28 December 2006
The idea is that these games will revolve around a system where all of the interactions that you have with your computer will be logged; the websites you visit, finding information on search engines even things like the contents of word processed documents you create. The game will then take the data, combine it with your user profile and then transform it into interactions with other characters in the online environment.
Justin Hall described it at the Mobile Games Conference as "you gain 'experience points' by using MSWord or by sending emails. Every item you cross off a 'to do' list gives you an experience bonus, until eventually you 'level up' your life". You turn every action in your computer use into a move in a video game.
One current implementation of a similar idea is the Finnish site Jaiku. This is a social networking site, where you create a "presence stream" which contains information like your location, updates on your life, the web feeds you read and so on. Then the site lets you interact with your contacts in the online world by updating your stream and seeing how others change theirs, it even creates more integration with peoples daily lives by allowing changes by using a smartphone. This site isn't being run as a game and it isn't as detailed or inescapable as the systems dreamed by Justin Hall, but it does give you an idea of how a system like this would work.
There are clearly a few issues that come from systems like this. The first is the volume of information that these games would collect about your use of the computer and the internet. This level of detail on people's online habits would be incredibly valuable to companies interested in online marketing.
Another consequence of these games would be the competitive edge that it would bring to peoples online lives. This could be a very good thing; it could provide a way of finding out how technologically savvy people are - how well they can find facts on search engines, rewarding them for answering questions as on the askville site and so on, marking people as experts in various fields. Gurus to go to with a specific problem.
A more negative possible aspect is if these games start to affect the way that people lead their lives. It is possible that people would start to choose to do things differently if it meant that their character in the game would improve. If it got to the stage where people were becoming addicted to these video games, then the level of immersion that these games provide would be very dangerous.
It isn't yet clear if this idea has the legs required, it is all still very much in the development stage. It is clear however, that if this idea is going to be the success that some people hope, it is going to have to be very well thought out and balanced. Look out for a BBC funded prototype by Hall in the near future.
Passively Multiplayer Online Games
Justin Hall is an American freelance journalist who is probably best known as a pioneer of blogging, he was referred to by the New York Times Magazine as the "founding father of personal blogging" - clearly a big cheese in the online world. Now Justin is turning his attention to the idea of Passively Multiplayer Online Games, and has devoted the website passivelymultiplayer.com to his research interests in this field.The idea is that these games will revolve around a system where all of the interactions that you have with your computer will be logged; the websites you visit, finding information on search engines even things like the contents of word processed documents you create. The game will then take the data, combine it with your user profile and then transform it into interactions with other characters in the online environment.
Justin Hall described it at the Mobile Games Conference as "you gain 'experience points' by using MSWord or by sending emails. Every item you cross off a 'to do' list gives you an experience bonus, until eventually you 'level up' your life". You turn every action in your computer use into a move in a video game.
One current implementation of a similar idea is the Finnish site Jaiku. This is a social networking site, where you create a "presence stream" which contains information like your location, updates on your life, the web feeds you read and so on. Then the site lets you interact with your contacts in the online world by updating your stream and seeing how others change theirs, it even creates more integration with peoples daily lives by allowing changes by using a smartphone. This site isn't being run as a game and it isn't as detailed or inescapable as the systems dreamed by Justin Hall, but it does give you an idea of how a system like this would work.
There are clearly a few issues that come from systems like this. The first is the volume of information that these games would collect about your use of the computer and the internet. This level of detail on people's online habits would be incredibly valuable to companies interested in online marketing.
Another consequence of these games would be the competitive edge that it would bring to peoples online lives. This could be a very good thing; it could provide a way of finding out how technologically savvy people are - how well they can find facts on search engines, rewarding them for answering questions as on the askville site and so on, marking people as experts in various fields. Gurus to go to with a specific problem.
A more negative possible aspect is if these games start to affect the way that people lead their lives. It is possible that people would start to choose to do things differently if it meant that their character in the game would improve. If it got to the stage where people were becoming addicted to these video games, then the level of immersion that these games provide would be very dangerous.
It isn't yet clear if this idea has the legs required, it is all still very much in the development stage. It is clear however, that if this idea is going to be the success that some people hope, it is going to have to be very well thought out and balanced. Look out for a BBC funded prototype by Hall in the near future.
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