1 post tagged “virtual worlds”

Fifteen new virtual world research papers are now linked to the on-line syllabus for the course “Games for the Web.” Written by thoughtful undergraduates at Trinity University, the papers explore topics ranging from sexual practices in virtual environments (PDF) to ways that MMOs might be used to ease the suffering of children with cancer (PDF). (Note:As some curmudgeons have correctly noted, the title "Games for the Web"is a misnomer that glosses over the distinction between "the web" andother TCP/IP-enabled services. The explanation can be found in theappended comments.)

Students met throughout the semester to discuss milestone worksrelated to gaming and virtual worlds, and they supplemented thesetheoretical conversations with ongoing fieldwork in the virtual worldof Norrath (Everquest II). The class played primarily on the Antonia Bayle role-playing server, where they were welcomed by the guild The Vindicators. In a completely unplanned twist of fate, the guild leader (Bandel) turned out to be the legendary game designer Scott Adams.

As they became more familiar with both the theoretical and thevirtual landscapes, each student articulated a narrowly definedquestion that could be answered with qualitative methods. They paidclose attention to ethical concerns and the importance of informedconsent, and all students were required to pass a test on researchethics before collecting a single scrap of data. All of the classresearch projects were approved by the Institutional Review Board at Trinity University.