When playing as a young boy, many of my favorite activities involved exploration. Finding something new was always exhilarating for me. When I was in early high school, I began to explore in a different way: through online Massive Multiplayer Online games (I played a predecessor of World of Warcraft). While I got to see new virtual, fantasy environments, it wasn't nearly as nourishing as being outside, able to touch what I saw. This enjoyment of finding new things continued on into my teenage years and adulthood.
Seeing the real world can't be replaced by the virtual world yet. Some designers are making games that encourage getting into the world, and exploring.
These games and other apps augment reality with a layer of participation, exploration, or with some sort of goal in mind. The industry term for this type of game is ARG (Alternate Reality Game, or Augmented Reality Game). An ARG which readers may be familiar with is Foursquare. Foursquare is a game where, during your day, you check-in to places you have visited in reality. Each check-in gets you points, depending on how often you go, how long it has been since visiting, and if any friends have visited first. This game is simple, but it can get a hold of you. My lady-partner and I often race to see who can check-in first at restaurants. My phone usually wins; it's dual-core... Perhaps the most rewarding part is that if you have checked-in more days than other visitors, you are crowned Mayor of the location.
ARG's can be much more than this. Thanks mostly to updated mobile phone technology (GPS, compass and faster mobile internet), and games like Foursquare, a new game has appeared in the last few months that promises to change ARG style gaming for years to come. Ingress, described simply, is a game of capture the flag meets Foursquare. Players choose one of two teams and travel to local landmarks where "portals" have sprung up (there are about 50 to 60 portals in Boulder County, Colorado, and more are coming all the time). Teams form a network of portals, in an attempt to capture all portals in an area. Of course, the dynamic and scale of gameplay makes holding a popular portal for very long a near impossible task. Perhaps the most attractive element of the game is that it is played in the real world. I can't just sit down, move my thumbs around and play; Ingress uses GPS to determine where you are, so if you aren't actually at a Portal, you aren't playing the game.
People around the world are playing these games. Alternate Reality could change the way people play. Games where you have to get Mario to the end of the level take very little effort from our bodies, but demands a lot from our attention. It doesn't demand much at all from us as people, which could make it a lower-quality type of play. Our bodies need activity just as much as our minds do. ARGs have the ability to take two basic Body/Mind needs and combine them into a holistic, nourishing activity.
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Distraction Described, Play Encouraged: Book Recommendations
In learning and researching for articles, I have been reading many books on the subject of distraction, technology, and video games. My speculation is that if you are reading this, you may also be interested in these topics. I would like to recommend two books which can reveal the depth of distraction and expansion this big, big Internet can cultivate so effortlessly.
One of the first books I picked up is from journalist Nicholas Carr, titled The Shallows: What the Internet is Doing to Our Brains. It is an in-depth exploration of the history, neurobiology, psychology and development of distraction. It will turn your opinion of your phone upside down, you will question the need for every notification, e-mail, and tweet you send...
Here is a brief passage from the chapter, "The Juggler's Brain:"
My next recommendation is all about games. Everyone loves games, and author, Jane McGonigal, can tell you why. McGonigal is a game-designer with a unique specialty and perspective on games which she explains in Reality is Broken: Why Games Make us Better and How They Can Change the World. Games do not have to be demonized, they should be praised for the positive emotion, social connections, and even personal growth they can bring to the player. For a quick intro to her work, her TEDtalk is well worth your while.
Another interesting "at-home-experiment" for you lovely readers would be her game, Superbetter, which is designed to help people identify and improve parts of themselves in areas of nutrition, mindfulness, fitness, optimism, quitting habits, and many other topics. As a game, it is challenging, because you are not playing to improve an avatar, you play with the added challenge of improving yourself. This could fall into the realm of a new phenomenon of "alternate reality games" which are games that are designed to be played in the real world, oftentimes they are played for positive, community-oriented outcomes. I will save some of the other "In Real Life" games for later posts.
Happy reading, and please post any questions or comments. Also, if you enjoyed this article, consider subscribing, or share any article with anyone who may find it interesting. It could really help me get some momentum to readership on ALOL. Thanks!
One of the first books I picked up is from journalist Nicholas Carr, titled The Shallows: What the Internet is Doing to Our Brains. It is an in-depth exploration of the history, neurobiology, psychology and development of distraction. It will turn your opinion of your phone upside down, you will question the need for every notification, e-mail, and tweet you send...
Here is a brief passage from the chapter, "The Juggler's Brain:"
"It's important to emphasize that the Net's ability to monitor events and automatically send out messages and notifications is one of its great strengths as a communication technology. We rely on that capability to personalize the workings of the system, to program the vast database to respond to our particular needs, interests, and desires. We want to be interrupted because each interruption brings us a valuable piece of information. To turn off these alerts is to risk feeling out of touch, or even socially isolated... We crave the new even when we know that "the new is more often trivial than essential""The essence of the book is in this passage. I especially enjoy the chapter titled "The Church of Google," where Carr brings readers on a tour of the development of Google, from the original site to the wide selection of free services, and the formation of Google Books. I think that section is especially poignant given Google's recent projects in both Google Glass and Google TV (which includes new fiber-optic internet project in Kansas City which puts major firms like Comcast and Verizon's internet to shame). With these, Google will probably take over the entertainment and mobile computing industries... Probably.
My next recommendation is all about games. Everyone loves games, and author, Jane McGonigal, can tell you why. McGonigal is a game-designer with a unique specialty and perspective on games which she explains in Reality is Broken: Why Games Make us Better and How They Can Change the World. Games do not have to be demonized, they should be praised for the positive emotion, social connections, and even personal growth they can bring to the player. For a quick intro to her work, her TEDtalk is well worth your while.
Another interesting "at-home-experiment" for you lovely readers would be her game, Superbetter, which is designed to help people identify and improve parts of themselves in areas of nutrition, mindfulness, fitness, optimism, quitting habits, and many other topics. As a game, it is challenging, because you are not playing to improve an avatar, you play with the added challenge of improving yourself. This could fall into the realm of a new phenomenon of "alternate reality games" which are games that are designed to be played in the real world, oftentimes they are played for positive, community-oriented outcomes. I will save some of the other "In Real Life" games for later posts.
Happy reading, and please post any questions or comments. Also, if you enjoyed this article, consider subscribing, or share any article with anyone who may find it interesting. It could really help me get some momentum to readership on ALOL. Thanks!
Friday, March 1, 2013
Tonight's the Night!
I can't deny a degree of excitement as I come closer to sundown, which is when I will switch off my electronics and observe the National Day of Unplugging. If you can, starting at sundown, switch off your phones, computers, tablets, televisions, and enjoy the analog world. At sundown tomorrow, go ahead and use the gadgets again.
Remember books? I do, I can't wait to get comfy with one for a few hours. Happy Unplugging.
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