So…China has now come up with a new law that protects Chinese children from getting addicted to MOGs (or MMORPGs, I just can’t be bothered writing the whole thing anymore…from here on it’s MOGs…you guys know what I mean anyway). Developers of these games are now instructed to impliment a 3 hour law…if players play more than 3 hours their character/avatar starts to diminish. There also has to be a 5 hour pause before the player can log back on. It’s quite amazing really. And before you laugh and question the ability to have several accounts, they’ve also recently enforced another law that requires you to punch in your personal id nr before logging in to games, so that they can regulate age a.s.o. Sigh…it’s very complicated and I still don’t understand why it is needed…I mean, call me a synic, but a suicide here and there isn’t a reason for panic in a massive country like China, is there? Or am I just not getting the big picture?
Anyways! Game politics is reporting that Chinese World of Warcraft players have started a petition against it. What I think is most interesting is that they are aware that there is a problem at that regulation of game play might be a must, but the way the Chinese government has formed it, it will ruin too much. I thought it was kinda touching but also kinda scary.

I know! I’m so sick and tired of discussing this sex in video game stuff, but it needs further discussion. IGDA has created it’s own group the Sex Special Interest Group. It’s all kinda bizarre, if you ask me. But definately worth having a look. Through my travels through blog world several people have commented that they’re too restrictive and careful. Which I agree with and will come back to!! Sorry…blogging in a hurry today!

So virtual world academic guru Edward Castronova has done something absolutely marvelous and soooooo daring! His Center for the study of Synthetic Worlds (which is sooooo where I should be doing a doctorate because I’m so smart!) has created not a conference but a ludium! The way I see it (and I may be wrong here) is that these smart people are sick of just discussing what and if you can learn something from building and playing virtual worlds, they’re gonna see if the come up with something by playing themselves! It’s a fantastic idea and I admire Castronova for attempting it, as most of us understand that designing games ain’t easy!!! Wish I could be there!! Why don’t they give masters students bunches of money to travel to far away conferences?

Ok….I haven’t gotten my computer nerd license yet!!! But I want one!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So I’m sitting behind this receptionist desk and I’m sooooooo freekin bored it’s unbelievable. Naturally I want to do something…so I’ve been blogging a lot. The trouble is…I keep misunderstanding what I read and commenting on something completely different or being offended and offensive. Have I lost my mind? Have I lost the ability to think?
And should I just stop before I make a complete and utter ass of myself? I think so!!!! So what shall I do?

So…I’ve been browsing through the We’re Not Afraid website and I have to say! As well as a bunch of people love taking stupid pictures of their pets there really are some amazing contemporary artists out there!!! Some of these pictures blow my mind!
But!!! OMG!! So I’m sitting here as a posh receptionist in a VERY conservative office and I’m in stitches! I just can’t stop laughing! Tears are just rolling down my cheeks! Cause this has got to be the most hillarious thing I’ve ever seen!! Check out I’m Fucking Terrified!

I’ve spent way too much time reading about the subject, cause it has nothing to do with my thesis….but I came across an article in The Economist (actually The Ludologist guided me to it). It’s refreshing to see such ‘serious’ media giving the debate on violence and sex in video games coverage. Yet another interesting read…but if you don’t want to read it, this graph, basically speaks for itself!

The San Francisco Chronicle has an interesting article, ‘Economists to explore world of online Games. With a lot of old news, virtual property for real money and blah blah blah….and Castronova is mentioned (OF COURSE!!) Now…I have to admit that I was a bit perplexed when I read Castronova saying that he wanted to alter a few things in Second Life to see how people would react to certain things. The article also mentions Alvin Roth who seems supportive of such an experiment because “… players come to online games willingly and because the underlying economics could be changed in invisible ways and therefore less likely to alter behavior”. And I instantly felt offended! I didn’t like that professors were going to be studying my reactions by varying the world. I may be overreacting, and to be honest….I think it sounds like a great experiment…but my emotions as a MMORPG player, got the better of me.

But then I thought about it….I think maybe the journalist misunderstood a bit. And then I thought again, and understood that I have clearly crossed the border somewhere along the way. It isn’t ‘just’ a game anymore….it’s a part of me!!

Ofcourse….what I find so compelling, is that Second Life seems to only consist of academics studying the game (I have no numbers to back it up…and of course I’m exagerating), so there they are roaming around in their world studying each other…there’s a unique and humorous irony in there somewhere!

Well….I suppose it’s been wavering in the air for a while now…according to Next Generation, China has now banned all children from playing online games that involve killing and sex. I’m curious as to what is considered adult in China. It’s a drastic measure and I’m wondering if it’s a sign to come of what is to happen here. Is the Norwegian government ever going to appoint a department overlooking the content of online games?

Apperantly they’re proposing legislation to protect virtual property. WOW! I honestly never thought such a time would come. It’s just a proposal, however….and….well….I have to admit, I’m kinda scared!

Stumbled on to yet another interesting site today….really intriguing really, The Escapist. It’s a magazine and it’s all about gaming, but withouth the high pitched sqeeky pimple faced voices. I was introduced Ren Reynolds mentions it in his Terra Nova’s post about this fabulous piece on Second Life and living in a land of fantasy; Architecture And Vice: Fantasy in the Magic Kingdom of Second Life by David Thomas. This article explains so clearly what playing SOCIAL MMORPGs is about! A very interesting read And I look forward to reading the rest of the articles. Will of course get a direct link in here somewhere.