In the gaming world we are expected to abide by a set of rules and have a certain mindset in order to play the game the right way. We are entering a magic circle, in other words, the space of play that defines being in play and out of play.
Examples of magic circles include a football pitch, the opera and the video game. In a football match, the boundaries are the edges of the pitch and players are expected to follow the rules of the game for the 90 minute duration of it. Imagine a footballer is about to score a goal, but instead of shooting he picks up the ball and places it in the goal area.In this situation, the footballer is not in the magic circle because he is not abiding by the rules.
In relation to video games, the magic circle has 4 types of game play, according to Roger Caillois;
1. Agon (Competition) - Games involving competitive play where the aim is to win.
2. Alea (Chance) - The game of dice, This is all games that are based on a decision independent of the player. The player has no control over what the outcome may be and winning is all down to fate.
3. Mimicry (Simulation) - Games where the subject makes believe or makes others believe that he is someone other than himself.
4. Ilinx (Vertigo) - Games that attempt to destroy the stability of perception.
Espen Aarseth came up with the theory of Aporia and Epiphany. These are studied by looking at the qualitative and sociological analysis of the game.
Aporia describes being the game whilst epiphany is all about finding the solution.
Looking at the game Pacman, the magic circle of this game is the screen itself. Players must follow the rules of keeping within the walls of the game in order to win. The basic rule of this game is to control Pacman around a maze full of dots and pellets. However there are 4 ghosts in the maze who are out to get Pacman, so in order to win the game you have to complete the maze without getting caught by these ghosts. In comparison to a board game, the magic circle is smaller as it is just you and a computer screen. The aporias of this game will be the ghosts chasing Pacman and the walls and its dead ends. Whilst the epiphany of this game is getting the power pills in order to avoid the ghosts.
Wednesday, 23 February 2011
Wednesday, 16 February 2011
Aesthetics of Digital Literature - Is It The End Of The Book?
With technology constantly developing, questions are being raised to whether it is time to say R.I.P to the book. You can practically find anything and everything on the Internet nowadays. Although the book has been around for a number of years, new technologies have been introduced and may just one day completely replace the book.
Computer literature, such as, the Kindle, Ipad, Sony Reader and e-books have practically become the new book. Enabling us to find and read publications online instead of visiting the local library. We are now also able to read our books on the run because of the Kindle.
According to this Telegraph Article Amazon has released figures showing that for the first time, e-books have outsold paperbacks in the United States.
Yes, e-books may save time and money however, these new technologies do have their disadvantages. E-books are actually inconvenient to read. Annie Proulx said: "Nobody is going to sit down and read a novel on a twitchy little screen ever." Surely, I can talk for the majority of people when I say I wouldn't want to sit in front of a computer reading an e-book, plus it puts a strain on your eyes, Whereas, paper books are more convenient, you're able to read in in the bath, on the bus, on your sofa, almost anywhere! Also, e-books may be copied and distributed without the permission of the publisher, which is another downside. Another disadvantage is the fact that e-book devices are rather expensive and in fact more costly than printed books.
In my opinion I think I prefer e-books. BUT a few years ago I would of said I prefer paper books. When I was younger I was an avid book reader, I absolutely loved reading books....until my mum brought me a computer. I realised as soon as I had this computer, things changed. I was constantly on the Internet and all of a sudden forgot about my love for books. I think the reason I prefer e-books is because of its accessibility, I find it very useful when it comes to doing my work, reason being, text can be searched automatically and will take me to the relevant page in the e-book..It also saves me from taking out a book in the library.
But I guess everyone is used to books because me know how to use them. Whereas, on the other hand, not everyone is familiar with technological devices let alone some people do no even own a computer.
So maybe it isn't the end of the book. With technology constantly changing and bringing out new systems and devices, you never know, e-books might eventually be outdated.
Computer literature, such as, the Kindle, Ipad, Sony Reader and e-books have practically become the new book. Enabling us to find and read publications online instead of visiting the local library. We are now also able to read our books on the run because of the Kindle.
According to this Telegraph Article Amazon has released figures showing that for the first time, e-books have outsold paperbacks in the United States.Yes, e-books may save time and money however, these new technologies do have their disadvantages. E-books are actually inconvenient to read. Annie Proulx said: "Nobody is going to sit down and read a novel on a twitchy little screen ever." Surely, I can talk for the majority of people when I say I wouldn't want to sit in front of a computer reading an e-book, plus it puts a strain on your eyes, Whereas, paper books are more convenient, you're able to read in in the bath, on the bus, on your sofa, almost anywhere! Also, e-books may be copied and distributed without the permission of the publisher, which is another downside. Another disadvantage is the fact that e-book devices are rather expensive and in fact more costly than printed books.
In my opinion I think I prefer e-books. BUT a few years ago I would of said I prefer paper books. When I was younger I was an avid book reader, I absolutely loved reading books....until my mum brought me a computer. I realised as soon as I had this computer, things changed. I was constantly on the Internet and all of a sudden forgot about my love for books. I think the reason I prefer e-books is because of its accessibility, I find it very useful when it comes to doing my work, reason being, text can be searched automatically and will take me to the relevant page in the e-book..It also saves me from taking out a book in the library.
But I guess everyone is used to books because me know how to use them. Whereas, on the other hand, not everyone is familiar with technological devices let alone some people do no even own a computer.
So maybe it isn't the end of the book. With technology constantly changing and bringing out new systems and devices, you never know, e-books might eventually be outdated.
Wednesday, 9 February 2011
The Development of Search Engines
The Internet is a network of networks, along with the Web it is a product of a number of factors. The Internet can be defined as a database that holds information about everything and everything. A collection of items are stored within this database and we able to search for it and retrieve it whenever we want.
This moves me on to talk about search engines. When we use the Internet we tend to look for information, we either type what we are looking for into Google or even Yahoo for example. These are known as search engines. It searches documents for specified keywords and returns a list of the documents containing this keywords. Search engines enable us to be exposed to other sites that are possibly cheaper and offer a better service.
The very first search engine on the Internet was Archie, which dates back to 1991. The name derives from the word "archive". Next up was the search engine Veronica in 1992 and along came Webcrawler and Yahoo in 1994. This website shows us the evolution of search engines and how they have developed.
Then along came the most widely-used directory on the Web, Google. Launched in 1997, it sends out a spider to find as many documents as possible, then a program called an indexer reads these documents and creates an index based on the words contained in each document.
Search engines have developed and improved over time. Early search engines held an index of a few hundred thousand pages and documents, and received only one or two thousand inquiries each day. Whereas, today, a top search engine will index hundreds of millions of pages, and respond to roughly tens of millions of queries per day.
This moves me on to talk about search engines. When we use the Internet we tend to look for information, we either type what we are looking for into Google or even Yahoo for example. These are known as search engines. It searches documents for specified keywords and returns a list of the documents containing this keywords. Search engines enable us to be exposed to other sites that are possibly cheaper and offer a better service.
The very first search engine on the Internet was Archie, which dates back to 1991. The name derives from the word "archive". Next up was the search engine Veronica in 1992 and along came Webcrawler and Yahoo in 1994. This website shows us the evolution of search engines and how they have developed.
Then along came the most widely-used directory on the Web, Google. Launched in 1997, it sends out a spider to find as many documents as possible, then a program called an indexer reads these documents and creates an index based on the words contained in each document.
Search engines have developed and improved over time. Early search engines held an index of a few hundred thousand pages and documents, and received only one or two thousand inquiries each day. Whereas, today, a top search engine will index hundreds of millions of pages, and respond to roughly tens of millions of queries per day.
Wednesday, 2 February 2011
Immersion in Virtual Reality
"The state of consciousness where...awareness of physical self is diminished or lost by being surrounded om am engrossing total environment; often artificial."This is the definition of the term 'Immersion', given by Joseph Nechvatal, 1999
Once we enter the virtual world, immersion takes place. We become so involved that we forget what is happening in the outside world and we feel a connection within the world of virtual reality. Immersion makes us feel as if we are involved in the game. Our eyes become fixed on the screen and our real life surroundings become less important.
According to Ernest Adams, there are 3 states of immersion. These are; narrative, strategic and tactical.
Narrative Immersion - This type of immersion occurs when players become invested in a story.You can experience this immersion by watching a movie or reading a book.
Strategic Immersion - This type of immersion is more analytical and challenges the brain. Strategic immersion occurs amongst chess players. It is slow paced and enables players to think carefully about their next move/decision.
Tactical Immersion - This requires skill and players feel "in the zone" with this type of immersion. Tactical immersion can be found in fast paced games.
Osmose
An example of immersion in a virtual reality game is Char Davis' Osmose. It is an interactive virtual reality environment installation with 3D computer graphics and interactive 3D sound. Immersion in Osmose begins by putting on a head-mounted display and a motion tracking vest. Immersants are then able to travel through this virtual world and their movement is based in their breathing and balance. They are completely immersed in a digital environment.
Here is a video showing the walk through of Osmose.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)