In regards to all the great discussion here, I have a couple short
notes.
Although I think that the potential is great for locative media, there
are a lot of dangers to consider. We've been talking about the traking
aspect, and perhaps one of the ways to break that down is to organize
ways in which networks can be flooded or jammed to obscure the
signatures when not desired.
Gaming
I also agree with the viewpoint cautioning the use of locatives for
OL/RL 'cybrid' gaming without extreme thought about the ramifications of
how the games would affect movement through urban areas, etc. That's
the pragmatic aspect. The the social component that disturbs me is the
perception of manipulating masses of individuals through this sort of
application. Yes, the media does so every day (manipulation, that is)
but somehow this idea has a much more personal feel to it. I, for one,
do not wish to be a real-life analogue of a "Sims" character.
Consider the unlikely scenario of online players using cybrid characters
(locative players) as playing pieces... Common sense would prevail
regarding unreasonable directives, but I honestly would have an avatar
that didn't sweat and breathe.
Access
I am quite familiar with Antenna/Tate mobile media, and many individuals
(such as Igor Vamos and myself) have either written treatments or
created works that link the landscape to embedded media. Where this may
have a great deal of potential, I also stress that the demographics able
to access same are small and relatively elite, which is anaethema to
part of my personal philosophy. Possibly with more widespread use, such
applications may become more common, but I think that a very critical
eye needs to be turned to the balance between critical inquiry,
aesthetics, and technological determinism.
Off the grid
On the area of intranets, I am doing ongoing research into the idea of
autonomous ad-hoc wireless intranets which function completely off the
Net but create their own nets. I consider these as Autonomous SubNets,
as they operate below the radar of the WWW.
The possibilities for some very durable New Media may exist totally off
the Net, and possibly without screens as we know them.
My 2p for now, Great conversation.
Patrick Lichty
Editor-In-Chief
Intelligent Agent Magazine
http://www.intelligentagent.com
355 Seyburn Dr.
Baton Rouge, LA 70808
"It is better to die on your feet
than to live on your knees."
-----Original Message-----
From: Curating digital art - www.newmedia.sunderland.ac.uk/crumb/
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of marc
Sent: Tuesday, April 20, 2004 10:03 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Locative Gaming: Dawn of the Zombie Cyborgs
Below is a polemic missive, if not the beginnings of a manifesto, from
"Uncle Karlis" against location-based games (like Battlebots
<www.battlebots.com/> and Mogi <www.mogimogi.com>) and in favour of
using the technologies on offer towards more holistic ends --I felt I
had to forward this to this list(s)
Begin forwarded message:
> karlis <[log in to unmask]>
> Locative Gaming: Dawn of the Zombie Cyborgs
>
> I am opposed to furthering locative based gaming (LBG) initiatives
> applying a simple gaming rule-based fantasy upon the fractal, chaotic
> and always relevant possibilities of the real world. Do we wish to
> finally sterilize our lives into a hollywood-esqe perfect movie? The
> reason games required simple rule-based abstractions was their
> necessary simplicity due to the nature of the gaming mediums. But
> now, hopefully, with our fanciful mobile technologies, our lives can
> become the real medium for play. This, if anything, is what I want to
> encourage - not docile automatons engaged in even more somnambulant
> fantasy play during their waking hours, but a re-engaging of our lives
> and our environment with the tools that prior had only been available
> in fantasy games, military environments or university libraries. You
> become your own avatar in a historical fantasy based on the present
> and as vast and complex as the world itself. It is possible that a
> schema for a re-engaging game will be developed, but this game will
> not be about shooting virtual robots or chasing imaginary VR
> bio-zombies. Rather, it requires that the imagination on a personal
> level reconceptualize our lives as the game, fun for the duration of
> play as well as with concrete and meaningfully rewarding "levels" to
> surpass that are more than symbollic victories; that they should
> actually change our lives and our world for the better, physically or
> spiritually.
>
> cheers
> karlis
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