The game I played and enjoyed the most as a kid was dodgeball. I'm sure everyone remembers playing dodgeball at some point in their life. Dodeball was simple, two groups of players were divided by a line, and each side had a number of balls which they hurled at players of the opposing side. My childhood would not have been the same without dodgeball. Dodgeball taught me how simple it is to let go of anger and frustration...by hurling an object at someone as fast and hard as you can. Dodgeball also taught me that the object of competitive sports is to get your opponent to concede victory by causing as much physical damage to them as possible. I won many a dodgeball match because kids would freeze like deer in headlights when they knew I had my sights on them.
The basic rules are if you got tagged with a ball you were out and had to run across and stand behind the players on the other side. The only way you could come back is if you caught a ball one of your teammates threw over. You would also be out if you tried to hit someone with the ball and they caught it. The variation to this is instead of throwing a ball over to get your teammate back, you would catch a ball and every time you caught an opposing players ball they would be out and one of your teammates would return. Teachers of course always had their rules which when imposed always superseded any schoolyard rules. For instance it was an automatic out for the ENTIRE game if you hit someone in the face. Now I personally hated this rule because when you're eight years old and you have an arm like Randy Johnson, hitting someone inadvertently in the face is inevitable. |
I read a Terra Nova blog by Betsy Book that talked about the advertsing potential of MMOG's. The blog raised some interesting concerns regarding the use of porduct placement and in game billboards in virtual worlds. According to the article there are several firms, such as inGame Incorporate and Massive Incorporated, that offer marketing services for companies interested in virtual world advertising and promtion. These companies tout in game advertising and product placement and there ability to enrich the gaming experience, and Book for the most part agrees, but lays down guidlines that should be followed in order for this to be successful.
Virtual world advertising seems inevitable. Marketers are always looking for a new and innovative medium for which to reach their target audience, and as their markets become more and more fragmented more and more companies will be looking to virtual worlds for its advertising potential. Although Book outlines some standards that she feels designers must adhere to, the question remains as whether or not in game advertisements will actually enhance the gaming experience. I personally am doubtful that there is a product or advertisement that will appeal to all players in a virtual, as the MMOG audience tends to be of all shapes and sizes. Some games I can see ads working, such as TSO, a game like World of Warcraft however I'm a little more skeptical. |
The Marketing Aspects of Virtual Worlds
My research will look into the marketing decisions made by Blizzard Entertainment. I hope to discover through my research and analysis possible reasons that made World of Warcraft one of the best selling PC games. While the success of World of Warcraft cannot be attributed to any marketing or advertising scheme, it is still an important aspect of virtual worlds if they are ever to become mainstream. My research will attempt to answer the question of whether or not virtual worlds such as WoW are marketable. Is a virtual world a product? If we can market water, can we not market a virtual world to a mass audience?
(In class I talked about groups because that is what interested me at the time. However all the questions raised above have been popping in and out of my head and I have come to realize that this is the topic I am most interested in. I have not ironed out all the details so whatever feedback or input I get, the stronger and more focused my research will be.) |
Role playing in a virtual world is not at all difficult, especially the opposite sex. Unlike the real world, virtual world communication is not bound to any gender specification, which makes role playing that much easier and enticing. I remember the AOL days when chat rooms were popular, when it was cool to jump into a chat room to chat with hot babes all day. It didn't take long for me to realize that most of the time I was talking to some guy who was just as big a goof as me and was just role-playing a girl or someone they weren't. The truth is you never really know who you're talking to in real life either! I was watching (cough, cough) Elimidate the other night and actually saw a transvestite get picked by another guy, and they were kissing and the whole nine yards. The guy was totally oblivious that the "girl" he picked had been made that way through the miracle of modern science.
With that being said I found it fairly easy to role play the opposite sex in World of Warcraft. I created a female human priest called Amelia, I’ll admit I mad her quite attractive because I thought it would fit the purposes of this exercise. The first thing I noticed about playing a female character is that they get more attention. When I started playing I was only concerned with leveling and I had to turn down at least 3 group invitations. The first two I got were just guys who wanted to talk and I ended up just standing around while these guys flexed for me (I wasn’t blushing). After the failed attempts at grouping I decided to turn down all invitations and level myself. When I reached the town where all the trainers are and where all the players congregate to duel etc. I ran into few interesting souls. One guy ran circles around me for five minutes because I said “thank you very much” to him and waved (didn’t know thanking someone was such a turn on).
All in all I didn’t encounter any annoying or insensitive behavior. It was weird trying to role play the opposite sex, not uncomfortable weird but there was a sort of awkwardness being that I don’t really know how girls think (who does???). So I just went with the opposite of which I would say or do in real life, and that seemed to work quite well. The fundamental difference between identity presentations in the real world is that humans have emotions that are illustrated through their facial expressions. If I were to cross dress and go downtown I don’t think there would be anyway I could role play a woman because I would have a tough time getting through my laughter and embarrassment. In a virtual world there are no rules, there’s no physicality no hierarchy that determines who is who and why that is, which is what makes these games so damn cool. |
Virtual worlds would not be able to survive if it were not for in game communication. As Bartle noted in Thursdays reading, you can design a virtual world without any modes of communication but it would be detrimental to the experience of a virtual world, in fact it would cease to make it one. In order for games like WoW to exist as true virtual worlds then users must be able to interact in meaningful ways. I like Bartle's differentiation between tangible and intangible content and the relationship between the two.
It seems from my experiences playing WoW that VW's are designed to foster an environment where communication is utterly necessary. No one would survive the the Wailing Caverns in the Barrens on their own, actually not even with 2 of their best friends. The interface is also designed to make it easy to communicate with players on multiple levels. If someone posts a question on the general chat, you can simply click their name and send them a "whisper." Communication is also divided into different levels; from personal one on one chat, to group only, and also a general chat. I think this helps with the overall immersion of the game because it mimics the real world communication that we experience on a daily basis. People use the general chat to advertise products and services, which acts as a microcosm of our mass media. Players can also chat with other players and carry on a conversation with someone across the country.
The most interesting form of communication and the one that brings about the most interesting elements of a VW are the groups formed and the communication necessary to make a group endeavor successful. As in the real world, being able to work in a cohesive group is far more efficient than individuals working on their own. In Thursday's exercise our group did not win, but our group stuck together and was able to communicate to complete a number of tasks. I do not agree with Yee when he said that groups in a VW teach leaderships skills in the real world. I think that it can help a person realize the communication and individual commitment that is necessary for an efficient group, but it cannot create a leader who knows nothing about how to lead.
The military will find, or has found (America's Army) virtual world's useful as a tool for team building exercise. My experiences with playing America's Army showed me the value of team-building that these games have. In AA you have different classes as in WoW, but they are based on the different ranks and classes of soldiers in the army. There are snipers, machine gunners who lay support fire, grunts who infiltrate camps and retrieve documents, and grenade launchers who suppress enemy advances. All of these members for a platoon and must coordinate in order to be successful. If everyone did their own thing the objective would not be met and the team would fail. If the team was cohesive and everyone understood their assigned role, then everyone stayed alive and the team would be victorious. This has real world applications and is of great value to the government and the military. |
| » WoW/Bartle and Bartle Test Results |
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I have really enjoyed playing WoW for the short amount of time that I have had the game. When I saw that CompUSA had 10 copies I forced my friends to buy it so we can all play. True Names was a good story because it encompassed a lot of what we have encountered in virtual worlds. I really liked how Vinge presented the two identities of Roger Pollack. On one plane he was in the real world where there were real consequences, such as the FBI. But then there was the other plane, where him and his Coven of Warlocks have ultimate power. It seems that in the course of the semester many issues of identity will be raised, and given VW's immersive nature it is rightly so. WoW is my first MMOG and I have become interested with the issue of identity and am thinking of working with that for my final project. This is a very broad topic at this point, but i hope to narrow it down in the coming weeks.
According to the Bartle test I am an ASK (Achiever Socializer Killer) which comprises 3% of virtual worlds, at least those that took the test.
Feb. 1st, 2005 @ 10:54 pm
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| » React WoW |
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Thursday was the second time I have ever experience a massively multiplayer online game (MMOG). I have played Second Life briefly for Dr. Delwiche's Web Design class last semester. Second Life was an interesting concept, but I think WoW is a better experience. Initially I was sort of confused and lost because I am not familiar with the warcraft saga of games. The interface was easy to use and the map was easy to navigate, and that helped me get used to the game.
When I played Second Life the interface was the same as WoW. WoW is a bit more complicated because you are in a fantasy world with a character that has many different functions. Second Life was based a bit more on reality so it was easier to initially become aquainted with the world. THe graphics are pretty good in WoW, but I have seen better graphics in other games. I don't this this detracts from the overall experience; by toning the graphics down the game becomes compatible with a number of systems. Whether you have an Nvidia Geforce 4 or a basic video card, you can still enjoy the world. This probably led to the popularity of the game.
Jan. 24th, 2005 @ 06:53 pm
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| » (No Subject) |
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My name is Adrian and I'm a junior with a communications major. On the broad level I'm a member of a number of identities. I'm a young American male for starters. I am a brother, son, grandson, etc. On the individual level I am a friend and a student primarily. I consider these important because I don't have a job outside of school so I devote a lot of my time being a student. I also enjoy spending time with the people around me so being a friend is quite important for me.
On Thurs. I would most likely be a gnome. I don't have much experience playing the game so I really cant speculate as to exactly what I want to be but I'm sure after playing I will have a better idea.
Jan. 20th, 2005 @ 02:21 pm
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| » Fukuyama....and posthumanism |
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After reading the articles about the research being conducted at Duke University I was amazed at how far we have progressed in the field of is being supported by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency which is the central research and development organization for the Department of Defense. So it seems that like all other major technological innovations that this country has seen, neuroprosthetic research is being funded by the Department of Defense. This may not have any implications at all I just thought it was interesting to note.
The second article "Biotechnology and the Threat of Posthuman Future," I found disconcerting on several levels. First of all I this article does itself a disservice by mentioning the undelivered promises of George Orwell's 1984. Orwell was writing under the same pretense as Francis Fukuyama, he was addressing the implications of technological innovation on society. Our world may not be like the one described in 1984, but we still have the same concerns for our technological progress that many did decades ago. Fukuyama embraces Huxley's argument in a Brave New World that the "most significant threat posed by contemporary biotechnology is the possibility that it will alter human nature and thereby move us into a 'posthuman' stage of history." I find this somewhat misleading. I don't think it's technology that will alter our human nature, we've been doing that for years on our own. Guns don't start wars, humans do. When was the last time you saw a bullet go on trial for murder?
Fukuyama mentioned that, "there are no fixed human characteristics except for a general capability to chose what we want to me, to modify ourselves in accordance with our desires." If this is in fact the human state than we are in sad shape. If we are so incompetent in our ethics and maintenance of our lives, then it is not contemporary biotechnology that will thrust us into a "posthuman" stage of history, but our lack for a better excuse.
The issue isn't the technology but our accountability to understand our capabilities. Unfortunately people so too often rely on the "power of the state" to regulate. Where's the accountability in that? No one can foresee the future, i'm sure when the chinese discovered gun powder they didn't see its evolution into an instrument of destruction, but if we leave a technology to remain unchecked for so many years that's what it leads to. Who checks then if it should be out of the hands of institutions? Well thats a great question. All I can say is that it lies in the fundamental nature of what it means to be human, understanding that having the knowledge to create something doesn't always give you the wisdom to use it.
Nov. 15th, 2004 @ 10:25 pm
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| » (No Subject) |
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Here's the revampinplicationated site....
http://www.resnet.trinity.edu/amendoza/revamp/rat.html
Nov. 1st, 2004 @ 09:13 pm
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| » Ideas for final project... |
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For my final project I am going to explore the effects of media on society emphasizing the ideas of Marshall McLuhan and Timothy Leary. I will use the emergence of underground hip-hop and urbanism to show how the media has fostered the environment for the cyberpunk that Leary defines. I will also explore McLuhan’s argument that the invention of type has separated thought from action, by creating linear or sequential thought. I plan to demonstrate how underground hip-hop illustrates the global village that is created with the emergence of new media and by illustrating the different movements that have emerged because of the effects that new media have on the definition of our environment.
I have not developed a complete layout of what my project will look like. It will be easier to develop a general layout once we have learned more about Dreamweaver and the like. My thoughts so far however are having a page on definitions, a page on evolution of Hip-Hop/new media, a page on the theories of Leary/McLuhan, and a page uniting the two. In terms of graphics and aesthetics I will try to use an image map as the main directory to my page with a unique table of contents on the top. I haven’t experimented with the colors but after I have developed the general layout I can determine which color schemes fit well.
Oct. 25th, 2004 @ 11:06 pm
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| » McCloud and selling on the web... |
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According to Mccloud, the web can be used to sell three kinds of things: physical products (atoms), Advertising space (eyeballs), and intangible experiences of the web itself (bits).
Physical products are the tangible items that are available for purchase on the web. For example Barnes and Noble's website specializes in the selling of Cds, Books and DVDs; all tangible items that are available to the consumer for purchase and delivery all at the click of a mouse. Another way businesses can make money on the web is the sale of advertising space. Because the web is such a large medium with such expansive potential it is an excellent tool for advertisers. Any major website you visit nowadays is going to have some form of advertising. Yahoo! tracks the searches of its users and provides this information to advertisers through its Overature program that connects advertisers with its customers. Another element of selling on the web is the sale of intangible experiences of the web itself. McCloud regarded this as the selling of "bits." One example of this on the web is the selling of download-able music like Apple's iTunes which specializes in the sale of bits of music. McCloud mentioned that it is difficult to get people to pay for content on the web and this is evident in the music industries difficulties with the illegal pirating of music.
Oct. 11th, 2004 @ 07:44 pm
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| » Reich... |
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Since all of my past job experiences haven't been great, I'm going to analyze my dream job, which is to become a sports agent. This profession falls under Reich's category of Symbolic-analytic services. The sports agent profession requires the manipulation of both verbal and written symbols. As an agent you have to know the ins and outs of contract law. You must also be well versed in all aspects of every major national sport, be up to date with statistics and contacts, as well as manage a client roster. The income is directly related to how many hours of work I put in, as well as my competencies in the act of persuasion.
One of the principle traits of being a sports agent is abstraction. In order to persuade someone else's decision it is necessary to understand and manipulate "huge globs of disorganized information." As a sports agent it is necessary to be innovative and creative when finding a solution for a team owner and the athlete. Although abstraction is an integral trait, the capacity to collaborate is one that defines the sports agent. An agents work consists of working with athletes and owners to communicate and achieve a consensus on an abstract idea created by the agent.
Sep. 27th, 2004 @ 10:17 pm
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| » New media's education... |
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New media has had profound effects on the dissemination of information in todays educational environment. There are aspects of new media that have obvious and lasting benefits for our educational system, but there's also drawbacks to the copy and paste world of internet technology.
Computers and new media in general have made our learning environment more interactive. With a couple clicks of the mouse you can be connected to a wide array of information on just about any topic. Software like Autocad, and the computing power of microchips have no doubt made our lives easier, but at what cost? While new media has positive impacts on education, one could argue that new media also inhibit the critical thinking process. Argument construction has evolved from the old ethos, pathos, and logos model, to one of point, click, copy, and paste.
The implications of this aren't as obvious as one thinks. It is easy to regard computers as a threat to the educational institution that is supposed to foster critical thinking, but can we imagine a world without the power of new media?
Sep. 21st, 2004 @ 07:30 am
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| » Muzak....networking like a conference |
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It wasn't until I put on my favorite record (Ella Fitzgerald live in Berlin) that I came to the realization that the phenomenon of music is an example of a network structure. Now at first I thought it was sort of a stretch, but when I really thought about the history and evolution of music it became apparent that music can be analyzed as a network structure. Music is a huge network filled with many different nodes. Every single culture, composer or musician has made a contribution to the vast canon of music history. Music is a huge network of genres and styles. Each genre standing alone in its own right, but still connected and absorbed in the histroy of music. Without slaves chanting on ships you wouldn't have hip-hop. Without jazz and social/political turmoil you wouldnt have rock and roll. As time goes on, music evolves and new nodes are created or discovered.
Sep. 13th, 2004 @ 07:49 pm
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| » Allow me to introduce myself... |
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Since this is the inagural blog, I figured it necessary to say a few words about myself. My name is Adrian Mendoza, and I am a Junior undergraduate student at Trinity University. My major is in communications with a minor in management. I was born in Detroit, MI but spent a majority of my life on the sun-washed streets of San Diego. I enjoy everything having to do with film and music, particularly jazz (If you listen to KRTU i'm on Thursdays 3-5 pm) and hip-hop. I keep a lot of travel journals, but this blog is a whole new world.
Sep. 8th, 2004 @ 06:17 pm
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