Games: December 2002 Archive Page

"EverQuest has a decidedly constructive and cooperative tone to it. There is no blood in the game. No disemboweled intestines splatter on your screen. Instead, players often find themselves chatting while waiting for a mob to spawn. The ranger may be fletching as he recounts a particularly close battle. The warrior chugs some Dwarven Ale. There may be some emotes with playful, sexual overtones. In contrast with Quake or Diablo, this scene feels awfully relaxed and idyllic." Nick Yee --The Virtual Skinner BoxNickYee.com)

The "Skinner box" is the laboratory contraption that features a lever that dispenses food when a rat pushes it. The article observes that Everquest carefully conditions its players to perform ever more elaborate quests, by changing the reward system.

From the FAQ page: "7. Does Rock crush Scissors or is Scissors dulled by Rock?
There is no clear answer to that question. Younger and aggressive (or American) players tend to favour the Rock crushing Scissors view. More liberal-minded players take the view that scissors are dulled by the Rock. The World RPS Society created a task force in 1987 with a hope of eventually resolving the issue but it has been locked in debate and we no longer hold much hope of quick resolution."

--The Official Rock, Paper, Scissors Strategy GuideWorldRPS)

The Slashdot crowd seemed to enjoy the concept of creating 'bots to out-strategize each other. Still, some people have way, way too much time on their hands.

"What sort of recreation has the ability to absorb people to the extent that marriages break up, jobs are lost, and they lose friends? How does playing a game on a computer make someone lose functionality in the REAL world, because they want to spend too much time in some imaginary reality? For crying out loud, I thought, it's just a game." Jewels finds out the answer. --But in the End, They're Still Nothing More than VideogamesJive Magazine)

The author is credited as "photographer" for the screen shots of gaming action. That may be stretching it, but I did find the visuals stunning.

"DigiPen Institute of Technology is the first school in the world dedicated to computer science instruction as it applies to real-time interactive simulation programming. DigiPen is also one of the oldest computer animation schools in the world. Successful graduates of our programs gain the skills required to pursue careers in the rapidly growing world of computer technologies in general, and computer graphics and simulations in particular. We offer an unbeatable combination of practical game-making experience with strong academics." --DigiPen Institute of TechnologyDigiPen)

"The theater has been transformed into a multi-player gaming center in which patrons can challenge one another on some 80 computer games. Unlike a video arcade, players will compete against each other on such popular game systems as Microsoft's XBox, Sony's PlayStation 2 and Nintendo's GameCube. Where there used to be stadium-style theater seating, there are now comfortable executive leather chairs and computer monitors. When the gaming center opens in January, there also will be video screens of varying sizes hanging from the walls so gamers and spectators can view several different contests at once." Jennifer Davies

--Theaters Getting Game: Stadium-style room is transformed into a gaming centerSignOn San Diego)

The article doesn't clearly specify that this is about the transformation of a movie theater into a gaming arena -- so this article is really about the blending of movies and sports, rather than games and theatre. A few weeks ago I taught the 1990 play PICK UP AX, which features a "mood room" that uses a computer to interpret the physiological readings of the people in it. We also discussed selections from The Diamond Age, which features theatrical events in which paying customers interact with professional 'ractors (short for "interactors") in virtual reality.