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   <title>Skeckulous</title>
   <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://interactive.usc.edu/members/sgillies/" />
   <link rel="self" type="application/atom+xml" href="http://interactive.usc.edu/members/sgillies/atom.xml" />
   <id>tag:interactive.usc.edu,2008:/members/sgillies//81</id>
   <updated>2008-04-01T02:02:38Z</updated>
   
   <generator uri="http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/">Movable Type 3.31</generator>

<entry>
   <title>Phil Rosenberg - Sony&apos;s Senior Vice President of Sales in ZML</title>
   <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://interactive.usc.edu/members/sgillies/2008/03/phil_rosenberg_sonys_senior_vi.html" />
   <id>tag:interactive.usc.edu,2008:/members/sgillies//81.8897</id>
   
   <published>2008-04-01T01:30:38Z</published>
   <updated>2008-04-01T02:02:38Z</updated>
   
   <summary>Phil Rosenberg is going to talk in John Hight&apos;s Production Class (CTIN 463) tonight at 7:30pmish in the ZML. Feel free to stop by and check it out. Bio: Philip Rosenberg brings to his position more than 25 years of...</summary>
   <author>
      <name>Scott Gillies</name>
      <uri>http://interactive.usc.edu/members/sgillies</uri>
   </author>
   
   
   <content type="html" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://interactive.usc.edu/members/sgillies/">
      <![CDATA[Phil Rosenberg is going to talk in John Hight's Production Class (CTIN 463) tonight at 7:30pmish  in the ZML.

Feel free to stop by and check it out.
<img alt="management_full_phil.jpg" src="http://interactive.usc.edu/members/sgillies/management_full_phil.jpg" width="221" height="222" />

<strong>Bio:</strong>
Philip Rosenberg brings to his position more than 25 years of experience working directly within the games and entertainment industry. In his role as senior vice president, Phil concentrates on developing new opportunities for growth, building strategic partnership initiatives and driving the company forward in its four-platform strategy. He reports to Sony Computer Entertainment America’s President and CEO, Jack Tretton.]]>
      In a role created specifically to tap Phil’s talent, he leads the team responsible for driving and creating new revenue opportunities for the company. Phil is responsible for all aspects of the company’s licensing, network advertising and special market initiatives in North America and Latin America. His business development group works in collaboration with the company’s existing sales and  marketing teams to create, participate in and cultivate relationships and new business opportunities, while maintaining and growing content alliances.

Prior to joining Sony Computer Entertainment America, Phil spent 16 years as the president and CEO of The Performance Marketing Group. He founded the company to help support and create go-to-market plans and strategies for consumer products in the North American region.

He received his Bachelor of Science from the University of Arizona.

http://www.us.playstation.com/Corporate/About/Management/PhilRosenberg.html

http://www.mobygames.com/developer/sheet/view/developerId,219428/
   </content>
</entry>
<entry>
   <title>Tracy Fullerton and Steve Anderson at the Getty!</title>
   <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://interactive.usc.edu/members/sgillies/2008/03/tracy_fullerton_and_steve_ande.html" />
   <id>tag:interactive.usc.edu,2008:/members/sgillies//81.8882</id>
   
   <published>2008-03-27T23:40:49Z</published>
   <updated>2008-03-27T23:46:38Z</updated>
   
   <summary>(Recieved this from Getty Event e-mails) Works in Progress The Potential of Play: Digital Game Innovation Thursday, April 3, 2:00 p.m. The Getty Center Getty Research Institute Lecture Hall Digital game designer Tracy Fullerton explores questions about the future of...</summary>
   <author>
      <name>Scott Gillies</name>
      <uri>http://interactive.usc.edu/members/sgillies</uri>
   </author>
   
   
   <content type="html" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://interactive.usc.edu/members/sgillies/">
      <![CDATA[(Recieved this from Getty Event e-mails)

<strong><a href="http://www.getty.edu/research/scholarly_activities/events/wip.html">Works in Progress</a>
The Potential of Play:
Digital Game Innovation</strong>

<img alt="fullerton.jpg" src="http://interactive.usc.edu/members/sgillies/fullerton.jpg" width="200" height="150" />

Thursday, April 3, 2:00 p.m.
The Getty Center
Getty Research Institute Lecture Hall 		
						
Digital game designer <strong>Tracy Fullerton</strong> explores questions about the future of games and the potential of this playful medium to address serious subject matter, inspire activism, promote learning, reinforce values, and transmit ideas and concepts. In this presentation, Fullerton uses examples from recent projects, including the award-winning games <em>Cloud, flOw</em>, and <em>Hush</em>, as well as <em>The Night Journey</em>, an experimental game being created with media artist Bill Viola.

<strong>Steve Anderson</strong>, director of the Ph.D. program in media arts and practice at the University of Southern California, offers a response, followed by roundtable discussion with the audience.
]]>
      Admission to this event is free, but seating is limited and reservations are required. Parking is free with your reservation. Make your reservation online or call (310) 440-7300.

Every year the Getty Research Institute (GRI) hosts a series of presentations of work in progress in art history and the humanities to promote discussion of current topics and themes among interested scholars and students. Anne Friedberg, professor and chair in the School of Cinematic Arts at the University of Southern California, is the guest organizer of the 2007–2008 Works in Progress series. The next WIP event takes place on May 8.
   </content>
</entry>
<entry>
   <title>The Vault/Heist/Job</title>
   <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://interactive.usc.edu/members/sgillies/2008/01/the_vaultheistjob.html" />
   <id>tag:interactive.usc.edu,2008:/members/sgillies//81.8648</id>
   
   <published>2008-01-19T20:13:14Z</published>
   <updated>2008-01-22T13:26:25Z</updated>
   
   <summary>I still have a working title but it&apos;s the same concept that I&apos;ve been working with (A vault break-in). Here&apos;s a preliminary layout of the room: I&apos;m sure the dimensions will change and I will probably mix the lasers with...</summary>
   <author>
      <name>Scott Gillies</name>
      <uri>http://interactive.usc.edu/members/sgillies</uri>
   </author>
         <category term="Thesis" scheme="http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#category" />
   
   
   <content type="html" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://interactive.usc.edu/members/sgillies/">
      <![CDATA[I still have a working title but it's the same concept that I've been working with (A vault break-in).

Here's a preliminary layout of the room:

<a href="http://interactive.usc.edu/members/sgillies/Vault-design.png"><img alt="Vault-design.png" src="http://interactive.usc.edu/members/sgillies/Vault-design.png" width="400" height="347" /></a>

I'm sure the dimensions will change and I will probably mix the lasers with the pressure plates but here's for shooting for the moon.]]>
      
   </content>
</entry>
<entry>
   <title>The Tomb Visit</title>
   <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://interactive.usc.edu/members/sgillies/2008/01/the_tomb_visit.html" />
   <id>tag:interactive.usc.edu,2008:/members/sgillies//81.8639</id>
   
   <published>2008-01-03T08:55:05Z</published>
   <updated>2008-01-21T20:11:43Z</updated>
   
   <summary> Over my winter break I decided to do some research in Boston. Took the train up there for a day and stopped by The Tomb....</summary>
   <author>
      <name>Scott Gillies</name>
      <uri>http://interactive.usc.edu/members/sgillies</uri>
   </author>
         <category term="Thesis" scheme="http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#category" />
   
   
   <content type="html" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://interactive.usc.edu/members/sgillies/">
      <![CDATA[<a href="http://www.5-wits.com/home/"><img alt="tomb1.jpg" src="http://interactive.usc.edu/members/sgillies/tomb1.jpg" width="400" height="379" /></a>
Over my winter break I decided to do some research in Boston. Took the train up there for a day and stopped by The Tomb.]]>
      <![CDATA[The Tomb is where "participants get to play the role of hero in their own adventure, as they are confronted with puzzles, challenges, twists, and traps to test their bodies and minds." So basically you are let into an Egyptian tomb with a group of people and have to solve various puzzles to move on to the next room and find the Pharaoh's sarcophagus.
It's kind of like a video game in real space and I'd recommend anyone to go visit it if you find yourself bored in Boston.

I e-mailed ahead of time about visiting and got in touch with the CEO Matt DePlessey. Sadly we couldn't meet up, as he was out of town, but when I showed up their Sales Coordinator, Joe, showed me around and got me into a show and then passed me over to one of their designers, Schyler.
We talked for a while about a lot of their design, some behind the scenes info, and the work that 5-wits is doing currently. I found out that they were commissioned to do a piece at the <a href="http://www.spymuseum.org/">Spy Museum</a> called <a href="http://www.spymuseum.org/operationspy/index.php">Operation Spy</a>, which I also checked out when I got back into town.

After looking at the two pieces I'd say that there's a lot more polish in the Spy Museum show, due to funding, but it also tends to be a bit too complex of a story. Since it was based on actual events it ends up being too much information for a group to pick up when running through corridors and trying to solve various puzzles. The Tomb, however, was fairly simple in it's puzzles, story and design (especially since it was a first attempt and has had a few years to be polished by user feedback). It did a good job of mixing physical and mental puzzles and I felt that the physical sets and surroundings allowed me to better engage my imagination and feel more immersed. Operation Spy did have a killer corridor with security cameras and utility elevator that came right out of a James Bond movie that felt quite immersive but the rest of the experience did not have as strong of a feeling. I think part of this is because many of the rooms looked to be designed more for realism as opposed to spy movie standards and the settings were in the present and thus it did not employ as much imagination and suspension of disbelief as the Tomb.

Either way I would recommend both to anyone studying immersive interactive media.

Thanks again to the 5-Wits guys for the interviews, feedback, and great show.

For more info check them out here:
<a href="http://www.5-wits.com/home/">http://www.5-wits.com/home/</a>
]]>
   </content>
</entry>
<entry>
   <title>USC IMD takes the Go Game Gold!</title>
   <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://interactive.usc.edu/members/sgillies/2007/12/usc_imd_takes_the_go_game_gold.html" />
   <id>tag:interactive.usc.edu,2007:/members/sgillies//81.8573</id>
   
   <published>2007-12-20T05:40:25Z</published>
   <updated>2007-12-20T05:43:40Z</updated>
   
   <summary> Stein and I played the Go Game this past weekend and our team won the whole shebang! I&apos;ll post a bit more on how it all went down soon. All I know is I don&apos;t see any Go Game...</summary>
   <author>
      <name>Scott Gillies</name>
      <uri>http://interactive.usc.edu/members/sgillies</uri>
   </author>
         <category term="Game Journal" scheme="http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#category" />
   
   
   <content type="html" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://interactive.usc.edu/members/sgillies/">
      <![CDATA[<img src=http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2023/2116879425_18489037e5_m.jpg>

Stein and I played the <a href="http://www.thegogame.com/">Go Game</a> this past weekend and our team won the whole shebang!

I'll post a bit more on how it all went down soon.

All I know is I don't see any Go Game championship at CMU...]]>
      
   </content>
</entry>
<entry>
   <title>Robot -&gt; Vault/Heist Game?</title>
   <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://interactive.usc.edu/members/sgillies/2007/12/robot_vaultheist_game.html" />
   <id>tag:interactive.usc.edu,2007:/members/sgillies//81.8633</id>
   
   <published>2007-12-18T05:26:21Z</published>
   <updated>2008-01-20T06:04:40Z</updated>
   
   <summary>With current work on Trapped in a Room with a Killer Robot, I felt that the concept might be a bit too confused for most audiences. So I thought it might be wise to narrow it down with a simpler...</summary>
   <author>
      <name>Scott Gillies</name>
      <uri>http://interactive.usc.edu/members/sgillies</uri>
   </author>
         <category term="Thesis" scheme="http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#category" />
   
   
   <content type="html" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://interactive.usc.edu/members/sgillies/">
      <![CDATA[With current work on Trapped in a Room with a Killer Robot, I felt that the concept might be a bit too confused for most audiences. So I thought it might be wise to narrow it down with a simpler concept.
A few options that I have been looking into are:

<strong>Smart Home controlled by a robot</strong> - broken up into 4 quadrants that are themed for each type of room (kitchen, living room, artist room, etc.) The robot can be trying to learn about human values and each area would have different objects that could be used for a trading game. The robot could set the values by speaking about them and have the different players grab different objects from their area. RIFD and could track each item with sensors on the center table where each 4 areas would connect.

<strong>4 guys who installed this robot</strong> - unraveling story/lockbox mystery. Robot still lives in this moment. Each of the guys used to watch each other with the robot because they did not trust each other. Robot made sure they got their work done. Starts out with simple invitation when players enter... "Oh that phone just rang... do you think you could get that for me? Things have been so hard since my workers left..." Eventually it goes from invitation to expectation and then forced into work by the robot.
The game play would have various phone messages that could define current objectives and be passed on from one table/player, to another. It would have a variable amount of busy work that would keep players from getting objectives done (juggling mechanic).

<strong>Vault/Heist - </strong> 3-4 players are "hired" to break into an impenetrable vault (think of all the various heist movies - ala Ocean's 11, . They are given plans and are allowed to choose from different character types from the acrobat/greaseman, demo-man, safe cracker, and hacker. Each will have different tools in their portfolio that will help them do their job. The acrobat will work his way in through the air ducts and climb in. Demoman will blow through a wall to get the team in and the acrobat will unlock the safe from inside. The hacker will take care of the various trap system when inside and the vault and the safe cracker will open up the main safe (either listen for tumblers to drop or see the tumblers with a special device to turn the dial properly). Once the safe is open then the robot security controller will be set off and the group will have to escape. Here is where it will become more hectic and will require quick puzzle solving.

Right now the vault idea is where I am focusing on.]]>
      
   </content>
</entry>
<entry>
   <title>482 Puzzle Party Pics</title>
   <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://interactive.usc.edu/members/sgillies/2007/12/482_puzzle_party_pics.html" />
   <id>tag:interactive.usc.edu,2007:/members/sgillies//81.8537</id>
   
   <published>2007-12-15T10:38:18Z</published>
   <updated>2007-12-15T10:39:09Z</updated>
   
   <summary>Just FYI some of the pics can be found here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/skeckulous/sets/72157603464196225/...</summary>
   <author>
      <name>Scott Gillies</name>
      <uri>http://interactive.usc.edu/members/sgillies</uri>
   </author>
   
   
   <content type="html" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://interactive.usc.edu/members/sgillies/">
      Just FYI some of the pics can be found here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/skeckulous/sets/72157603464196225/
      
   </content>
</entry>
<entry>
   <title>Learning 482</title>
   <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://interactive.usc.edu/members/sgillies/2007/12/learning_482.html" />
   <id>tag:interactive.usc.edu,2007:/members/sgillies//81.8536</id>
   
   <published>2007-12-15T09:40:35Z</published>
   <updated>2007-12-15T09:54:36Z</updated>
   
   <summary>Interesting learning points in 482....</summary>
   <author>
      <name>Scott Gillies</name>
      <uri>http://interactive.usc.edu/members/sgillies</uri>
   </author>
         <category term="Class Assignments" scheme="http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#category" />
   
   
   <content type="html" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://interactive.usc.edu/members/sgillies/">
      Interesting learning points in 482.
      1. How PvP servers can go towards civility as population increases (see notes below).
Story of Dark Tide - which was a full PVP server:
    * Originally had a lot of casual killings
    * When new players joined the space there would be mob type forced joining (kill you if you don&apos;t join their crew)
    * Once population hit 5k
          o The HC killers took over city and made it so there was no PKing there
          o They would pre-position themselves in and log out at points for best defense from an attack of the city.
          o Drilled team to take care of griefers

    *Thus a certain number of people makes anarchy not possible… people want order and get tired of it.

2.The density of the social network will vastly change how interactions work. (adding random links to make the network more linked up) Weak ties make a network strong.

3. General compilation and re-investigation of various SNA details applied to various models:

Things that bring others together
    * Location
    * Homophily (how similar you are to another)
    * Fitting these into various forms of Social Networking Games.
Various info on ties and network leaders.
   </content>
</entry>
<entry>
   <title>Natural History Museum &amp; Robert Reid</title>
   <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://interactive.usc.edu/members/sgillies/2007/11/natural_history_museum_robert.html" />
   <id>tag:interactive.usc.edu,2007:/members/sgillies//81.8456</id>
   
   <published>2007-11-21T20:30:45Z</published>
   <updated>2007-11-21T21:08:46Z</updated>
   
   <summary> Last week, Robert Reid, an expert in diorama paintings, showed us his work at the Natural History Museum. He explained the old and current techniques of creating dioramas and brought us through the workshop. See Anthony&apos;s photo stream starting...</summary>
   <author>
      <name>Scott Gillies</name>
      <uri>http://interactive.usc.edu/members/sgillies</uri>
   </author>
   
   
   <content type="html" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://interactive.usc.edu/members/sgillies/">
      <![CDATA[<img src=http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2031/2034588687_e190822dc8_m.jpg>

Last week, Robert Reid, an expert in diorama paintings, showed us his work at the Natural History Museum. He explained the old and current techniques of creating dioramas and brought us through the workshop.

See Anthony's photo stream starting here: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/anthonyk/2028148427/in/set-72157602547993481/">Here</a>]]>
      <![CDATA[As we walked through the museum and viewed each piece, we deconstructed them to see how each one works. One of my favorites was the African Elephant diorama which extended itself into the hall. 
<img src=http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2354/2028952406_748bd7a253_m_d.jpg>
This extension made the audience feel apart of the world they were viewing.]]>
   </content>
</entry>
<entry>
   <title>Avatar Idenity Theft</title>
   <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://interactive.usc.edu/members/sgillies/2007/11/avatar_idenity_theft.html" />
   <id>tag:interactive.usc.edu,2007:/members/sgillies//81.8441</id>
   
   <published>2007-11-13T23:48:13Z</published>
   <updated>2007-11-13T23:53:48Z</updated>
   
   <summary> An interesting story about avatar identity theft and virtual property. There has been some research about this over at Annenberg and Douglas Thomas has been talking about the legal problems that will arise as this becomes more of an...</summary>
   <author>
      <name>Scott Gillies</name>
      <uri>http://interactive.usc.edu/members/sgillies</uri>
   </author>
   
   
   <content type="html" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://interactive.usc.edu/members/sgillies/">
      <![CDATA[<img src=http://media.jackmyers.com/images/Gaia-bluebird.jpg>

An interesting story about avatar identity theft and virtual property.

There has been some research about this over at Annenberg and Douglas Thomas has been talking about the legal problems that will arise as this becomes more of an issue.

<a href="http://www.jackmyers.com/commentary/media-business-report/11193066.html">http://www.jackmyers.com/commentary/media-business-report/11193066.html</a>

Avatar Identity Theft Prompts Review of Gaia and Virtual World Rules
<blockquote>A week passes. During that time an increasingly and palpably depressed Clementine attempts logging on at least once a day. Alas, Bluebird is still banned, in oblivion, or both. After a few weeks pass, Mom re-contacts Gaia. They indicate that Clementine -- despite Terms of Service indicating never to give out one's password across Gaia –- has provided her password to a scammer. There is no recourse suggested.

The month grinds on for mother and daughter and it becomes clear this will not be resolved through available channels. Intervention by this journalist with Gaia public relations results in Clementine regaining access to Gaia with the user name left to her by the hacker, but her original avatar name is lost, she is unrecognizable in-world to her friends, she has none of her possessions that were accumulated through active in-world effort and all but a small amount of her Gaia gold is gone. "My watermeat is here," Clementine tearfully finds. "That's good." (Watermeat is her virtual pet; visualize a fish on a leash.).

Clementine, dejected, unenthusiastically searches all of the areas of the site she once frequented, feeling a shadow of her former self. When she looks in her account at the marketplace (like an eBay exchange) she realizes that while she was banned someone had traded her possessions for $134,508 in Gaian gold. Her identity lost, her valuable possessions stolen and sold, for the first time she now knows what it feels like to be the victim of a serious crime. </blockquote>]]>
      
   </content>
</entry>
<entry>
   <title>4 Player Types in Werewolf, Set, Toontown, and Casablanca</title>
   <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://interactive.usc.edu/members/sgillies/2007/10/4_player_types_in_werewolf_set.html" />
   <id>tag:interactive.usc.edu,2007:/members/sgillies//81.8533</id>
   
   <published>2007-10-08T02:42:29Z</published>
   <updated>2007-12-14T19:58:00Z</updated>
   
   <summary>The games I&apos;ll be looking at for the 4 player types are Werewolf, Set, Toontown, and Casablanca. A quick overview of the 4 types are: 1. Achiever 2. Killer 3. Explorer 4. Socializer...</summary>
   <author>
      <name>Scott Gillies</name>
      <uri>http://interactive.usc.edu/members/sgillies</uri>
   </author>
         <category term="Class Assignments" scheme="http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#category" />
   
   
   <content type="html" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://interactive.usc.edu/members/sgillies/">
      The games I&apos;ll be looking at for the 4 player types are Werewolf, Set, Toontown, and Casablanca.

A quick overview of the 4 types are:
1. Achiever
2. Killer
3. Explorer
4. Socializer
      <![CDATA[<strong>Werewolf </strong>seems quite focused on the Socializer but clearly has a killer element to it.
The primary amount of gameplay is spent talking and socializing trying to figure out who the werewolf is. One could argue the achiever could spend this time trying to find the werewolf or hiding but I find that there isn't a quick enough reward and thus the achiever wouldn't attain the fix of achievement. The explorer seems fairly pushed out in this game as there isn't much to explore, though you could see the socializing as exploring various people's personalities and trying to push the rules here and there.

<strong>Set</strong> is strongly achiever focused and has little to no socializer. There's no quicker way to silence a game party than by bringing out a game of Set. The killer can slightly be seen if you are trying to steal sets from others by beating them but it doesn't give that griefing feeling.

<strong>Toontown</strong> has a good mix of everyone but clearly doesn't give much to the killer. There are still various ways to grief people but the game purposely pushes players away from that.
There is a great deal of area to explore in Toontown and various rules so the explorer feels right at home and with so many different areas to conquer the achiever has a great deal of work to do. The socializer is originally hampered by having to work through a chat choice menu but once they add friends they are allowed to have full conversations with their friends.

<strong>
Casablanca</strong> is heavily socializer focused as that is the primary game mechanic, socializing in various ways to find out who is working for who. There is a bit of killer abilities with being able to destroy networks but overall it's hard to single people out with your abilities. The killer can always grief them on the chat forums but it doesn't really achieve much if they persist. The achiever gets a fairly good fix by being able to test networks or destroy networks and get a straight forward count of what they have achieved. The explorer doesn't really have much to explore and as the rules are fairly simple and interface somewhat obtuse it wasn't that explorer friendly. ]]>
   </content>
</entry>
<entry>
   <title>Theme and Mechanics in Games We Play</title>
   <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://interactive.usc.edu/members/sgillies/2007/09/theme_and_mechanics_in_games_w.html" />
   <id>tag:interactive.usc.edu,2007:/members/sgillies//81.8532</id>
   
   <published>2007-09-30T22:26:22Z</published>
   <updated>2007-12-14T19:42:13Z</updated>
   
   <summary>I&apos;ll be looking at Set, Werewolf, Casablanca, Club Penguin, and Toontown for themes and mechanics and how the two affect the game....</summary>
   <author>
      <name>Scott Gillies</name>
      <uri>http://interactive.usc.edu/members/sgillies</uri>
   </author>
         <category term="Class Assignments" scheme="http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#category" />
   
   
   <content type="html" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://interactive.usc.edu/members/sgillies/">
      I&apos;ll be looking at Set, Werewolf, Casablanca, Club Penguin, and Toontown for themes and mechanics and how the two affect the game.
      <![CDATA[<strong>Set</strong> is fairly simplistic and has no real specific theme. The only theme I could glean from it would be that of a Mensa game, as it seems to be a selling point for the game. This is an interesting category of game types that are made to show one's intelligence (though I am sure some would debate me as to if this is a theme at all). Interestingly this theme fits well for the game as it stresses being able to calculate things quickly.

<strong>Werewolf</strong>, unlike Set, is quite clear in it's theming. The theme fits into the classic horror genre and has a lot of history behind it, because of this many of the mechanics are self explanatory and require less work to teach a new player. The mechanics of lynching and killing work well with the theme of the werewolf as it has been reiterated in many a film and story for years.

<strong>Casablanca</strong> has the primary mechanics revolve around finding the identity of other players and trying to destroy them or ruin their credibility. This fits well with the theming of a fascist state where the government is trying to sniff out rebels. Again theming fits mechanics.

<strong>Club Penguin</strong> has various random games that could have any general theme on them. The penguin them works well enough because it is cute and kids end up enjoying it but I would say that overall most any theme could be put on any of these simple flash games.
This theming works but doesn't really need to be penguins.

<strong>Toontown</strong> has similar gaming to most MMOs but is themed with a cartoon world similar to that of Roger Rabbit. This could be any theme as well for the mechanics involved, as we have seen through various MMOs with similar mechanics, but this theme also helps on another side which is player relationships and friendliness. This theme helps change the more violent activities to humorous and thus enables a different environment which encourages joking and more friendly relationships.]]>
   </content>
</entry>
<entry>
   <title>Club Penguin</title>
   <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://interactive.usc.edu/members/sgillies/2007/09/club_penguin.html" />
   <id>tag:interactive.usc.edu,2007:/members/sgillies//81.8167</id>
   
   <published>2007-09-18T22:55:08Z</published>
   <updated>2007-09-19T02:38:23Z</updated>
   
   <summary>Club Penguin has been big in the news lately with Disney purchasing them for a hefty sum. So lets take a look. It is primarily a over glorified mini-game selector with a small addition of a confusing chat room. The...</summary>
   <author>
      <name>Scott Gillies</name>
      <uri>http://interactive.usc.edu/members/sgillies</uri>
   </author>
   
   
   <content type="html" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://interactive.usc.edu/members/sgillies/">
      Club Penguin has been big in the news lately with Disney purchasing them for a hefty sum. So lets take a look.

It is primarily a over glorified mini-game selector with a small addition of a confusing chat room. The mini-games are fairly simple and lead you to acquiring gold which eventually becomes a grind. After some time you can buy interesting toys and show them off to others. During all of this there are sections where you can chat with other members and it appears as a bubble over your head.
      There are various things that I would change for Club Penguin. The chat is confusing, as there is so much going on in one area that it becomes hard to parse who is saying what. The interaction areas are not well defined (you can walk your penguin around an area and trigger a game accidentally because there is no clearly defined trigger area). The way the interface is designed, you can barely get across simple ideas with the amount of space you are allowed to type.

The avatars are so similar looking that it becomes hard to distinguish between people. That coupled with the problem that each area is extremely crowded and each avatar can take up the same space so you end up with overlapping penguins.

I can see how this appeals to kids showing off their toys to other friends but feel that it is a fairly shallow experience.


   </content>
</entry>
<entry>
   <title>Toontown &amp; Casablanca</title>
   <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://interactive.usc.edu/members/sgillies/2007/09/toontown_casablanca.html" />
   <id>tag:interactive.usc.edu,2007:/members/sgillies//81.8117</id>
   
   <published>2007-09-11T23:51:03Z</published>
   <updated>2007-09-12T02:48:02Z</updated>
   
   <summary>This summer I decided to try my hand at a student run casual MMO Casablanca (http://itp.nyu.edu/itp/object/itp_news_mtvU.html - http://itp.nyu.edu/itp/object/itp_news_mtvU.html). The other game I gave a try at was Toontown by Disney. Two very different games in many aspects from scale to...</summary>
   <author>
      <name>Scott Gillies</name>
      <uri>http://interactive.usc.edu/members/sgillies</uri>
   </author>
   
   
   <content type="html" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://interactive.usc.edu/members/sgillies/">
      This summer I decided to try my hand at a student run casual MMO Casablanca (http://itp.nyu.edu/itp/object/itp_news_mtvU.html - http://itp.nyu.edu/itp/object/itp_news_mtvU.html). The other game I gave a try at was Toontown by Disney. Two very different games in many aspects from scale to purpose.
      

The gameplay of Casablanca revolves around the interaction of the Occupation versus the Resistance. The Occupation is trying to infiltrate as many of the Resistance Networks while the Resistance tries to make as large of a network as possible. It was purported to be a mobile game but it looked to just be a chat client that would txt you.

Upon first glance, it appeared that there would be a great deal of interaction between all players,where each player would be trying to discover each person&apos;s identity. From my experience it became a very slow chat room in which I would wait for the website to update. I was confused as to how one was supposed to play. With a constant chat room you could finish this game in an hour or two but with this web based client it was much slower. This made the flow of the game become tedious as once I signed off the website there was very little reason for me to log back in. It would take far too long to communicate with others and to coordinate attacks. If it was more strictly scheduled so you only had a few moves a day or hours then I would know to come back and continue my progress.

This break in the gameplay made it hard for me to want to communicate with others. In the first few hours of gameplay I tried to message specific people and talk in the primary chat rooms but the response times were so long that it became a chore to check up on and there was little reward for this. It made me wonder what types of restrictions you would want to put on a game that primarily focuses on player communication (time, length of speech, choice of words, etc.)

Toontown was a much more focused experience (to be fair Casablanca is still in Beta and wasn&apos;t made by a gigantic company). In the beginning your very words are controlled and you are given a list of various emotes to communicate with others. This is one of the most interesting parts of Toontown as they have narrowed down all communication to the basics of what an MMO player would want/need.

You are encouraged, early on, to join groups with others but also hampered by the control of how you can communicate with them (unless you add each other as friends). This makes for a limited amount of things you can convey. The interface is fairly robust and has a great deal of things that you might wish to communicate to a team member. It trivializes the communication between players and also introduces the question of how one makes friends in an MMO. Usually you party with someone enough times and if they do their job well then you might consider them a friend. The more arduous tasks you go through with that person, the closer you grow to them but all in all you are just running through a maze killing little beasts.

Both of these games made me wonder what constitutes an online relationship and what brings players together online. What levels of online relationships are there and how do they correspond with various ingame and out of game actions.
   </content>
</entry>
<entry>
   <title>Mario Strikers &amp; Wii-fi</title>
   <link rel="alternate" type="text/html" href="http://interactive.usc.edu/members/sgillies/2007/08/mario_strikers_wiifi.html" />
   <id>tag:interactive.usc.edu,2007:/members/sgillies//81.7971</id>
   
   <published>2007-08-07T04:57:04Z</published>
   <updated>2007-08-07T05:28:36Z</updated>
   
   <summary> Finally!!! A Nintendo Wii Wi-fi multiplayer game! Now I can play with my friends online just like I have been doing on the 360. Mario Strikers Charged is another quality multiplayer game from Nintendo. It&apos;s just as fun as...</summary>
   <author>
      <name>Scott Gillies</name>
      <uri>http://interactive.usc.edu/members/sgillies</uri>
   </author>
         <category term="Game Journal" scheme="http://www.sixapart.com/ns/types#category" />
   
   
   <content type="html" xml:lang="en" xml:base="http://interactive.usc.edu/members/sgillies/">
      <![CDATA[<img alt="Mario Strikers Online Sucks" src="http://ec1.images-amazon.com/images/I/61lkzKe4moL._SS400_.jpg" width="200" />
Finally!!! A Nintendo Wii Wi-fi multiplayer game! Now I can play with my friends online just like I have been doing on the 360.
Mario Strikers Charged is another quality multiplayer game from Nintendo. It's just as fun as the original with a few new features that make it even more enjoyable. But I already knew that from playing the original... My main reason for buying this game was to check out Nintendo's multiplayer online functionality.

I've been a big fan of Nintendo from the beginning and, like most people, during the 64 and GameCube years they let me down but with the Wii they were beginning to win back my trust. After playing the hell out of Wii Sports, Zelda, and a few other forgettable titles, there was not much left too play on the Wii. It soon became useless, taking up space on entertainment cart, and I forgot about it.

Working at Pandemic, with a lot of hardcore gamers pushed me to get a 360 and engage in the online fun that is Xbox Live. It was all so seamless and simple. It took seconds to add friends and even less time to invite them to games online. Elegantly simple. Because of this I couldn't wait for Nintendo to try their hand in the online market. I hadn't been a big fan of their virtual console (over priced if you ask me - I own all of those games and they still work on my original consoles). So I assumed Nintendo would improve upon their rival's online functionality and ease of use. After all, the Wii was one of the simplest consoles out there and it's all about group gaming!

So when I heard about Mario Strikers being their first multi-player online game I was happy to run out and buy it. Of course, the first thing I did was to try and play online with a friend. I thought it would be funny to just invite him in the middle of a game (assuming Xbox Live functionality)... I was sorely disappointed. The first thing I end up facing is the dreaded "friend code" input screen. WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT?!?!?!?! Can't I just access my Wii friends and choose one of them to play? Perhaps see if they are online??? Ugh... After cursing Nintendo and it's makers, I shut down my Wii and started up my 360 to play some Carcassonne online.

Why Nintendo... why?]]>
      
   </content>
</entry>

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