Online Gaming: The Sims and Second Life

Online Gaming is not about ordinary individuals playing games on the internet but rather about collaborative groups of individuals, creating user-generated content to enhance their gaming experience (Bruns, 2007). Games such as The Sims and Second Life encourage participatory culture by influencing users to engage with the game. Users have the ability to design designing new products and share them with others (Karlsson, 2008). Gamers are not just consumers of traditional software but have become producers of content, thus produsers. Bruns (2007) states that produsage is about “the collaborative and continuous building and extending of existing content in pursuit of further improvement”. Thus, these gaming environments are encouraging consumers to design their own world by creating, editing and sharing items.

In these communities people have the opportunity to create new online identities, which either become an entire new personality or reflect reality in some way (Liao, 2008; Flew, 2007). These communities basically have control of the “narrative” and determine where the story goes (Liao, 2008). These virtual gaming communities are not limited to geographic regions, but rather are determined by user interests. There exists a wide range of users with similar interests coming from various backgrounds to collaborate share information (Bruns, 2007). The fluidity and open participation of these environments allows users to freely move between the roles of a consumer and producer within the game (Bruns, 2007). Objects generated within these communities are not always finished and generally leave a space for improvement from others (Bruns, 2007).

The Sims is an early example of produsage. Almost 90% of content is created is generated by users (Bruns, 2007). They create content such as avatars, houses, families, backgrounds and changing existing items (The Sims 2.com, 2008). Users can post these creations on fan websites, blogs and forums for the entire world to see. In the Official Sims Forums users collaborate together on their experiences with the game, give hints and share there creations. These creations are then downloaded by other players and used within their own game. The Sims 2 has a special section called The Sims Exchange where signed up users can find user-generated items to download. Therefore, this type software gives users the opportunity to individualize and personalize there game, presenting a creative and unique experience.

Second Life is a virtual online world where users can connect, communicate and interact with each other and discuss their interests. It is about building a virtual community, meeting people, learning from others and exchanging ideas. Second Life consists of entirely of user-generated content with its creators encouraging users to build virtual worlds with the programming tools given (Jenkins, 2007; Au, 2007). Users engage in collective intelligence by collaborating, changing and editing parts of the game to improve it. They can create and edit almost anything from people, clothing, houses, furniture boats, shopping centers, clubs, almost anything (Au in Jenkins, 2007). In a sense, Second Life it like and extension to the real world, it mirrors the real world due to elements of reality it presents such as people, business, activities and social interactions (Liao, 2007). Users can also buy products and set up their own businesses and in return make money (Karlsson, 2007).

What’s interesting with Second Life is that not only are users engaging with this software, but major companies are using second life to “showcase their designs” (Jenkins, 2007). Brands are using this software to advertise and sell their products and target specific niche audiences with specific tastes (Berger, 2007). With over 13 millions users, marketers are taking the opportunity place their products in Second Life, by creating advertisements on buildings and naming places after them. Liao (2007) suggests that Second Life for businesses acts as both an extension of the real world and a representation of another type of real world. It has the ability to not only create its only culture but is able to reflect from its original culture (Liao, 2007)

As gaming becomes more active and participatory, ordinary users are getting the opportunity to showcase their creations. I think that gaming sites like Second Life provides good spaces for people to interact with users across the world. Not only can they meet people from different cultures but they can chat about their similar interests in an interactive, collaborative environment.

References

Au, W. J. 2006. Taking New World Notes. http://www.firstmonday.org/issues/special11_2b/au/index.html
(accessed May 5, 2008)

Au, W. J in Jenkins, H. 2007. Notes from a New World: An Interview with Wagner James Au (Part Two).
http://www.henryjenkins.org/2007/04/interview_with_wagner_james_au_1.html (accessed May 1, 2008)

Berger, M. W. Manon of Second Life: Teaching in the Virtual World.
http://etc.technologyandculture.net/2008/04/20/manon-of-second-life-teaching-in-the-virtual-world/ (accessed May 2, 2008)

Bruns, A. 2007. Blogs, Wikipedia, Second Life and Beyond: From Production to Produsage. http://produsage.org/files/Produsage%20-%20Introduction.pdf) (accessed May 2, 2008)

Bruns, A. 2007. Produsage: Towards a Broader Framework for User-Led Content Creation.
http://produsage.org/files/Produsage%20(Creativity%20and%20Cognition%202007).pdf (accessed May 2, 2008)

Bruns, A. 2007. Uses for Second Life.
http://snurb.info/node/736 (accessed May 3, 2008)

Flew, Terry. 2005. Virtual Cultures in Flew, Terry, New Media: An Introduction, Melbourne: OUP, pp.61-82.

Jenkins, H. 2007. Second Life (Round Three) -- 'Nuff Said.
http://www.henryjenkins.org/2007/02/second_life_round_three_nuff_s.html
(accessed May 3, 2008)

Karlsson, J. 2008. Taking care of Xerox Business – Virtually. Research Technology Management 51 (1): 14.

Liao, C. L. 2008. Avatars, Second Life, and New Media Art: The Challenge for Contemporary Art Education. Art Education 61 (2): 87.

The Sims 2. 2008. The Sims 2 Home. http://thesims2.ea.com/
(accessed May 5, 2008)

Advertising and Marketing in the Interactive Age.

The rise of Web 2.0 technologies has given new opportunities for advertisers and marketers to reach their audiences. Instead of using traditional mainstream media vehicles to reach a mass audience, the internet allows advertisers to reach highly individualized niche audiences. New media is changing the advertising landscape and companies are moving towards the internet to inform consumers, strengthen brand relationships and reach more of an effective audience (Jenkins, 2006). Messages are being presented through banners, pop-ups, customized emails, viral campaigns, videos, gaming sites, online stores and blogs. The internet has allowed for two-way communication, suggesting that advertisers can interact directly with their audience to receive feedback and thus reach an effective audience (Ouwersloot & Duncan, 2008).

Consumers have become more individualized and fragmented and as a result choose the content they wish to see (Trendwatching.com, 2005). Online is a cost-effective medium used to target specific niche groups and underpin traditional mainstream media (Bruns, 2008). The internet has become a diverse space filled with visitors, information-gathers, content creators and bloggers from around the world. Users join multiple virtual online communities to discuss, create and share information related to their specific interests (Flew, 2005; Bruns, 2008). The online environment has become an interactive portal for advertisers and marketers to present new products and build brand image. As a result, brands are now allocating more budgets spending on targeted new media channels (Jenkins 2008; Marketing Week, 2008;).

The movement of consumers from a mass audience to niche audiences has meant that advertisers and marketers have had to find new ways to reach audiences (Trendwatching.com, 2005). In order to reach these highly fragmented audiences, Horvath (2007) suggests that there is a need to produce “highly tuned, customizable and targeted advertising”. This can be done by direct marketing schemes comprising of databases filled with customer interests, online behaviours and personal information (Granick, 2007; Horvath; 2007). Databases consist of information about age, gender, region as well as interests, online activities, purchasing habits and transactions (May, 2007). Granick (2007) suggests that these databases create a “detailed profile of visitors” and allow for ads to be specifically targeted and customized towards them based upon their “individual tastes”, resulting in highly direct personalized advertising. Amazon and Itunes use this direct mail technology by gathering user activity and transactions to present promotions and offers to consumers (May, 2007). Nabers (2001) suggests that “people give a lot of credit to advertising that goes out and finds them in their lives”. Thus, as customers have become more unique, they generally enjoy receiving targeted promotions, since they are personalized and relevant to their interests and thus are more likely to respond to them.

Social media has impacted business strategies and has made brands rethink ways of attracting customers. They have realized that they need to connect and strengthen their relationships with their audiences and to do this, need to become part of their networks (Fichter, 2007; Horvath; 2007). Brands have set out to create their own blogs, forums, MySpaces and Facebooks, posting the latest information about their products. To build greater brand relationships they have decided combine offline media and online media by inserting website links into traditional print ads, directing consumers towards their website as an avenue for information. This type of migration provides an added benefit to the customer as these websites become places to exchange ideas, meet other fans of similar interest and discuss the product (Horvath, 2007). Companies are now aiming to create content rich collaborative, web 2.0 websites, which allow consumers to interact and add value to the website by uploading stories, photos, videos and headlines (Horvath, 2007)

Fitchter (2007) suggests that consumers are becoming future communicators and sellers of products, by using word of mouth, blogs, videos and forums to advertise products. By sharing, producing and manipulating content about goods and services they are spreading the word and initially selling the product to their own online virtual community (May, 2007; Bruns, 2008). They use blogs (eg: adverblog) to post news, opinions or reviews and forums to share product experiences and find solutions. By posting video parodies on YouTube, consumers become producers of content. As result, they create their own DIY communities with their own virtual online audience (Bruns, 2008). An example is the MacBook Paper Parody, where someone created a paper version of the product, filmed it and posted it on their blog, through YouTube. This parody generated huge response and as a result, the producer gave users the opportunity to print out their own paper MacBooks. Thus, they were able to become sellers their product in a unique, individual, interactive way. However, as consumers become sellers of products, not all messages can be controlled. Many viral campaigns which spread the message via word of mouth, have become susceptible to this. Consumers may see a clip on a website and then send it to their friends via email, blogs or myspace and within days get a millions of hits (Horvath, 2007). The Dove Campaign for beauty is an example of this.

Using the means of the internet as an interactive promotion tools allows brands to reach their desired niche audiences. While, not all messages will have a positive response due to the free nature of online communities, they are still more likely to have a larger response rate. I feel that the future of advertising and marketing relies on the internet. As technology convergences and audiences become more niche brands need to move towards the internet to reach these consumers. I think the future of advertising will be interactive, cross promotional, viral and will be prominently featured on the internet and may use mainstream media as support mechanisms.

References
Bruns, A. 2008. KCB201 Virtual Cultures: Week 7 Podcast DIY Media and Collaboration. http://blackboard.qut.edu.au/webapps/portal/frameset.jsp?tab=courses&url=/bin/common/course.pl?course_id=_29175_1 (accessed April 22, 2008).

Fichter, D. 2007. Seven Strategies for Marketing in a Web 2.0 World.
http://www.infotoday.com/mls/mar07/Fichter.shtml
(accessed May 1, 2008)

Flew, Terry. 2005. Virtual Cultures in Flew, Terry, New Media: An Introduction, Melbourne: OUP, pp.61-82.

Granick, J. 2007. Online Advertising: So Good, Yet So Bad for Us. http://www.wired.com/politics/law/commentary/circuitcourt/2007/05/circuitcourt_0509 (accessed May 1, 2008)

Horvath, S. 2007. Web2.0: The next frontier in digital business
http://www.smartersoft.com.au/index.php?_m=89&edVal=48
(accessed May 2, 2008)

Jenkins, H. 2006. Convergence Culture: When new and old media collide. New York. Queensland University of Technology, Course Materials Database. http://qut.virtual.qut.edu.au/portal/pls/portal/olt_materials_search_p?p_unit_code=KCB201

Jenkins, H. 2007. Switching Channels: Branding Network TV in an Era of Mass-less Media(Part One).
http://henryjenkins.org/2007/05/switching_channels_branding_ne.html (accessed May 1, 2008)

Marketing Week. 2007. Digital Insight: Online: where context is king. Marketing Week, Jan 10.

May, R. 2007. The Future of Media and Advertising. http://www.businesspundit.com/the-future-of-media-and-advertising/
(accessed May 1, 2008)

Nabers, E. 2001. Technology is changing the advertising business.
http://www.news.com/2100-1023-251882.html
(accessed May 1, 2008)

Ouwersloot, H., & Duncun. T. 2008. Integrated Marketing Communications. London: McGraw-Hill.

Trendwatching.com. 2005. Nouveau Niche.
http://www.trendwatching.com/trends/nouveau_niche.htm
(accessed May 2 2008)

How do online communities organise themselves?

Online communities occur when groups of people come together with common interests to collect, share and discuss information with others. They range from discussion boards, forums, and blogs to sites such as Myspace, Youtube and Facebook.

They exist to make it easier for users to create valuable networks and to find valid information. Users share, learn and create new ideas and thoughts in an almost instant, relaxed environment with a group of similar minded individuals. These communities provide room for niche markets where users from around the world, with matching interests can come together collectively.

These online communities allow users to create their own online identities and form new friendships and relationships in an active participatory culture. In a sense they develop ‘new forms of communities’, which are non-existent in real life, as they may be hard to develop, but have some relevance in the online world. Flew states that people in these online communities are more “cooler to one another”, “more task-oriented” and less “prone to disagreement” then they would be in “face-to-face” groups (2005, 68)

Another reason as why users might find these communities interesting is the users “ability to play with personas”, meaning that users can create their own identities or windows where their personality can be developed and expressed. Users can play many “personas” online, depending on the environment they put themselves into. Users who feel “marginalised or persecuted by society” get the chance to express their views and opinions, which would not necessarily occur in mainstream society (Flew 2005, 69). Therefore, it can be concluded that communities are formed to create new relationships, discussions and share information, but how do all these activities stay relevant?

Online communities need to keep themselves controlled and organised in order to be prosperous. Flew states that design and administration play a key role in keeping a site organised (2005, 70). Administrators need to commit to maintaining a public site by making sure that information is current and up to date in order for users to keep coming back. They should also become hosts to interests groups and present a good environment for diverse discussion. Users should be able to resolve their own disagreements, however administrators should be prepared when to step in when a major crisis occurs (Flew 2005, 70-71). Flew (2005, 70-71) also mentions that software should promote group discussion, old postings should be archived, the site should be “child-friendly” and word length should not be limited to ensure that users get a full, rich and warm experience from the site.

Online communities require development overtime in order to expand and prosper. They need to grow and establish their identity, meaning and relationships with their users. Baym in Flew (2005, 70) states that “as it is these stable patterns of social meaning, manifested through group’s ongoing discourse, that enable participants to imagine themselves as part of a community”. Since online communities are about users sharing, collaborating, creating and discussing information they need to be well organised and developed in order to keep users involved.

Flew, T. 2005. New Media. South Melbourne: Oxford University Press.