products of play

7/30/2019 Products of Play

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ProductsofPlay:CachinginonAustralianGamers

APozibleprojectandresearchproposalplan

DecalartofOrcandFreeWiFiatFlindersStreetStation,Melbourne(http://www.flickr.com/photos/wyrmworld/8082705042/ )

DrChristopherMoore

LecturerinMediaandCommunicationSchoolofCommunicationandCreativeArts

FacultyofArtsandEducation

DeakinUniversity


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ChristopherMoore ProductsofPlay:CachinginonAustralianGamers

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AbstractGamesandgameplayareincreasinglysocial,mobileandconnectedandwhetheryouare

learningtoreadbyplayingthroughtheABC's ReadingEggs,slicingvirtualfruitwithFruit

Ninjawhilewaitinginaqueueortakingdowntheraidbosswithyourguildmatesinlatest

World ofWarcraft expansion, chances are that games are part of your everyday media

experiences.Thanks to themost recent researchweknow thatAustraliangamersspend

morethan$AU2.5billionongamesannuallyandthatwomenarerapidlycatchinguptomen

asavidgamers,butwedon'tyethaveanappreciationofwhatit isthatweproducewhen

weplay,andthevaluesthatgamersandnon-gamersputontheproductsofplay(socially,

culturallyormaterially).Therealsoremainsanunderlyingmessageinthepublicdiscourses

onplayasbeingawasteoftimeanddigitalgameplayinparticularischaracterisedasbeing

essentially unproductive. This project proposes to identifywhat Australiandowhen they

play,whatit istheybuildandshare,howtheyexpressthemselvescreativelythroughplay

andwhethersuchculturalproductsareofsignificanteconomic,socialandhistoricalvalue.

The research will address claims of the unproductiveness of play, and its purpose is to

considerwhatisactuallybeingproducedduringplayandhowwevaluetheexperience.The

approach consistsof two parts,a national surveyofplay and a proof-of-concept cultural

'cache' for user-contributed products of play to both celebrate and research the

contemporaryphenomenaofproductiveplayindetail.

ZyngasFacebookgameFarmvillerecreatedinLego

(http://www.flickr.com/photos/85217387@N04/8482851808/)


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IntroductionThisPozibleprojectisinspiredbythelegionsofgamers,oldandnew,maleandfemale,

thosetobefoundinurban,regionalandruralAustraliawhoactivelyproducewhenthey

play.Gamesarenotlikethefilm,televisionandtheothermediaforms,whichtheyactively

remix.Gamesareunfinishedtextsuntiltheyareplayedand,assuch,aremorelikescriptsfor

playeventsinwhichthenarrativeunfoldingonscreenisonlyhalfthestorybeingenacted.

Thestoriesemergingfromplaycanbefoundacrosstheweb;fromblogsandforumpoststo

YouTube'Let'sPlay'channels,podcasts,hashtags,memes,likes,favouritesandstatus

updatesofferedupasevidenceofexperience.AsalifelonggamerI'vebuiltfriendships,

onlinecommunitiesandamassivecompendiumofdigitalgame'screenshots'

(http://www.flickr.com/photos/crypticon/)withthousandsofhitsandcommentsfromall

aroundworld.ThroughsocialmediaI'vecomeintocontactwithcollectors,modders,indie

gamedevelopersandmachinimafilmmakers,MassivelyMultiplayerguildsandnationalFirst

PersonShootercompetitiveleaguesandbeenconsistentlyintriguedbythepassionand

creativityofplay.

MinecraftAvatar


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Aim

TheaimofthePoziblecampaignistofirstfundanationalsurveyofAustraliangamersinvestigating

theculturalproductsofplayandsecondtobuildaproof-of-conceptuser-generatedcultural'cache'

ascelebration,archiveandresearchtool.Thepurposeoftheprojectistoproducenewknowledge

andunderstandingofsociability,creativity,investmentandexpressivenessofdigitalgameplay.The

fundsraisedthroughPoziblewillsupporttheresearchassistance,consultationanddevelopmentofa

national survey.Oncetheinitialtargetismet,thesecondgoalis tosupportthedevelopmentofa

proof-of-conceptuser-contributedcultural 'cache';a real-timeweb-based archiveandvisualisation

projecttofurtheranalyseandmaptheconnectionsbetweengames,play,andsocialmedia.

TheculturalcachewillbedesignedasaMassivelyOnlineResearchProject(MORP)focussingnoton

gamesbutplayandthe intersectionsbetweensocialmediaandparatextual production.Together

thesurveyandcachewillsupportanalysisexamininghowcommonandpopular,howwellregarded

andanticipated,howprolificandwidespreadthe cultural productionofplay extendsin Australia.

Thefundsraisedwillsupportresearchassistanceandsurveydesigntoinvestigatethemotivationsof

Australiangamersandtheirplayhabitsandattitudes,toanalysehowplayandgameshavebecomea

fundamentalpartofoureverydaymediatedlives,asleisureandentertainmentbutalsoasformsof

production,creativity,expressionandcommunity.

The cachewillbe tested asa site tocollate, collect and highlight Australiangamers photosand

screenshots,machinima,modsandmemes,itwillfeaturerealtimescrapingofsocialmediaprofiles

and game play related tweets, trends and flows and other cultural products. By welcoming

contributionsfromAustralianplayersandgamercommunities,gamesdevelopersandparticipating

paratextual 'workers' (modders, journalists, bloggers, etc), the cultural 'cache' is intended to

becomearesearchtoolaswellasevolvingarchiveandcollectionofAustraliangames,gamersand

gamesdeveloperrelatedmedia.TheMORPfeaturesofthecachewillsupporttheuseofemerging

digital humanities research methodologies including geotagging, mapping, cultural and visual

analyticsandhybridiseddigitalquantitativeandqualitativemethods.


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PotentialResearchQuestions

Aformalresearchplanwillbedevelopedduringthesocialmediacampaign,initialguiding

researchquestionsinclude:

Whatmotivatesgamerstoproduce?

WhataretheproductsofplaythatAustraliangamersvalueenoughtoshare?

Dostrongsocialmediaconnectionsandfeaturesingamesattractmoreplayers?

Dotheyconsidertheirproductsofplaytobesimplyephemera,orpartofanonlinepersona?

WorldofWarcraftavatarsdisplayedinaSecondLifesimulation(http://www.flickr.com/photos/torley/2737749264/)


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ImportanceoftheProjectGames,gamersandthegamesindustryhaveundergonesignificantchangefollowingtheriseof

socialmediaandparticipatorymediacultureandthemobilerevolution.The DigitalAustralia2012

surveyreportstheacceleratingtrendofmoremenandwomenofallagesbuyingandplayingmore

gamesmoreoften,andwhilesuchcollaborationsbetweenQueenslandUniversityandthe

InteractiveGamesandEntertainmentAssociation(IGEA)revealkeydemographictrendsand

changes,theyreveallittleofthebroaderanddeepersocial,culturalandeconomicvalueofthe

productsofplay.

Weonlyhaveabasicunderstandingoftheimportanceandmotivationbehindthebillionsofgame

andplayrelatedTweetsandFacebookstatusmessages,orthemillionsofscreenshotsandthe

thousandsofhoursofonlinevideosorthehundredsofpodcasts,websites,blogsandcommunity

sites.Thisisanunprecedenteddegreeofhumanculturalandcapitalproductionandyetthisactivity

islargelydisregardedasmerelydisposableephemera.Consideredcollectivelythesematerialstellsa

verydifferentstoryabouttheconnectionsbetweengames,industries,laws,morals,motivations,

peopleandtheothermediathatareinterrelatedthroughplayerhabits,thoughts,playpatterns,

purchases,creativityandcollectiveexpression.

Australiangamershavealreadydemonstratedakeennesstohelppromoteandchangethepopular

mediadiscourseongamesandplayawayfrommediaeffectsofviolenceandaddictionandtowardspositivesocialcontributions.TherapidchangetoAustraliancontentregulationlawstoincludethe

R18classificationforgamesinAustraliabetween2009and2012was,inpart,duetothesuccessof

Australiangamersbroadcommunitysupportandappeal.TheMORPculturalcacheproject,willfirst

establishthefeasibilityoftheconcept,andgoingforwardwillpromotepositivechanges,including

playerdemographicsandtherolesandrepresentationsofwomenintheindustryandprovidea

focusforfutureanalysisofinteractivemediasectors.Thecachewillalsohaveasignificantnon-

gamerinterest,asitwillappealtothosewhodon'tconsiderthemselvesinthecategoriesofgamers,

suchasparentsandpartnerswhosefamilymembersregularlyplaygames.Gamersareverylikelyto

supportthisresearchprojectviaacrowd-fundingplatformasdemonstratedbythelargenumberof

gamesandgamesrelatedprojectssuccessfullyfundedviaKickstarter.


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FundingGoals

Goal1.$4000TheProductsofPlay:ANationalSurvey

Goal2.$8000CachinginonAustraliaGamers:proof-of-conceptforanarchive

ofplayandinteractivemediaresearchtool.

Ancillarygoal:Individualswillbeinvitedtosupporttheprojectbyparticipating

inthesurveyandculturalcache.

SocialMediaPlan

Theapproachwillbetodeveloptheresearchplanaspartofthesocialmediaactivityforthe

durationofthe40-daycampaign,providingdailyupdatesregardingthedesigndecisionsand

planningstagesofthesurveyandculturalcache.Thiswillincludereportsontheethics

applications,consultationwithsurveyexpertsandsocialscientistsandwebdevelopers.This

methodissimilartothedeveloping'inpublic'approachofmanyofthenewwaveofindie

andindependentgamesdevelopers,invitingthegameplayingpublictoinvestemotionally,

economicallyandintellectuallyintheproject.

SocialMediaActivity

Blog:http://cryptocommonicon.wordpress.com/

Twitter:@cl_moore

Hashtags:#POP(ProductsofPlay),#deakinPOPand#playcache

Facebook:ChristopherMoore

(https://www.facebook.com/christopher.moore.7503314?ref=tn_tnmn)

LinkedIn:ChristopherMoore

Pinterest:http://pinterest.com/crypticon

Flickr:http://www.flickr.com/photos/crypticon/


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ProjectTimelineMay(Launch)

1. Begindevelopmentoftheformalresearchproposal2.

Conductsocialmediacampaign

3. Beginethicsapplication

June

1. Beginsurveydesignandconsultation2. TestsurveydesignwithPoziblesupporters

July

1. Determinesurveyparticipants2.

Conductinitialsurveyround

3. Beginsurveyresultsanalysis

August

1. Dependingonfundinglevelbeginwebdevelopmentconsultation2. Beginresearcharticleonacademiccrowd-fundingexperience

October

1. Finalisesurveyresultsandvisualisationofdata2. PrepareinitialreportforPoziblesupporters3. PrepareresearcharticleontheAustralianGamersandtheProductsofPlay

November

1. PresentinitialreportonthePozibleprojectwithpubliclectureandonlinevideo

2. Launchtest-phaseoftheculturalcache

December

1. SubmitResearcharticleontheProductsofPlay

January

1. Submitarticleoncrowd-fundingexperience2. DependingonthesuccessofthesurveyandculturalcacheprepareARC(DiscoveryorLinkage)grantapplicationforfuturefundingandupscalingoftheproject.


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Budget

LineItem Amount

T1.52hoursofResearchAssistance@$38.46 $2000

T.1SurveyDesign,Hosting $2000

T2.WebDevelopment-CulturalCache $4000

Total $8000

Nintendo64RetrogamingattheMelbourneinternationaldigitalentertainmentfestival

(http://www.flickr.com/photos/frostnova/3844593983/ )

products of play

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