Wednesday, August 13, 2008--More Notes from I, Avatar

Yeah, I know, I was supposed to have done this long ago, but here I am, finally finishing out the book.

p.85--"Richard Bartle is an internationally recognized authority on virtual worlds, a pioneer of the MMORPG industry, and co-creator of the first text-based virtual world, MUD, back in 1979.  He divides user motivations into four primary categories: the Explorers, the Socializers, the Achievers, and the Controllers.  Explorers like to uncover beauty and show it to others.  Socializers like to form groups, build social infrastructure, and throw parties.  Achievers enhance the abilities of their avatars, increasing their power, wealth, and reputation, gaining social respect while doing it.  Controllers are there to dominate, compete, and defeat."

p.85--"In August 2007, in the U.S. journal CyberPsychology and Behavior, researchers at Nottingham Trent University published a study called, "Social Interactions in Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Gamers."  Of the 1000 gamers they interviewed, three quarters had made good friends online, half had met in real-life situations, a third had found themselves attracted to another gamer, and a tenth of them had developed physical relationships."

p.86--"In 2006, the University of Rochester and researchers at Immersyve Inc. interviewed 1000 gamers in various MMOs.  According to Richard Ryan, a motivational psychologist at the University, 'the psychological pull of games is largely due to their capacity to engender feelings of autonomy, compentence, and relatedness."

p.86--"Chip Morningstar and F. Randall Farmer [in 1985] developed Lucasfilm's Habitat specifically so that hospitalized children could have an alternative, and a break from a limbo life in a hospital bed."

p.96--"The psychology of avatars extends into the real world just as our personalities extend into the virtual.  Avatars encourage a fracturing of psyche and personality."

p.96--"'Our avatar,'[Dr. Yanon Volcani] said, 'is us in transformation.  Being able to watch ourselves creates a reflective state that's good for us. We reflect on ourselves as the compassionate observer. We're both engaged and observing at the same time.  It's basic play therapy.  We are in it, but not.  We know its not really real.  But it is a close approximation--close enough to engage us.  Freud called this Cathect.  Physically speaking, avatars engage our dompamine system.  The extreme side of dopamine is the creation of addiction to terrible things like heroin.  But dopamine is like honey; it sticks us to things...'"

July 2008 

June 2008