py has made this genre more accessible to novice and independent designers.

Visual novels are accessible to players of various skill levels, contributing to their use in high-impact areas such as education and health.

Visual novels have been used for educational purposes, teaching topics like second language acquisition, chemistry, and cooking.

The genre also explores narratives of underrepresented communities, such as queer narratives in games like Dream Daddy.

There is no unified academic definition of visual novels, with definitions ranging from interactive textbooks to multi-ending adventure games.

Academic definitions of visual novels include small numbers of elements, leading to a lack of consensus on what truly defines the genre.

Despite the lack of academic consensus, players and fans seem to easily identify and agree on what constitutes a visual novel.

A unified definition of visual novels could help improve the study, design, and application of these games in high-impact areas like education and health.

A systematic literature review was conducted to analyze existing definitions and visual novels, leading to the identification of 22 design features.

10 core features of visual novels were identified, which were present in 95% or more of the analyzed visual novels.

The core features primarily focus on the art, aesthetics, and interaction aspects of visual novels.

Story quality and narrative structure, though important in design, are not necessary to define the visual novel genre.

Interactivity was the most agreed-upon feature, appearing in 20 different definitions.

The research culminated in a new definition for visual novels, which incorporated all 10 core features from the analysis.