Last class we discussed how the creators of façade might potentially improve their “videogame.” Some suggestions were made that would improve the ease of play, but it seemed like we were at a loss when it came to making the conversation exchanges more life like. Aside from not possessing the technical know-how to implement such changes, I could not think up a realistic improvement that would more fully establish the illusion of artificial intelligence. While I got a kick out of the “dramatic happenings” the game could stimulate, I got bored once I figured out its limitations. Façade is certainly a technological leap in comparison to programs like Eliza, but still a far cry from realistic conversation. I was tempted to say that this sort of technology has hit the wall. However, when playing chess against the computer, I realized how realistic it seems when the computer makes a move. In a game of chess the computer seems to be making spontaneous and creative decisions. While language and grammar might be far more expressive and elastic systems than chess, they are still systematic. For this reason, I can actually see incredible potential in a game such as façade