Hard Work is Rewarded

This group project grew out of my Game Studies Group after reading Ian Bogost's Unit Operations. We're exploring the unit of "hard work" and how it's expressed in MMOs in particular, and what that has to say about a) how videogames (or at least MMOs) are different from other media, and b) how the concept of value gets played out in games. We're theorizing, outlining and developing a plan for action.

This paper explores how mainstream newspapers covered the 'perfect storm' of the PS3 & Wii launch. With expected shortages, long lines of 'crazy fans,' and speculators selling consoles on eBay for 2-3 times their retail price, coverage was interesting to say the least. My particular interest, though, is how that coverage was gendered, particularly given that although videogames' player base is widening, consoles remain the most masculine of the formats. Data analyzing and writing underway.

Fan-created content and 'value'

With my good friend Hector, we're exploring another way of conceptualizing the 'user-created content' that is all the hype these days. We're interested in different ways to think about and measure the value of that content, including a) just getting a grip on the volume that's out there, and b) how value gets commodified by corporations, as well as c) what that means for theory regarding fan content. Conceptualization stage.

American Otaku

Growing out of the work I've done with Final Fantasy XI online, I'm interested in how US-based FFXI players make sense of Japanese players, play styles, and culture. In particular I'm focusing on 'otaku' or fans that take a special interest in all things Japanese, including installing the kanji-based client on their PC, learning Japanese, and publishing etiquette and language guides for other (non-Japanese) players.

We often study the communicative systems of online games in a transparent manner, assuming the text (or perhaps voice or visuals) is a simple tool for helping us see what is 'really' going on. I'd like to theorize deeper about the systems of communication we are drawing from, and in particular thoughts about signal and noise, to ponder how lag, language and lingo (among other factors) influence the gameplay experience, as well as the research experience in online games. In heavy editing.

Crunched by Passion

I tackle the notions of 'crunch time' and 'passion' as drivers of the digital game industry, and question whether we should be encouraging women (or anyone at all, really) to go into a workforce that can be so brutal in its treatment of workers. Forthcoming in Beyond Barbie and Mortal Kombat, MIT Press.