Selfish?

The article for this week depressed us with the knowledge that game preservation is going poorly.  Its nice that the game people love are being preserved via emulators though.  I think it would be good for companies to touch base with their past and make legacies out of their games.  Some preservation is being made through recreation on other devices but the quality is poor.  The whole idea just seems like a waste the think about though.  Its good that emulators exist.  As long as emulators exist, the games can continue.  There are a lot of things in the world that should have been preserved.  I guess people just don't take the time to think about how fun it would be for others to play these games.

Teamwork with Cabals

After reading the half life article regarding using "cabals" in the design process, I realized I know very little about how games are put together.  I thought designers worked with everyone in a team environment.  Another thought was that all the directors work together.  This article makes it seem like the people who created  Half Life were the first to work as a group.  Either way I'm glad that it worked out for them.  When the author spoke about how there were multiple interviews for a head designer, he said they couldn't find anyone and then started doing cabals.  It seems like they really messed up making the game the first time, then messed up the second time, then got lucky by randomly putting together teams.  It seems like the idea is more refined now.

Exploring the Ethics of The Castle Doctrine by Caroline Petit

Exploring the Ethics of The Castle Doctrine by Caroline Petit describes the mechanics of the game "The Castle Doctrine" and what the game may mean to the players.  It's a simple game where the player robs other houses and protects their own.  Since the characters are family members, people think the game is about fearing the world specifically in the 90s?  I'm sure most games can teach people to fear the world.  The author mentioned the influence that news channels have on viewers.  Like most people comment, the news mostly shows horrible things like murder.  If someone watched the news all the time they might fear everything.  That reminds me of when I was in middle and high school and some kid would mention that theres a list of everything that can give you cancer (this scenario has happened multiple times) and then every kid freaks out and doesn't wear deoderant for a week.  I say this with almost every blog I write for this class, journal writers are like fiction writers, they find any way to stretch out a story.  In Petit's case, she found any way to make an article relating to this game.  People shouldn't force topics.  Based on the comments, Petit didn't even seem to have valid points or research.  I don't watch the news so I don't know about Trayvon Martin.  Of course I've heard the name, but did I really care to memorize everything about him?  Hell no.  Anyways, people are looking way too into everything.  I wish people would live simpler lives and stop watching garbage tv shows, news, and other bullshit.

Pay to Win?

Mike Rose's article included a lot of common and new topics regarding the ethics behind pay to play and free to play games.  Throughout the article I kept being reminded of my own spending habits when it comes to the mmo I play, TERA.  I used to feel bad about spending real money on the game, but then I realized that it is worth the money because of the social rewards I gain.  TERA isn't pay to win, however some mounts now come with boosts, so it is definitely starting to lean in that direction.  The way I justify my spending is that if I weren't paying$11 on some fake item, I would be spending it elsewhere like a movie or food.  Since I spend a majority of my time in this game, it's definitely worth it.  However, I don't spend as much as a "whale" as Mike explains.  I spend maybe on average $10 a month on the game, which is actually less than if you pay for the subscription for better perks for $14.

A lot of the issue with the pay to win tactics seems to be that it is a form of gambling.  Companies are always out to get money and the gambling and random chance definitely encourage it.  I don't see it as a bad thing though.  Someone has to pay the company's employees.  Haha.  It takes a certain type of person to become a "whale", and as long as their spending is justified, I don't think it's a problem.  There is always someone who is addicted to something in a poor way, but since games are newer, people worry too much about it.  I can name multiple people who blow thousands on dvds each year.  Games are just being monitored a lot.

One problem though with pay to win types of games, is that it can ruin immersion and also take away from developing other aspects of the game.  My example with TERA is that the company knows we realllly like costumes.  They put out more costumes than other content, which is nice (because I'm a tera player and we love costumes)!  But people have been seeing it as milking the game.  It's starting to become a slightly older game, but it has amazing mechanics.  We just hope there will be more pvp related content soon.

Overall it's really up to the player what they feel is right to spend on a game.  If it becomes too much of a problem, they will realize it.  If they don't seek help then maybe there is another factor causing this.  But like I said, the only real problem is that companies aren't developing other aspects of the game to make it more fun.  Its nice that mmo's lately aren't doing pay to win though.

DICE 2010: "Design Outside the Box" Presentation

Wow this video was definitely an eye opener.  Lastly I've been having to brainstorm ideas for projects in class, such as an intro screen and button animation etc for my 2d Art classes.  Most people in my class already have games they want to base these projects around.  Unlike everyone else, I don't have a game I've been itching to make.  I didn't sign up for Columbia to make the game of my dreams.  i came her to learn how to work in the industry.  So my background is mostly about marketing.  I love the idea of locking into people's desires when it comes to creating a game.  That's why I'm studying game art.  it's a psychological factor.  Although I won't be designing the concepts of the game if I were to be a part of a large company, these ideas that Jesse brought up have inspired how I will work.

It always seemed like everyone wanted to be natural.  It's like why haven't we been doing that all along?  Even I've beeen feeling almost depressed because nothing is real.  I've been yearning to get outside, away from my screen.  but i need my screen.  There must be a way to integrate technology with nature or at least natural things.

Speaking of which, I've been following this new game that should come out god know's when called Skyforge.  One of the things this game will do is somehow link the game to real life.  In the forum posts, people have mentioned tablet apps and stuff related tot he game while you're outside of it.  i think this is an awesome way to make the games more real.

I've personally been trying to make games feel more real.  I spend a ton of hours playing this game called TERA.  Instead of sucking myself into the game and living only a fantasy life, I've found it more entertaining to bring the game to the real world.  I've been using concepts in the game for real life paintings, I started a facebook group for my guild,  I've participated even more in the servers facebook page, etc.  Even other members are doing it as well.  The prominent people on the Global chat in my server have come together and made a skype chat group where we hang out with our own real voices and talk about non TERA related things.  overall it's been really refreshing knowing that my in game friends are pretty much my real friends now.

Alongside all of this, the video has really gave me hope for a more game like future.  We all want fantasy but we all want realty.  how can we make reality as good at fantasy?  By integrating it.  By closing the gap and making it true.  There won't be cool ass buildings or the ability to fly, but there sure will be fun adventures and a sense of accomplishment through real life achievements.

Overall, this talk was really exciting.  And the act that Jesse presented in front off what I would assume are important members of the gaming industry, makes it even more exciting.  Who knows what is in store.  I'm just glad I'll be alive when this all happens.

Maybe we don't want accidental pregnancy???!!!!!

I'm going to write this blog as I read the article because it's hilarious.  Aren't we trying to keep people from overpopulating?  This author really seems to care about people fucking and/or bullshitting together an essay with as many descriptive words as possible.  Maybe that's just my own personal problem with reading?  People try way too hard to make something long out of a small idea just o make money or seem cool.  Like look at the introduction.

"If you have been around a little while, you come to realize that the
formation of new humans occurs generally through sexual congress between a
human male and a human female"

This person literally described sex as if we didn't know it and in a bizarre manner.  Is the author trying to be artistic or does he really think we don't know how sex happens?

He states that "Pornography is an old art form" and says that phone sex started to exist, then cyber sex, now virtual reality sex.  I can't even imagine pornography becoming extinct.  If anything it is a supplement to most masturbation session and/or leads to the desire of real sex or virtual reality sex.  All of these forms of pleasure aren't going to limit our desire to ave sex with real people.  if anything it is stimulating us to make relationships in order to get the real thing.  I'm sure some people would prefer robot sex but those people are probably not fit to be fathers anyways.

Oh this part was hilarious

"Things move rapidly. Consider the technology of remote erotic stimulation
known as teledildonics (tele (Greek τηλε- "afar") + dildo (English, obscure origin,
an artificial penis used for female gratification) + ics (Greek -όs "pertaining to")."

By reading the text that follows this highly descriptive definition of "teledildonics" I still didn't figure out what it was.  Let's look it up on google...Oh wait my boyfriend knows.

"lol
i read about teledildonics a few years ago
is it a real thing?the book isnt really telling me what it is
its like
a man puts a stroker thing on
the chick gets a dildo thing
what the man does triggers the woman to feel it and vice versa
i think it started with porn movies
like interactive ones that youd feel on the stroker"

He goes on to write:

"The technology seems to be emerging under a rule of anything and 
everything but that; it is providing all kinds of opportunities for orgasm, none 
of which will produce children."

My response is just "DUH".  Sex is pleasurable, that's why people do it.  Orgasm is a highly satisfying thing no matter what anyone says so there may as well be a market for it.  The people that want children will have children.  OBVIOUSLY.  If they don't want children, then thank the lord that we have contraceptives.  I'm pretty sure teledildonics or whatever will just reduce the amount of abortions, horrible parents, and accidental pregnancy.  If anything this author is promoting accidental pregnancy.

"A woman have sex in any way that does not deposit the man’s semen in the 

woman’s vaginal channel, children will not result from that sex."

Tell me something no one knows. PLEASE.

An a similar note here is an experiment made with the Oculus Rift where people see what it's like to be in each others bodies
http://www.wired.com/design/2014/02/crazy-oculus-rift-experiment-lets-men-women-swap-bodies

Middle ground Narratives

The start of the second half of the reading spoke about agency and transformation.  Transformation related to how many paths a person can take and giving the person a new experience each time.  But agency needs to take place, that is a sense of urgency (to me) that makes the player choose a path even though they could potentially choose a random path.  We talk a lot about Skyrim in class and even this topic relates to it.  Although it's up to the player to make their own story for the majority of the time, having an actual story line/story quest helps drive the player to move in a semi linear path.  I personally get too caught up in other activities though.  Players often times want to fee like they are progressing, so having agency is very important.

The rest of the reading discussed how the player experiences narrative throughout the game.  Sometimes there are cutscenes, with a lot of storytelling, and there are others where there is only text and clues around you that you can explore.  Somewhat like Gone Home.  It's up to you to figure out the story.  I personally like that idea, because some people might not be interested in so much storytelling.  For example, in MMORPGs, some players are there for the community and pvp aspects for the game, whereas there are a large group of players that are interested in the lore and immersion.  It's nice to have a good in between.