Electronic Gaming• Gaming and other forms of play have been part of all

cultures• Processors, storage, distribution, acceleration, and

culture

• First displayed in America by Willie Higginbotham at Brookhaven Nat’l Lab

• First home console, the Brown Box, developed by Ralph Baer in 1968, released 1971 by Magnavox

• Atari, Computer Space, 2600, Activision

Electronic Gaming• Gaming and other forms of play have been part of all

cultures

• Play is important for social, physical, and cognitive development in all mammals

• Games as a formal pastime date back almost 5,000 years

History

• Senet

History

• Senet

History

• The Royal Game of Ur

History

• Ludus duodecim scriptorum

History

• Wei-Chi / Wei-Qi • (Go) (2000 BC)

History

• Wei-Chi / Wei-Qi • (Go) (2000 BC)

History

• Wei-Chi / Wei-Qi • (Go) (2000 BC)

History

• Tabula / Backgammon

History

• Chess (500s)

History

• Tarot

• Ouija

History

• Dungeons and Dragons (1977)

Backlash• Culture, and reactions to activities popular with

children, teens, and young adults• Comic books• Pinball• Music• Games

Backlash• Culture, and reactions to activities popular with

children, teens, and young adults• Comic books• Pinball• Music• Games

Backlash• Culture, and reactions to activities popular with

children, teens, and young adults• Comic books• Pinball• Music• Games

Backlash• Culture, and reactions to activities popular with

children, teens, and young adults• Comic books• Pinball• Music• Games

Backlash• Culture, and reactions to activities popular with

children, teens, and young adults• Comic books• Pinball• Music• Games

Backlash• Culture, and reactions to activities popular with

children, teens, and young adults• Comic books• Pinball• Music• Games

Backlash• Culture, and reactions to activities popular with

children, teens, and young adults• Comic books• Pinball• Music• Games

Electronic Gaming• Electronic Gaming has been a cultural, financial and

technological influence since its inception• Processors, storage, distribution, acceleration, and

culture

• First displayed in America by Willie Higginbotham at Brookhaven Nat’l Lab

Electronic Gaming

Electronic Gaming

Electronic Gaming• First home console, the Brown Box, developed by

Ralph Baer in 1968, released 1971 by Magnavox

Electronic Gaming• Atari, Computer Space, and Pong

Electronic Gaming• Atari, Computer Space, and Pong

Electronic Gaming• Largest mass-media releases for each of the last 10

years has been a video game

• “Grand Theft Auto IV, which on April 29, 2008, took the title of the most successful entertainment release in history. Within 24 hours, GTA IV had grossed $310m (£157m) – comfortably more than history's most successful book (Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows, at $220m in 24 hours) and its most successful film (Spider-Man 3 at $117m)”http://www.theguardian.com/technology/gamesblog/2009/sep/27/videogames-hollywood

Electronic Gaming• Largest mass-media releases for each of the last 10

years has been a video game

• Grand Theft Auto V• $260 million budget

• $800 million in first 24 hours

• $1 billion in three days

• Biggest entertainment launch in history, by $300 million

• Fastest entertainment launch to $1 billion by 16 days

• Previously, Black ops 2: $500 million on first day

• Each of these crushed comparable movie releases

Source: Forbes

Electronic Gaming• In 2014, Microsoft bought Minecraft studio Mojang

for $2.5 billion, making its creator Markus Persson a billionaire overnight.

• He immediately bought, with cash, the most expensive house in Beverly Hills for $70 million

• Minecraft is one of the most successful single games in history

• Offers almost limitless creation. Someone even built a working CPU

The Markus House

Electronic Gaming• Back to GTAV

• The franchise has been widely criticized for its depictions of crime, violence, and the lack of repercussions for the player’s actions.

• Treatment of women

• In 1992-1993 and 2006 there was a congressional investigation into games

Government involvement• 1994: ESRB, ratings similar to movies• 1999: Columbine• 2003: Lieberman says ESRB is ‘best rating system

in media’• 2005: Hot Coffee• 2005: Sen. Clinton compares videogames to

tobacco and alcohol• 2005: Gov. Schwarzenegger signs law forbidding

sale of violent / explicit games to minors• 2005: FEPA

Violence in games• 1976: Death Race• 1982: Custer’s Revenge• 1992: Mortal Kombat• 1993: Doom• 1994: ESRB• 1995: National Institute on Media and the Family• 1997, 2003: Postal• 1998: Grand Theft Auto• 2002: BMX XXX• 2005: God of war

Violence in games• There’s little empirical evidence that

violence in games translates to real life• However, mass violence is often analyzed

in terms of gaming• Designs like ‘No Russian’ in Call of Duty

have prompted opposition• However all media has been targeted this

way• Can also be used therapeutically

Portrayal of women• Women are often portrayed as powerless, or

in need of rescue

Portrayal of women• Women are often portrayed as powerless, or

in need of rescue

Portrayal of women• Women are often portrayed as powerless, or

in need of rescue

Portrayal of women• Women are often portrayed as powerless, or

in need of rescue

• Especially in fantasy games, women are often wearing very little, regardless of situation

Portrayal of women

Portrayal of women• Women are often portrayed as powerless, or

in need of rescue

• Especially in fantasy games, women are often wearing very little, regardless of situation

• EA / Dante’s Inferno “Sin to Win”

• Duke Nukem party in Vegas strip club

• Gamergate, Anita Sarkeesian (and general attitudes towards women in tech)

Gamergate• Campaign of harassment against female

developers and critics, and their supporters

• Death threats, assault threats, doxxing, swatting, etc.

• Pushback against the increasing diversity of the gaming audience

• In 2004, 48% of gamers were female

• In 2014, 52%, with a caveat

Games and movies• It used to be games were made about movies

• E.T. The Extra Terrestrial

• Now it’s often the other way around, for better or worse• Super Mario Brothers• Street Fighter• Doom• Tomb Raider• Prince of Persia• Uwe Boll

Virtual Worlds• What are they?

• Have been around for a very long time

• MUDs / MOOs

Virtual Worlds• What are they?

• Have been around for a very long time

• MUDs / MOOs

Virtual Worlds• What are they?

• Have been around for a very long time

• Habitat

Virtual Worlds• Have been around for a very long time

• Became mainstream in 1999

• Exploded with World of Warcraft

• Now, there are many, many virtual worlds

• None have matched the initial success of World of Warcraft, not even World of Warcraft

• Introduced issues of economy, social interaction, social impact, and addiction

Virtual Worlds• Addiction• Addictive qualities• Why do people become addicted?• Can it be considered an actual addiction?• Legislative responses• How do we address the issue?

Virtual Worlds• Economies are very strong, comparable to

actual countries

• Have real currency exchange rates

• Goods and avatars also have real-world values

• Some virtual worlds use real money

• Has led to the creation of gold farms• $3 billion a year industry

Virtual Worlds• Have significant cultural impact

• Introduce terms into the popular lexicon

• Provide actual management, teamwork, social, and leadership skills

• Some companies consider online gaming experience a valuable asset

• They are also used in education and training

Virtual Reality• A new method of interaction

• Many big companies are investing

• Problems with nausea, depth of field, interaction (control and immersion)

• Uniquely individual, anti-social

• Still in its infancy, future undecided

Mobile gaming• Became a major force with the release of the

iPhone in 2007

• Created an entirely new economy, including microstransactions and IAPs

• Created powerhouse developers, realignment of traditional companies, and powerful brands

• Zynga, Rovio, King, Imanji, GungHo, Supercell

• Backlash over transaction model used by developers and larger publishers

Mobile gaming• Created cultural icons

• Very lucrative• Hearthstone ($20 million per month)• Fallout Shelter ($5.1 million first two weeks)• Clash of Clans ($1.6 million per day)• Candy Crush ($633,000 per day in 2103)• Flappy Bird ($50,000 per day)

• Creator pulled game because it ‘ruined his life’

• Caused a reevaluation of the term ‘gamer’ from inside and outside the culture

Benefits of gaming• Training

• Phobias

• Coordination

• Developing skill sets

• Healing

• Creativity

• Problem solving

Benefits• Can ease stress

• Can help people, especially kids, deal with cancer

• Is used to help train soldiers

• Is used to help train physicians

• Has even been used to help kids deal with divorce