The first reading for this week, “Toys of Biopolis”, is a detailed analysis of the idea of augmented reality toy-games set in an animated Japanese children’s television series, “Dennou Coil – a circle of children”.
In this series, the city and its population is immersed in “live field experiment in augmented reality”, where electronic glasses allow users to view and interact with digital information overlaid onto physical spaces.
The more intriguing aspect of the technology introduced in the series is when the high-tech gadgets became the children’s “toys”, with their open-ended objectives. In other words, the creation of such gadgets may have been initially designed for a specific purpose, but once the knowledge of how to use and manipulate them sets in, the gadgets can be transformed to suit many different needs and purposes.
For example, in today’s world, we can see how the invention of the camera function of the phone, coupled with some ground-breaking scanning technology, can produce new applications like the QR code scanner, which in turn, is being utilised for many different purposes. We are slowly seeing our physical environment being suited and “customised” for augmented reality devices.
A virtual grocery store in a subway station in Seoul, South Korea
Source: http://2d-code.co.uk/qr-code-grocery-shopping/
One of the key points touched upon in this reading is how these mixed reality gadgets offer its users liberating freedom, and at the same time, they are being subjected to control. This is a compelling contradiction, but not one that is not at all shocking in today’s world. However, with the glass users being tracked down the way they are in the series, an emergent form of defiance appears (as seen from the population’s multiple ways of resisting the polis).
In today’s world, as technology increases in complexity over time, and the balance of power keeps shifting, will there be a time when the population gains enough power to rival that of the state’s? We are seeing signs of a shift in power in many areas, for example, journalism (the rise of citizen journalism), and casual gaming perhaps (where anyone can now create new game applications).
In a way, the Sims Social on Facebook display signs of taking on the concept of virtual pets like in the cartoon series as the player feels some form of responsibility towards its Sim, much like how the protagonist in “Dennou Coil” feels for her virtual pet.
Another similarity is the form of gameplay observed. After a while, it is clear that some of the more experienced Sims Social players no longer confine themselves to the ludic nature of the game, but liberate themselves to create their own games within Sims Social, much like how a child invents games with a particular toy. In a way, Sims Social has transformed from being a game to a toy where different players play it with different objectives.
For example, the highest-ranking player among my Facebook friends for Sims Social is Michelle, and she has probably mastered the game almost completely. Now, she plays it solely like a toy, decorating her virtual home much like the way a little girl would decorate a dollhouse. Now, her objective is building the perfect home for her Sim.
Michelle's attempt at making her landscape 3-D
Another example is Fahmy, another top player in Sims Social. He rarely plays the game now, but shortly before he slowed down, he was engrossed in getting the best objects Simoleans and Social Points can buy.
Fahmy's very expensive kitchen counter, which costed 15,000 Social Points (it took him nearly a month to afford it)
Bringing the discussion back to the idea of augmented reality, I believe there’s potential for a mixed reality version of The Sims in the near future. Currently, the game is limited by its screen-project, pseudo-3D stage, where viewing is more often than not limited to “angling one’s view”. If we were to incorporate augmented reality into the mix, it could be possible to have an augmented reality-supported console that could display a Sims residence in 3D, where you can control the Sims by virtually interacting with the space in front of you (maybe pick them up and drop them in the toilet so they can pee?).
The second reading is a complex document, which gives a very detailed description of the concept of the society of control. It goes through every aspect, from how such an idea came about, to introducing the different forms of disciplinary societies that coexist with one another, to understanding the mechanism of control.
Such ideas can be applied to The Sims series as whole (and not just the Sims Social) all abide by a specific set of rules that the game developers created that players have to follow, with certain versions having more elaborate rules than others.
It is interesting to observe the amount of control the Sims Social has on its players, in terms of the gameplay. Some players may resist it and begin to employ hacks and cheats to break out of the system. Others will just accept the system and be willing to play by the rules.
Some of the new improvements to the game include the ability to own a car, but not being able to drive it around the neighbourhood unfortunately. It’s really just product placement more than part of the game.
I also observed how the activity among my friends on Sims Social is slowly dying down now due to the exams approaching.
It is also interesting to note how they have merged a quest and a skill item together to create a unique challenge of setting a time limit for a player to complete all the levels of the skill item and rewarding them. However, based on my own personal experience, it requires a whole load of dedication to the game to complete the quest. I was unsuccessful each time.
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