Dancer Archive
Thread: Axel Bruns Interview
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picklesSW
Thu Mar 31, 2005 3:52 pm
#1
While looking through logs for the gypsy site, I noticed a significant number of hits coming from a number of blogs talking about an interview with the eminent Axel bruns. Here's a bit of his bio...
"After a brief period studying Physics in his native Germany, Axel Bruns spent the last five (or so) years at the University of Queensland, and holds a PhD in media and cultural studies. Bruns's research interests are in online publishing, virtual communities, creative industries, creative hypertext writing, and popular music studies."
Listen to what he says in this interview on the WebCamTalk 1.0 Series
"There have been a number of interesting phenomena around the relationships between such ad hoc social networks and the commercial interests which put these networks in place. A similar issue I have recently become aware of has played out in massively multi-user online role-playing games (MMORGs); some of the things that groups of users get up to in these games, while a clear example of distributed creativity on part of the users, are deemed not to be 'in the spirit of the game' and are shut down by the games companies. To give you a benign example, I have just seen a 'music video' which was intricately choreographed, staged and shot entirely by players for players within the Star Wars Galaxies online game (see reference). These are very innovative, very creative uses of the technology, totally against what the game is really about, and so there are significant problems with the games companies not knowing what to do about them, not knowing whether they want this kind of interaction to take place within their games."
Discuss.
"After a brief period studying Physics in his native Germany, Axel Bruns spent the last five (or so) years at the University of Queensland, and holds a PhD in media and cultural studies. Bruns's research interests are in online publishing, virtual communities, creative industries, creative hypertext writing, and popular music studies."
Listen to what he says in this interview on the WebCamTalk 1.0 Series
"There have been a number of interesting phenomena around the relationships between such ad hoc social networks and the commercial interests which put these networks in place. A similar issue I have recently become aware of has played out in massively multi-user online role-playing games (MMORGs); some of the things that groups of users get up to in these games, while a clear example of distributed creativity on part of the users, are deemed not to be 'in the spirit of the game' and are shut down by the games companies. To give you a benign example, I have just seen a 'music video' which was intricately choreographed, staged and shot entirely by players for players within the Star Wars Galaxies online game (see reference). These are very innovative, very creative uses of the technology, totally against what the game is really about, and so there are significant problems with the games companies not knowing what to do about them, not knowing whether they want this kind of interaction to take place within their games."
Discuss.
Schardour
Thu Mar 31, 2005 3:55 pm
#2
Where'd he do his research? I was under the impression that the dev team enjoyed them. 
picklesSW
Thu Mar 31, 2005 4:07 pm
#3
I've no idea where he did his research. I'm pretty sure the dev team DOES enjoy the videos...well...maybe not XII...but most of them. 
I get the impression this is a phenomenon he's seen across many games and we are just the latest example.
But the last statement struck me. I think he's right, they don't really know what to do with us.
I get the impression this is a phenomenon he's seen across many games and we are just the latest example.But the last statement struck me. I think he's right, they don't really know what to do with us.
kirah_ashlin
Thu Mar 31, 2005 4:08 pm
#4
Schardour wrote:
Where'd he do his research? I was under the impression that the dev team enjoyed them.
Really, I have to wonder, as well, Til. So, like - who is this guy and why am I supposed to be impressed by what he has to say (other then he obviously can tell a well make video when he sees it
)?
This is the first I've heard that SOE might have any problem with the videos. I have the feeling that this might simply be this guy's own personal assessment of how he figures it "should" be, without having done any true research. As a matter of fact, in complete comparison, the front page of the 'game that shall not be named' oftenboasts player produced videos including one by our very own Balgosa . . . .
PoetDancer
Thu Mar 31, 2005 6:22 pm
#5
Alright Professor Bruns, if you want to talk about "interesting phenomenon," come over here, grab a Station ID, and become an entertainer yourself. Do a qualitativestudy of the situation. See what sorts ofphenomenon that are not, as you put it, "inthe spirit of the game" that are actually promoted and fostered by this game's company. Such as the purchasing of accounts and the creation of characters designed to not be played in any manner consistent with play, commonly understood.But if you cannot experience it yourself, thencome here and post so I maydeconstruct your weltanschauung in many ways.
::grabs her triple-bar robe and tassels::
LyteFoot
Thu Mar 31, 2005 10:21 pm
#6
Actually I think he is accurate. SOE may enjoy the videos and still not know how to deal with or desire the interaction it takes to produce them. The videos show an organized and sizeable community of entertainers who can come together and put on a massive event. It highlights an interesting part of SWG but at the same time sets expectations that they simply can't meet when a new person tries the profession and finds cantinas full of zombies. So our willingness to gather on a single server and display our love of a profession they can't get right, our willingness to protest and speak out, our ability to present this in an interesting medium (thanks to the hard work of a few) probably scares the heck out of them in some ways. The ability to turn this medium into a tool to highlight the issues, issues they DON'T want to deal with, really is a problem for SOE although it is in their best interest to never admit this to us.
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