106 | nº 29, pp. 97-111 | doxa.comunicación
July-December of 2019
The digital transmedia narrative composition of the storytelling of Lost
ISSN: 1696-019X / e-ISSN: 2386-3978
examples are the case of the electromagnetic nucleus of the bunker, experiments with sharks from the Dharma initiative, or the fate of some characters. For the habitual follower of fiction, this game is an extra contribution of information thanks to the visual references, gameplay and experimentation offered. In fact, we can affirm that the video game is part of the collective intelligence of this universe of fiction. This sample also confirms that if “the digital revolution presumed that new media would displace old ones, the emerging paradigm of convergence assumes that old and new media will interact in increasingly complex ways” (Jenkins, 2008: 17). Therefore, the user manages to generate an integrated image of the plot through the resolution of ordeals, evolution of the story, and use of scenarios. The experience is expansive and immersive within fiction thanks to this virtual media that operates as a transmedia container.
The design and care of this game is demonstrated in each episode. We can detect the detail the company desired in order to launch a product aimed at the followers of the series. The detailed recreation of the stages is the best example. In contrast, many fans were disappointed with this creation. Authors such as Perez and Alba (2010: 428) state that it has “a ridiculous duration and models of poor characters. In addition, they are joined by a plot that with each step moves further away from the series”. This is a statement made by the creative fiction staff. Directly, “they have declared that the video game cannot be considered a standard. Thus, it must be seen as an extended experience of the original program, since it offers a new point of view of the main plot on the island” (Ramos and Lozano-Delmar, 2011: 426). Therefore, it is clear that the creative control of the script of this piece was not the most measured and coordinated. Consequently, the video game can be defined as a marketing product aimed at followers. Thus, we can recognise it as the search for a business opportunity rather than the extension of the plot.
From a narrative point of view, this may be is the biggest problem of the project. Until now, we have been able to recognise the transmedia importance that the game offers with respect to the interaction and immersion of the spectator in the story and scenes. Nevertheless, there are many contradictions between the plot and the television story. The first is Locke’s behaviour in the game. He helps the protagonist to leave the island. It’s something radically opposed to the character’s intentions in the series. Therefore, it is a serious narrative mistake according to the internal coherence of the plot. Another example is the geographical and temporal situation of different characters with respect to the main story. An example is when Jack and Kate are betrayed by Elliott in Black Rock at the end of the game. Following the chronological line of the series, at that moment the two protagonists are kidnapped by The Others. This makes the episode impossible. Finally, one more narrative incompatibility between the two stories is their outcome. The protagonist of the game again wakes up on the day of the crash in a time loop. This has nothing to do with the final conclusion of the series. Moreover, it is not explained and seems to be an ending that seeks to surprise the viewer, but without a well-founded justification.
However, we cannot rule out the importance of this video game within Lost’s transmedia universe. It is necessary to recognise that its script is committed to the main story, but manages to create a unique context experience. Actually, it is specially designed to move the viewer to the fictional island from its screen. For instance, the Spanish version had the same actors who did the dubbing for the series. It is an example that confirms the fidelity sought by the video game. Of all the transmedia products from Lost, Scolari (2013: 162) believes that “Lost: Vida Domus is the most important of all”. He recognises this work as one of the most experiential possibilities for the viewer. Here you have the first-person option of being able to tour the stage and be the protagonist of your own adventure. At the same time, the player participates