Task Numero 4

Part One:
This exercise is intended to get you thinking about identity in digital spaces, but also for some self reflection on how you might ‘present’ yourself in these spaces.

What MMORPG did you (hypothetically) decide to play?

What compelled you to choose this game over the other?

I hypothetically decided to play Everquest II because I knew someone who failed like 4 courses at Brock due to a World of Warcraft addiction and I did not want to hypothetically follow in his footsteps. Clearly, Everquest is the right choice.

What race did you choose – why? What appealed to you? What didn’t?

Kerra

Kerra worship the spirits of the land and those of their ancestors.  Their often docile demeanor masks the fearsome and powerful predators that they are.  Kerra are a large humanoid feline race, their bodies covered in fur with colors and patterns denoting their lineage. They are tall and powerful with great agility, their tails able to perform menial tasks almost with minds of their own.Kerra are a neutral race. Kerra who start in Qeynos are good, those who start in Freeport are evil.

I was drawn more towards good but figured choosing a neutral player would be nice because who knows, maybe I would like to test out my dark side. Might be more fun. Also, because tigers look badass and I liked the sound of myself being a 'tigress'. About the Kerra itself I was interested in the connection to the land in being an animal. They are beautiful but dangerous and unpredictable at the same time. I think that sounds like a lot of fun in a roleplaying environment.

What class did you choose – why? What appealed to you? What didn’t?
Ranger 

Rangers are unrivaled in their ability to hunt foes and scout dangers in the untamed wilds of Norrath.  Known for sneaking safely through dangerous territory, Rangers use stealth, perception and cunning to seek out enemies and fell them from a distance with a deadly volley of arrows.

I chose the class of the ranger because instead of just using their brute force they use “cunning, stealth & perception” which I think is highly admirable. Also adventuring through a forest sounds like something I would enjoy very much because I love the outdoors, even the virtual outdoors. 

What would you name your character?
raassci- my name all jumbled.. sounds fierce though (silent c! like 3 sss's crazy, i know)

What kind of personality would your character have?
My avatar would probably have a personality similar to myself, kind and caring but I would embrace the Kerra and Ranger and be totally unpredictable and strategic about my gameplay.

Is this anything like your ‘real life/physical’ identity?
Yes but instead of just trying to please the people around me I might try to be more misleading, not in a negative way but in a more mysterious way. That would be cool. 

Do you have any avatars/characters that you are using now in any type of video/computer game or virtual world?
No I do not!

Does your character/avatar’s appearance or personality really matter to you when you’re playing a game or when you’re immersed in a virtual world? (you can answer this whether you’ve played before or not or whether you have an avatar or not). Would it depend on what you’re playing?
Yes it would totally matter to me. I would want to be unique, not blend in with all of the other shmoes. Even if that means I would be singled out, it would just show me who I should not play with / stay away from. Its just like in real life: you don’t want fake friends. My appearance would be a clue to others who I am and I think it would definitely keep me more invested in the game. I would care more about winning or losing. 

Part Two:

Thinking about the things you could talk about in your research paper – the discussion topics you noted on Monday – what theory or theories could you apply to your discussion topics (give at least two)?

(Cultivation) Symbolic annihilation: Cultivation theory says that heavy TV viewers opinions, values, and thoughts are mainstreamed by what they see and more in line with those presented in the TV world. To use cultivation theory with the Internet I would say that the games we play effect what we think about. Therefore in serious gaming, the effects must be great. Symbolic annihilation would be a key concept to discuss because it explains when something is not on tv it is not something that heavy tv viewers think about. Translated to the Internet, is there a difference now that serious games are present. Was the environment a victim of symbolic annihilation before Climate Challenge? And therefore is the impact of this game present simply because it is present. 

Overall, this is an interesting tidbit but I don’t think it would be best for my paper because it kind of looks at the past. I would need to combine this information with something else 

Uses & Gratifications Theory: says that people use specific media for specific things rather than using it passively. This theory challenges a passive audience so I would use it to analyze whether this game is used by people for a specific reason. Do players play it to gain knowledge or solely for entertainment. Uses & Gratifications would suggest gamers would play it for a benefit like knowledge. Does this translate into environmental activism?

This theory makes sense to see the cause & effect relationship between the game and the player. If people actively seek out media such as serious games, why do they? It is a strong theory because it challenges the passive audience. Its weakness would be that it is a ‘simple’ theory. Could be combined with dependency theory that says people need information form the mass media/Internet, and the more relevance the message the greater the impact. If the target audience is young voters, does the increased relevance mean a greater impact on that target audience? 

Hall’s Cultural Studies: This theory says that the mass media manufacture consent for dominant ideologies. Interesting fact: this game is sponsored by the BBC (mass media). There are clearly strong ideologies being communicated through these serious games that are associated with ethical and moral thought. But are they? 

This theory would be useful for my research paper because it could be used to analyze the usefulness of the game. Is this serious game just another part of the culture industry, or is it more grassroots, a challenge to the status quo? Does the game contribute to acts of hegemony (tells us whats important, what to think, what to do?) or does it revert hegemonic sources, and act as a vehicle to encourage the player’s independent agency as a citizen.