ISBN:
9781433138294
Language:
English
Pages:
1 Online-Ressource (346 pages)
Series Statement:
Digital Formations v.106
Parallel Title:
Print version Banks, Jaime Avatar, Assembled : The Social and Technical Anatomy of Digital Bodies
DDC:
303.48/33
Keywords:
Information technology-Social aspects
;
Avatars (Virtual reality)-Social aspects
;
Internet games-Social aspects
;
Electronic books
;
Aufsatzsammlung
;
Aufsatzsammlung
Abstract:
Avatar, Assembled is a curated volume that unpacks videogame and virtual world avatars-not as a monolithic phenomenon (as they are usually framed) but as sociotechnical assemblages, pieced together from social (human-like) features like voice and gesture to technical (machine-like) features like graphics and glitches
Abstract:
Cover -- Table of Contents -- Figures -- Tables -- Acknowledgments -- Introduction: (Dis)Assembling the Avatar (Jaime Banks) -- The Vitruvian Avatar -- Avatarial Assemblages -- This Volume -- References -- Part One: The Social -- Chapter One: Life & Death: The Meaning of (Digital) Existence (Teresa Lynch / Nicholas L. Matthews) -- Boundaries, Functionality, and the Significance of Life and Death -- Technological Constraints Shaping Life and Death -- Consequences and Functioning of Death -- Layers in the Sociality of Avatar Death -- Boundaries and Ethics -- References -- Chapter Two: Shape & Size: The Body Electric (James M. Falin / Jorge Peña) -- Creation and Selection -- Crafting Physiques: Strategies, Limitations, and Motivations -- Avatar Physiquesâ Impact on Players -- Weight Hacking and Other Futures -- References -- Chapter Three: Race & Otherness: The Utopian Promise and Divided Reality (Kristine L. Nowak) -- Considering the Utopian Promise and the Racial Divide -- Perspective Taking and Identity Tourism -- The Utopian PromiseâKept and Broken -- Futures of Avatarial Otherness -- References -- Chapter Four: Boobs & Butts: The Babes Get the Gaze (Jesse Fox) -- Interpreting the Digital as the Real -- Social and Biological Roots of Gendered Bodies -- Fixations and (Hetero)Normative Gazes -- Objectification or Empowerment? -- Futures of Sexualized Bodies -- References -- Chapter Five: Face & Hair: Looks That Change Behaviors (Sun Joo (Grace) Ahn) -- Digital Faces Versus Physical Faces -- Hair as a Key Customization Feature -- Transformed Social Interactions -- Digital DoppelgängersâReflections with Minds of Their Own -- Blurred Boundaries -- References -- Chapter Six: Voice & Sound: Player Contributions to Speech (Hanna Wirman / Rhys Jones) -- The High Cost of Avatar Sound -- Avatar Voices as Co-Constructed -- Identification
Abstract:
Interpretation -- Negotiation -- Voice as Critical to Character -- References -- Chapter Seven: Gesture & Movement: Indices of Presence (Sita Popat) -- Gesturing to Others -- Gesturing to Oneself -- Mapping Gestural Qualities -- Embodied Identity -- Corporeality and Immersion -- Note -- References -- Chapter Eight: Names & Labels: Strategic (De)Identification (Mark R. Johnson) -- Names and Labels as Identity Signifiers -- Names, Labels, and Gameplay -- The Safety of the Alphabet -- Anonymity and High-stakes Gambling -- Clan Tags and Group Identities -- The Future of Digital Names -- References -- Chapter Nine: Gear & Weaponry: Market Ideologies of Functional and Cosmetic Items (William Robinson / David Calvo) -- A Snapshot of Functional Items -- Diablo and a Crisis of Value -- Digital Items as Buy-In -- References -- Chapter Ten: Companions & Vehicles: Permutations of Digital Entities (Rabindra A. Ratan) -- Digital Companions -- Digital Vehicles -- Coming Full Circle ⦠Well, Triangle -- References -- Chapter Eleven: Alignments & Alliances: Associations of Value (Kristine Ask / Mark Chen) -- Alignment Through Alliances: Systems -- Alignment Through Alliances: Factions -- Alignment Through Alliances: Players -- Alignment Through Alliances: Technologies -- Avatars 〈3 Alliances -- Note -- References -- Chapter Twelve: Morality & Personality: Perfect and Deviant Selves (Matthew Grizzard / Changhyun Ahn) -- Personality and Morality Defined -- Personality -- Morality -- Media Research on Personality and Morality -- Character Types in Videogames -- The Interaction of Character and Playerâs Personality and Morality -- Morality and Degrees of Me and Not-Me -- Note -- References -- Chapter Thirteen: Relationships & Reputation: Part of the Main(frame) (Nicholas David Bowman) -- Relationships -- Functional and Ludic Relationships
Abstract:
Social and Narrative Relationships -- Reputations -- Functional Reputations -- Moral Reputations -- A Part of the Main -- References -- Chapter Fourteen: Headcanon & Lore: Owning the Narrative (John Carter Mcknight) -- Explicating Headcanon and Lore -- Gaps, Queering, Fix-it -- Canon Inputs: Mechanics, Narrative, Appearance -- Creative and Social Outputs -- References -- Chapter Fifteen: Cosplay & Conventions: Exporting the Digita (Nicolle Lamerichs) -- Costuming and Conventions -- Embodiment in Cosplay -- Embodiment and Affect -- Cosplay as a âThird Layerâ -- References -- Part Two: The Technical -- Chapter Sixteen: Rules & Mechanics: Parameters for Interactivity (Andy Boyan / Jaime Banks) -- Rules and Avatars -- Mechanics and Avatars -- Rules and Mechanics in Emergent Play -- Avatar Control and Parameter Literacies -- Note -- References -- Chapter Seventeen: Achievements & Levels: Building Affirmational Resources (John A. Velez) -- What Is an âAchievement?â -- Videogames, Avatars, and Repairing Bad Moods -- Achievements and Coping with Bad Moods -- Avatarsâ Potential Role in Achievement-Based Self-Affirmation -- References -- Chapter Eighteen: Spells & Statistics: Inside the Black Box (Christopher A. Paul) -- World of Warcraft and the Emergence of Metagaming -- NBA 2k16, Hero Ball, and Perfecting Myplay -- Clash Royale and the âTwistedâ Meta -- Avatar (and Player) in a Box -- References -- Chapter Ninteen: Class & Role: Frameworks for (Inter)Action (Oskar Milik) -- Classes, Roles, and Norms -- Class and Role as Player-Avatar Feedback Systems -- Social Classes and Interactional Roles -- References -- Chapter Twenty: Resources & Inventories: Useful Fictions (Isaac Knowles) -- A Brief History -- Resources as Game Artifacts -- Inventories as Avatar Artifacts -- Capacity -- Interactivity -- Inclusivity -- Commutativity
Abstract:
Inventories as Useful Fictions -- Note -- References -- Chapter Twenty-One: Code & Logic: Procedural Desire (Peter Kudenov) -- Defining Code -- Perspectives on Code -- The Logics Code Implements -- Procedural Desire -- References -- Chapter Twenty-Two: Glitches & Lag: Unanticipated Variables (Mark R. Johnson) -- Flying, Bouncing, and Standbying in Halo 2 -- Glitched Characters and Player Experience -- Lag and Avatar Perception -- The Fluidity of Digital Bodies -- References -- Chapter Twenty-Three: Pixels & Polygons: The Stuff of Light-Beings (Roger Altizer, Jr.) -- Avatars as Real Abstractions -- More Pixels, Better Avatars? -- Polygons: The Key to 3D -- A Power Problem -- The Novelty of Light-Beings -- References -- Chapter Twenty-Four: Embellishment & Effects: Seduction by Style (Dominic Kao / D. Fox Harrell) -- Juiciness and Instrumentality -- Toward Embellishment: Effects as Seductive Details -- Avatar Embellishments and their (In)Efficiencies -- Simple Avatars Perform as Well as Embellished Ones -- Dynamic Embellishment Can Improve Performance Over Static Appearances -- Self-similar Embellishment Is More Impactful -- Graphical Elements and Ways of (Scientifically) Seeing -- Note -- References -- Chapter Twenty-Five: Perspective & Physics: Frames for Play (Ryan Bown / Gabe Olson) -- Physics in Player-Avatar Connections -- True Physics are Boring Physics -- Perspective as an Experiential Frame for Physics -- Physics as an Experiential Frame for Interactivity -- Breaking and Bending the Frames -- Physics and Playful Experimentation -- References -- Chapter Twenty-Six: Mobility & Context: Of Being and Being There (Edward Downs) -- A Logic of Being -- Game History as Change in Mobility -- Motion as Aesthetic -- Being There -- Situating Gameplay in the Dialectic -- Note -- References
Abstract:
Chapter Twenty-Seven: Engines & Platforms: Functional Entanglements (Casey OâDonnell) -- Four Facets of Platforms -- Engines as Philosophical Frameworks -- The Precision and Messiness of Tools -- The Importance of Entanglement -- References -- Chapter Twenty-Eight: Interfaces & Mods: Customizing the Gateway (Nathan Stevens / Anthony Limperos) -- Historical Roots and Rise of Interface Mods -- Altering the Avatar Gateway -- From Modding Characters to Modding Players -- References -- Chapter Twenty-Nine: Controllers & Inputs: Masters of Puppets (Daniel Roth / Jean-Luc Lugrin / Sebastian Von Mammen / Marc Erich Latoschik) -- The User as the Controller -- The Controller as an Input Device -- Controlling Avatars Through Control Schemes -- A Brief History of Controllers and Control Schemes -- Avatar Embodiment and Virtual Body Ownership -- The Future in Autonomy and Hybrid Systems -- References -- Chapter Thirty: Licensing & Law: Who Owns an Avatar? (Tyler T. Ochoa / Jaime Banks) -- The Limited Logic of License Agreements -- Copyright and Avatars as âWorksâ -- On Joint Authorship and Ownership -- The Value and Future of Avatar Ownership -- References -- Contributors -- Ludography -- Index
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