GAMING, CYBERSPACE, and IDENTITY

in-class essay

(image of space invaders)

WRITING PROMPT: Play a game for 30 minutes or so and then write a two-page essay (typed and double spaced) in which you compare your real-life identity to your game persona. Assume that your audience knows nothing about the game and take some time to explain how it works. Write with flair--use creative descriptions, try to have fun with it.

IMPORTANT NOTE: The prompt does not give you a thesis; it gives you a topic: your on-line identity vs. your real life identity. It is your task to craft a thesis that makes an assertion about this topic.

GAMES:

BattleOn:

War at Sea

Vampire Slayer Quest

Ninja Class

Adventure Quest:

http://darkzard.battleon.com/Build24/game29.asp

New Grounds

Kaboom!

http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view.php?id=50323

Pimp's Quest:

http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/60822

Pico's School (Pico fights the Goths):

http://www.newgrounds.com/pico/index.html

The LamdaMOO:

Introduction to the MOO:

http://www.lambdamoo.info/

Other Gaming Hubs:

http://games.yahoo.com/

http://ww13.freearcade.com/

www.pogo.com

www.zone.com

http://www.spaceinvaders.de/

http://www.shockwave.com/sw/actiongames/arcade_classics/

IT MIGHT HELP YOU TO CONSIDER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS AS YOU PLAY:

  1. What is the objective of the game?
  2. What is your role in the game?
  3. How, specifically, does this role differ from your role as a student at UCSB?
  4. What does the game environment look like? The colors, textures, and sounds (if any)? What is the quality of graphics?
  5. How does the game environment differ from your actual environment?
  6. Pay attention to how your body reacts as you play the game. How do you feel when you play the game? Does your heart beat faster? Slower? Do you tense up? Relax?
  7. How do the actions of the game differ from your real life actions? E.g., In reality, I am sitting in a plastic seat in a computer lab; my eyes dart right and left; my forefinger clicks the mouse; etc.
  8. How does playing this game differ from playing a traditional face-to-face board game like Monopoly?
  9. "For [Sherry] Turkle, one of the most exciting--and healthy--aspects of the Internet is that it allows us to create--and explore--multiple personae and personalities for ourselves. To what extent have you experienced this sense of creation and re-creation of yourself on the Internet?"

GAMING, CYBERSPACE AND IDENTITY