Michael Borys — The Art of Immersive Gaming Experiences, Blending Storytelling with Interactive Design, and Crafting Alternate Realities (#55)
Dec 5, 2023
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Michael Borys, an expert in interactive design and storytelling, discusses creating immersive gaming experiences for major brands like Disney and Warner Brothers. He delves into the challenges of blending storytelling with interactive design, crafting alternate realities, and exploring augmented reality in gaming. Borys also shares insights on creating compelling immersive storytelling experiences and his latest tabletop game project, The Arkham Asylum Files.
Blend interactive design with storytelling for immersive gaming experiences.
Utilize real-world platforms for storytelling and engagement in game design.
Augmented reality offers personalized, interactive experiences merging digital and physical elements.
Deep dives
Innovative Game Design Experiences
Michael Boris, a magician and award-winning designer, creates immersive experiences blending live events and digital games. His approach involves utilizing the existing world as a platform and finding gameplay in unconventional places. By infusing objects with power and storytelling, he crafts interactive experiences designed to engage and captivate participants.
Integration of Live Experiences and Storytelling
Michael Boris shares insights from his career, detailing his transition from fine arts to interactive design. Working with major brands like Disney and Warner Brothers, Boris incorporates storytelling and interactive elements into projects, such as the Tron Legacy campaign that bridged online puzzles with physical locations, offering an immersive experience for participants.
Creating Engaging Narratives and Player Agency
Michael Boris emphasizes the importance of giving players agency and making them feel like active citizens within the experience. He describes projects like the Dark Knight campaign, where participants received clues through real-world locations and engaged in a city-wide adventure, ultimately impacting the storytelling in the movies. Boris's approach focuses on layered engagement levels for different player interactions, catering to a diverse range of participants.
Creating Immersive Augmented Reality Experiences
Immersive augmented reality experiences are revolutionizing gaming, offering creative interactions beyond traditional formats. By seamlessly integrating physical elements like papercraft buildings with advanced AR technology, users can bring Gotham City to life on their dinner table, complete with interactive storytelling and puzzles. This innovative approach blends art, game design, and storytelling into a magical, Disney-quality experience, elevating player engagement and interaction in ways never seen before.
Balancing Interactivity in Augmented Reality Gaming
Distinct from virtual reality, augmented reality offers a more personal and interactive gaming experience, merging digital elements with real-world surroundings. This balance between technology, storytelling, and interactivity poses design challenges in creating meaningful and engaging experiences without overwhelming users. Leveraging the widespread accessibility of AR technology in smartphones, designers aim to craft immersive narratives that resonate with users, paving the way for a future where AR seamlessly integrates into daily life, fostering memorable and engaging storytelling adventures.
Michael Borys stands out in the game design landscape for his exceptional blend of interactive design expertise and storytelling prowess. He has worked on some of the world's biggest brands, including Disney, Warner Brothers, Microsoft, Activision, Paramount, and Sony. As Vice President of Interaction Design at 42 Entertainment, he led the creation of groundbreaking experiences, earning consecutive Cannes Lions Grand Prix Awards for his innovative Alternate Reality Games. These games, which spanned franchises like Batman and Call of Duty, engaged millions globally. Michael's work covers various mediums, from theme park attractions to cutting-edge augmented reality and location-based entertainment projects. Beyond his design career, Michael is a magician member of The Magic Castle in Hollywood. He is celebrated for his immersive show “The 49 Boxes,” which has captivated audiences across the United States. Borys' dedication to authenticity, magic, and history, combined with his love for storytelling, imbues his creations with a truly unbelievable level of immersion. His newest experience is a tabletop game called The Arkham Asylum Files for the company Infinite Rabbit Holes. Having him share his insights and experiences on the Think Like A Game Designer Podcast was a privilege.