[-empyre-] MMORPG performances

[Andy Polaine <a.polaine@unsw.edu.au>]

Thanks for those links to MMORPG performances everyone. I was 
particularly interested in MMORPGs because they are much more like 
public spaces than forms like Machinima; even network games like Quake 
and Unreal, etc. have relatively small numbers. I wondered if there 
have been many virtual audiences for these, whether people/characters 
inside the Everquest world gathered to 'watch'.

Ben: "I agree, but to play devil's advocate, wouldn't you say that left 
to their own devices, your students are probably much more likely to 
play video games than rent a Goddard film?"

Absolutely, but that's the point really. That games are seen as "not 
serious" or "not work", whilst cinema is seen as a valid cultural form 
(even though it earns less money that the games industry by and large - 
not that economics are always the measure of things).

Ben: "On the other hand, most students are more likely to have seen a 
Goddard film than an artworld video game."

Actually they tend to have not seen much of either sadly. My guess is 
that it might be the other way around too. At least I suspect many of 
our digital media students would be much more familiar with game mods, 
at least, that Goddard. It is interesting from a pedagogical 
perspective because it is a continuation of the trend of students 
having greater knowledge of the cultural form than the lecturers. But 
that's a bit off topic perhaps.

p.s. Given some of the posts are quite long, can I suggest people trim 
their reply quoting a bit?

Cheers,

A

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Andy Polaine
Senior Lecturer

School of Media Arts
College of Fine Arts (COFA)
The University of New South Wales
Cnr Oxford Street and Greens Road
Paddington
Sydney, NSW 2010
Australia
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