Ways of virtual world-making : actors and avatars / Sisse Siggaard Jensen.

Format:

Book

Thesis/Dissertation

Author/Creator:

Jensen, Sisse Siggaard.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Virtual reality.

Avatars (Virtual reality).

Physical Description:

1 online resource (525 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

[Frederiksberg] : Roskilde University Press, c2012.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

From the subcultural EverQuest, to the public break-through of DOOM, from the hype of Second Life to the widespread World of Warcraft, Sisse Siggaard Jensen has been researching a central question: In what ways do actors make sense of engaging with virtual worlds? Sisse Siggaard Jensen has been studying virtual worlds since 2002, and she aims to produce new knowledge about the transformation of self and world by virtual world-making. Ways of Virtual World-Making is her doctoral thesis, which will exclusively be published as an e-book. Sisse Siggaard Jensen, Ph.D., is Professor of Digital Communication at Roskilde University, Denmark. Her current research interests are questions about how actors make sense of their chosen virtual world(s), their avatar figures, and the social relationships they are part of. She is the head of the research project Sense-making strategies and userdriven innovation in virtual worlds 2008-2012 as well as of the Experience lab RUC.

Contents:

Intro

Roskilde University Press

Sisse Siggaard Jensen

Ways of Virtual World-Making: Actors and Avatars

1st e-edition 2012

© Roskilde University Press 2012

Cover by Klahr │ Grafisk Design

Typeset by Klahr │ Grafisk Design

eISBN: 978-87-7867-390-9

This doctoral dissertation has been publicly defended and accepted for the degree of Dr.Phil. (doktorgrad) at Roskilde University. The defense was held June 1, 2012, 13.00 (1:00 PM GMT+1) at Roskilde University, Department of Communiction, Business an...

Members of the evaluation committee are:

Professor Jay D. Bolter, Georgia Institute of Technology, Professor Andrew Burn, London University and Professor Kim C. Schrøder, Roskilde University (chair).

The dissertation is a result of the research project "Sense-making strategies and user-driven innovation in virtual worlds" supported by The Danish Strategic Research council, KINO committee.

The publication has been supported by the Department of communication, Business and Information Technologies at Roskilde University.

Rosenørns Allé 9

1970 Frederiksberg C

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All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or used in any form or by any means - graphic, electronic or mechanical including photocopying, recording, taping or information storage or retrieval systems - without permission in wr...

Biography

Preface

Prologue

1. Introduction

Choice of worlds

Overall question

From periphery to mainstream

A brief history

Early MUDs

Graphical MUDs

Major research contributions

Identity

Typologies

Motivations

Culture

Economy

Anthropology

Virtual laboratory

An outline of approach and method

Interpretive understanding.

Multiplicities and uniquenesses

Video analysis

Organisation of the dissertation

2. Virtual world-making

Metaphoricity

Creating new realities with metaphors

Spatial metaphors and movements

Mapping and meaningful places

Worlds are in plural

3. Engaging with research

An empirical approach

Where are the virtual worlds and their actors?

Ways of seeing

Asking fellow travellers

Dismantling the vehicle

Pacing the market and expectations

Mediating personal history

What does meaning do?

Shifting to a panoptic view

Triangulating the making of sense

Discussing the roads ahead

Combining the triangle with a diagram

Using analytical inscriptions

4. Producing data

Composing the empirical fields

Background

Asking questions

Choosing cases

Participatory observation

Overview. Period I: January to March 2007.

Summarising

Settling. Period II: April to September 2007

Belonging. Period III: September to December 2007

Searching. Period IV: January to March 2008

Concluding

Epilogue: Avatar design

In situ video interviews

Preparing recordings. Step (1)

Analytical foci and system

Relevance and participating actors

Simple and recurring video interviewing

Recording in situ. Step (2)

Overview and optics

Situated interpretation and a dual focus

A virtual discovery

Processing the recordings. Step (3)

Analytical forms: Transcript and Themes

General descriptions

Mapping and foci

Example:

Characterising and tagging

Reversed storyboarding and visual description

Systematic and intuitively

Some reflections on method

5. Co-construction

Reconstruction

Phials with poison

Food to secure strength

Night shift

Games at all levels

Simple and advanced worlds.

Single and multi-user games

Mapping the world of EverQuest

Main affordances

Experience horizons

Classes and abilities

Mobs

Associations and guilds

Voice chat

The bazaar

Analysis 1. Co-constructions of EverQuest

It is all about affecting other people

Striving for expertise

On equal terms

Gapinesses of being marginalised

A culture of high ideals

Gapinesses of time resources

A co-designed world

Orderly and recognisable

Design idea and strategy

A cosy island

Sandbox and attraction

Business and actor-created design

Purpose and activity

The castle

Personal contact

Atmosphere and experiences

Imagination and fantasy

Spontaneity

Pitfalls and problems

Analysis 2. Co-constructions of Second Life

Attracting the attention of other residents

Running a business in Second Life

Gapinesses of market strategy

A virtual branch of a real life business

Gapinesses of acceptance

Initiating a public debate

Gapinesses of pointless design

6. Mediators

High-level avatars

The gnome Gnossiz

Going solo

Intelligence and power

A loner

Krongh the shadow knight

Playing with finesse

Janus' avatar gallery

Aesthetics

The shaman Gelinu

A busy avatar

Crafting and trading

Sia's avatar gallery

Analysis 3. Personal mediators of EverQuest

To seek admiration and fun

Surviving against odds

Gapinesses of a loner

Having fun

Gapinesses of skilfulness

Achieving authority

Gapinesses of stepping back

Professional avatars

Assessments

Experience and status

Personalising

A full-time job and trust

A default avatar

Trustworthy appearance

Real estate agent

A fun mascot and a business woman

Funny and business-like

Integrity and double standards

The serious literary and colleagues

Shared avatar.

Representing the workplace

Mad about shoes and not flip flops

On the edge

Stylish shoes

Impressions and expectations

Analysis 4. Personal mediators of Second Life

Personalising the professional

Running a serious business

Gapinesses of trustworthiness

Juggling opportunities

Representing the workplace

Gapinesses of sharing an avatar

Playing on the boundary

Gapinesses of playfulness

7. Relationships

Guilds and raids in Everquest

Battlefields and fighting

Choosing a mission

Valuables and yield

Timing and attention

David fights Goliath

Selfishness and jealousies

Guild and cooperation

Draconic Guardians

Only for adults

Commitment and norms

Teamwork and roles

Masters of the game

Bazaar and virtual currency

Manufacturing and trade skills

A market for money

Buffing late at night

Analysis 5. Achievement and sharing

For individual gain or common benefit

Achieving a high-level status

Gapinesses of achieving high status

Building a guild of teamwork

Gapinesses of teamwork building

Acting as leader

Gapinesses of leadership

Business and networking in Second Life

Competition and knowledge sharing

Traffic and measurement

Search engine

City guides and chatting

Pupil or marketing manager?

Groups and advertisements

Personal and professional networks

Norms and contact

Animated chair

Behaviour and dancing

Sexual advances

Critical atmosphere

Appearance and virtual artefacts

The look of avatars

Things and media

Analysis 6. Attention and activity

Measuring and exploring

Providing a full-time job

Gapinesses of the Wonder DK business

Advertising jobs

Gapinesses of the Times project

Initiating public debate

Gapinesses of the Literary project.

8. Expressions of self

Time and effort in EverQuest

Opportunities and limitations

A curious and adventurous thrill seeker

To match the others

Influencing and organising

The struggle against superior forces

clever and courageous

Different morals

Building communities

Game cultures

It requires joint efforts

Balanced role-players

Trust and distrust

To play with courage

Analysis 7. Empowerment and fun

Gaining expertise

Empowering a loner

Acting as an organiser and ideologist

Becoming a high level guild leader

Opportunities and problems in Second Life

Serious business

Sales speeches

Music and crazy ideas

Always a way out

The sharing of ideas

It is a learning process

It is the person

Along new lines of thinking

A settlers' atmosphere

Out-of-body total experience

Analysis 8. Entrepreneurship and experiments

Becoming a business entrepreneur

Becoming a business manager

Acting as a designer and provocateur

Acting as an experience designer

9. Navigation

Everyday life in EverQuest

Friends, family, work, and education

Play and work

Friends and peer pressure

Children and education

Games and children

homework and education

Fellow students and family

Screens and beds

Analysis 9: Priorities and requirements

It blurs the boundaries

Work life in Second Life

Press release and solid work

Marketing

Prices

Knowledge

Curiosity and a virtual branch

Mini nerd

New branch

Childish and colleagues

Public institution

IT department

Explorations

An intimate profession

Analysis 10: Making a living and initiating debate

Attuning to outside expectations

10. Synthesis of analysis

Comparing virtual world-making

Market and media

Content creation

A sense of uniqueness.

Scarcity of resources.

Notes:

Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph

Dissertation (doctoral)--Roskilde University, 2012.

Includes bibliographical references.

ISBN:

87-7867-390-9

OCLC:

810288473