:: Netwoman ::

:: Friday, September 22, 2006 ::

Women & Gaming

From Next Generation - Game Industry's 100 Most Influential Women

A gender-inclusive approach to game design and marketing of games may ensure that most, if not all, considerations to producing games for myriad markets are not overlooked. Games are no longer produced for a niche market of players; they are produced for complex, over-lapping layers of demographically, geographically, socially and culturally-influenced consumer groups. Including skilled women in the game creation dialogue for these markets allows for maximum potential return in game design, production, management, sales and marketing for the growing masses.

From Gaming Age: Girl Gamers Are People, Too

First off, there are a lot of girl gamers out there. We're talking straight-up, out-of-the-closet, don't-tell-me-to-go-away-and-play-a-quiet-round-of-The-Sim's dedicated gamers. Perhaps not enough to fill a small country, but at least a sizable province of some kind. We exist. Really. That's important to keep in mind.

Also, the world is full of potential girl gamers. I don't mean girly converts, but the more chill members of the female persuasion who just haven't yet stumbled into the light. Just like boys, some girls are more likely to enjoy videogames than others. For every disapproving female sigh, there's a woman somewhere just waiting to rock at gaming. Look around you. That girl in the back of biology class with the goody-two-shoes cardigan. I bet she would kick your butt at Dance Dance Revolution.

Interesting Article (PDF): Girls & Gaming: A Summary of the research with Implications for Practice - Denise E. Agosto

Over the last two decades, girls and computer gaming has become a major topic of research interest. Researchers have examined a number of related issues, including the relative frequency with which girls and boys use computer games, the educational benefits of computer game use, and the types of games and game features that appeal to girls and young women. Most researchers have come to agree that although boys and girls can be equally skilled at using computers and computer games, boys are more likely than girls to choose to play with them, and children of both sexes consider both computers and computer games to be boys' toys (Cassell & Jenkins, 1998, p. 14).
This report organizes the major findings from this body of research into thematic issues and considers the practical implications of each issue for teachers, librarians, parents, and other adults who work to connect girls to computer technology. These suggestions are summarized in Appendix A. Incorporating these ideas into the school, library, and home lives of girls can help to alter this perception of computer games as "boys' toys'" to computer games as a medium of entertainment and education for all young people.

:: Netwoman 10:15 AM [+] ::
...

The line between the virtual and physical worlds is becoming thinner every day

From Gamebiz:

Second Life Million Minutes Promotion Launched - Vivox wants people talking to each other

Vivox today announced the Million Minutes promotion. They will give away a million free phone minutes and give away group chat "microphones" to residents of Second Life. Vivox's technology is being used in Second Life for voice chat purposes.

"The line between the virtual and physical worlds is becoming thinner every day. As more complex interactions take place in virtual spaces, better communication is essential," says Rob Seaver, CEO of Vivox. "In an industry first, Vivox and Linden Lab are crossing that line by enabling real-time phone calls from within Second Life, dramatically enriching the online experience for residents."

"The residents of Second Life have always innovated, and the Vivox Phone Booth is a great example of how individuals can dramatically change the world," says Joe Miller, VP of Product Development for Linden Lab. "Live voice communication will add an exciting new dimension to the social structure in-world, and I look forward to seeing how Second Life residents will incorporate the Vivox Phone Booth into their online experience."

:: Netwoman 9:21 AM [+] ::
...

Your Second Life will have soon have a Voice

Funny, I was just talking to someone about this last night - and how SL needs voice chat. Here's an article I found on exactly that from GameBiz...

Integrated online voice communications provider signs onto MMO

Vivox announced today it has signed a deal with Illusion Factory. Under terms of the agreement, Vivox will supply voice communications to the online community in Second Life. This comes on the heels of Vivox's new partnerships with Icarus Studios and BigWorld Technology.

"We reviewed all of our options for the inclusion of high quality voice communications that are in pace with the new means of learning, entertaining and promoting that we are implementing into Second Life," said Illusion Factory CEO, Brian Weiner. "Vivox was the natural choice for quality and its advanced managed service. Vivox offers the most innovative communications solution, the only one of its kind, which will enable Second Life Avatar's to speak to one another on IF Island."

"We are very excited to help Illusion Factory make its vision of community within Second Life reality," said Rob Seaver, CEO of Vivox. "Illusion Factory is the clear leader in new media and marketing, and its implementation of our voice services further validates our belief that virtual worlds become real communities when enriched with high quality communication solutions."

I'm looking forward to seeing how this will work. Right now, I don't really use MSN chat to talk to people (and i don't generally use it - harder to multi-task this way) - but I might be compelled to do so in SL...

:: Netwoman 9:04 AM [+] ::
...

Second Life - A Game or Virtual Reality?

Trinity Strong - SL
Originally uploaded by Netwoman.

As I mentioned before, Second Life is one of my favourite past times in RL (though I hate to call it 'real life' - I'd prefer 'physical life' or 'first life'). Trinity and I have spent some interesting times in Linden Lab's grid. But what I am struck by in the media is this - what do we really call this interaction and activity in Second Life? Is it a 'game' that we 'play', or is it simply virtual reality - an extension of physical reality? is it both?

In a recent article, Nick Rhodes from Duran Duran (who recently appeared in SL for a virtual concert) has this to say:

The BBC have now announced that the group will be the first band to have a 'virtual world presence' in an online game called 'Second Life', an online society within a 3D world, where users can explore, build, socialise, and participate in their own economy.

Duran Duran will be virtual citizen, called 'Avatars' within the 'Second Life' world and will perform a virtual concert within the game.

Keyboard player Nick Rhodes told the BBC of the band's excitement of appearing in a virtual world, "When I first discovered Second Life a few months ago, I was astounded by the possibilities that were there."

"When I started looking at the figures running around, chatting and interacting, I thought this is somewhere between a bizarre virtual reality TV show, a surreal real-life experience and a video game."

Then there's this article - "Play Second Life Online: Recreate Yourself in Virtual 3-D World"

Second Life is a private-owned, part subscription-based 3-D virtual world where you create life and the parts of it the way you want it to be. Tailor your hairstyle, hair color, eyes, ears, lips and virtually any part of your humanoid avatar's body to what you choose them to be. Residents can also create or buy clothing in the Second Life. Or become an animal, robot, furry, etc...

It's hard for me to determine what to call Second Life, or my experiences within it. I hesitate to call it a game - what's the objective? what do you win for playing? I think Nick Rhodes' description of SL is dead-on - it's a combination of many different things all happening at the same time.

We are 'playing' so to speak in SL, but does this really differ from our physical/first lives? If we think about Goffman - the front stage and back stage notions of how we present ourselves - can we say that Second Life is the 'virtual stage', a place where we act and perform a part of our identities? We are interacting with others around us, creating identity based on these interactions, but there is certainly a 'performance of the self' aspect here. We perform and play with our identities in both the physical and virtual worlds - is physical life a game? Some would say yes.

While the characters we create and project in SL may be very different to how we portray our physical selves (both front and back stage), some people permit their avatars to show the many different sides of their personality and identity. We are complex people and often times we cannot manifest parts of our identity in the physical world - especially not in the front stage - the stage that reflects how we behave at work, school, in academia and so forth.

We are always performing - creating and recreating our (looking-glass) selves for the people around us. I cannot say that SL is a game for me, despite the fact that I do engage in role-playing in various different Sims in the grid. I think what's important here is not to discredit people's experiences in SL by calling it a game - it's virtual reality, but still 'reality' - sometimes fantastic, fantasmic and phantasmic, sometimes common and plain - and sometimes uncomfortably connected with physical reality (see article: "Real fear in virtual world").

I continue to struggle with the existing terms used to describe our experiences in virtual worlds, and I find myself revisiting arguments we've made in the past about virtual communities and their legitimacy...

:: Netwoman 1:40 PM [+] ::
...

What happened to Netwoman?

I don't think I have ever taken such a long break from blogging in the three years since I started this blog - it's been over a month. There are many times when I wanted to blog, but just couldn't seem to get to it.

As I sip my morning pot of coffee, I thought it was time for me to get back to it, catch up and rekindle the Netwoman fire.

What's Netwoman been up to?

The Connected Lives North Project (CLN):

I might have mentioned this project before – but I've been coordinating the qualitative data collection for CLN. This project takes place in Chapleau, Ontario – a northern community (pop. 2500) who had wireless mesh and broadband implemented into the community by Bell & Intel. Our first wave survey went out last November, with another wave coming up this fall. We are using the same survey and interview instruments as we did in East York for the Connected Lives Project. In late July and early August I traveled with my research team to Chapleau to conduct interviews with some of the residents. We conducted 33 interviews in 4 days, and I've been working with the transcribers so that the coding can start.

CITASA & ASA

A week after I was back from Chapleau, I traveled to Montreal for the ASA conference. The CITASA section held a mini-conference the day before the ASA officially started, and it was interesting and successful. We not only had a group of people participating F2F, but there was online participation as well through the forums. The rest of the ASA was busy – there were many interesting ICT sessions to attend, in addition to the site seeing I had to do. One of the highlights of the conference was the final keynotes from Gloria Steinem and Lawrence Bobo – both very moving and inspirational speakers. Bobo talked about the war on drugs in the USA, and how it's really a war against African-Americans. He talked about people's attitudes towards existing legal sanctions for drug possession, and how these are located within people's racial & ethnic attitudes. Steinem provided a compelling overview of feminist thinking and offered a pathway to future feminist thinking.

Second Life

I also spent a lot of time in Second Life, experiencing virtual life and my virtual identity. This is a research Mecca, and the possibilities are endless in terms of academic research. There was a security breach last week, but it seems fixed now.

Some recent news in SL:
-Harvard class invades Second Life
-How about a VoIP softphone for Second Life?
-The Political Game: The Virtual Candidate
-Teens get a crack at Second Life
-Newbie explores 'Second Life'
-interesting blog by intellagirl here

Microsoft and OSS

No, this is not an oxymoron. I've been doing some research and consulting with Microsoft and the folks over at Port25. Many people might not think that Microsoft has any interest in Open Source Software & Development, but this is not totally the case. I will be conducting some research into the folks who do this, along with other more broad issues concerning OSS development and issues of in/exclusion.

Teaching

I was teaching again this summer – Gender & Higher Education – U of T Scarborough Campus, and I've just started the Fall term again. This term I am teaching the same course at U of T, but also "The Information Society" at Brock University. Both groups seem eager to learn and so far enjoy the interactive lectures and seminars.

Personal

My son started High School this fall! Aside from having moments where I couldn't believe my son is starting High School already (and thinking – am I really old enough to have a child in HS), there was some prep – back to school shopping, the chat about buckling down and getting good grades and so forth. So far he's enjoying it, though he has been sick four days this week with the crazy cold/flu that's circulating in our area.

I also went to my brother's wedding in Albany – what a party! Answer Girl has finished her wedding reception tour in Toronto at the Royal Canadian Yacht Club on Centre Island. I've also been – ahem - 'preoccupied' – with my new beau.

Unfortunately, with all the jobs I've been doing, my thesis is staring at me wistfully from the corner of my desk. I'm still working on my first draft – about half way through. I need a power-writing-session for a week solid so that I can submit to my committee.

That is it – in a nutshell; the reader's digest version.
Thanks for hanging in there!
I should be back on track with the blogging :)

:: Netwoman 11:41 AM [+] ::
...