Bridging the Gap Between Physical and Virtual Worlds
Michael Nitsche, a professor in Georgia Tech’s Digital Media program and a key researcher at TSRB, is at the forefront of rethinking how we engage with digital media. His work bridges the gap between the physical and virtual worlds, drawing on concepts such as New Materialism, embodied interaction, and puppetry to explore the intersection of video games, craft, and design. Through his research, Nitsche challenges traditional notions of play, production, and materiality, offering new perspectives on the embodied practices that shape our interactions with digital technologies.
New Materialism and the Agency of Objects
Combining video games, mobile technology, and digital performances, Dr. Michael Nitsche experiments with the boundaries between digital and physical media.
At the heart of Nitsche’s research is New Materialism, a philosophical framework that emphasizes the active role of materials and objects in shaping human experience. In his recent writings, Nitsche argues that video games are not just digital abstractions but material performances, where players, controllers, and game objects collaborate in a shared, embodied experience. As he puts it, “The materials we interact with—whether physical or digital—are not passive. They have their own agency and shape how we think, create, and play.”
This perspective is particularly evident in his exploration of games like Minecraft, where players engage in crafting and building within a virtual environment. While the materials in Minecraft—wood, stone, and other resources—are digital, the act of crafting is deeply embodied. Players physically operate controllers, keyboards, or touchscreens to manipulate these virtual materials, creating a tactile connection between their bodies and the digital world. Nitsche views this as a form of “thinging,” a concept from Material Engagement Theory (MET), where humans think and create through their physical or virtual interactions with materials.
Like video game avatars, puppets serve as active partners in performance—blending player control with their own distinct material or digital agency. (Image: Aysegul Yahsi/Unsplash)
Video Games as Object Theatre: The Puppetry Connection
Nitsche’s work also draws on the ancient art of puppetry to reframe our understanding of video games. In a recent paper, he argues that video games can be viewed as a form of object theatre, where players and game objects collaborate in a shared performance. Just as a puppeteer brings a puppet to life through movement and gesture, a player animates a game character through their actions, creating a dynamic interplay between human and non-human actors.
“In video games, the player is not just controlling a character—they are co-performing with it,” Nitsche explains. “The game objects—whether they are blocks in Tetris or a character in Horizon Forbidden West—have their own agency. They respond to the player’s input, but they also impose their own rules and constraints. This creates a collaborative performance where both the player and the game objects contribute to the experience.”
Nitsche’s perspective challenges the traditional view of video games as purely digital or rule-based systems. Instead, they become material performances, where the physicality of the controller, the screen, and even the player’s body play a crucial role. This approach is particularly relevant in the context of virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR), where the physicality of the user’s movements and interactions with virtual objects become a central part of the experience.
Tacit Knowledge and Embodied Interfaces
Another key area of Nitsche’s research is tacit knowledge, which is difficult to articulate but deeply embedded in our physical interactions with the world. Unlike explicit knowledge, which can be easily written down or explained, tacit knowledge is intuitive and often learned through hands-on experience. For example, a potter shaping clay or a musician playing an instrument relies on tacit knowledge to guide their movements and decisions. Nitsche is particularly interested in how this type of knowledge can be translated into digital interfaces.
“How do we design interfaces that capture and convey tacit knowledge?” he asks. “This is especially important in VR and AR, where the physicality of the user’s movements and interactions with virtual objects becomes a central part of the experience.”
“The goal is to create interfaces that feel natural and intuitive, allowing users to engage with digital worlds in ways that feel as real as interacting with physical materials.”
Craft and Hybrid Making: Bridging Physical and Digital Worlds
A child weaves their story in Loominary, using colored yarn on a tabletop loom to make in-game choices—creating a unique, playable scarf that records their journey. (Image: Loominary)
Nitsche’s research also extends into the realm of hybrid craft, where digital and physical materials are combined to create new forms of expression. In another paper, he explores how traditional craft practices can be integrated into digital game design. For example, in the game Loominary, developed by his former Digital Media colleague Anne Sullivan, players use a custom-built table-top loom to weave physical fabric while simultaneously making choices in a digital narrative. The loom works as a controller. This blending of physical and digital craft highlights the potential for new forms of interactive storytelling and gameplay.
“Hybrid craft practices enable us to reconnect with the materiality of the world, even as we engage with digital technologies,” Nitsche says. “By combining physical and digital materials, we can create tactile and immersive experiences, bridging the gap between the virtual and the real.”
This approach reflects Nitsche’s broader interest in embodied making, where the physical act of creation is just as important as the final product. Whether through video games, hybrid crafts, or innovative interfaces, his research is helping shape the future of digital media in playful and profound ways.
Nitsche’s work pushes the boundaries of how we think about digital media, design, and human-computer interaction. By drawing on concepts from New Materialism, puppetry, and tacit knowledge, he is creating a new framework for understanding the embodied, material, and performative aspects of digital experiences.