I'm actually a genius =]

So, here we are again. I’ve got a special treat for all you loyal readers out there today; I had a spare hour between lectures, so I decided to do some work instead of wasting my ever-so-precious time. Enjoy…

I thought I might as well get some research done and actually make it look like I’m putting the effort in, so I scoured the internet for something about virtual 3D environments. My search led me to an article on www.terranova.blogs.com written by games designer Bob Moore. You can find the full article here.

Moore’s article is titled “On the Convergence of Virtual Worlds and Social Networking Sites,” and deals with the issues surrounding the merging of social networking sites (such as Myspace and Facebook) with online virtual environments (like Second Life).

Moore states “Virtual worlds and MMO [games] [(“Massively Multiplayer Online,” for those of you not in the know)] enable you to interact and play with friends online, add new people to your buddy list, monitor their online status and in some cases view their custom profiles. But there are important differences between World of Warcraft and Second Life on the one hand, and MySpace and Facebook on the other. First, virtual worlds not only provide social networking features, they also provide the world in which you meet people and play with them. The social networking features tend to be secondary to the simulated world itself. In contrast, social networking sites provide only the profiles and buddy lists, not the world.” Moore’s point is informed and relevant, as any gamer will tell you they rarely make their in-game avatars look authentic to represent their real-life image. Games and Virtual worlds allow the player some escapism, to become who they want to be, not who they are. Moore makes an observation on the phenomenon of internet-based escapism, “Behind one out of every two female characters is a male player.” I, myself, know this firsthand, as I made a female character in World of Warcraft (not because I want to be a girl, but because I don’t like the way the male characters are modelled). And yes, feel free to leave a comment calling me a geek; you know you want to…

I recommend you read the full article, as it makes interesting reading.

Anyway, the reason I posted this was to make a point about the course, and to contextualise my work within the modern climate (See, now who says students don’t listen to lecturers?). My point is that the concept of virtual environment is not an original one, it is a blend of games technology and the popularity of social networking. Therefore, I plan to study these two areas (as they are roots of the virtual environment) to assess and understand the concept of self-identity (our current module =P) on the internet and in the virtual environment. So, expect lots of work in the near future.

Until next time, I'm losing original ideas for farewells =(

- tom_349