Category Archives: games

game: politics

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Week 20, 2012
Joensuu, Finland

In this year, due to presidential elections which will affect me directly, I have been following, closer than usual, different political agendas in Europe and American continents. To be informed is our right and responsibility as citizens. However the game of politics is, for me, very complex.

A common denominators emerged across countries, which I would consider game components:

  • Population: require education in different subjects including politics, in addition to have critical thinking skills. Their aim is to decide which politicians will organize them by representing them. The education level of the population determines the degree of freedom that the politicians will have. Consequently, as less educated is the population, politicians know they can manipulate easily the information and avoid the creation of constructive analysis over political and economical decisions that sooner or later will affect each member of the population, i.e. each individual.
  • Politicians: in theory they are part of the population, and their aim is to help the population to be organized.  However most of the politicians seem to be affected by some kind of virus called power. According to the culture, the politicians might be more immune to the virus than others. As more infected the politicians are the more they will utilize the population to fulfil their personal agenda neglecting their aim to organize the population. The worst case scenario is when the politicians are highly infected by the virus and the population is no-educated.  However, what most of the politicians have in common is: they believe their own words, at least apparently.
  • Discourse and Strategies: the mechanics of the politics. I would say this should be the most interesting part of the game. Nowadays, it seems in danger of extinction.

Politics is a difficult game, which all of us has to live at some level, we want it or not. *sight*

 Note: this post has not the same agenda than Ian Bogost approach to persuasive games. Persuasive games might complement this post in the sense that digital games with a political agenda belong to a big game of politics. I find Bogost’s analysis and arguments interesting and, honestly, some of them I am still digesting. Nonetheless, the purpose to write this post is: to express my wonder about the meta game of politics, and my concern is the lack of education on the topic.

politics game

politics game

Photos source: from the Journalist Foundation

 

bowling

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Week 18, 2012
Joensuu, Finland

Last Friday, April 28th, I was completely desperate. It was my third week sick and I was feeling trapped, tired, in need of exercise, frustrated, aghrrr…. In few words, everything was in dissonance and out of control.

From the blue, I got the impulse to go bowling.  That is it.  I told to Mikko, if he would join me and he accepted 😉

Luckily, the bowling place had a table for us available. The fact to get the 8 or 12 kg ball in my hands, focus on the ten-pin and throw the ball made me good.

We played for one hour. Actually that was a surprise for me because I thought we paid one line and at the end we played 3. We were lucky! The bowling place was full, despite the photo showing the opposite. I guess we were all playing and finalizing at the same time. I guess there was an event or a training hour because you could see several good players. Maybe it is normal to find good players in Joensuu, one reason to go back to check this out 😉

The reason for me to post this is what I share with Mikko after the game, which I found a rich and relevant experience. Let me explain. At the end of the session I asked to him about the game session. I was particular curious on his answer, not only because I care, but I knew he had played bowling on digital games and he likes it, and this one was the first time he was playing bowling in the physical world.

Now, this should not be surprising. From my perspective, the probabilty to find individuals who experience an activity first in the virtuality and second in the physical world is and will be increasing.  Hence, I wonder, if the reference point of our world somehow differs from those individuals who experience first the physical world and second the virtuality. Anyway, I might write later about this more seriously, but this time was my first time experiencing this too.

The answer was really precise, and full of truth: It feels real and the background noise is changing 😉

At the end, a crazy day finalized being a very nice one!

Thank you!

Bowling in Joensuu

Bowling in Joensuu

pay attention to context: from gamification to pleasurize

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Week 6, 2012
Joensuu, Finland

The first time I heard about gamification was with the work of Jane McGonigal and later in a video of Jesse Schell, I even have read about this new system of evaluation relating grades to experience points.

McGonical and Schell are leaders on the arena of game design. Schell’s book, The Art of Game design, in my humble opinion is a gem. However, in regard to the topic of gamification, I have my doubts. I do not find the gamification arguments convincing. My impression is that the proponents of gamification are losing the point of games, play-space and real life. Myself, I subscribe to those individuals who think that gamification sounds like a  disguise of a behaviorist conditioning of everyday activities for competitive societies.

The reason I am writing about this topic is because a friend of mine, Javi, wrote about gamification, and an interesting exchange of ideas emerged. He put me to think when he wrote that: gamifiation is a trend, supported with the idea that marketing agencies want to utilize game design techniques but they do not really know how, specially with a critical mass of players and a new generation coming.

Of course Javi gave me food for the thought, specially when I think on a new generation which is used to reality shows and having all pervasive….

In order to reply to Javi’s comment I watch the video he suggested me:  The Pleasure Revolution: Why Games Will Lead the Way by Schell (embedded below).  The actual reflection of Schell makes more sense to me than the earlier explanation of gamification. Schell bases his analysis on the positive psychology and context.  He changes his focus from gamification to pleasurize or improved motivational design.  To me, as you can imagine from the title of my dissertation hypercontextualize games, I found more common ground with the actual reflection of  Schell than in earlier talks. Perhaps more posts about the topic will emerged.

My conclusion, at this moment, from my talk with Javi is: yes marketing strategies will change. They must change in order to survive. I still think that gamification might not be the way. However, I think we will be finding more ARG and transmedia activities than earlier. Nevertheless, whatever is the new marketing path,  CONTEXT will be its key concept and resource.

To the time!

ace attorney

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Week 5, 2012
Joensuu, Finland

From my perspective, the motion picture industry has a presence in USA. For example, usually WaltDisney  or Hollywood produce a movie and later launch a game related to the specific movie.

Japan creates games, which are fantastic without a need to produce a film. One of those games is Ace Attorney. I should confess that this particular game has influenced me in the game designs I have been involved.

Now, for me, an interesting fact was to discover that Japan is producing a movie of this game, ace attorney. Hmmm….  Wondering about watching a film from my game, with live action, with actors, instead of anime or a manga. Interesting…..

Some years ago, when I was newer in the world of research and posting,  I posted about west-east trends as in this link in January 2008 and  this link in May 2008. But I never suspect the trends to go in this direction. I enjoy to be surprised!

For sure I want to watch the movie!

south korea amusement parks

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Week 4, 2012
Joensuu, Finland

Oh, my playful me! As much as I enjoy learning, traveling, discovering, being in the nature,….  I also like amusement parks. 🙂 Actually, I should write a post of my last trip to Disney, even if it was some years ago. It was AWESOME! I traveled with my mom (only she and I), I got an overdose of Mickey Mouse while I was having a great time 😉 I played all what I could play! and my mom was my accomplice in the whole thing! So cool!  🙂

However, this post aims to add publicly two destinations into my wishing list of amusement parks that I would like to visit.  I foresee that sooner than later I will be visiting Korea.

The first park is the 4D Life Park, which it  utilizes – apparently – creatively the digital technology. Playing with light and sound is something SO appealing for me, interactivity, images, all those special effects…. (thanks Teemu for the info!)   Yes, a place I want to experience! .  Second, and because I would be already visiting Korea, I should drop by Robotland.

It feels as if future is meeting our present, strange!