Best Sentence #30
The problem with writing about digital games and game studies is that new papers and new games keep popping up every damn day! Everytime I start to write something, a new relevant finding or example falls into my lap. GRRRR. I may have to start feigning ignorance soon and ignore it all.
In the meantime, Sunday bonus of 3 best sentences, strung together, inspired by one such damn new paper in a damn new journal.
In the inaugural issue of the Games and Culture journal, games ethnographer Tom Boellstorff observes: “The information age has, under our noses, become the gaming age. It appears likely that gaming and its associated notion of play may become a master metaphor for a range of human social relations, with the potential for new freedoms and new creativity as well as new oppressions and inequality” (29). Here, then, I aim to reflect the fullness of that range, by presenting three such master metaphors generated by three different approaches to both the problem and the potential of play in the era of ubiquitous computing. These metaphors we can characterize as colonization through gameplay (the ubicomp games); disruption through gameplay (the pervasive games); and activation through gameplay (the ubiquitous games).
In the meantime, Sunday bonus of 3 best sentences, strung together, inspired by one such damn new paper in a damn new journal.
In the inaugural issue of the Games and Culture journal, games ethnographer Tom Boellstorff observes: “The information age has, under our noses, become the gaming age. It appears likely that gaming and its associated notion of play may become a master metaphor for a range of human social relations, with the potential for new freedoms and new creativity as well as new oppressions and inequality” (29). Here, then, I aim to reflect the fullness of that range, by presenting three such master metaphors generated by three different approaches to both the problem and the potential of play in the era of ubiquitous computing. These metaphors we can characterize as colonization through gameplay (the ubicomp games); disruption through gameplay (the pervasive games); and activation through gameplay (the ubiquitous games).
posted by Jane | 1:22 PM
3 Comments:
This morning I was going to ask you about the meaning of Boellstorff´s quote -- you know, all that about new freedoms and new oppressions -- because it sounded like he was talking about sadomasochism and/or D/s. (Can those be thought of as a form of gaming?) Then I read your other blog´s post and thought: Hmm. Should I ask and waste her time discussing with me a probably non-important issue or just say Go, Jane and leave? I finally decided to do both, but keep in mind that you don´t have to explain the quote (i.e., put an example of what the guy means with it) if you don´t have the time. Thanks. Oh. Huh. Go, Jane!
I like where this is going, anytime things get split into threes my ears perk up.
Re: struggle to remain current, this is when I'm sort of glad I'm working on a small, obscure corner of long-dead things. It's less immediately exciting, but I know I have electronic or hard copy of 80+% of everything written on or near my pet texts. Meh. Tradeoffs.
Post a Comment
<< Home