Posts Tagged: gaming

Week 12: Virtual Societies

Why Virtual Worlds Can Matter
– Thomas and Brown

1.  Thomas and Brown explain while all games provide players with a context for experiential learning, only a few create a context for learning that is primarily social in nature.  Of those that do create this social context, only a handful have the special property to allowing the players who engage in the space to actually create and change and evolve the world they inhabit.  Therefore, since higher learning is a result of the games that allow for player impact on the world, shouldn’t more games of this nature be encouraged rather than deemed as a time-waster?

2.  The article states the visual component of virtual worlds has redefined the landscape of online interaction away from text and toward a more complex visual medium that provides a sense of place.  Should the internet as a whole take on more of this “virtual place” component through avatars to promote social interaction as though in the real world?  In other words, should all sites (search engines, news pages, e-commerce) require a users presence through an avatar.

3.  The function of games has always been to separate play from “ordinary life.”  However, in recent years we have seen many people feel more comfortable in virtual “game” worlds than our real world.  Games today have many qualities of the physical world such as economies, social institutions, reputation, governance, etc.  Should the notion of “separate play from ordinary life” be scrapped as our digital world evolves into a blend of reality and virtual?  Is it possible that our way of life may not support separate platforms in the future?

Ethical Issues in Second Life
– Botterbusch and Talab

1.  There is been endless debate concerning copyright in relation to our digital world.  Have we reached a point in human existence that requires a change in laws thanks to the digital technology now surrounding our lives?  The past 100 years has seen more growth than any other time in history and our way of life today is vastly different than centuries before.  Therefore, a change in traditional laws may be in order to fit our time.

2.  As stated by Botterbusch and Talab, more than one author has noted that ethical issues in Second Life seem to be detached from the fear of consequences in the “real world” (such as illegal file sharing, spamming, multiple identities, illicit materials, etc).  Is this behavior being carried over to the real world by younger generations that seem to carry a disregard for online regulations?  Are games such as Second Life a bad influence and teaching disregard for regulations?

3.  Are the actions of avatars an indication of how that person will react in reality?  Or have people learned to distinguish between real world and virtual world behaviors or personalities?

Staging the new retail drama: At a metaverse near you!
– Papagiannidis and Bourlakis

1.  We all find advertising distracting and annoying, unless it happens to be one of the few ads relating to our likes.  Is it ethically wrong for advertisers to have information about your personal shopping habits in order to better filter ads that are more suited to your likes?  Would the more focused ads be positive (showing the consumer all the choices they have for products they would truly consider) or would it become negative (by overwhelming the consumer and not providing variety to items they may have never considered before)?

2.  There are many cases where avatars do not represent the actual person in real life.  Therefore, would the shopping habits of consumers in virtual worlds be a reflection of what those same consumers would purchase in the actual world?  Can marketers enter virtual worlds with the same focus as real life?

3.  Would shopping in virtual shopping world deem more profitable than simple e-commerce sites we see today?  Virtual worlds bring forth the social elements that people people enjoy about a shopping experience.

1. Will educational video games be the future of our children’s education? I feel like this could be a real possibly in the future with the way the technology in our culture is heading.

I think that computers are the future of everything. Our culture will adapt, just like it has with everything else. According to the video we watched yesterday in class, some schools have already bought computers for every child. I am sure in the far ahead future, there won’t be anymore books used in the educational setting, it will only be computers. I am not sure how I feel about the full shift to computers. I appreciate books and what they do for our intellect. I don’t think that reading something on the computer is as effective as having a hard copy book/paper in your hands.

2. What will be the next step within the gaming industry? I think I underestimate what video games are capable of in the future because they are so advanced right now.

I don’t really play video games very much. However, what I do play is extremely advanced. The Wii technology boggles me, and now the XBOX 360 has come out with Kinect, which also confuses me. I just don’t understand how that type of technology works. It definitely shows promise for the future and what is to come. I think virtual reality is just around the corner. The graphics on video games have become so crisp and life-like. I just can’t image what the video games in the future will look like. I am sure that it will amaze us all. Professor Lackaff mentioned in class that the video gaming industry is huge and a great industry to be in because of its growth. I am sure that it will continue to grow and be profitable in the future.

3. How much does gaming hurt kids’ minds and personality? Does gaming have a negative affect on how kids interact with people and culture?

I feel that too much video gaming can hurt a child’s health and social interaction. I think that if a child plays video games too much, they can get wrapped up in the game and not want to do anything else. This does have a negative impact on their interaction with people and culture. I feel that this dilemma can only get worse with the advances in technology.

1. In class we have discussed the evolution of in game advertisements.  Just how effective are these?  What is the market for these?

2. In class we discussed how video gaming has increased recently.  Is this due to the fact that gaming systems such as the Wii, or more recently the Kinect is bringing the entire family into the game?  If this is true, why does this ad campaign work for these modern games when it didn’t work as well for the Atari.

3. The music industry has been falling since the introduction of Napster in the 1990s, but with games like Rock Band and Guitar Hero, music is being put out there more so than it has been in years.  Has this effected the music industry at all?  As in are people purchasing albums based on songs they love to play on their favorite video games?

Well I guess we’re on week 11, not week 10.

1. Will educational video games be the future of our children’s education? I feel like this could be a real possibly in the future with the way the technology in our culture is heading.

2. What will be the next step within the gaming industry? I think I underestimate what video games are capable of in the future because they are so advanced right now.

3. How much does gaming hurt kids’ minds and personality? Does gaming have a negative affect on how kids interact with people and culture?