The Decline of Mmos
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Load more
Recommended publications
-
Invisible Labor, Invisible Play: Online Gold Farming and the Boundary Between Jobs and Games
Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment & Technology Law Volume 18 Issue 3 Issue 3 - Spring 2016 Article 2 2015 Invisible Labor, Invisible Play: Online Gold Farming and the Boundary Between Jobs and Games Julian Dibbell Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarship.law.vanderbilt.edu/jetlaw Part of the Internet Law Commons, and the Labor and Employment Law Commons Recommended Citation Julian Dibbell, Invisible Labor, Invisible Play: Online Gold Farming and the Boundary Between Jobs and Games, 18 Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment and Technology Law 419 (2021) Available at: https://scholarship.law.vanderbilt.edu/jetlaw/vol18/iss3/2 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by Scholarship@Vanderbilt Law. It has been accepted for inclusion in Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment & Technology Law by an authorized editor of Scholarship@Vanderbilt Law. For more information, please contact [email protected]. VANDERBILT JOURNAL OF ENTERTAINMENT & TECHNOLOGY LAW VOLUME 18 SPRING 2016 NUMBER 3 Invisible Labor, Invisible Play: Online Gold Farming and the Boundary Between Jobs and Games Julian Dibbell ABSTRACT When does work become play and play become work? Courts have considered the question in a variety of economic contexts, from student athletes seeking recognition as employees to professional blackjack players seeking to be treated by casinos just like casual players. Here, this question is applied to a relatively novel context: that of online gold farming, a gray-market industry in which wage-earning workers, largely based in China, are paid to play fantasy massively multiplayer online games (MMOs) that reward them with virtual items that their employers sell for profit to the same games' casual players. -
Towards Balancing Fun and Exertion in Exergames
Towards Balancing Fun and Exertion in Exergames Exploring the Impact of Movement-Based Controller Devices, Exercise Concepts, Game Adaptivity and Player Modes on Player Experience and Training Intensity in Different Exergame Settings Zur Erlangung des Grades eines Doktors der Naturwissenschaften (Dr. rer. nat.) genehmigte Dissertation von Anna Lisa Martin-Niedecken (geb. Martin) aus Hadamar Tag der Einreichung: 05.11.2020, Tag der Prüfung: 11.02.2021 1. Gutachten: Prof. Dr. rer. medic. Josef Wiemeyer 2. Gutachten: Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Frank Hänsel Darmstadt – D 17 Department of Human Sciences Institute of Sport Science Towards Balancing Fun and Exertion in Exergames: Exploring the Impact of Movement-Based Controller Devices, Exercise Concepts, Game Adaptivity and Player Modes on Player Experience and Training Intensity in Different Exergame Settings Zur Erlangung des Grades eines Doktors der Naturwissenschaften (Dr. rer. nat.) genehmigte Dissertation von Anna Lisa Martin-Niedecken (geb. Martin) aus Hadamar am Fachbereich Humanwissenschaften der Technischen Universität Darmstadt 1. Gutachten: Prof. Dr. rer. medic. Josef Wiemeyer 2. Gutachten: Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Frank Hänsel Tag der Einreichung: 05.11.2020 Tag der Prüfung: 11.02.2021 Darmstadt, Technische Universität Darmstadt Darmstadt — D 17 Bitte zitieren Sie dieses Dokument als: URN: urn:nbn:de:tuda-tuprints-141864 URL: https://tuprints.ulb.tu-darmstadt.de/id/eprint/14186 Dieses Dokument wird bereitgestellt von tuprints, E-Publishing-Service der TU Darmstadt http://tuprints.ulb.tu-darmstadt.de [email protected] Jahr der Veröffentlichung der Dissertation auf TUprints: 2021 Die Veröffentlichung steht unter folgender Creative Commons Lizenz: Namensnennung – Share Alike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0) Attribution – Share Alike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0) https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/ Erklärungen laut Promotionsordnung §8 Abs. -
Cyber-Synchronicity: the Concurrence of the Virtual
Cyber-Synchronicity: The Concurrence of the Virtual and the Material via Text-Based Virtual Reality A dissertation presented to the faculty of the Scripps College of Communication of Ohio University In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Philosophy Jeffrey S. Smith March 2010 © 2010 Jeffrey S. Smith. All Rights Reserved. This dissertation titled Cyber-Synchronicity: The Concurrence of the Virtual and the Material Via Text-Based Virtual Reality by JEFFREY S. SMITH has been approved for the School of Media Arts and Studies and the Scripps College of Communication by Joseph W. Slade III Professor of Media Arts and Studies Gregory J. Shepherd Dean, Scripps College of Communication ii ABSTRACT SMITH, JEFFREY S., Ph.D., March 2010, Mass Communication Cyber-Synchronicity: The Concurrence of the Virtual and the Material Via Text-Based Virtual Reality (384 pp.) Director of Dissertation: Joseph W. Slade III This dissertation investigates the experiences of participants in a text-based virtual reality known as a Multi-User Domain, or MUD. Through in-depth electronic interviews, staff members and players of Aurealan Realms MUD were queried regarding the impact of their participation in the MUD on their perceived sense of self, community, and culture. Second, the interviews were subjected to a qualitative thematic analysis through which the nature of the participant’s phenomenological lived experience is explored with a specific eye toward any significant over or interconnection between each participant’s virtual and material experiences. An extended analysis of the experiences of respondents, combined with supporting material from other academic investigators, provides a map with which to chart the synchronous and synonymous relationship between a participant’s perceived sense of material identity, community, and culture, and her perceived sense of virtual identity, community, and culture. -
381 Karlsen 17X24.Pdf (9.567Mb)
Emergent Perspectives on Multiplayer Online Games: A Study of Discworld and World of Warcraft Faltin Karlsen Doctoral thesis submitted for the degree of Ph.D. Faculty of Humanities, University of Oslo, June 2008. © Faltin Karlsen, 2009 Series of dissertations submitted to the Faculty of Humanities,University of Oslo No. 381 ISSN 0806-3222 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without permission. Cover: Inger Sandved Anfinsen. Printed in Norway: AiT e-dit AS, Oslo, 2009. Produced in co-operation with Unipub AS. The thesis is produced by Unipub AS merely in connection with the thesis defence. Kindly direct all inquiries regarding the thesis to the copyright holder or the unit which grants the doctorate. Unipub AS is owned by The University Foundation for Student Life (SiO) Acknowledgements Thanks to my supervisor Gunnar Liestøl for constructive and enthusiastic support of my work, from our first discussions about computer games long before this project was initiated, to the final reassuring comments by phone from someplace between Las Vegas and Death Valley. Thanks to my second supervisor Jonas Linderoth for generously accepting my request and for thorough, precise and not least expeditious comments on various drafts during the last phase of my work. I would also like to thank Espen Ytreberg, Ragnhild Tronstad and Terje Rasmussen for reading and commenting on different parts of my thesis. A special thanks to Astrid Lied for introducing me to Discworld back in 1998, and for commenting on and proofreading parts of this thesis. -
Section One: Getting Started
Section One: Getting Started As you get started on your journey, you will be faced with a few decisions. Some of these will have minimal impact on your long term play, while others will play an important part in how you experience the game. This section will cover the first of those decisions – server (known as ‘shards’ in UO) selection, character creation, and an explanation of the different clients used to play the game (Classic and Enhanced). In this section we will also cover some of the most basic elements of the game that will be a foundation for understanding your new world. This will include basic movement controls, as well as how to use the overhead radar feature. Choose Your Client – Classic vs. Enhanced We will begin with an explanation of the two clients available for use with Ultima Online – the Classic Client and the Enhanced Client. Your choice of client will greatly affect how you view, and play, the game. The best part about having two different clients is that you are not bound to one or another – you are free to switch back and forth so long as you have both installed on your system. Following is a brief explanation of the differences between the two clients. Later in this section will be pictures illustrating some of the differences between the two clients. Classic Client The Classic Client is the original client used to play Ultima Online. It does not have as many features as the Enhanced Client, but is still preferred by many longtime players who favor its simpler nature and the nostalgia that comes with experiencing the game as it was originally intended. -
Art Worlds for Art Games Edited
Loading… The Journal of the Canadian Game Studies Association Vol 7(11): 41-60 http://loading.gamestudies.ca An Art World for Artgames Felan Parker York University [email protected] Abstract Drawing together the insights of game studies, aesthetics, and the sociology of art, this article examines the legitimation of ‘artgames’ as a category of indie games with particularly high cultural and artistic status. Passage (PC, Mac, Linux, iOS, 2007) serves as a case study, demonstrating how a diverse range of factors and processes, including a conducive ‘opportunity space’, changes in independent game production, distribution, and reception, and the emergence of a critical discourse, collectively produce an assemblage or ‘art world’ (Baumann, 2007a; 2007b) that constitutes artgames as legitimate art. Author Keywords Artgames; legitimation; art world; indie games; critical discourse; authorship; Passage; Rohrer Introduction The seemingly meteoric rise to widespread recognition of ‘indie’ digital games in recent years is the product of a much longer process made up of many diverse elements. It is generally accepted as a given that indie games now play an important role in the industry and culture of digital games, but just over a decade ago there was no such category in popular discourse – independent game production went by other names (freeware, shareware, amateur, bedroom) and took place in insular, autonomous communities of practice focused on particular game-creation tools or genres, with their own distribution networks, audiences, and systems of evaluation, only occasionally connected with a larger marketplace. Even five years ago, the idea of indie games was still burgeoning and becoming stable, and it is the historical moment around 2007 that I will address in this article. -
Art and Art History 1
Art and Art History 1 theoretical knowledge to create meaningful artistic contributions. Visual ART AND ART HISTORY imagery created through painting, drawing, printmaking, book arts, ceramics, sculpture, graphic design, media arts, or game design are Art & Art History educates artists, scholars and teachers by fostering emphasized in this program. Additionally, students can also pursue teacher creative expression, visual literacy, and critical thinking through practice certification to apply their artistic skills in the K-12 classroom. and research. By developing mastery of various disciplines in art, students are prepared to become leaders in their chosen careers and make positive 2D contributions to the world. Art & Art History is fully accredited by the • Artist National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD). • Fashion illustrator • Comic illustrator Contact Information • Storyboarder For more information, contact Art & Art History at 402.554.2420. • Medical illustrator Website (http://www.unomaha.edu/college-of-communication-fine- • Art therapist arts-and-media/art-and-art-history/) • Concept artist Admissions • Art educator Any student enrolled in the College of Communication, Fine Arts and Media 3D may declare a major in Art & Art History. To advance to upper level courses, students working on their BASA must pass a portfolio review (ART 2000), • Sculptor which is normally conducted after a student has completed the Studio Core • Art educator I courses, or the equivalents. • Special effects artist • 3D animator Degrees -
Supporting Communities in Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games by Game Design Elina M.I
Supporting Communities in Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games by Game Design Elina M.I. Koivisto Nokia Research Center Visionkatu 1 33720 Tampere Finland +358 05 482 1630 [email protected] ABSTRACT Communities get formed almost automatically in multiplayer games, but in some games they seem to be stronger and more active than in others. In order to find out why it is so, We study in this paper what kind of game design makes game community formation and maintenance easier in Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPG). Three MMORPGs are used as examples: Ultima Online, Anarchy Online and Toontown Online. The communication methods, game mechanics and environments of the three MMORPGs are compared and their effects on the game community are analyzed. Communities do not exist without communication. Game mechanics affects how important it is for the players to co-operate and compete with others and how useful it is to form different kinds of sub-communities, such as guilds. If the game supports player created content it typically strengthens the game community. The game environment provides settings for player-to-player interaction and can encourage collaboration and inspire the players to create their own stories around the sub-communities. KEYWORDS Game, Community, Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game (MMORPG), Ultima Online, Anarchy Online, Toontown INTRODUCTION There are many definitions for online communities. According to Preece [14] an online community consists of people who interact socially as they strive to satisfy their own needs to perform special roles. They also have a shared purpose, an interest or need, information exchange, or service that provides a reason for community. -
Art Games Applied to Disability
Figure 1. Thatgamecompany. PlayStation 3. (2009), Flower. Figure 2. Thatgamecompany. PlayStation 4. (2013), Flow. Esther Guanche Dorta. Phd student. [email protected] Ana Marqués Ibáñez. Teacher. [email protected] Department of Didactics of Plastic Expression. Faculty of Education. University of La Laguna. Tenerife. Art Games applied to disability. Figure 3. Thatgamecompany. PlayStation 3. (2012), Journey. THEME 4 – Technology – S3 DT Art Games, Disabilities, Design, Videogames, Inclusive education. Art Games applied to disability. Videogames are an emerging medium which represent a new form of artistic design, creating another means of expression for artists as well as different educational context adapted to people with dissabilities. Abstract This is a study of several examples of artistic videogames which can be 1. Art Games and Indie Games Concept The MOMA2 arranged an exhibition on the 50 years of videogame history, made a used to improve the quality of life of persons with impairment, for those review about the design and has added the most significant games to its permanent with specific or general motoric disabilities and mental disabilities in Art Game is an art object associated to the new interactive communications media exhibition, such as those of the Johnson Gallery with 14 videogames, which have order to bring them closer to art and design studies. As well as to develop new approaches in order to include this medium in artistic and a subgenre of the so-called serious videogames. The term was first used in been increased to around fifty. productions, study the impact of these images in Visual Culture and its academic circles in 2002, and referred to a videogame designed to boost artistic and construction by designing. -
Player, Pirate Or Conducer? a Consideration of the Rights of Online Gamers
ARTICLE PLAYER,PIRATE OR CONDUCER? A CONSIDERATION OF THE RIGHTS OF ONLINE GAMERS MIA GARLICK I. INTRODUCTION.................................................................. 423 II. BACKGROUND ................................................................. 426 A. KEY FEATURES OF ONLINE GAMES ............................ 427 B. AGAMER’S RIGHT OF OUT-OF-GAME TRADING?......... 428 C. AGAMER’S RIGHT OF IN-GAME TECHNICAL ADVANCEMENT?......................................................... 431 D. A GAMER’S RIGHTS OF CREATIVE GAME-RELATED EXPRESSION? ............................................................ 434 III. AN INITIAL REVIEW OF LIKELY LEGAL RIGHTS IN ONLINE GAMES............................................................................ 435 A. WHO OWNS THE GAME? .............................................. 436 B. DO GAMERS HAVE RIGHTS TO IN-GAME ELEMENTS? .... 442 C. DO GAMERS CREATE DERIVATIVE WORKS?................ 444 1. SALE OF IN-GAME ITEMS - TOO COMMERCIAL? ...... 449 2. USE OF ‘CHEATS’MAY NOT INFRINGE. .................. 450 3. CREATIVE FAN EXPRESSION –ASPECTRUM OF INFRINGEMENT LIKELIHOOD?.............................. 452 IV. THE CHALLENGES GAMER RIGHTS POSE. ....................... 454 A. THE PROBLEM OF THE ORIGINAL AUTHOR. ................ 455 B. THE DERIVATIVE WORKS PARADOX............................ 458 C. THE PROBLEM OF CULTURAL SIGNIFICATION OF COPYRIGHTED MATERIALS. ....................................... 461 V. CONCLUSION .................................................................. 462 © 2005 YALE -
Austin Games Conference 2005
Why are we here? 28 th october 2005 Austin games conference profesSor Richard A. Bartle University of esSEx introduction • It is a truth universally acknowledged… • that I’ve called this talk “why are we here?” – I include as “we” those who would have been here if they hadn’t been out ”Networking” until 2:30am this morning • I do mean the question quite literally: why are any of us in this location right now ? • This is actually a meaningful question… 1 Deep and meaningful Put another way • Point of fact: you are All goinG to DIE • Given this information, why are you here ? In this converted balLroOm ? • Why aren’t you in – paris? – China? – Darfur? – Bed? – World of warcraft ? • Hmm, I guess some of you are in there… 2 Short answer • Well, you’re here because you’re mMorpg developers and this is a mmorpg developers’ conference – officially, “networked game development” conference… • [aside: I’m gonna call them virtual worlds , not mMorpgs ] – I’m not giving up on my book’s title yet , dammit! • But this leads to another question: Another question • Why are you [mmorpg] virtual world developers? • Why aren’t you – regular game developers? – Novelists? – Truck drivers? – Nuclear power station software engineers? – Lawyers? – level 80 on runescape with 2 blue masks, 2 green masks, 2 santa hats and a red party hat ? • “Because it would cost me $5,100 on ebay” (44 bids, 13 hours to go, and simbatamer realLy wants it) 3 hackers • Notice the subtitle answers • Some posSible answers: – You’re a vw developer Purely by acCident – You wanted a -
Network Software Architectures for Real-Time Massively-Multiplayer
Network Software Architectures for Real-Time Massively-Multiplayer Online Games Roger Delano Paul McFarlane Degree of Master of Science School of Computer Science McGill University Montreal, Quebec, Canada Feb. 02, 2005 A thesis submitted to McGill University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science. Copyright © 2005 Roger Delano Paul McFarlane. All rights reserved. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS First and foremost, I would like to thank my wife, Abaynesta, for her support and encouragement. Undertaking a full-time graduate degree while maintaining full-time employment and trying to be a full-time husband would have been an impossible challenge without your love, patience, and understanding. I love you. To my supervisor, Dr. Jörg Kienzle, I would like to express my thanks for taking on a student with a research area only somewhat related to your own, Software Fault Tolerance, and granting me the latitude to freely explore massively multiplayer game infrastructure. In the course of pursuing my graduate degree and writing this thesis, I was employed by two supportive organizations. To the management of Zero- Knowledge Systems Inc., most notably co-founders Austin Hill and Hammie Hill, I express my profound gratitude for your support and encouragement to pursue my academic goals. Thank you for allowing me the flexibility of schedule to take on a full-time course load and for your understanding and encouragement when the time came for me to move on to other opportunities. I would also like to thank the management of the Ubi.com group at Ubisoft Entertainment Inc. for recognizing the potential of this graduate student with no direct gaming experience and giving me the opportunity to learn from and contribute to your game projects while completing my thesis.