Presentation

Topic: The Ethic of Video Games
( Violence and SEX )

What is Video Games?

• It refers to:
  Games played using computer power,where the computer upholds the rules of the game and the game is palyed using a video display(Juul 2005,p.36)
  
• Such as: the Sony PlayStation 2, the Nintendo GameCube, or Microsoft’s Xbox
  
• games played on computers
  
• The player takes on the role of a fantasy character moving through an elaborate world, solving various problems
  
• Violent or not
  
• The player builds and maintains some complex entity
  Eg.army

James Paul Gee’s arguments for video games’ positive impacts:
( What Video Games Have To Teach Us About Learning And Literacy )

• “Playing video games is not a waste of time, but a kind of visual literacy.”
  
• We can learn popular culture / certain kind of knowledge
  
• Eg. The names of the weapons in the game C.S.
  
• increase our creativity
  
• Eg. Design our house in the SIMS

Argument against:

Unlike games, which suspend the rules
of reality in order to use the rules of a game,
simulations attempt to model a system in a
manner that is consistent with reality (Heinich,
et al. 1996).


Reality VS Virtual World

• Nowadays, the boundary between Reality and Virtual World blurred gradually
  
• Teenagers may treat their asset in the Virtual World as their real properties
  
• E.g. : Committed suicide after losing some weapons in the game world
  
• Some immature youths with weak willpower may imitate the behaviors of the games’ characters(Sex and Violence)
  
• E.g. :Use violence as the only means to solve problems/Bullying other people
  
• Raised the ethical concern of the video games

Dating Game:

• Heartbeat Memorial
• Dating simulation

Heartbeat Memorial
Basic information :

• Heartbeat Memorial/Tokimeki Memory/心跳回憶
  
• Konami Digital Entertainment Co., Ltd.
  
• Designer: Koji Igarashi (Programmer, Scenario Writer)
  
• First released for the PC Engine on May 27, 1994
  
• Has many series; Game Boy Color, mobile phones, PC, PC Engine, PlayStation, PlayStation Portable, Sega Saturn, Super Famicom, Nintendo DS
  
• Based on a Japanese animation “Only love”/
  
• 《純愛手札》
  
• Visual novel genre
  
• Single player
  
• A romantic dating simulation game

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lICicD0sHUY

Dating simulation
Basic information:

• Unknown basic information
  
• Online game
  
• RPG, a dating sims

Shared characteristics

• the player controls a male avatar surrounded by female characters.
  
• The game play involves conversing with a selection of girls
  
• attempting to increase their internal "love meter" through correct choices of dialogue
  
• The game lasts for a fixed period of game time, such as one month or three years
• When the game ends, the player either loses the game if he failed to properly win over any of the girls, or "finishes" one of the girls
  
• often by :
  Having sex with her(D.N.A)
  marrying her (as in Magical Date)
  you achieving eternal love

How to win?

• Depended on "attraction meter" :
  
• Looks ,charisma, sports, art, health, etc.
  
• Can be boosted through going on diet, buying new clothes, doing gym, rest at home
  
• Buying gift to those girls in order to raise the attractiveness.
  
• Keep dating the girls can make a good impression.

Screenshot from the original version of Heartbeat Memorial illustrating the system of statistics standard of the genre

• Is it just a game?
  
• Is love just about calculations?

What’s behind the fancy game?

• Evil >curious and immature teenagers
  
• Influenced their minds unconsciously
  
• Misinterprets the concept of love/ marriage
  
• Long lasting, respect ,responsibility and commitment

Compare simulations with their
understanding of a system.
Simulations do not represent reality;
they reflect a designers conception
of reality (Thiagarajan 1998).

Only focus on appearance (dress up)
Materialism (expensive clothes, accessories)
Love is a careful planning and strategies ?
Love seems be possessive
Relationship only last for a few weeks
Ignored inner beauty
may allow the player to romance / having sex with characters in their teens or even younger

• A 19-year-old man shoot the parents of his 14-year-old girlfriend after they disapproved of the age gap between the lovers.
  
• By Harry Mount in New York Published: 12:01AM BST 15 Jun 2006

Violence game: SAW

Basic information

Saw: The Video Game
Third person survival horror video
Developed by Zombie Studios and published by Konami.
Released on October 6, 2009 in North America

How to play the game

}http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LVkZ_vsI1PM

traverse the asylum and solve traps in order to escape
find things as weapons, health, or clues
The player combat to other people in order to survive

Problems

Brutal and realistic scenes
E.g. cutting people’s body to search the things
Negative impacts to teenagers; Increased aggressive behaviors, thoughts, and emotions
violent video games are highly engaging and interactive. They reward violent behavior, and the violent behaviors are repeated constantly over the course of the game
If played frequently enough, games like this can skew a young person's perception of violence and its consequences.

Useful links

http://www.konami.jp/visual/tokimemo-anime/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tokimeki_Memorial
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tokimeki_Memorial_(series)
http://www.video-game-addiction.org/violence.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saw_(video_game)

Useful books

}Andy Clarke, Grethe Mitchell, ed. Videogames and Art, USA: The university of Chicago Press, 2007
}Arthur Asa Berger, Video Games: A popular Culture Phenomenon, USA: Transaction Publishers, 2002
}Jon Cogburn,Mark Silcox, Philosophy through video games, London : Routledge, 2009
}James Paul Gee,What Video Games Have To Teach Us About Learning And Literacy, New York : Palgrave Macmillan, 2003
}Sicart, Miguel, The ethics of computer games Cambridge: MIT Press, 2009

Digtal games-But are they art?

(a)How does Asams define art?

- can be divided into fine arts, decorative arts, architecture, industrial design and literary arts
- representational
- aesthetic interesting(with beautiful qualities)
- have messages(communicate with viewers)
- expression
- Art lasts


Do you argee with his definition?

Yes i agree with his defination.
For me, i also concern about the real messages behind a piece of work.

And the aesthetic qualities of a piece of art are always the main factor concerning whether the artwork is or not.

I think it's important that the communication between the artist and viewers through the artwork.


(b) According to Adams, what is needed for videogames to be considered as art?

- computer games need to have aesthetics
- need an artist(eg: game desiners)
- interactivity
- criticized by art critics
- communication from the artists to viewer
(need to have path to understand)
- principles of aesthetics and criticism
- aesthetically pleasing
- illustrating the human condition
- add resting large issues related to ourselves
- contain ideas and messages
- art make you feel something
- not formulaic
- utility and saleability





(c) A games

Cory Arcangel: Super-Mario Clouds, 2002

http://www.zunta.org/blog/archives/cloudsscroll.gif (accessed on 9 November,20 09)

Features: This picture is from Mario(the computer games). We cannot play it. But we can just see blue sky and white clouds. The actual picture shows the clouds are moving.

This is quite funny and eye-catching.

Just playing-the ethics of digital games classnotes

(a)According to the film, what are some pros and cons of playing videogames for individuals and societies?

Pros for individuals:
- Educational
- worth to play(can get pleasure and relaxation)
- train people to think and react in a fast way
- get satisfaction through the games( fascinated of being powerful and express their anger)
- people can express their feelings through the images of the screen
- there are some professional game players(who have income)
- funny activity for leisure time
- changing people's behaviors and throughts
- able to create a better world in digital world than in the reality




(d)Should games be more like fantasy and less like real -world war?

Technologised Bodies

(1) "To what extent are we already experiencing a man- machine symbiosis that has turned us into cyborgs[or posthuman bodies]?" Christiane Paul (Digital Art, p 166)

Answer:

In fact, people wearing glasses can be regarded as an experience of a man-machine symbiosis. Also, people using their mobile phones at anytime and anywhere is this kind of experience. The above examples are poeple's experiences of relying on the machine and technologies. And people who lost their limbs in accidents may install some prosthetic-fake limbs(mechanical) to their organic bodies. This is an example of physical experience of man-machine symbiosis.



(2.) What are some pros and cons of becoming a cyborg?
Answer:
Pros:

- can take the advantages of machine (eg:mobile plones' communication function)
- for prosthetic- fake limbs, they help people to live more like normal people(more convenient)
- can get the best elements of both organic and mechanical parts(eliminate those worst elements)
- less human limitations


Cons:
- too robotic(not organic any more)
- against the rule of nature(not natural)
- human being may rely on the machine or technologies too much
-may not function as well as the natural limbs
- more like a robot than a human being
- controversial issue(moral and ethical problem)


Discussion (upload answers to your blog, comment constructively on others’ answers)
What do you think of Stelarc’s work?

-Robotic
- sense of future and Surrealism
- illusion(not real)
- science fiction
- difficult to imagine how Stelarc did the artworks
- made use of large amount mechanical elements
- not easily accepted by the public(main stream)
- crazy and very imaginative ideas for his artworks

Mouchette

source from http://www.mouchette.org/index.html

Constructing Identity Online- Discussion

My own identity online:
I have quite a number of identites with different user names on the internet.
For example, Facebook, Xanga,MSN, My Space, Blogspot, Youtube, Icq, forums(ie hkdiscuss), Lingnan, hotmail, google, yahoo, yahoo, twitter.
I use these identities to do different things. They have various functions.


I asked Yu about her identities online.
And yu has these online identities:
Similar to me, Yu has online identities of MSN, Facebook, Icq, Youtube, hotmail, gmail, yahoo, Lingnan, HKflash, cywy, blogspot, Xanga.And she has different usernames for different web sites. by using these usernames, she can do various online activities.

http://wwwwwwwww.jodi.org/betalab/untitled/index.html(accessed on 14 October,2009)

Every time you press different positions, different images of birds with various gestures and actions will be shown. It's very funny and interesting. :D

My Favourite Digital Artwork

This artwork not only has visual impacts, but also special meanings about digital tools and new technologies.

Digital Art

Discussion: What are some challenges digital art presents to the art world(ie galleries, exhibition goers, art critics and scholars)?

-art forms are difficult to distinct and classify(mixture of different art forms and media)
-galleries may need to have digital, high-tech setting or tools
-some conservative art galleries may reject to exhibit some digital artworks
-it's difficult to critique
-may be not suitable for everyone
-some digital artworks can be reproduced and copied by other people( too commercial)
-closer interaction between the viewers and the artworks
-digital art changes very fast that people easily forget and it's hard for people to follow
- people may take more time and need to have more trainings to understand the digital artworks
- it's a challenge to interpret digital artworks (need more knowledge)
-some people frome less-developed and poor countries may not have efficient resources or technology to develop digital art
-some countries with extreme political ideologies, such as Communist North Korea the government will ban and censor the resources on the internet(even every online activities of people)

Summary of Lev Manovich's film-"Mission to Earth"

"Mission to Earth" is an example of digital cinema.
It tells a story of a girl by a totally new way comparing the narrative method of traditional film making.
The frame of the film is divided into several sectors, like Mondrian.
Different sectors show different images, for example, a sector of repetitive patterns and lines and another sector is about the story of the girl.
Sometimes, the patterns are quite abstract that represent the mental states of the girl.
The music of the film is harmonious, calm, peaceful and smooth.
Basically, there is a voiceover telling the story.
And the tone of the voiceover is quite flat that just like the radio boardcast.
But this can also gives audiences a sense of isolation, alienation and loneliness towards the girl.
The special composition of the frame encourage audiences to be an active viewers.
Viewers need to focus on several different images or sectors.
Also, they need to use their imagination ,creativity and sensation in linking up the relation between different sectors.
For the viewers of traditional cinema, the easy understaning of the films' plots are always taken for granted.
To some extent, this film gives more space for viewers to think and have different interpretations.
Also, this film uses a very new and innovative way to present a story, more like drawing.
It breaks the limitation of traditional film making.

Review-Youtube(Upload the one you agree with most to your blog commenting on what it is that you agree with)

Quote 2
“…Through their many activities – uploading, viewing, discussing, and collaborating—the YouTube community forms a network of creative practice. In his book on the social worlds of art, music and design, Howard Becker (1982) described this kind of formation as an ‘art world’—’the network of people whose cooperative activity, organised via their joint knowledge of conventional means of doing things, produces the kind of art works that art world is noted for’ (Becker, 1982: x). He argues that the construction and negotiation of aesthetic values and ‘proper’ techniques is not confined to academics or experts, but involves everyone who contributes to the process of cultural production, including audiences. Similarly, on YouTube, aesthetic values, cultural forms, and creative techniques are normalised via the collective activities and judgements of the entire social network—forming an informal and emergent (and by far from homogeneous) ‘art world’ that is specific to YouTube”.


Those hightlighted words are what i really agree with.
i agree that Youtube can be regarded as "art world".
The nature of Youtube is neutral amd it's just depends on how people use it.
If we use it wisely and properly, it can be a free platform for exchanges of ideas, culture and opinion.
People can use Youtube as a tool to create their artworks by their imagination and innovation.
And someone's videos and works can become the inspiration of others' works.
And everyone can involve in the activities on Youtube.

Leave Britney Alone

Youtube: Bus Uncle

(d)Briefly describe the video

-Bus Uncle is an extremely popular and famous video on Youtube and it is about the conflict between a young man and Bus Uncle.

(e)Find at least one interesting video , based on Bus Uncle, and upload it to your blog.

-This video is very funny and entertaining.Because some people remix Bus Uncle's dialogue or wordings into a rap song.

-The producer really have the sense of humor and he makes the whole issue becomes more interesting.

(f) Report some positive and negative comments about this new ability for computer users to make and widely distribute and respond to online films (such as the above three videos).

Positive comments:

-everyone can be a reporter and journalist
-some crimes and illegal activities can be discovered(eg: bullying in school and raping)
-people have great freedom to share what they see, hear, think and feel
-the discoveries od interesting ,funny and meaningful issues in different places or even different countries.
-it's a great platform for people to express their viewpoints and opinion on some issues
-easy exchange of ideas
-free people's creativity and innovation
-people can enjoy or make use of different online resources
-free of charge, convenient, entertaining

Negative comments:

-some videos are about sex and violences(unhealthy)
-some people may make use of this tool to blacken somebody's name
-it may become a kind of online bullying
-victims may feel embarrased, depressed and frustrated for being posted on Youtube
-media ethics, moral corruption
-social problem or negative impacts to the society and even the whole world
-copyright problem
-invasion of privacy

Review

A) Is there any problem with simply using the products that these two computers create for us?

Yes, there may have some problem.
Many operating systems and programs are monopolized by Microsoft and Apple.
Consumers will have less choice.
For some cases, the operating systems or programs are pre-installed on the computer that users cannot choose programs from other companies.
Besides, those pre-installed programs may not be totally suited the needs of computer users.




B)Why do some people choose to use open-source software such as Linux?

Because people can have little limitation by using open-source software.
They can also modify the open-source software by themselves.
Also, the role of the users can be changed from passive to active.
They are more involved in the development of the software.
If they know more about how the open-source software operates, they will know more about how to fix it.
Users can enjoy greater freedom by using open-source software.




C)Who owns the right to modify your digital tools? Does it matter at all? Why or why not?

In the past, most people think that only IT experts and professionalists own the right to modify users' digital tools.
Many people think IT knowledge and techniques(eg: operating systems and programming) are never something we can understand easily.
But, nowadays, this concept needs to be changed.
Because being a user of computers and different kinds of digital tools, we need to know more about our computer.
Everybody own the right to modify computer or digital tools.
It just depends on whether that modification or addition is useful, relevant and user-friendly to the users.
Some users with IT knowledge can even help to improve the function or quality of the software.

Big Questions: What philosophy is behind the open source movement? Do you agree? why or why not?

There is philosophy behind the open source movement.

-software developers can publish their software with an open source license if they want to
-everybody have opportunity to develop the same software or understand its internal functioning
-allows anyone to create modifications of the software-->port it to new operating systems or processor architectures--->share it with others or even market it.
-usage, modification and redistribution of open source software
-adopted Bazaar model: users should be treated as co-developers
-because some of them can provide advanced programming skills
-also, this can encourage additions and improvement of the software
-besides, each user's computer can be used as an additional testing environment
-early releases
-frequent integration
-provide several versions of the software
-high modularization
-dynamic decision making structure
-open source is a development methodology


sources from Wikipedia
----------

I agree the philosophy behind the open source movement.
Because this really helps to rapid the development of IT Industry.
Since traditional software engineering adoted cathedral model(software development take place in a centralized way), software companies such as Microsoft monopolizes some kinds of softwares.
This is not a healthy phenomenon.
Without the keen competition of other companies, the quality and price of the software may be out of control.
Also, the disclosure of the softwares is good for both users and developers.

Bill Gates

Bill Gates(William Henry Bill Gates III) is one of the most famous person in the world.
One reason is he is the wealthiest person in the world.
He was born in October 28, 1955 in Seattle, Washington, USA.
He studied in Harvard University. But later he dropped out in 1975.
He has great achievement in operating system and software.
He is the Chairperson of Microsoft Corporation, American business magnate and philanthropist.
He is one of the best-known entrepreneurs of the personal computer revolution.
Bill Gates is not only the chief software architect of Microsoft, but also an writer.


Some features of the operating system and software he associated with:

-He developed an Altair emulator that ran on a minicomputer.
-Microsoft produces both softwares and hardwares
-BASIC interpreter for the platform--->later Microsoft BASIC(MS-DOS)--->Microsoft Quick Basic--->Visual Basic
-IBM Partnership(OS/A separate operating system)
-First retail version of Microsoft Windows(November 20, 1985)
-Windows NT kernel development
- Mid 1980s:promoted CD-ROM
-Microsoft Office
-Windows NT
-Internet Explorer
-Windows Media Player
- Microsoft Visual Studio
-Windows Live Messenger(MSN)
-Microsoft Student, Microsoft Money, Streets & Trips, etc..


Which of the other four is most similar to Bill Gates?

I think is Steve Jobs.
Because Steve Jobs is American businessman, co-founder and CEO of Apple Inc and also he is the former CEO of Pixar Animation Studios.
Like Bill Gates's Microsoft, Steve Jobs's Apple produces both softwares and hardwares.
And both men have great influence towards the development of IT Industry and even economy.
These two intellegent men are not only genius of operating system and software, but also kow well in business and making money.

photograph edited by Photoshop

Discussion (with Johanna)

1)What is the difference between digital photography and analog /traditional photography?
There are numbers of differences.
Digital photography:
- is a kind of electronic process (sensor)
- is erasable(can be deleted and saved easily)
- no need to use films (to some extent, it saves money)
- it can be edited by softwares(eg:photoshop) easily
- more functions
- convenient,time-saving (can simply send the photo to the computer)
- can be used in many many different ways and purposes

Traditional photography:
- is sort of mechanical process (interaction between machine and film)
- uses films (films are limited)
- less functions
- need certain amount of time to get the photograph
- costly
- valuable
- quite difficult to edit
- a little bit difficult to operate












2) What use is digital technology to photographers?

There are more space for photographers to develop their creativity and innovation.
They can create certain feeling and atmosphere by using photo editing softwares, such as Photoshop.
Photographers can treat their digital photo as graphic design.
They can create something that are not existing in the reality(not like the past).
Also, digital technology is a new medium for artists and photographers to express their ideas.

PHOTO

Wikipedia VS Encyclopaedia Brittannica

A)brief history of the Encyclopaedia Britannica

-the oldest English-language general encyclopaedia.
-it has been published since 1768/ 1771
-it first edition began to appear in Edinbrgh, Scotland


B)some key features of Encyclopaedia Britannica

(i) according to Wikipedia:
- English-language
-published by a private held company
-for educated adult readers
-200 full-time editors + 400 expert contributors
-over 21 volumes
-adopted "continous revision" policy

(ii)according to Encyclopaedia Britannica:
-a Dictionary of Arts and Science
-two early printers were Andrew Bell and Colin Macfarqunar
-the editor was James Tytler(1741-1804)
-many editions(now:15) and keeps on update

C)Which encyclopedia was most useful for this research?
- Encyclopaedia Britannica .
- Because the information I found here is more clear. The information is more well-organized, arranged, edited. Not like Wikipedia, not every people can edit the information in Encyclopaedia Britannica. Numbers of experts and professional people edit Encyclopaedia Britannica. That's why the information and data we can get here is precise, correct and up-to-date.

D)can you trust this encyclopaedia 100%? why or why not?
-No.
-Because we should not believe information found in encyclopedia blindly and without our own critical thinking.
-The information may not be up-to-date and relevant.
-for research for some controversial issues or topics, we should not only rely on one or single stand opinion and source.



Source from Wikipedia , http://www.wikipedia.org/ (accessed on 9 Steptember,20 09)

What are some pros and cons of the internet and new computer technologies?

Nowadays, almost everyone have a computer in their homes.
One of the most important function of computer is surfing the internet.
Surfing the net nearly becomes people's necessary daily activity.

Pros:
We can enjoy a lot of benefits from internet and other computer technologies.
For examples, we can find numerous information, data,knowledge, stat and news from the internet.
This is really helpful and convenient for our study and research.
We can know more about other countries through the computer, such as the history, tourist spots and local culture.
Also, we can communicate with people by MSN and Facebook etc.
Besides our friends and families, we can also make friends with foreigers from other countries.
We can use computer to create works, such as artworks, writing, web design etc.
Computer and the internet let people to correct with the whole world and other people easily and quickly.
Besides, internet lets people respond quickly and directly to certain local or international issues and news. There are much more space for people to express their thoughts, ideas, feeling and opinion.(for example, Xanga, Facebook etc.)


Cons:
However, computer and internet can also bring negative impacts to people and even our society.
Some people are addicted to use computer and surfing the net. They may waste all their time in playing computer. This will badly affect their study and work. Besides, some problems may be caused by internet, for example, privacy invasion, sex and violence ,and other social problems. People will do whatever they like on the internet as they no need to bear the legal responsibility for their online behaviors. All people are anonymous on the internet. Therefore, they can talk and do something that they will never do in the reality.
Youtube and different forums can also bring great trouble to the society. Millions of videos and posts are posed on these online platforms everydays. And many of them are kind of invading the private lives of other people.




Information Revolution

(A) We can get tons of information from the internet because internet is the largest database with abundant and unlimited information.
We can store, access and share knowledge with other people by digital technologies.
Finding information and data on the internet is much more convenient and easy than in the library.
We can search things in anytime and any place.
Books can only provide information and knowlege in words and pictures.
But we can watch videos and listen mp3 sound files. (more interactive, funny, interesting, influential, consequential and innovative)

People can have closer and direct interaction or connection with the writers and authors.
The information can be uploaded by everybody, range from experts to children.
That means some information on the internet may be incorrect and too subjective.


(B) Yes.
The video ignores and neglects the possible and existed disadvantages of using internet.(such as social problems)
It only shows the advantages of using internet and that's too subjective.
Everything have two sides(bad and good).
It's impossible to focus on the good thing and totally ignore the bad one.

This is my first entry in this blog

Hello, everybody. :) My name is Cindy.
I am a Year 2 student of Visual Studies in Lingnan University.
I never use this blog before
so, i am still not quite familiar about how to use the functions wisely.
but i am sure that i can make use of this blog as a useful tool in my study in the future.
i look forward to share things with my classmates and friends here.