Identities in continuum, how players perceive the games they are playing

IDENTITIES IN CONTINUUM, HOW PLAYERS PERCEIVE THE GAMES THEY ARE PLAYING
MOBILE CELLS, JORNADAS CON CREADORES DE JUEGOS PARA MÓVILES E IDENTIDAD DIGITAL_ CITILAB CORNELLÀ 09

PATRÍCIA GOUVEIA / CICANT / UNIVERSIDADE LUSÓFONA / LISBON / PORTUGAL


_PLAYABLE MEDIA, CROSS NARRATIVES AND PERSISTENTE GAMES;
_ALTERNATE REALITY GAMES (ARG’S);
_INFOMEDIA, INFORMATION ACQUISITION IN NEW MEDIA:
AUGMENTED REALITY, MOCAP AND COMPUTER GRAPHICS ANIMATION;



“Gaming activities are not neutral or isolated acts, but involve a person’s
becoming and acting in the world as part of the construction of a complex identity.”

(Kafai e al, 2008: xx)



“(…) in game worlds, social relations exist among avatars,
among players, and between avatars and players”. (Lin, 2008: 67)



“THE AVATAR IS A SELF-PORTRAIT”
(Mark Stephen Meadows, 2008: 106)



VHIL / VIRTUAL HUMAN INTERACTION LAB / DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNICATION / STANFORD UNIVERSITY



“Gender is a continuum rather than
a set of binary oppositions”, “gender
Identity is complex, contradictory,
fluid, and socially constructed”

(Jenkins & Cassel, 2008: 10)



“But every once in a while, I seem to meet someone
who wants to violently deny that I am who I am. And how
am I supposed to respond to a charge of “You are not
a girl!” – I can’t exactly flash ID or body parts to prove it.”

(World of Warcraft, female, 36, coated in Yee, 2008: 93)



“WHEN GIRLS AND BOYS PLAYED TOGETHER,
GIRLS ENDED UP IN SUPPORT ROLES.” (Kafai e al, 2008: 195)



“When I played I was so sick and tired of being
treated like a moron (…) that I made a male
character. (…) I had immediate respect. When
on a female char, men think you don’t know how
to play, cant be hardcore, and try to give you
things to hit on you. Its annoying to say the least.”

(World of Warcraft, female, 35, coated in Yee, 2008: 93)



PARTICIPATORY CULTURE / PLAYER MADE CONTENT
“(…) the social dynamics that emerged as players created their own identities
and communities within massively multiplayer online games. (…) players were
modifying existing games to serve alternative purposes.” (Jenkins & Cassel, 2008: 13)



“Today’s gamers grew up in an era of consumer-produced
content all around – web pages, blogs, and music sampling and mashing.
If the game industry would not produce the kinds of games women wanted to play,
women would simply make their own.” (Jenkins & Cassel,2008: 13)
women would simply make their own.” (Jenkins & Cassel, 2008: 13)



“To appeal to both genders, game play can involve solving complex puzzles,
navigating tricky situations, and making risky choices, but successful use
of tools, in these scenarios, comes as a result of creative thinking or clever
guessing rather than from force, speed, or dexterity.” (Brunner, 2008: 42)



“Make visible an identity typically hidden: woman as gamer.” (Brunner, 2008: 61)



“(…) we and our participants
are always – even at the very
moment of trying to understanding
it – performing and enacting
for one another particular identities
that shape our understanding
of the playful life.” (Brunner, 2008: 63)



“Online game players interact within a minimum of three observable networks:
social relations among game-world avatars, off-line social circles consisting
of fellow players and family members, and off-line interactions among players
who originally meet online.” (Lin, 2008: 70).

LAN HOUSES IN KOREA



“Incorporating a diversity of play-style opportunities within a game allows
male and female players to choose where on the gender continuum and other
continuums they want to focus their play at any given time.” (Lazzaro, 2008: 211)



“Describing his avatar, one boy said,
“I want to get a haircut like that but
my mom won’t let me.” Similarly, a girl
remarked while discussing her avatar,
“I wish I had black hair … [and] I don’t
have really pretty lips like she does.”
(Kafai, 2008: 121)



JAPANESE MEDIA MIX_
ANIME (japonese animation), MANGA (comic art and graphic novels),
card games, toys and character merchandise.



JAPANESE MEDIA MIX_
GIRL CULTURE_ KAWAII,
kowa-kawa (scary-cute) or kimo-kawa (gross-cute),
BOY CULTURE_KAKKOII
(cool super heroes, war games and robots)

OTAKU (media geek)
DOUJINSHI (amateur manga)
e COSPLAY (costume play).
(Ito, 2008: 98-99).



“GEEKS”, “HARDCORE GAMERS”, “GROUPIES”, “TECHNO GURUS”, “HACKERS”, “ANDROGYNOUS”



“EMO (EMOTIONAL HARDCORE)”, “NEW WAVE” , “ECOLOGISTS”, “MYSTICAL”, “MEDITATIVE”, “ACTIVISTS”



“REBELS”, “MILITANTS OF NEW FORMS OF SOCIABILITY”, “FANS OF MANGA”, “SCHOLARS”, “STUDENTS”
“EMO (EMOTIONAL HARDCORE)”, “NEW WAVE” ,



“(…) there are several prominent female alternative-reality game (ARGs)
developers as well as greater gender diversity in the ARG development
community, and the player base for ARGs is gender balanced as well.
(Phillips 2005, coated in Consalvo, 2008: 177)




GAME MASTERS AND PUPPET MASTERS




GAME MASTERS AND PUPPET MASTERS

community, and the player base for ARGs is gender balanced as well”.



_”IAM TRYING TO BELIEVE”
NINE INCH NAILS “YEAR ZERO”
42 ENTERTAINMENT



NINE INCH NAILS, LISBOA 2007

“YEAR ZERO,” TRENT REZNOR + 42 ENTERTAINMENT



NINE INCH NAILS, LISBOA 2007

“YEAR ZERO,” TRENT REZNOR



IAM TRYING TO BELIEVE / NINE INCH NAILS, 2007




IAM TRYING TO BELIEVE / NINE INCH NAILS, 2007

IN 2009, L.A. IS ATTACKED WITH DIRTY BOMBS (…) AFTER U.S.
NUCLEAR STRIKES ON IRAN AND NORTH KOREA, MUSLIM NATIONS UNITE
AGAINST AMERICA, WHICH SOON IMPOSES EMERGENCY MEASURES
AT HOME TO QUELL DISSENT. PROTESTERS ARE JAILED AND EXECUTED.
THE POPULATION IS PACIFIED WITH DRUGS SLIPPED INTO TAP WATER.
(…) BY 2018, FREE ELECTIONS END. SEATTLE SUFFERS A BIOTERRORISM
ATTACK IN 2019. WAS IT STAGED BY THE GOVERNMENT?
IN 2022, A NEW CALENDAR EXISTS. AMERICA IS "BORN AGAIN“
IN YEAR ZERO.




CEDOCORE / NINE INCH NAILS, 2007




CONSOLIDATED MAIL SYSTEMS / NINE INCH NAILS, 2007




ANOTHER VERSION OF THE TRUTH / NINE INCH NAILS, 2007




HOLLYWOOD IN MEMORIAM / NINE INCH NAILS, 2007




THE WATER TURN TO BLOOD / NINE INCH NAILS, 2007




U. S. WIRETAP / NINE INCH NAILS, 2007




BE THE HAMMER / NINE INCH NAILS, 2007




ARTIS RESISTANCE / NINE INCH NAILS, 2007




CHURCH OF PLANO / NINE INCH NAILS, 2007




OPEN SOURCE RESISTANCE / NINE INCH NAILS, 2007




RESISTANCE KIT / NINE INCH NAILS, 2007




ART IS RESISTANCE + WE ARE IN THIS TOGETHER / NINE INCH NAILS, 2007




_”WHY SO SERIOUS?”
“GOTHAN CITY_DARK KNIGHT”
42 ENTERTAINMENT / WARNER BROS_07/08



WHYSOSERIOUS.COM _07/08

42 ENTERTAINMENT + WARNER BROS



IBELIEVEINHARVEYDENT.COM + GOTHAMCABLENEWS.COM _07/08




IBELIEVEINHARVEYDENT.COM _MERCHANDISE AND AH AH CLOCK_07/08




IBELIEVEINHARVEYDENT.COM _07/08




CONCERNEDCITIZENSFORABETTERGOTHAM.COM + TRUSTGARCETTI.COM + DANAWORTHINGTON.COM_07/08




THEGOTHAMTIMES.COM_THEHAHAHATIMES.COM_07/08




RORY’SDEATHKISS.COM_07/08




CITIZENSFORBATMAN.COM_07/08




GOTHAMVICTIMSADVOGATEFOUNDATION.COM + GOTHAMUNIFIEDSCHOOLDISTRICT.COM_07/08




GOTHAMNATIONALBANK.COM + WEARETHEANSWER.COM_07/08

42 ENTERTAINMENT + WARNER BROSX



GOTHAMPOLICEMAJORCRIMESUNIT.COM_07/08




ACMESECURITYSYSTEMS.COM_07/08




GOTHAMFERRYSYSTEM_07/08




ATASTEFORTHETHEATRICAL.COM + CLUES_07/08




WHYSOSERIOUS? IMAGES_07/08




WHYSOSERIOUS? GAMES_07/08




WHYSOSERIOUS? IMAGES AND HAPPENINGS_07/08




WHYSOSERIOUS? IMAGES + RENTACLOWN.COM_07/08




GOTHAMCITYPIZZERIA.COM_07/08




THEGOTHAMELECTIONBOARD.COM + GOTHAM CITY DRIVER LICENSE_07/08




PASQUALE’SBISTRO.COM + ROSSI’SDELIANDGRILL.COM_07/08




BETTY’SHOUSEOFPIES.COM + GOTHAMCAB.COM_07/08




LAWSOFFICESOSJOSEPHCANDOLORO + SWITHUNSCHURCH_07/08




INTERCONTINENTALHOTEL.COM + HINSLYTRAVEL.COM_07/08




GOTHAMHISTORICTRUST.COM_07/08




WHYSOSERIOUS? IMAGES WITH CLUES_07/08




WHYSOSERIOUS? SOLVED PUZZLES_07/08




_OTHER EXPERIMENTAL GAMES:



THE GO GAME / HTTP://WWW.THEGOGAME.COM/TEAM/INDEX.ASP_2002

THE GO GAME is a cutting-edge company that uses innovative, technology-driven
team building games.



THE GO GAME / HTTP://WWW.THEGOGAME.COM/TEAM/INDEX.ASP_2002

MEANINGFUL INTERACTIONS: creativity, collaboration and above all, fun.



BLAST THEORY / HTTP://WWW.BLASTTHEORY.CO.UK/

BLAST THEORY: interactive performances, installations, video
and mixed reality projects.



UNCLE ROY ALL AROUND YOU / HTTP://WWW.UNCLEROYALLAROUNDYOU.CO.UK/_2004

“A game that pitches ONLINE PLAYERS around the world alongside
PLAYERS ON THE REAL STREETS of the city.”




“STREET PLAYERS search for uncle roy, guided by an interactive map
and messages from online players.”




ONLINE PLAYERS use a virtual map to search for street players to help them find
a secret destination.




Web cams, audio
and text messages.
Players must work
together. They have
60 minutes to find
uncle Roy.



B.U.G. / HTTP://WWW.DECISIONPROBLEM.COM/BUG/BUG2.HTML_KATIE SALEN ET AL_2003

THE BIG URBAN GAME_Design Institute of the University of Minnesota;
twin cities design celebration (Minneapolis and St. Paul).




A RACE BETWEEN THREE TEAMS: move a high inflatable
game piece in the shortest amount of time.




LOCAL NEWSPAPERS show the current locations of the pieces along with two possible
routes to each piece’s next checkpoint.



UNEXCEPTIONAL / HTTP://UNEXCEPTIONAL.ARTS.UCI.EDU/HOOK.PHP_ROBERT NIDEFFER

PERVASIVE MULTI-MODAL ACTION ADVENTURE RPG




“CHECK OUT MY BLOG FOR MORE... it's where you can play along in a sick
and twisted game to help me acheive enlightenment before my life completely unravels.“



_INFOMEDIA, INFORMATION ACQUISITION IN NEW MEDIA:
AUGMENTED REALITY, MOCAP AND COMPUTER GRAPHICS ANIMATION;
MOVLAB / CICANT / ULHT



MOVLAB_07_

MOCAP ANIMATION



AUMENTED REALITY AND MOCAP / MOVLAB / LUSÓFONA _2008



_INFOMEDIA Information Acquisition in New Media (ULHT/CICANT/MOVLAB);



AUMENTED REALITY AND MOCAP _2008



_ MIXED REALITY is “anywhere between the extrema
of the virtuality continuum” (MILGRAM & KISHINO, 1994);

PAUL MILGRAM AND FUMIO KISHINO MIXED REALITY CONCEPT, 1994



MYRON KRUEGER, VIDEOPLACE, 1974 IVAN SUTHERLAND, HMD
THE SWORD OF DAMOCLES, 1965-68



MYRON KRUEGER, VIDEOPLACE, 1974



MORTON HEILIG, SENSORAMA, 1962



MOCAP / MOVLAB



INFOMEDIA PROJECT AT MOVLAB_08_10

MOCAP ANIMATION



_Demonstrate the potential use of AR, MOCAP and COMPUTER
GRAPHICS ANIMATION (CGA) for visualising human movement;

INFOMEDIA PROJECT AT MOVLAB_08_10 / HTTP://MOVLAB.ULUSOFONA.PT/INFOMEDIA/



_MOCAP and COMPUTER GRAPHICS ANIMATION (CGA);

MOCAP ANIMATION CG ANIMATION



UNCANNY VALLEY, ENERGY ARTICLE, MASAHIRO MORI, 1970



_3 degrees of REALISM:
_ NARRATIVE REALISM (a consistent game engine and an engaged story);
_ IMAGE REALISM (the level of image detail);
_ ACTION OR MOVEMENT REALISM (the way digital creatures interact with their surroundings);

MOVLAB_07_ / HTTP://MOVLAB.ULUSOFONA.PT



_REALISM OF ACTION!

_”first-person camera” and “second-person narration” are two perspectives
on the same category of simulated immediacy (DOUGLASS, 2007);

MATRIX RELOAD THE GAME AND TEKKEN / PLAYSTATION



_DOOM players decrease image resolution in order to play faster
with game engine;



_”I like COMBAT GAMES because of the stress they contain, your FINGERS GLUED TO THE
HANDLE, pure reflexes, not a moment to think.” (Loic, 27, cited by Clais & Roustan, 2003: 41-42)

_“There is truly a moment in which I reach a MAXIMUM LEVEL OF EXCITEMENT and where
I feel that after that I'm going to feel anguish, so that if I continue I won't feel good.”
(Alexandre, 23, cited by Clais & Roustan, 2003: 38).

DOUGLAS COUPLAND JPOD CHARACTERS



_Observations with players in action show that from a certain level of game experience, there
is a reduction in reflexive consciousness, the hands are mechanically activated beyond
all deliberate control (Clais & Roustan, 2003: 41).

PAINSTATION.DE



_Realism resides in the game’s tactility and the player’s real bodily experience. Realism
is not understood in the sense of the representation’s resemblance on the screen but rather
the capacity of the device to create real pleasures in the player’s physical body (Lahti, 2003).

WIIFIT / NINTENDO + PONTO TXT / PORTUGUESE DANCE SHOW



EMILY O’BRIEN FACIAL IMAGE-METRICS FACIAL ANIMATION / SIGGRAPH 2008

INFOMEDIA PROJECT AT MOVLAB_08_10 / HTTP://MOVLAB.ULUSOFONA.PT/INFOMEDIA/



EMILY O’BRIEN FACIAL IMAGE-METRICS FACIAL ANIMATION / SIGGRAPH 2008



_blend the synthetic with the natural through augmented reality (AR);

_generate a feel of presence by combining real toys or people with digital images;

COLLABORATIVE AR GAMES / SHARED SPACE / MAGIC BOOK _ 2004



COLLABORATIVE AR GAMES / SHARED SPACE / MOVLAB / LUSÓFONA _ 2008



SOFTWARE CAVE 1992, MAGIC BOOK 2004, KONDO (NACIONAL SCIENCE MUSEUM, TÓQUIO) 2007



_ “Creating a good player character within an interactive fiction world involves putting this
character in a situation that is motivating for the interactor – but not given the interactor
an actual dramatic script or a role to play” (MONTFORT, 2007);

THE IMAGINARY HOTEL, ANDREA ZAPP, 2002

LITTLE SISTERS / ANDREA ZAPP, 2005



_ digital simulations promote and explore complex relations between
the player and the machine’s cybernetic system with which it relates
through GAMEPLAY, that is, the real application of tactics
and strategies used by participants as they play the game;

LUDEA / TROY INNOCENT, 2005



CONCLUSIONS:

Gaming activities are not neutral but involve a PERSON’S BECOMING
AND ACTING as part of the construction of a COMPLEX IDENTITY.

GENDER IDENTITY IS A CONTINUUM, is complex,
CONTRADICTORY, FLUID and socially constructed.

Players were MODIFYING existing games to serve ALTERNATIVE PURPOSES.
If the game industry would not produce GAMES PLAYERS WANT TO PLAY
they would simply make THEIR OWN GAMES.

TO APPEAL TO BOTH GENDERS GAMEPLAY can involve solving complex
puzzles, navigating tricky situations, and making risky choices.



REALISM in digital games mainly relates to the bodily experience inherent
to REPETITIVE ACTION. Image realism is a less important factor than realistic movement.

The gaming device forces the player’s body to acquire automatisms,
and the fictional experience on the board or magical space, which is the game,
is essentially an INCORPORATED EXPERIENCE.

The design of human-computer interaction should incorporate OPEN FICTIONS
AND NARRATIVES in order to let the player build is own meaning and bodily incorporated
experiences. Design platforms can stimulate COLLABORATIVE NETWORKS where players
enact as actors in a digital drama.



MOUSELAND / HTTP://MOUSELAND.BLOGS.CA.UA.PT/_BLOG 06_07_08_09_

MOUSELAND: a space for the dissemination of digital culture,
collaborative writing to construct interactive arguments.



PATRÍCIA AND MOUSELAND AVATARS



MOUSELAND@NETCABO.PT * HTTP://MOUSELAND.BLOGS.CA.UA.PT/


Identities in continuum, how players perceive the games they are playing

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