Gamer: Chronicles of Evanor

Why NO ONE Should Take Phil McGraw seriously

noreply@blogger.com (Evanor) — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 17:17:57 PDT

I've received quite a few emails about a show about the - ahem - "psychologist" Phil McGraw did on computer gaming. I haven't seen it, as the only time I generally see Phil is on old Mad TV parodies on YouTube when I need a laugh. Mad TV does a great job.

I have never been able to bring myself to watch Phil's show, well mainly because I'm working doing actual therapy in the daytime when it's on, but also because the man and his ugly, stupid style sends me into a complete catoplexic fit and I don't have anyone handy to shove a popcicle stick between my teeth so I don't bite my tongue in half.

Folks, Phil is not for real. Whatever you call what it is he does, it's not based upon psychology, it's most certainly not anything close to therapy, and I don't believe for a second that he helps people. The fact that anyone takes McGraw seriously makes me hang my head in shame.

Bottom line, I didn't see the show. I don't know if any valid points were made on it or not. But if it was typical of Phil's style I'm sure it was negative, sensationalistic, unbalanced, and edited to make people look like freaks. If I ever catch the whole thing I'll make a YouTube response. I seriously doubt he'd entertain my thoughts on his TV program, but I'd be embarrassed to be caught there anyway.

There's a lot more wrong with Phil McGraw than I have room to write here. I think Mad TV pretty much nails it on the most obvious level.

Phil, what were you thinking when you decided to call yourself a psychologist?

Thoughts on positive aspects of gaming - sent by a full-time dad

noreply@blogger.com (Evanor) — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 23:31:42 PST

Eleanor Roosevelt once remarked, We should do something that scares us at least once a day. Bilbo Baggins said to his nephew Frodo, Frodo my dear boy, going out your door is a dangerous business. If you don't keep your feet there's no knowing where you'll be swept off to. I have always wanted to be the hero. I have always wanted to save the world or stop the evil wizard. But for me it's not simply about the ending but also the journey. If I'm going to stop the evil wizard then I'll need a big furry pet and some light-hearted friends to make for the most enjoyable experience.

I can meet new people that a stay at home father would never even dream of meeting, some of them with very strange and interesting cultural idiosyncrasies. Some with different religious beliefs, some with stark difference in appearances. But with all our most unexplainable differences we come together to find love, friendship, and the healthy bonds of a commonly held experience shared by all. Perhaps by being a good father to my children I will get to hear of similar adventures through their eyes and stories they bring home. My mother and I used to love to paint ceramic sculptures together. That was very imaginative and lots of fun. It could be any color you wanted, have any name you chose, and take on any shape you asked for. All of that and you could make believe it had its own little story to accompany it. There were sculpted puppy dogs, kittens, dragons, birds, and all kinds of stuff. Sometimes I would imagine they came alive in a storybook for children. I think I'd like to write some children's storybooks in the future. I know one story already that I am excited to write. It's about a Polar Bear who eats Ruby Cookies ^_^

Happy Hollidays from Evanor & Rezlab

noreply@blogger.com (Evanor) — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 21:23:24 PST

Hot Sexy Avatars - or - Would you please stop looking at my butt!

noreply@blogger.com (Evanor) — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 20:14:22 PDT

As I mentioned last post, I have this internal dissonance about what I would term the hyper-sexualized style of most female game avatars. On one hand I prefer to play a female character that I can relate to as a representation of myself (I'd rather not play a troll or dwarf or a hulking male tank) but then I have to accept that most of the female avatar choices are over-the-top-unrealistic-silicone-porn-influenced-adolescent-sexual-fantasy-renditions much of the time. And that's not the way I would choose to portray myself if given a choice. "Attractive" is a projective I'm comfortable with..."Bondage-Stripper" is, ummm, just not me. Admittedly some games are worse than others.

Perhaps it puts it into some kind of perspective to consider my age and profession, I don't know. Just processing aloud here...if you're reading this it's quite possible I'm old enough to be your mother. But I'm not really sure that many younger women don't feel the same way.

My first MMO was Lineage2, with the choices of the willowy blonde Victoria's Secret Elf who flashed her lacy panties with every spell cast, or the hyper-buxom dark elf in bondage gear that (depending upon level of "armor" har,har) often appeared to be wearing little more than a g-string. I admit I played both chars a bit, and I admit to the dissonance I felt. If you've played an MMO no doubt you've witnessed the ubiquitous sexual chat and antics, the obsessed stalkers, and other unique ways people act out their needs and urges. Personally, that's not the reason I play a game and it's not something that I enjoy.

Projection is an interesting thing, and something that a lot of gamers admit to. We see ourselves as our characters in a variety of ways, and I love discussing that topic with people.

In most every interview I've done, I ask people the question "So - do you think elf chicks are hot?" and surprisingly (or not) most males of all ages (and a few women) admit to being turned-on by avatars. Another fascinating issue to discuss.

What my husband would say is that "Sex sells" and MMOs are ultimately about making a profit for big companies. Does it really get down to hyper-sexual means more money, and if so, is that something people should think about?

Good comment previously - let the game companies know how you feel.

My Son Shouldn't See My Avatar!

noreply@blogger.com (Evanor) — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 17:57:30 PDT

People often ask me if I still play any computer games. The answer is yes. Selectively and for specific purposes. The only one I'm playing presently is Guild Wars every Sunday evening with my husband and my son who is away at college.

We use ventrillo, and play together as a group for about two hours. My son gets to coach us, as of course (proud mother that I am) I have to say he's one of the world's top video game players and no doubt will support me in grand style when I am old. But that's not really the point I'm making.

I wanted to say something about my shrinking costume. (the lump in my cheek is my tongue)

When I created my necro/elem as a red-haired female (wonder why I always do that?) she was attired in fairly conservative clothing considering how female avatars are often portrayed. I was comfortable. The pants were a bit tight, but nothing I felt too self-conscious in. Then I leveled up, and had to upgrade my outfit. There's no choice about what clothing to buy...just the next upgrade available, and you don't know what it looks like until you've already purchased it and put it on.

My breasts are now exposed. I mean, like seriously exposed. Other avatars are staring at me in the game and making lewd gestures, and I want a cloak or something to put over them, but there doesn't seem to be any option for that. I'm totally uncomfortable.

Bottom line is, HOW am I supposed to play with my son, running around with exposed breasts? How would he feel about that? There's just something so wrong about it...

Creative character customization indeed.

A new evolutionary step - your avatar is a lab rat :-D

noreply@blogger.com (Evanor) — Sun, 26 Aug 2007 14:42:53 PDT

Has your avatar been a bit pale and listless lately? If so, it might be because epidemiologists have infected her with a virulent form of elf-pox. A new article in the Boston Globe describes how researching are using MMOs and other virtual worlds as a testing ground for epidemic preparedness, as well as other things. The example is cited of the virus "Corrupted Blood" that was introduced in WoW in fall 2005.

"Human response is, almost by definition, difficult to predict, requiring experiments on emotionally involved subjects to determine the proportion of the population likely to respond in various ways," the authors wrote in The Lancet Infectious Diseases study.

In the Corrupted Blood outbreak, researchers observed heartening altruistic attempts to heal people. There was also the specter of bioterror in accounts of players who contracted the disease in one part of the game and then intentionally introduced it to a major metropolitan area.

Contrary to common sense, some players broke out of quarantine set up by the game's designers or even tried to contract Corrupted Blood to see what it was like. Since the players are not subjecting themselves to these epidemics in real life, they are more apt to do things (spread contagions) that they would not do in a real epidemic outbreak.

I hope an ethics board develops in-game to provide informed consent to test subjects.

Anyway, the next time you find your character's skin changing or find yourself mysteriously debuffed, take two aspirin, vitamin C and PM me – your happy healer – in the morning.

The Myth of Logic

noreply@blogger.com (Evanor) — Tue, 10 Jul 2007 23:33:58 PDT

Despite what we like to think, human beings are driven by passion not logic. If we were really logical creatures we'd never engage in behaviors that were harmful to us, things that might not be working out so well. I mean think about it - does anyone really do anything because it's logical?

We do things that make us feel good, not necessarily things that benefit us in the long run. And there's no judgment in saying that - it's just the way it is. If we quit hiding in logic and look deeper we might learn some very interesting things about ourselves and our motivations. And the more we know, the more choices we see.

PC Gamer Magazine, July 2007

noreply@blogger.com (Evanor) — Tue, 10 Jul 2007 23:35:52 PDT

It took a death in her family for Shavaun Scott, a professional therapist by day, to realize that she was spending more time in her favorite MMO game than with her friends and family. "When I'm on my deathbed and I look back on all the hours that I spent in life, what am I going to be proud about? What am I going to say - that I was a damned good elf?" - Virtually Addicted, Is MMO Addiction Real, Or Is It Just Hype, PC Gamer Magazine, July 2007

I'm not sure how I can express myself much clearer than that.

Real Life Shooters & Games

noreply@blogger.com (Evanor) — Thu, 19 Apr 2007 23:32:05 PDT

Do video games create psychotic mass murderers?

I could write two separate books on the topics of 1) video games, and 2) psychotic killers. They are separate issues. However, for now I just wanted to say a few things on the way the two issues are integrated by some people.

(As an aside, I think excessive media attention sets up individuals up as heroes to the mutually mentally disturbed would-be martyrs and celebrity seekers of the world by discussing their bizarre violent behavior in depth, and parading their faces, videos, and diatribes in front of the world. I prefer not to feed into that and will not mentioning their names or details of their crimes.)

I have worked professionally with a number of psychotic killers over the years, both in forensic outpatient and state institutions for the criminally insane. None of the ones I worked with were “mass murderers,” generally having killed no more than one or two individuals at a time, however they fit a similar diagnostic picture and were typically psychotic, paranoid, and obsessive. This is important: These people are not created by their environments, abusive parents, or early potty training.

Psychosis is a brain disease, pure and simple. It's beyond the scope of what I'm writing at present to define further, but very easy to research to anyone with interest. There are a variety of symptoms, and in types of paranoid psychosis deulsions of persecution and fantasies of violence and revenge are common. If poor parenting or bullying in school created paranoid psychosis, a large percentage of our society would be having symptoms.

Anti-psychotic medication and treatment very often clears the thinking of a psychotic person, and restores an essentially normal personality. Many of these individuals are very nice people when not delusional and paranoid. And that’s really the tragedy in these cases: as a culture we do not have an effective way to intervene when people display signs of severe mental illness and get them into treatment that could prevent astonishing acts of violence.

Next I’ll address the topic of videogames and violence. Clearly this is controversial, and there is conflicting evidence. However we can say with confidence that exposure to violent video media does not in and of itself create psychotic killers. There is not a direct cause-effect relationship. If there were, the world would be populated by millions of psychotic killers.

People with problems with reality testing and paranoia are often attracted to extremely violent media and we should ask “is violent media helpful or harmful to people with psychotic tendencies or other mental health problems?” Certainly it's not helpful. Those with problems with reality testing and paranoia are often attracted to extremely violent media. It can agitate them, increase thoughts of aggression, and at times contribute to obsessive ruminations and fantasies. In treatment facilities, exposure to violent media is limited for these reasons and attempts are made to keep mentally ill folks grounded in the “real” world. Management of negative thoughts and feelings is emphasized, as well as the development of positive problem-solving skills.

Again I find myself saying I don’t have answers to all these value-laden issues but I think we can to ask discuss some relevant questions. Can we create games that are fun and yet pro-social? When is violence “too extreme?” Can developers create games with awareness of psychological, developmental, and social issues without the necessity of government control?

Most importantly to me, can we focus on prevention, treatment, and effective intervention for those with mental illness and get the guy's face off the news? As he copied "Dylan and Eric" he's now been added to the list of role-models.

Go To Health

noreply@blogger.com (Evanor) — Sun, 18 Mar 2007 21:40:56 PDT

Is it any surprise that I always played a healer in MMOs? I love studying avatars as projectives and my own make terrific case studies. More on that another time.

Right now I feel compelled to address my perspective on the issue of compulsive MMO play, as it seems to be something I'm asked to discuss a lot. I'm keenly interested in it, having played compulsively myself and having family members who still do. It's a serious subject and one that arouses strong passions. Intelligent people become highly polarized and I think sensationalistic media attention can encourage negative engagement and hostility. It's probably my clinical background and training that lead me to attempt to get people to engage in positive dialogue, to listen to one another respectfully, and above all, to be self-aware. In my real-life role as a healer self-awareness is a key to living a healthy life. After all, you can only be free when you know what you're doing. And health is what we should all be concerned about.

No matter what words you chose to use ("addiction", "compulsivity", "problematic play") I don't think anyone would deny that some people play games too much. Some people become severely impaired from the amount of time they spend preoccupied with gaming. People argue about who owns the responsibility for that - the game developers (often compared to the tobacco industry) for creating the reinforcement systems/leveling/social embedding inherent in MMOs, or the players who should be able to manage their own lives. Perhaps it would be a giant step forward for everyone to take responsibility for moving toward health. Ultimately, what is good for people? Can we define that individually and make responsible choices for ourselves and our children? Can we encourage corporations to put health as a priority above profit?

Okay, maybe I'm an idealist in a PvP (Player vs. Player) world but so be it.

In my daily life I don't have contact with the major gaming companies, thus I don't know that I have any power there other than to continue to attempt to raise awareness regarding issues of responsibility versus profit. I've talked to enough small developers who do have concerns about creating healthy and pro-social games to know that there are people who have similar concerns and are making moves in positive directions. In another post I'll make some observations about what qualities in certain games encourage compulsive play, and I encourage others to comment on their own experiences and observations.

My daily work is with individuals who are struggling with how to be healthy, sometimes having no clue what that would look like as a lifestyle. It would take a book to discuss this adequately but I can make a few points here. The first and perhaps most important is that any behavior that is compulsive, obsessive, and is interfering with your basic life functioning is a problem. Any behavior.

The next few points all start with "S" - self-awareness, self-monitoring, self-correction.

Finally there's "E" for empathy. Awareness of and compassion for the feelings of loved ones cannot be left out of the picture of healthy functioning.

I think it's going to take another post to go into more detail. There's a lot to say. And yes, the book is in process.

Adventures at the Game Developers Conference

noreply@blogger.com (Evanor) — Sun, 11 Mar 2007 18:29:20 PDT

I arrived at the GDC to find I'd already established quite a presence as the 50 foot giant red-haired avatar head at the bottom of the escalator in the North Building at the Moscone Center. It was a bit of a surprise to find myself there, and more will be said about that at another time; for now, I want to mention the important stuff.

This was a wonderful opportunity to meet some of the most interesting and brilliant folks involved in all aspects of the gaming/VR industry as well as intriguing and innovative people searching for career and networking opportunities. I must have spoken with close to 100 people a day while we were present, however this seems insignificant when I consider the thousands and thousands of people I saw bustling around in every direction. I value each person I met and yet regret I didn't meet more. I've gotta start sorting and categorizing these business cards quickly!

As a therapist one of my particular fascinations lies in further defining healthy game play and I can say I had the most fun sitting in the round table discussion on two occasions with Dimitri Williams discussing "game addiction." Since I seem to writing a book on that topic with Neils Clark (I'm honored Neils), this was of particular interest - and I'll write more once I'm home and out of our charming-but-too-small hotel room. Perhaps one of the most important things I heard from several game development sources was how seriously the big companies are taking the issue of potential governmental regulations to restrict excessive game play (China was mentioned on several occasions) and are now taking steps to make subtle alterations in game structure so that players can accomplish something productive while playing with less of a time sink. It would be nice to think that this is motivated by concern for the psychological, physical, and familial health of their player base. That would be really, really nice wouldn't it?

There's a lot I'm curious about, and a lot of people I'll be following up with regarding issues I heard discussed.

See you at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco

noreply@blogger.com (Evanor) — Sun, 18 Mar 2007 21:49:23 PDT

Aside from meeting up with those we've become friends with since we began filming, we're also looking forward to meeting new people who can explain facets of the gaming culture, technology, and industry we've yet to capture. We have this thing about learning as much as we can, which was the main reason I sat down recently with Nick Yee and Neils Clark to try and sort out the "game addiction" issue. We scoured the DSM IV ("psychiatric bible") in the process, but never found the term in there.

At this point I'm eager to meet people involved in so-called "serious" game development. From what I've read there are some really fascinating things going on in VR research, and I'm particularly interested in therapeutic applications of the technology. I recently interviewed James Paul Gee, a linguistics professor who has written three books on the topic of how videogames recruit very powerful learning principles, and I agree with him - if we could figure out how to apply game principles to help motivate and enhance learning in academic settings schools could be transformed.

I don't think anyone would argue with that.

The Evolution of Gamer: Chronicles

noreply@blogger.com (Evanor) — Sun, 18 Feb 2007 09:54:56 PST

I was introduced to the MMO world by my sons. There's more that a bit of irony in that, as I spent most of their adolescent years begging, pleading, cajoling, and occasionally raising my voice in an attempt to get them out of Everquest. I had no success whatsoever.

Without going into all the whys and hows (another story) I started playing with them after they'd both moved out. It was fun to meet up every night in Planteside or City of Heroes and though I won't claim I ever became a great player, I gradually became competent with their help. I have no problem asking for help when I don't know what I'm doing. Newbie and proud of it.

When Lineage2 was in beta, I briefly followed them there. Turned out I liked it a lot more than they did, and by the time they moved on I had become very invested in Evanor. If you've ever gotten a little over involved in an MMO you know how that can be. Let's just say I played with dedication and enthusiasm, and made a ton of friends from all over the world. This meant a lot to me on many levels.

When I met the man who was to become my husband he found my MMO world more than a little weird, and since he makes films, he said "Wouldn't it be interesting to travel around the world and film Evanor meeting up in real life with all these people she's met in the game? What a great documentary." I thought so too.

But when I began proposing this to my online friends I was very surprised that no one wanted to be filmed. While some liked the idea of meeting, I was frequently told "NO MOVIE." During this process my husband and I had started doing more research into the MMO phenomenon as the whole Warcraft thing had taken off, there was Gi Jing and the goldfarming documentary, exciting things happening in all areas of VR development...and lot of people were talking about "game addition."

Nick Yee and Gi Jing were gracious enough to spend time with us, and before we knew what we were doing we'd flown across country to meet with other people recognized as experts in MMOs. The vision for the project expanded...and expanded...and continues to expand. Neils Clark has recently offered enormous insight and help in sorting out what the heck is really going on.

There's always more we want to catch on film...new books coming out, papers being published, and people in the news. At some point we have to wrap it up though and at least capture things as they are for now even though we know nothing will stay the same for very long.

It's been great and we're looking forward to meeting more friends in person at the Game Developer's Conference in March.

gamerwidows.com - they're not anti-game

noreply@blogger.com (Evanor) — Sun, 18 Feb 2007 10:05:59 PST

One of the pleasant surprises in all the exploring I've done in recent months has been to hook up with the folks who moderate www.gamerwidows.com. I think there's a stereotype going around that the people who are active in that forum are anti-game, hostile, and close minded. Nothing could be further from the truth.

In a recent interview with Sherry, co-founder and moderator of the site, it was discussed how the funtion of the site is to facilitate insight, understanding, and postivie communication between partners. Yes, upset people are free to vent, but the overall tone is supportive and encouraging. Positive communication is encouraged. She's received numerous messages from people stating that the advice and support they received from others on the site has saved their relationship, and they're grateful. Many of the members are active gamers, approximately 65% female, 35% male. The focus in on how to play games in a healthy manner - not to stigmatize gamers and ban games.

There are some excellent writers who post regularly. Interesting questions are posed and most responses are insightful. As my internet time is limited I can't get in there to read on a daily basis, but I can definitely say when I do I always find something interesting and someone I'd like to connect with.

The Myth of the "Addictive Personality"

noreply@blogger.com (Evanor) — Sun, 18 Mar 2007 21:52:14 PDT

I repeatedly hear an argument that negates the problem of compulsive online gameplay that goes something like this: "People who play like game addicts have addictive personalities. They become addicted to anything. If you take the game away from them they will just become addicted to something else. Isn't it better to have them addicted to games than to drugs?"

So lets see, if you're born an addict you're going to live an out of control life, there's little you can do about it, and playing games is better than shooting up drugs?

This is silly. And wrong.

Aside from my work as an elf, I'm also a therapist who has been working with addicts of all sorts since the late 1980s (please note my title elven elder - I'm older than I look). I know a thing or two about addiction. While there do seem to be genetic predispositions to developing addictions (this has been studied primarily in regards to alcoholism), and some whose biological systems are more prone to developing chemical dependenies, there is no such thing as one "addictive personality." There are numerous personality disorders that have been well defined in the psychiatric Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) used by mental health professionals, and some of those personality disorders are more prone to compulsive behaviors, impulse control disorders and the abuse of substances. But there is no one "addictive personality." It's a lot more complicated than that.

Science has lagged behind technology in understanding what all is going on with compulsive computer gaming. We have a lot of theories but not a lot of good research yet. People are starting to work on it, and while I don't think anyone will deny that "some people play too much" (yeah, like maybe a lot of people?) to say "it's these addictive personalities who are at fault" is basically nonsense. The majority of people I've worked with who have played too much do not - and have not - displayed other addictive behaviors.

So let's throw that one right out the window and look a little bit deeper.

That's exactly the point of my film.

Something Awful Ponders MMO Addiction

noreply@blogger.com (Evanor) — Sun, 18 Feb 2007 00:21:17 PST

I think every comment in this thread is important, even those that are ill-informed. The overall tone is much more cautious about MMOGs than I would have thought. Having a sprinkling of psychology students adds interest.

http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=2295904&perpage=40&pagenumber=1

Real world politics enter virtual world games

noreply@blogger.com (Evanor) — Sun, 18 Feb 2007 10:07:18 PST

Creators Put Politics Into Video Games - By GREG BLUESTEIN, Associated Press WriterSunday, January 21, 2007
(01-21) 19:57 PST ATLANTA, (AP) --
Ian Bogost takes some of the fun out of video games — and replaces it with opinion. The Georgia Institute of Technology professor creates games — or "playable editorial cartoons," as he calls them — that are packed with political messages.
One he created just after liquids were banned from carryon baggage pits players as a frustrated airport screener faced with an ever-changing set of rules. Another challenges gamers to double the price of crude oil by afflicting a fantasy land with a series of natural disasters.
Just as the documentary developed as a potent force within the film industry, Bogost is among a growing number of designers who develop video games that focus and comment on the world's social and political ills.
"I'm not against fun. I like to play the same video games everyone else does. But I don't believe that video games have to be fun," Bogost said. "I think they need to be given the opportunity to bother and disturb us."

The games don't quite carry the same weight as opinion pieces in traditional media. But their creators say they can still carry a punch as they force players to consider serious issues, such as security policy or the volatile price of gasoline.
The genre's financial potential is no joke, advocates say. The Serious Games Initiative, a group formed to encourage more substantive games, estimates players and developers spend more than $60 million on the games each year and that developers will be doling out at least $300 million to create and market the games within five years.
Bogost's focus — Web-based Flash games that users can play online — has become a $5 million a year business, by the group's estimates.
"Games as a media form allow people to have political discourse," said Ben Sawyer, the initiative's co-founder. "Will you see more of this? Of course you will."
Developers have pumped out a stream of titles that let gamers relive classic battles or pit heroes against terrorists and other evils. Although there's always been a political element to traditional games, many developers have been reluctant to express overt political or social messages for fear they would alienate potential customers.
One of the most notable exceptions is "Balance of Power," a popular Cold War strategy game published in 1985. It refused to delight players with a graphical nuclear explosion when they failed. Instead, it showed a black screen that read: "You have ignited a nuclear war ... We do not reward failure."
Other efforts were more accidental than revolutionary. Jacques Servin, a programmer who helped create the "SimCopter" computer game, was fired in 1996 after its publisher, Maxis, discovered he had sneaked in some code that made certain bathing suit-clad male characters kiss other men.
With the rise of the Internet, more developers have begun to take video gaming more seriously, creating short and punchy games readily available for free on the Web.
Developers typically make money by contracting with a corporation or a nonprofit. Some take a share of the revenue from ads that run before each game is loaded. Others, of course, are made purely as works of art.
One of the more scathing offerings is "McDonald's Video Game," the creation of an Italian firm called Molleindustria that batters the burger chain by allowing gamers to raze villages, manipulate public opinion and bribe health officials and politicians.
(In a statement, the restaurant chain said the game "has no association with McDonald's, and is therefore a complete misrepresentation of our people and our values.")
Others hope to give gamers a better feel for the plight of the poor. New York-based gameLab created "Ayiti: The Cost of Life," which challenges players to guide a family of five as they struggle to survive amid poverty in rural Haiti.
"Poverty is an obstacle to global human rights," said Peter Lee, gameLab's co-founder. "We made a game where you have to go through a very rough life, and we made the game hard on purpose."
Developers also may play a greater role in the next election cycle, hoping for a greater share of the more than $2.6 billion that was spent reaching out to voters during the midterm election.
Bogost is among the few to have already ventured into the niche with his company, Persuasive Games.
Its first creation, Howard Dean for Iowa, was released in December 2003 as the Vermont Democrat's presidential campaign reached its peak. Roughly 100,000 gamers logged on to play political strategists who had to choose where to send volunteers and how many voters to pester before the election. The game does not decide winners and losers, instead deploying the number of potential voters reached at the end.
After the 2004 election, Bogost delved into the niche of "news games" — that is, shorter games that play off current events. He said the company turns a profit by taking a cut of the 20-second advertisements that run before the games, as well as taking on an occasional corporate client — it recently designed a game to teach Cold Stone Creamery's new hires the art of scooping ice cream.
Bogost and other serious games advocates say they have little doubt that the genre will continue to grow, but some question why it hasn't played a bigger role in American life.
The answer may lie, in part, in the industry's past. Because it developed along with a generation that was bombarded from every direction with the latest news, there may be a reason why video gaming focuses on fantasy.
"Other media have at times decided the way to address all those things is to delve into them," said Sawyer. "And maybe gaming, at least right now, is meant to be escapist."
___
On the Net:
Serious Games Initiative:
Persuasive Games:
gameLab:
www.seriousgames.org
www.persuasivegames.com
www.gmlb.com

Has there ever been anything like it?

noreply@blogger.com (Evanor) — Sun, 18 Feb 2007 10:07:34 PST

I don't think there's ever been a subculture as massive as that of the current MMO players. With over 20 million people and counting now active in MMOs? Online gaming is making a major impact upon the world.

Yet in many ways it remains a hidden subculture, something most people over age 40 are completely unfamiliar with. "Leveling," "the grind," "raids," "ganked," "gold farm," "real money trade" - words of a certain dialect understood only by those on the inside. Outsiders don't know what they're missing. Something about that disconnect bothers me. It feels at times as if there is a certain arrogance that goes along with the need not to know.

I was at a small film festival event the other night, and I was told I should meet someone "important" who "makes movies." I shook hands with the guy, sixty-ish and important looking, told him I was making a documentary. He looked interested and said "what's your topic?"

"MMO games" I replied, "you know, online computer games."

Well it was obvious he didn't know, as he uttered "How refreshing" without a hint of interest, immediately broke eye contact, and moved onto the next hand to shake. Refreshing? I'm gonna use that one sometime...refreshing.

So is it that computer games are something inconsequential, only played by kids, of no relevance to important adults in the entertainment business? If that's what he thinks, he needs a good dose of reality .