Let Me Entertain You: Designing for Surveillance and Online Gaming Deirdre Devers Stephanie Wilson City University London City University London Northampton Square Northampton Square London EC1V 0HB London, EC1V 0HB
[email protected] [email protected] ABSTRACT 1. INTRODUCTION Multi-player online gaming environments are designed with Desktop and laptop computers and their close relations, the the intent of providing entertaining experiences to players gaming console, have emerged as ‘entertainment objects’ that not only foster re-playability but also to cultivate an on- [49] and are changing how entertainment is delivered and going allegiance or loyalty to the game consumed. For many, discretionary time traditionally publishers’/developers’ brand or various assets (e.g. Master devoted to activities such as watching television or going to Chief, Grand Theft Auto etc.). the cinema has shifted to internet-based activities such as social networking downloading and watching content and, Design elements such as webcams, activity monitoring increasingly, online gaming [13]. Individuals are typically between players, and online presence cues make possible spending twenty-two hours per week in multi-user virtual player practices within online game-based environments environments (MUVEs) such as those dedicated to that, though surveillance-oriented, become the key multiplayer online gaming by taking part in socialising, ingredients that work to construct entertaining online creating, trading, sharing, consuming and competing [52]. encounters. Yet when similar features are transposed to other less playcentric spaces (e.g. workplace), whether Multiplayer online gaming has matured from the text-based online or offline, they can be perceived as threatening or system such as multi-user dungeon (MUD) to visually rich unwanted.