Rock Band Cover
So I while I enjoy computers and even like second life, I find video games kinda terrifying. I used to watch my brother play games all the time when I was little, however I never wanted to join in. In high school when my guy friends would play games like Halo and Mario Cart, I had a lot of fun hanging out with them, but I never wanted to join in. I was really scared that I would be awful at the games because I hadn’t grown up playing games and wasn’t at all used to what the controls did. So when in class on Wednesday when I realized I would have to play a game this weekend I was pretty scared and really unsure how I was going to do this. Then on Saturday I found out that some friends of mine where going to play Rock Band and I jumped at the chance to join in. I figured if I had to play a game I would want to be with friends.
FASHION! Yes, that’s right… I do also read Vogue. I’m a girly gamer, I admit it. (Dang, mentioned gaming, gotta work on that :P)
Okay, not that girly, but I do enjoy reading fashion magazines (I mean, OMG! Isn’t that the whole reason to play Rock Band one and two? The clothes? I mean, the shooooooooooooes, the guitars, the mics, the whole arsenel of consumerist abilities!) and I noticed in a past Vogue article about Body Padding was quite pertinent to our previous conversations regarding the body as a technology. Thought y’all might have some interest. Also this slideshow of images of beauty from Vogue is an interesting look at art and technology. The Last photo is especially interesting (because it does relate a little to the “strength in gaming” issues regarding women) as it has the skinniest model alive holding a monstertruck aloft.
Eva, Madge and I worked together this past week for our online gaming evaluations and we all found that we had a few common earlier online experiences. We recalled how when chatrooms we first available, the first question you would get asked online was a/s/l?. For those who’ve never encountered this acronym before, it stands for age/sex/location and you usually never presented this information unless you were asked it. Of course no one could really know if I was lying but somehow I always felt that the internet was not as vast as it really was so anyone could really narrow down and find me and I alwas adjusted my age slightly to be older but always said female…I was what, 14? How did I know how 18 year old guys sounded online? Eva,Madge and I spoke about chatrooms for a while and got nostalgic but I couldn’t help but think how dangerous those chatrooms really were. I don’t go into any chats anymore mostly due to this fear that the person on the other end is not who they seem to be. What if that guy that I had a “cybercrush” on from romania really wasn’t a blond jock who liked the simpsons? The possibilites of who he could be are endless and terrifying. I suppose back then I believed everyone online was who they really were…maybe because I was a newbie to the internet, really hadn’t been exposed to much cyber crime coming from a middle/upper class home in new york, or really didn’t understand why anyone would want to be anyone other than themselves online. For the last reason I suppose I felt people really did want to connect with other people and hiding yourself would hinder that process. After creating a character in second life, playing wow and being apart of halo for xbox, I totally understand!
I do have to correct my statement in class the other day. I said second life was more my speed but not that I found it particularly enjoyable. I liked just walking around (and the sweet dance moves I could do) but that’s about it. I found alot of people who had inside jokes from the game and encountered more people I didn’t understand (language barrier and clashing personalities) than I think I ever have in the physical world. I felt out of place and really lost online…it felt like someone could violate me and I was powerless without my fists. I guess in retrospect my switch to halo seemed appropriate. The number one thing I learned from halo is that I do not have thumb/index finger/palm coordination. I had to move my head with one controlly and walk with another which took about an hour of getting used and even after that I was stuck almost always looking and walking at a wall. The game is very violent for those who aren’t familiar and has supernatural elements which I don’t quite get but despite those misunderstandings on my part, I found myself getting into the game more than I ever thought I would. I was frustrated when I couldn’t save someone or even jump from one building to the other. I used to thing me and video games never could really get along but I think I discovered more about myself by playing halo than I ever did hating it.
Last week, I tried out Second Life on a few different occasions. I first signed up for an account and downloaded the program to my own computer (and discovered that, although my laptop is pretty fast & efficient, it has a hard time handling such an intense program!). Although I complained about the limited options on the avatar-building sites, I found that I was frustrated with having too many options on Second Life. I don’t feel the need to customize everything down the width of my nostrils!
I found myself plunked down in the beginning world of Caledon, Oxbridge, which seemed fine, though I wasn’t entirely sure why I ended up there of all places. A few people (mods, I’m assuming… is that what they are called in SL?) asked if I had any questions, but I responded that I was just looking around. I spent a little time messing with my avatar’s appearance (and could not for the life of me figure out how to change the hair!), and did not pay much attention to other users, except for when some person with huge, crazy hair came up and stood behind me, and said, quite profoundly, “i’m behind you.” That creeped me out a little bit, so I moved, tried and failed to change my shirt, and got off SL not long after that.
My second foray into SL was right before class on Wednesday, and somewhat more eventful than the first. I finally figured out how to alter the color of my shirt and pants, and how to make my hair longer and brown instead of short and blackish/brown. My avatar still looked nothing like me, really, but I felt better moving about in the game once I was able to customize it a little more. I realized that I felt less of a desire to make it look exactly like myself than I did when making the stationary avatars, partly because I knew I would be interacting with other people on SL, and also because it would take way too long for me to get it to look exactly like me… and too much work to find the items that would make that possible. So, I wandered around the Oxbridge area for a bit, purposely trying to find populated spots. I stopped in an area where a couple of mods were chatting, said hello to them and again assured them that I had no questions, and played with my appearance a little bit more. This is when I was approached by a male avatar. At first, he didn’t say anything, just stood there. I watched and wondered what would happen. And then he told me I had a nice ass. Just like that: “nice ass.”
read more…
I have a history playing videogames since I was in elementary school. So video games are nothing new to me. Rather than writing a blog post about what games I am playing now I think it would be much more interesting to blog about my experience watching other people play games.
Over the weekend I helped two classmates experience various hand held consoles which consisted of the DS and the PSP -3000. I laid various games out ranging from fighting to (Role Playing Games) RPG”s. Considering this is a gender and technology class I was quite interested in what game my fellow peers would select and enjoy playing. I predicted that the puzzle, rhythm, or RPG genres would be selected. I rated rhythm games highest, RPG second and puzzle third. Granite this was just a thought inthe back of my head.
When a game was selected both ended up playing and sticking with two different types of music/rhythm games. Now I won’t lie, I did ask them if they would be interested in playing the games. But they could have always said “No.” So inevitably they did choose the games on there own.
You may be asking yourself why I thought a music/rhythm game would be the chosen game? The reason is when I talk with female gamers I notice they are much more likely to to almost never categorize themselves as “hardcore” gamers as males. I think this has to do with the definition of a hardcore gamer. Females probably suspect eating and breathing around videogames with mild breaks in between for bathroom breaks. In this respect the average casual female gamer is more likely to know or recognize certain types of games.
Some of these games include:
1. The Sims 2. DDR (Dance Dance Revolution) 3. Pokemon 4. Mario Games (Regardless of the version/consol/sequel/or game he is in.)
Looking at these games we can briefly categorize them. The Sims is a RPG. DDR is a music simulator. Pokemon is a RPG and for this example we’ll say mario too, even though he has many titles including action and platform.
In my opinion if there exists a pattern around the types of games female gamers often play or feel comfortable playing then it would make sense why the gaming industries often stereotype “games for girls.” What I mean by this is how the games are marketed and to who. We see the DS and the newest installment the Dsi being considered more young adolescent male and largely female. The newest commercial uses pop star Beyonce to show how fun and interesting using a DSi is! Watch the commercial on youtube here and notice what game she plays. (watch?v=1QVWwrZyz7o) The Wii as well is categorized as a “family unit” with commercials showing whole families that include young children to senior citizens. (watch?v=OOT6TsfUR30)
Now look at the difference with the PS2/3 and XBox/360. Here is a banned commercial for the Xbox which I enjoy. I think the commerical was banned in the U.S. but not in other countries? Don’t quote me on this. I never remember personally seeing it on T.V. (watch?v=ejRd1jJzvBI&feature=PlayList&p=868B1C172E7B2DC5&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=1) Notice how in the previous commercials females settings were used? Family, fun, comfort, and sharing were the overall messages? Now with this commercial we can visually see males and females and there are no children present. First we notice how the commercial starts with a male protagonist who retaliates/initiates the whole “fake gunplay” experience. This commercial shows competition, aggresiveness, and (fake) violence. Notice how no one is spared during this fun playing. This is different than the wholesome gameplay that a family experience with the wii is supposed to offer. Or even the relaxed and carefree DSi experience Beyonce promises.
Continuing with imaginary guns and Xbox, this video shows the auditions for the people casted in the background for the previous video. They use an elderly lady and a middle aged man role playing with fake guns. Once again notice the differences. The man actually reloads the gun while the elderly lady starts off with a gun and then ends with firebombs? The video makes it apparent she isn’t comfortable with pretending to have a gun. (watch?v=b9CK37sqoz0&feature=related)
It would be interesting to know if anyone else found gender differences in the types of games they enjoyed over others and why. In class a lot of people have expressed there dislike of Second Life due to it’s complexity. It would be interesting to know how many males versus females frequently play Second Life.
Ugh, okay, I know we’ve already moved into the next section of the class, but I realized that I started my 3/4 feedback and never finished/posted it, but that I really should… so, here it is. Going to hide it under a more tag so as to be as unobtrusive as possible! And write a more timely, relevant post soon. 🙂
Virtual Worlds: What’s so “virtual” about ’em?
Okay, so this is some more stream of consciousness going on. I enjoyed discussing things in class today (Er, at the time it was Wednesday… yes it’s been sitting on my comp for a while…), especially when it started getting a little on the loopy side with the definition of self. Such a definition of self (especially in regards to identity) is especially important to me because I feel it ties in with the idea of “virtual” and “reality”.
Apparently, cybersex is viewed as a form of psychological disorder since people who do sit in front of their monitors and just let their fingers glide over their keyboards can experience a wide range of sexual pleasures which they probably fail to get physically in the real world. The cybersex addict’s life is similar to the types of addictions that other people have with gambling, alcohol and drugs. What I don’t understand is how people can even derive such sex drives by lounging around chat rooms and by looking at pornographic sites (these sites are more explicit, but still!). Is the lack of intimacy and the excessive social awkwardness the main contributors to such behavior? Some common sense should be applied when one tries to start up a relationship online since the lines between what’s fake and what’s real is blurred in those territories. Some people either take it seriously or they might just get depressed when their fantasies come to an abrupt end.
This article I found can give readers a lot of information about the impact of cyber sex on the community as a whole- nytimes/cybersexbehavior
With our informal debate on Wednesday concerning the boundaries of onseself, I was very concerned with the idea of reality. Are the fantastic scenarios that play in our active imaginations just as real as our actual life experiences? If so, the implication here is that reality is subjective. My paper for my Neurobiology and Behavior class this semester concerned the emerging field of neuroplasticity. From its meaning, neuroplasticity implies that the brain is a constantly evolving organ. A study conducted at Harvard University that elucidated the notion of an ever-changing brain. Researchers of the study wanted to observe the effects on the motor cortex of the brain by actual, physical practice on a piano versus the effects on the motor cortex by imagining doing the same physical exercise. Two groups were employed: one that actually practiced on the piano and another that just looked at the musical notes and imagined playing them. Before and after each exercise, the motor cortex region was measured for expansion on every individual in both groups. By the end of the study, it was found that both groups displayed approximately the same expansion of the motor cortex thus suggesting that concentrating on doing something is comparable to actually practicing the activity in terms of information absorption by the brain. Thinking is just the same as doing.
But where does it end? Where does non-reality end and reality begin? Is there even a line? As mentioned in class, to extend the notion of self beyond our bodies would be a “slippery slope”. I personally hold the body and actual life experiences as more sacred than whatever goes on inside a game. To me, body is more important than fantasy.
ZY’s post made me wonder what other iphone apps of a similar nature were out there. I found three apps in the top 25 paid apps that featured hyper sexualized images or “games” of women. Here are a couple of pictures of some of their itunes previews:
This extremely simple invention fulfills all three categories of what makes innovation worthwhile in my mind, it saves money, it saves people, and it saves the environment. What more could one want?
Inventor turns cardboard boxes into ecofriendly oven
While there is nothing gendered about this technology in and of itself, it holds the possibility for positive change, particularly for women. Often times, the women are the family members who have to gather wood to use for cooking. If this invention works in the field, and can be widespread, maybe women won’t have to spend so much time looking for wood, and devote their time to other tasks.
Also, what does it mean that this solar oven (not an entirely new concept at all) was developed by a man who lives in a place where there is really no need for cardboard box ovens?
I found this new Girl Gamer site that just went live, so there’s not a huge amount of content there yet. What I found interesting, though, was that there seem to be quite a few men on the site, contributing to the discussion in postive ways. I find the site a little hard to navigate, but it definitely looks fun.
Where does the self stop? How far does it extend?
With thanks to Sugar Spice, George and Roldine (who were roped into doing this):
two contrasting images of the self: where it stops, how far it extends.
Don’t miss the real life (?) question of application below: Can Virginity Be Lost OnLine?
I was sent this through the ASA list-serve just now and I am INFURIATED. Any thoughts?
link is here: http://www.racialicious.com/2009/04/08/fetish-goes-high-tech-the-cute-asian-girls-iphone-app/
The publisher’s description is as follows:
“Cute Asian Girls. Need I say more?
Cute Asian Girls gives you HUNDREDs of photos of the most beautiful asian girls you have ever seen. Whether you’re looking for asian girls with weapons, or girls in maid uniforms, or even just the casual girl in a summer dress, we have them all! Our photo collection is growing by the day and will continue growing by the truckload. Every day will introduce new photos for your viewing pleasure.
Download as many asian girl photos as your heart desires for free after you buy the app. Use them as your wallpaper, send them to friends, or set them as your contact’s photos.
Download it here!
or if you have any concerns or questions, contact us at support@stuckpixelinc.com”
This is the most offensive thing I’ve ever seen. Aside from the fact that it’s extremely racist (and I’m appalled that Apple even approved it as an application), it’s further evidence of people turning to technology to fulfill their fantasies.
Also, the comments on the site are really interesting to read. One person commented: “Well, i think it’s high time we all start questioning the idea that technology is gender neutral… with most of the software industry dominated by teenage males, exactly what should we expect?”
I just finished talking to my friend Jason on MSN messenger. I met him a couple of years ago in an MMO. Both of us have moved on to other online communities, but we still talk nearly everyday. Anyway, he shared an interesting experience with me that reminded me of today’s discussion, which he gave me permission to write about with the condition that I give him a fake name.
In October, he hit it off with a girl on a forum-based RPG. Apparently they had a lot of things in common, and talked on the phone a few times. About a week after they met online, they decided to have cybersex. They’d both agreed that whatever happened online would stay online, and that having sexual relations through instant messenger was not the same as having actual sex. After it happened, he went back to just being friends with her, but she started behaving as if they were in a long-distance relationship. This made him uncomfortable, and he started avoiding her. Pretty soon, they were fighting more often than not. Eventually, they stopped talking altogether.
Well, yesterday he heard from her for the first time in months. They had a long conversation about what had happened between them, and as it turns out, she believed that Jason had taken her virginity and as a result, expected a greater level of emotional attachment from him. The specifics of what he told me, I found very interesting: she had never had sexual relations in real life, and he was not the first person she had cybered with. But according to her, he was the first person she had “gotten off” with while cybering, and thus the first person she ever shared an orgasm with. While Jason was talking to me, I got the sense that he was pretty bewildered – and honestly, I don’t blame him. I would be too, if I realized I’d taken someone’s virginity without leaving my computer.
Before we had this conversation, it had never even occured to me that something like that was possible. In fact, my first thought was that it was all a bunch of BS, and that she was just trying to lay a guilt-trip on him. I’m still not entirely convinced that she wasn’t. But then I thought back to today’s discussion, and how it’s so difficult to draw that line sometimes between reality and virtual reality. Maybe they just happen to draw that line in different places.
But, I think I’ll throw this question out there to anyone who stumbles across this post. Is it possible to lose your virginity online?
