UCSD's SoftWhere 2008 -- Now With Videos

Missed UCSD's SoftWhere 2008 conference and curious what went on? Well, video of the public portion of the conference is now popping up on the SoftWhere 2008 page in QuickTime and YouTube. A lot of big names (like Ian Bogost, above) had some very interesting presentations on a variety of topics — even my Japanese historiography professor showed up and had a lot to say about history, time, and software. It was a pretty diverse group, and owing to the zippy format, you can get a good feel for a lot of the research and ideas without spending half an hour or more listening to one presentation. Confining academics to such a short period of time? Sheer brilliance.

SoftWhere 2008 videos [Grand Text Auto]

Academics vs. 'Gaming' Academics: Let the Snark Begin

The Tactile Side of Games

Ian Bogost on Advertising in Games

Ok, so a billboard in a driving game may make sense — but what about games where it doesn't make sense? As Ian Bogost points out, "Would an orc order pizza? Does a dystopian planet from the future need a pacer drink?":

This untapped potential of games upsets the very foundation of advertising as we know it. Instead of surrounding us with images that reflect lives unlived, games can allow us to try out hypothetical lives with new products, people and ideas. To realise this potential, advertisers of both goods and viewpoints must stop blindly inserting their billboards into games or creating feeble copies of the cornerstones of videogame pop culture. Instead, they must start simulating the products, public policy positions, charitable interventions and other worldly ideas in new games - games worthy of our attention.

I'm not sure I want to see advergames all over the place, but if we have to put up with in-game advertising, a little more sophistication would be welcomed.

Advertisers have yet to unlock the power of play [The Guardian]

Ian Bogost on Spore's Universal (?) Appeal

After taking Spore's creature editor for a spin at the ICE 2008 conference and watching the average, non-gaming public's response to the editor, Ian Bogost has some opinions on the universal appeal of Spore (or lack thereof). Unlike The Sims, Bogost says, Spore is facing a significant challenge in getting to the general public:

... The observation that surprised me the most was how people totally unfamiliar with Spore reacted to the very idea of a creature editor. From my perspective, it's a brilliantly engineered, elegantly constructed content authoring tool. But from theirs, it's an unfamiliar interface to an almost deviant act.

... Among the newbies, there was a significant amount of uncertainty and performance anxiety. People weren't sure they would be able to build something, even with encouragement and example. One even said, over my shoulder, "I'm not sure I'm creative in that way." I found this reaction fascinating.

Is Spore 'For Everyone'? [GameSetWatch]

Ian Bogost sent along this little gem, created in a moment of procrastinating from writing an article:

Eric Marcoullier and I were tonight embroiled in a riveting, yet wistful conversation about 70s/80s pop duo Hall and Oates. After reviewing classics such as this music video for the #1 hit title track of the 1981 album Private Eyes, it occurred to me:

Daryl Hall and John Oates look exactly like Kotaku editors Brian Ashcraft and Brian Crecente. See above, if you can imagine one pair smiling, or not smiling. Coincidence? Probably, but that's not enough of a reason for the two to form a cover band. Where's Rock & Soul Hero when you need it? I suppose it would have to include a peripheral moustache and hair extensions.

... I can see it. A little. I'm just amazed this came to Ian in a flash, since I'm not sure I would've made the nostalgic connection between our fearless leader, the second in command and 70s/80s pop icons. "You think Ashcraft has one of those grey leopard-y shirts?" he asked me. I'm not sure, but I'm sure we could rustle up one somewhere.

PRIVATE EYES / THEY'RE BLOGGING YOU ... blogging you blogging you blogging you [Ian Bogost]

Play By Not Playing: Relaxation and Meditation in Games

I wasn't sure what to expect when I checked out the Relaxation and Meditation in Games session I was assigned to. Would it even be interesting? Well, some of it was and some of it wasn't, as you'll see.

First up was Wendy Goldner who spoke about her game, Wild Divine's Healing Rhythms which was created to help with stress management. Through the use of some little leads, the player's heart rate and breathing are monitored and become used in the "gameplay." Its execution was a little hippy-dippy for my taste, something along the lines of scented candles in the bathroom and sage smudges. Various self help gurus such as Deepak Chopra appear and talk the player through various relaxation exercises like breathing in time to the pulsating graphic of a tree. Once the proper breath rate was achieved, things would happen with the graphics like magical bridges, rainbows and butterflies appearing. I'm sure it's a very helpful program for some and certainly a great concept, but not quite my cup of tea.

Gaming Vignettes: Hush

Get Your Fat On: Fatworld Coming Out Monday

Ian Bogost's Persuasive Games is releasing their latest serious game addressing (surprise!) the issue of obesity on Monday. Entitled Fatworld, the game purports to examine "the relationships between obesity, nutrition, and socioeconomics ...." During his guest editor stint here at Kotaku, Bogost described Fatworld as "something like Animal Crossing meets Super Size Me."

By choosing your character's dietary and exercise habits, you can experiment with the constraints of nutrition and economics as they affect your character's general health. Will it be wheatgrass and soy? Or fried chicken at every meal? How much can you afford to spend on food, and how does that affect your general health? Characters who eat poorly will get fat. Characters who don't exercise will move around the world more laboriously. Disease and death will eventually ravage players with poor health, while those with good health will live to a ripe age.

Sounds ... weighty, on a number of levels. We'll see what public reception is like in a few days.

Prepare to Fatten [Water Cooler Games]

Where Are The Christmas Games?

Bogost on 'Video Game Zen'

Ian Bogost Signing On

While Crecente's off in Australia buying Kevin Bloody Wilson albums, he invited a few people to fill in as guest editors. I'm happy to be here all week disrupting Kotaku with my perverse interests (hint: not cake).

About me: I'm a professor of digital media at The Georgia Institute of Technology, and I'm the co-founder of Persuasive Games, a small independent game studio that makes games about social and political issues. I've written two books about games and culture, and I'm just finishing another one up literally this week. I also write about games in a few other places. As a designer, I make mostly strange games about airport security and copy stores and nutrition and oil and stuff.

In addition to the usual fare, I've got a few things planned for each day I'm here, hoping to break up the eternal nowness of games coverage with some looks back into unusual games and game-related curiosities of yore. You know, like, there were games before the PS2 and stuff.

Ian Bogost - official site [bogost.com]

"Can They Be Important?": Games and Art and Relevance

What's In a Word? The Meaning of 'Casual' Gaming

Mr. Robot: The Final Discussion

'Skinning Politics'

Bogost! Colbert! Talking!