The proteus paradox : how online games and virtual worlds change us-and how they don't / Nick Yee.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Yee, Nick, 1979-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Video games.

Virtual reality.

Shared virtual environments.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (261 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

New Haven, Connecticut : Yale University Press, 2014.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

Proteus, the mythical sea god who could alter his appearance at will, embodies one of the promises of online games: the ability to reinvent oneself. Yet inhabitants of virtual worlds rarely achieve this liberty, game researcher Nick Yee contends. Though online games evoke freedom and escapism, Yee shows that virtual spaces perpetuate social norms and stereotypes from the offline world, transform play into labor, and inspire racial scapegoating and superstitious thinking. And the change that does occur is often out of our control and effected by unparalleled-but rarely recognized-tools for controlling what players think and how they behave. Using player surveys, psychological experiments, and in-game data, Yee breaks down misconceptions about who plays fantasy games and the extent to which the online and offline worlds operate separately. With a wealth of entertaining and provocative examples, he explains what virtual worlds are about and why they matter, not only for entertainment but also for business and education. He uses gaming as a lens through which to examine the pressing question of what it means to be human in a digital world. His thought-provoking book is an invitation to think more deeply about virtual worlds and what they reveal to us about ourselves.

Contents:

Front matter

Contents

Acknowledgments

Introduction: Mirror, Mirror on the Wall

Chapter 1: The New World

Chapter 2: Who Plays and Why

Chapter 3: Superstitions

Chapter 4: The Labor of Fun

Chapter 5: Yi-Shan-Guan

Chapter 6: The Locker Room Utopia

Chapter 7: The ''Impossible'' Romance

Chapter 8: Tools of Persuasion and Control

Chapter 9: Introverted Elves, Conscientious Gnomes, and the Quest for Big Data

Chapter 10: Changing the Rules

Chapter 11: The Hidden Logic of Avatars

Chapter 12: Reflections and the Future of Virtual Worlds

Notes

Glossary of Online Gaming Terms

Index

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references at the end of each chapters and index.

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

9780300199291

0300199295

OCLC:

865651596