Friday, August 13, 2010

Monday, August 9, 2010

ACN108 History of Interactive Entertainment - Assignment 1

WIKI


Wiki sites have become a great resource for researching topics online. They have a few pro's and con's but overall I find my experience with them to be a positive one.

There are many topics found on wiki sites that are just not covered in published books. Unlike a printed book, a wiki article is much more dynamic in it's ability to be updated quickly when the information changes. A set of Encyclopedia books is very expensive yet websites like Wikipedia are completely free and far more up to date. While libraries have closing times, the internet is available 24/7/365 and accessible from the comfort and convenience of your home. There is no need for an expansive bookshelf to hold a large collection of research books when the information can all be stored compactly at data on a computer.

The downside of Wiki's is that with multiple contributors from all walks of life, the information could be less reliable. Wiki sites are also prone to attacks of cyber vandalism, as just about anyone is allowed to register with a website and gain the ability to edit wiki entries. Moderators need to keep a watch on changes made to the site in order to maintain it as a reputable source of information. A lot of Wiki websites resource their information from Wikipedia, however if the information on Wikipedia is incorrect, then false information is being duplicated throughout the internet. There’s a saying that goes “Just because you read it on the internet, doesn’t mean it’s true”.

Personally I use websites like wowwiki.com and wowhead.com for sourcing information for World of Warcraft. There is no way you want to flip through a book to find information about a digital item when you can search quickly with keywords on a website. I also love to browse Wikipedia for information on various video games, anime, manga and bands that simply do not have any printed material available on them. In these genres, I trust the opinions of my internet peers rather than the producers of newspapers and tv shows. News writiers are forever getting their facts wrong when reporting anything to do with geek culture.


SOCIAL NETWORKING

Social networking began with the emergence of Web 2.0 technologies. The basic idea is that rather than create all the website content yourself, you create applications where others can register with the site and create their own content that they can share with others. Online communities sprung up in many different ways. Blogging, social networking, online gaming and art websites are probably the most prominent models for Web 2.0 communities. Many sites have become a hybrid of all these things in an effort to offer something for everyone and keep users feeling like they don’t need to leave the site to use a different service.

Examples of various Web 2.0 community websites:
Blogging sites: Livejournal, Wordpress, Blogger
Microblogging: Twitter, Tumblr
Social Profiles: Myspace, Facebook, Hi5
Art: Deviantart, Flickr
Games: Gaia, Neopets


While I absolutely adore blogging and update my Livejournal frequently, it saddens me to see that many people have jumped ship for websites like Facebook and Twitter. Neither of which have the same sort of insightfulness that users post in their Livejournal. Twitter is full of throwaway comments and meaningless updates as the posts are limited to only 140 characters. Facebook is much the same on an even greater level. Because Facebook encourages users to use their real name and connect with every single person they know in life, what one announces publicly to the world becomes much more of a considered matter. While announcing silly statements under the guise of an internet alias is something I think nothing of on most websites, when it comes to Facebook I feel a strangling on my freedom of speech. Knowing that relatives and work colleagues can read what you post on Facebook makes you think twice about what you are going to write, and so posts become the monotonous sea of “Oh the weather is nice today and I just ate toast”. In comparison, a personal blog locked to friends only may contain far more interesting posts such as detailed stories about a persons inner feelings, their daily frustrations at work or their great experience at a special event such as a live band.

Many sites are now trying to do and be everything in order to be the one stop shop that people visit on the internet. Facebook in particular is guilty of this and as a result the site is bloated and confusing. I’m really tech savvy and work as webdesigner and I still find Facebook very poorly organised. I’m flooded with updates from other users applications I don’t care about, so that I’ve given up on trying to keep up with the information updates from Facebook. However I feel like there is this pressure to stay updated and available in todays “online” society. If you turn off the chat features, don’t answer private messages & invites in a timely manner, some people get upset with you. I feel stressed by these expectations as I’m not a largely social person and find my energy to face the world in my own solitude. When something like using the internet becomes another extension of social time it becomes quite draining on my sanity.

Recently Blizzard Entertainment added a feature called "Real ID" which lets you keep friends list across World of Warcraft and other Battle.net games like Starcraft 2. It uses your real name and tells people what character/server/game you are playing. Especially in the case of WoW it's handy for keeping track of friends that have a lot of characters they play. However it can be a bit of a joykill for people that play on the Roleplay servers and really want to immerse themselves in fantasy. At this point in time there is no invisible mode for Real ID. So friends you've approved will always see what you're doing and be able to message you. Although I personally I find it annoying, this sort of thing is accepted by a lot of internet users as many already use chat programs like Steam to stay connected with their friends while in-game and use Facebook to interact with personal friends and family with their real name in a similar manner. However, Blizzard were going to force the implementation of Real ID into the forums for World of Warcraft and Starcraft 2, meaning users would only be able to post using their real name in an extremely public arena.. Privacy was a large concern for users, as once you have someones real name it is actually quite easy to track their phone number or where they live. Taking into consideration that people in online games can become quite aggressive or upset when another player kills them, you wouldn’t really want an online enemy knowing where you live. Reports of violence over video games are not unheard of. While the games themselves are not to blame, if a person with emotional or mental problems is aggravated while playing them, the results can lead to violence. Due to the large outcry from the Battle.net community, Blizzard withdrew their plans to force users to use their real names on the forums. The RealID online friends list still remains and while I feel it is a good feature it does need to be developed to ensure that users privacy is not compromised.

GAME-PLAY

Long before the internet and consoles, games have been interactive. In fact it’s probably video games that made single player games more prominent. In comparison board games moreso required you to have other people to play with in order to enjoy them. Playing with another person means you have to adhere to the rules in order to “play fair” but playing by yourself it’s pretty easy to cheat and win the game. I’ve cheated plenty of times while playing single card games like Solitaire, however playing Solitaires computerised counterpart keeps you honest as the program does not allow you to break the rules. It’s much more satisfying to win the game when you know you played it properly by the rules. A game should be fun but also a little challenging, so if you are cheating I suppose you aren’t really “playing the game” as such. If you are only wishing to pass the time and be entertained, it’s probably more likely someone will sit in front of the television rather than go to the effort of moving pieces around a board game. Perhaps entertainment and game-play can be separated on these grounds. Bringing us the essential core of “interactive entertainment” being some essence of game-play as it requires an effort on our part rather than just sitting back passively.

Online games are becoming more widespread as internet connectivity for game consoles is becoming a standard feature. As well as many social networking sites such as Facebook are incorporating games into their foray of applications. This expansion of gaming platforms as well as it’s ability to connect a user to all their friends/family is helping to shift the demographics of those who play video games. However it is strange that while there are many forms of games from such as gambling, board games and sports that are enjoyed by all ages, that still video games are viewed as something that only young people play.

With the proposals of the types of game-play by Roger Caillois, one could argue that we encounter games in our daily lives on a subconscious level. Games are not simply for children because we are always interacting with the world around us, facing challenges, taking chances, playing a part or losing ourselves in the thrill of something.

As I mentioned earlier, sites like Facebook make me feel very restricted, is perhaps that I am experiencing “Mimesis” and forcing myself to role play a well behaved version of myself? Or am I role playing someone I want to be when I post anonymously on sites like 4chan? Which is the real me? The one I present when attached to my real name or the one I present when behind an alias or complete anonymity. Either way, people interact with these different versions of myself and each will have different perceptions even if they encountered the same personality.

Is one experiencing “Agon” when they go for a job as they try to the beat the other applicants? Many people are competitive by nature and will find satisfaction in the smallest of triumphs over others. Something as simple as beating others over the crosswalk when crossing the road might be the motivator for some. Some even live vicariously through the victories of their sporting team over a friends. I feel that without Agon that some people would be stripped of a reason for living. It is impossible to live in our society without interacting and competing with others.

REFERENCES

Game Politics, BREAKING: Judge Rejects Video Game Murder Defense for Halo 3 Teen, Retrieved 9th August 2010,
http://www.gamepolitics.com/2009/01/12/breaking-judge-rejects-video-game-murder-defense-halo-3-teen

NineMSN, Police investigate 'World of Warcraft' murder, retrieved 9th August 2010,
http://news.ninemsn.com.au/technology/975707/police-investigate-world-of-warcraft-murder

Youtube, Art & Technology 9.1 Caillois & Video Games, retrieved 9th August 2010,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWzxpbr8_-A

Turney, Drew, ‘Got Game?’, Desktop, no. 236, 2008, pp. 50-52.

The Economist, Serious Fun, retrieved 16 August 2009, http://www.economist.com/sciencetechnology/tq/displayStory.cfm?story_id=13174355

Neoseeker, Blizzard responds to Real ID backlash, retrieved 9th August 2010,
http://www.neoseeker.com/news/14312-blizzard-responds-to-real-id-backlash/

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

Why do people play games?

"By now you've all read Csikszentmihalyi's essay on 'flow, pleasure and enjoyment' (Home Page > Survival Kit > Initial Tasks...). We know people like to have fun and enjoy themselves. We can assume that there's a certain therapeutic element in the distraction of games, especially with demanding work, study, family, social and other busy schedules. We know that children learn valuable social skills through game play, and that adults like to relax in a number of structured ways through games.

In the very first (conjecturable) contexts in which games first emerged - think back to the earliest forms of human social organisation and communication, of simple village life, hunter-gatherers - daily life would have been just as demanding a mix of 'work-family balance', and possibly more stressful than we have to deal with today (think large carnivors and no chain link fencing).

Yet games emerged despite these circumstances. How? What for? With what implications into the future of civilisation and the human psyche?

This is your opportunity to relate your own game-play preferences to the bigger question of "why do we play?"

A nice easy discussion topic to start us off...."


For me personally, it's an escape. It is for a lot of people. I don't always want to be me, sometimes I want to be someone else.

Recently Blizzard Entertainment added a feature called "Real ID" which lets you keep friends list across World of Warcraft and other Battle.net games like Starcraft 2. It uses your real name and tells people what character/server/game you are playing. Especially in the case of WoW it's handy for keeping track of friends that have a lot of characters they play. However it can be a bit of a joykill for people that play on the Roleplay servers and really want to immerse themselves in fantasy. At this point in time there is no invisible mode for Real ID. So friends you've approved will always see what you're doing and be able to message you.

The same immersion joykill problem is occuring in a lot of games. Xbox Live, Playstation Network and Steam all connect you with friends and enable you to chat even when you're playing a single player game. With mobile phones and the internet, there's this pressure to always be available these days. I'm made to feel guilty for wanting to spend a whole day playing a game in peace and quiet. If you don't reply to messages via your computer, console or phone within a certain amount of time they get annoyed with you. Sometimes I just don't want to talk to anyone.


I think the "escape" is kind of being killed by social networking these days.

But in general, playing a game is something that keeps you occupied and can be exciting as you chase the thrill of winning. While you may take the game seriously it's still a "safe" way to challenge yourself or your mind.. if you "die" in game it's not going to cause you any real physical harm.