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The Archives
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05.10.10Sociologists Get a Second LifeIntimacy in Warcraft, BDSM in Second Life, and Internet gaming cafes in China are the frontiers of sociology research, as outlined in an article on Ars Technica which highlights most of the major articles and studies that have gained attention over the past few years. For anyone starting out in a study of virtual worlds, or for a teacher starting a class on the topic, I can't think of a much better reading list, with pointers to the Journal of Virtual Worlds Research and Tom Boellstorff's Coming of Age in Second Life. Highlighting A World of Wacraft Reader, I was reminded ...
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01.05.09Virtual World Experiments In Focus: Linux InsiderCost-cutting and limitless experimentation: these are key reasons why conferences, case studies and scientific experiments should take place in virtual worlds, according to LinuxInsider (LI). The site recently published a two-part series that looked at the success of scientific experiments in virtual worlds, including Second Life and World of Warcraft. The publication found that costs are significantly lowered as travel expenses are eliminated, which also helps to boost attendance at any given event. The upside is also huge for scientific experimenters: "Due to the nature of virtual worlds," said Aimee M. Roberts, analyst of digital media at Frost & Sullivan, ...
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11.20.08Obama Staffs Up with Second Life Resident and Warcraft ElfRaph Koster points out that the Obama FCC transition team is headed up by avatars. Well, kind of. According to Raph, Susan Crawford and Kevin Werbach are no strangers to virtual worlds: "I first met Kevin at a social policy conference that was themed in part around virtual worlds; I first met Susan at State of Play, the wonderful legal conferences around VW issues. Both are associated with Terra Nova. Kevin is also a Tauren Shaman & a Night Elf Rogue, and Susan is a Second Lifer, plus she has me on her blogroll (hey now…!)." Somehow I suspect that government is grinding ...
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09.22.08A Pretext for Chatroom subpoenas? War in WarcraftIt's no surprise that the US government, especially in a post-9/11 communication environment, is concerned about being aware of threats, from whatever corner they might come. And fear appears to be the great motivator for its latest, well, fear: terrorists in World of Warcraft. It seems someone from the scarily-titled National Defense University gave a presentation to some think-tank and government types outlining what a terrorist scenario in World of Warcraft would look like inside its highly uncontrollable (at least to the government, and at least right now) in-game chatter, according to Wired's Danger Room blog. Using such frightening terms ...
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08.29.08Blizzard vs Linden Lab: Who Wins in Graphic Improvements?Philip Rosedale recently explained that Second Life is a far cry better than browser-based worlds like Google's Lively by comparing it to Warcraft: “In a browser you can’t render a 3D environment with sound, lighting, shadows, the actual sort of World of Warcraft like…you know uh most people have seen that…the real 3D rendered experience.” 3D Rendered Experience: Windlight-less? But as Warcraft rolls out graphic enhancements that take advantage of new graphic chips only in expansion packs, there's a difference even in those um, sound-filled, light-soaked, shadowy rooms. Videogamer.com asks WOW lead game designer Tom Chilton and production director J Allen Brack their thoughts ...
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06.30.08WOW! WoW drops a notch in MMO standingsAs reported on Gigaom, Habbo Hotel is soon to surpass World of Warcraft in unique monthly visitors. A Habbo executive VP explains that Habbo will soon surpass the 10-million figure, compared with the most recent count at WoW of 9.5 million unique users per month. But this story must be taken with a least a few grains of salt, for the following reasons: 1 - Habbo is free, while WoW charges a subscription fee 2 - Measured in avatars, the numbers compare. But WoW users more often that not have more than one character under a single subscription. 3 - The only source in ...
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03.25.08Virtual World AddictionInternet addiction will now be a recognized disease, which leaves me wondering how health plans will deal with it when the Chinese are using electroshock therapy to deal with too many hours in WoW. Serious addiction ... a boy (12) receives electric shock treatment for his internet addiction in Beijing / AP According to News.com.au: The American Journal of Psychiatry published an editorial claiming that internet addiction met the criterion for a mental disorder and called on the American Psychiatric Association to officially list it as such. The editorial’s author, Jerald Block, said internet addiction consists of three particular subtypes: excessive gambling, sexual preoccupations ...
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