In the CYOA analysis, the “progression towards linearity” of which the author speaks is something that puzzles me as well. In my opinion, this progression, in conjunction with the video that demonstrates a player completing a Call of Duty mission without shooting a gun illustrates a decline in the freedom that interactive branching narratives grant the “players”. In our ongoing quest to simplify technology (i.e. packaging multiple applications into smaller devices) it would seem that manufacturers/designers favor the best possible result instead of further developing other results. And that has its own pros and cons depending on the intended audience. It would make sense to me that the minds of younger audiences are set on “winning”, whereas more mature audiences are curious to see everything laid out.
“The Garden of Forking Paths” gives a very abstract concept of time that may seem convoluted in how it is presented, but surprisingly obvious underneath. The existence of multiple universes and timelines, the majority in which we as entities do not exist, makes sense given the multiple choices one can make and how that shapes their own personal universe. This is vividly demonstrated when Tsun kills Albert, drawing out entirely new possible futures for the both of them – a timeline in which Tsun exists and Albert does not, and the one in which neither of them do – of course, this recollection is headed towards the latter.
