Gaming

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Gaming Gamers

• Constance A. Steinkuehler
• Kurt D. Squire
• University of WisconsinMadison

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1972
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Zork 1977
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Pac Man 1980
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Super Mario Bros. 1985
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Tetris 1985
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Mortal Kombat 1992
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1972
1977
1980
1985
1990
1993
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1994-2004
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Quake 2. c. 1997
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Civilization III 2001
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Railroad Tycoon 1998
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The Sims 2000
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Deus Ex 2000
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Full Spectrum Warrior 2004
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Final Fantasy X1
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Lineage II 2004
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Star Wars Galaxies 2003
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Star Wars Galaxies 2003
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Videogames are a push technology
Dmitri Williams (2004)
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Which Videogames?
PuzzleGames
SimulationGames
Real TimeStrategy
First Person Shooter
Arcade Games
Massively Multiplayer Online Games
SportsGames
Role Playing
AdventureGames
Survival Horror
God Games
Abstract / Rhythm Games
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Massively MultiplayerOnline Games (MMOGs)

• Highly graphical 2- or 3-D videogames
• Online social interaction
• Persistent virtual worlds ?
• Real-time, perpetually accessible
• Loosely structured by open-ended (fantasy)
  narratives, but
• Players free to do as they please
• Escapist fantasy yet emergent social realism
  (Kolbert, 2001)?

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Why should libraries care about videogames?
Q
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MMOGaming is a constellation of literacy
practices.
A
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the literacy scare
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There is a basic social divide between those for
whom life is an accrual of fresh experience and
knowledge readers, and those for whom maturity
is a process of mental atrophy non-readers. The
shift toward the latter category is frightening
Electronic media tend to be torpidand invite
inert reception.
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yet
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MMOGaming as a Constellation of Literacy
Practices
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in-game talk
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MMOG In-Game Talk
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orally delivered narratives
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Orally Delivered Narratives
Official Game Narrative
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Orally Delivered Narrative
Liadon you know hwo the fairies originally came
into Liadon Being, right? Adeleide nohow? Liadon
Oooh, story time! Liadon once, back when the
world was young and the Liadon gods roamed teh
world as mortals, einhasad Liadon was in the
foreset Liadon and decided to create the race of
elves Liadon none of the other creatures wanted
to help Liadon because they did not know it was
einhasad in Liadon her mortal form Adeleide oh! Li
adon But 4 exceptionally kind creatures did
give Liadon Their assistance Liadon that is
anothe rstory entirely, but one was Liadon The
humble butterfly Liadon She did not have much to
offer, but spared Liadon some dust from her wings
to allow einhasad Liadon to make the
elves Liadon as a reward, those butterflies who
assisted Liadon were given the gift of
immortality and made Liadon fairies Liadon The
fairy queen was the original butterfly Adeleide ho
w did u know all that? Liadon Im' smart
p Liadon Every elf knows that. Liadon Seriously,
though. the mother tree told me
prefacing activity
context
goal conflict
resolution
punchline
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in-game letters
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Invitations to meetings
Greetings, I would like to know if you could
assist to a meeting with Lady Cattypants on
Monday, April the 15th anywhere between 13pm or
15pm CST. You set the time. This is to discuss
potential alliance with RoH (and you if you wish)
as well as strikes to ...
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the magic circle is a fuzzy boundary.
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multiple attentional spaces (Lemke)
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official fandom
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official discussion boards
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MMOG Fan Fiction
official fan fiction
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MMOG Fan Websites
links out to unofficial fandom
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For the most part I enjoy finding my own
information, it feels somehow rewarding because
the majority of the informationI come by is from
interactive online communities, like fansites and
forumsLiadon, 22Oct04
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unofficial fandom
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MMOG Fan Websites
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collective databases
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LoA website - entry
clansites
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LoA website - ss
annotatedphoto albums
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LoA website - forums
clandiscussion boards
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LoA website - email
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game-character emails
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MMOG Fan Websites
personalgameblogs
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fan fiction
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MMOG Fan Fiction
Blinding Twilightby OrientKnight, Depardieufor
Kushie
As dawn eclipsed the town of Aden, it seemed that
its light would never reach the end of the grand
city. Built under the tyrannical rule of Ken
Rauhel and the corrupt mage Cerenis, it seemed
almost impossible that such a beautiful city was
grounded in their despotic ideals. I looked
across the horizon and nudged at Kushiel, who had
fallen asleep during last nights vigil
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MMOG Fan Fiction
Subject New StoryDate Wed, 26 Feb 2003 1235
ESTFrom OrientKnightTo PrincessAdeleideAttach
ments BlindingTwilight.rtf Man, you guys have
come so far, too bad i didn't go with you guys to
LoA, i also quit for like 2 months so i haven't
leveled at all. Newayz good luck on your journey
through lineage and im glad you never quit i
included a new story if you would like to read or
post up, its awesome even though i just used
it to hit on this girl... Sincerely,OrientKnight
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you mean you like to write?!
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MMOG Fan Fiction
SharpPaw oh yeah! to celebrate me coming back to
pledge SharpPaw being rank ive decided to write
another story! SharpPaw for site! Adeleide omg
do it! we need more stories!
SharpPaw o'course SharpPaw in fact ive
planned it SharpPaw i got the PERFECT story idea
the other day when . . . . . .
SharpPaw its called An Old Knight's
Tale SharpPaw youll see it within the next 2-3
months
Adeleide wow! do u like to write in ur spare
time? SharpPaw well na i like to play this in my
spare time
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MMOGaming is a constellation of literacy
practices.
A
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Why should libraries care about videogames?
Q
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MMOGs function as a new third place, especially
for American youth.
A
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bowling alone hypothesis Putnam (2000)
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Trust has dwindled.
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Civic involvement has tanked.
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(motivations)
suburban dream?
WWII 13 m no down payment
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Critique of society
Efficiency.
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Critique of school
Industry.
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Putnam Media are displacing crucial civic
social institutions.
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3rd space
the third place
the third place
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the peoples own remedy for stress,loneliness,
and alienation
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Characteristics of a Third Place

• Neutral Ground
• Leveler
• Conversation is Main Activity
• Accessibility Accommodation
• The Regulars
• A Low Profile
• Mood is Playful
• A Home Away from Home

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I. Neutral Ground
people can be sociable only when they have ome
protection from each other - Sennett (1977)
avatars, no entangling obligations
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II. Leveler
It didnt matter what you drove to the arcade.
If you sucked at Asteroids, you just sucked. -
Herz (1997)
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III. Conversation is Main Activity
Lineage? Its just a souped up form of instant
messenger.- Chimerea, informant
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IV. Accessibility Accommodation
24/7
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V. The Regulars
78 of MMOGamers join a clan.
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VI. A Low Profile
characteristically homely?
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?
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parabolic curve
Woodcock (2004)
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VII. Mood is Playful
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Playfulness
OMG! I LOST MY PRISED CARROT! HAVE ANY OF YOU
SEEN IT LIEING AROUND ANYWHERE!? IVE CHECK MY
STORAGE PLENTY OF TIMES BUT I JUST CANT SEEM TO
FIND MY LIL OL CARROT If u see my carrot let me
know Iron lost his carrot
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Playfulness
Arr, Im A PirateFanArt by ThePirate
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VIII. A Home Away from Home
Seamons (1979) 5 defining traits rootedness,
feelings of possession, spiritual regeneration,
feelings of being at ease, and warmth
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VIII. A Home Away from Home
Seamons (1979) 5 defining traits rootedness,
feelings of possession, spiritual regeneration,
feelings of being at ease, and warmth
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SharpPaw URGENT September 14, 2004Guys i
need to explain whats going on and why i havent
been online. I live on the Gulf Coast and As some
of you may know, Hurricane Ivan is in the gulf as
we speak and is charging toward my City. I dont
want anyone to worry but this storm is a category
4 with Windspeeds of 140 mph The protection
service called for a MANDANTORY EVACUATION while
i was at school today and we had to go. I have to
hurry so i can cover my comp and unplug
everything in my room. We havent had a hurricane
this bad where i live in 30 years and i want
everyone to know that if i dont come back on
lineage after a while it probly means somthing
happened to my computer. Ill discuss it more with
everyone when i get back. I have AIM on my
Cellphone, PLEASE IM me at omitted or omitted
if the first one doesnt work Noone needs to be
concerned and i guess ill see u all after the
storm!
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Characteristics of a Third Place
?

• Neutral Ground
• Leveler
• Conversation is Main Activity
• Accessibility Accommodation
• The Regulars
• A Low Profile
• Mood is Playful
• A Home Away from Home

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MMOGs function as a new third place, especially
for American youth.
A
X
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Why should libraries care about videogames?
Q
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If videogames are becoming the new third space,
the next generation of library patrons may expect
institutions with similar features. The social
features of video-games present one model for
what tomorrows libraries could look like.
A
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not just hardware, but norms as well.
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Toward an Ethos of MMOGaming

• Meritocracy
• Decentralized authority (Beck Wade)
• Socio-technical skills over status
• Reciprocal apprenticeship

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Toward an Ethos of MMOGaming

• Meritocracy
• Decentralized authority (Beck Wade)
• Socio-technical skills over status
• Reciprocal apprenticeship
• Participatory Culture
• Production / consumption problematized
• Collective intelligence (Levy)

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Toward an Ethos of MMOGaming

• Meritocracy
• Decentralized authority (Beck Wade)
• Socio-technical skills over status
• Reciprocal apprenticeship
• Participatory Culture
• Production / consumption problematized
• Collective intelligence (Levy)
• Awareness of different games
• Multitasking across multiple attentional spaces
  (Lemke)
• At ease with dynamic evolving knowledge /
  practice

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Toward an Ethos of MMOGaming

• Meritocracy
• Decentralized authority (Beck Wade)
• Socio-technical skills over status
• Reciprocal apprenticeship
• Participatory Culture
• Production / consumption problematized
• Collective intelligence (Levy)
• Awareness of different games
• Multitasking across multiple attentional spaces
  (Lemke)
• At ease with dynamic evolving knowledge /
  practice
• Primacy of the subjective
• Commitment of self in activity, group

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Implications

• learning thru apprenticeship
• community renewal
• decentralized authority
• enculturation into values, not just practice .

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What does this mean?
We should design better ones!
Were all out of jobs!
Lets try to understandthis a little better first
Lets turn everythinginto games
Ban themwherever we can!
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Games as a social push

• Indigenous to digital age
• Quintessential example of new media
• Increasingly transmedia
• Enculturating force for youth
• Recruits, even requires literacies
• Kids grow up media makers
• Sites of social disruptions
• Legal (Who owns my character?)
• Economic (Is game income taxable?)

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Themes

• Distributed Intelligence
• Consumers ? producers
• Official texts appropriated into fandom
• Disruptions of power (access, control)
• Multiple multimedia, multimodality attentional
  spaces (Lemke)
• Fuzzy boundaries between RL VL
• Internet as both tool place
• Meaning tied to identities in communities
• Equity issues / digital divide

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The Digital Disconnect

• Kids online more than parents
• 78 of children 12 17 go online.
• Personally meaningful learning
• Virtual reference library.
• Virtual tutor and study shortcut.
• Virtual study group
• Virtual guidance counselor
• Key Finding
• We have not yet recognizedmuch less responded
  tothe new ways use the Internet. Pew Internet
  Project, 2003

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Emergent information spaces
Collectiveintelligence
Open Source Information
RedistributingPower
Access to social affiliations
International
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t y v m !

• http//website.education.wisc.edu/kdsquire
• kdsquire_at_education.wisc.edu
• http//www.sit.wisc.edu/steinkuehler
  steinkuehler_at_wisc.edu

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