COM257: Media History and Theory

Jull starts the article with explaining when
video games were first constructed they were for use of other things. Many of
the philosophers attached games to other subject matters as an aid to understanding
their craft. Hardly any games have been unaccompanied. For
instance German philosopher Ludwig Witt connected video games to language and
thus games were excluded as being something that you couldn’t use. With other
people such as Propp and Claude Levi-Strauss claimed that the meaning of
narrative was based on formal structures. Ferdinand de Saussure found that
chess helped with linguistics and proclaimed, “ A state of the board in chess
corresponds exactly to a state of language.” So the general view of games was
insignificant or more a catalyst for other projects.

To give an example of how games have an
been implemented through studies, with chess the value of the chess pieces
depend on their position on the chess board and that relates exactly to
language. Chess being a strategic game was related to human nature through
cognitive science. Games have always been used for human problem solving skills.
Games had been used to research and mostly dealt with using games for other
uses than games themselves. Johan a philosopher makes it seem like games play a
crucial part in culture, but gives little mention of the games themselves in
its own aspect. Another researcher, Caillnois, is best known for his categorization
of games into agon (competition), alea (chance), mimery (simulation or make
believe), and ilnix (vertigo). All those thongs encompass elements that are
equipped with games.             In
the theory for Games and Economic Behavior it focuses on economics but also
gives mention of different strategies implemented into games themselves. That
comment could also be supported with Claude Shannon’s suggestion that chess
would turn out to be “ the general purpose computer.” Games usually employ a
strategy that is doable, but has a level of difficulty that the player has to
gain knowledge of throughout the stages of game. The player acquires his
strategy after practice when continuing through levels. If there is just a
simple rather doable strategy the game isn’t as appealing and becomes boring.
The demonstration with chess was to show that people apply strategies like so and
acquire new methods. With chess the problem is defined, it is not simple but
not so difficult that a discrete nature about it so exemplifies the digital
nature of computers.

        Games in general have collectively
the same elements, and they tend to be jumbled with expert explanations of what
they are and possess. The paradox comes on whether we focus on games themselves
or the players of the games. If studying the players we observe how they
interact with the game. Like so with human studies, one is introduced to a
something and is observed. If a game possesses adverse challenges and the
player still wants to engage in it, we could assume that the player has an
investment with playing. As mentioned with the elements of games, most good
games involve the player having a feeling of attachment or connection to the
game. If we were to explore the games themselves and say that it was the focus
of study, we would have to determine what the game on rules or fiction. Though
games rules usually are established they can be broken or distorted. This claim
is from the view of children‘s games that happen to change the rules when
different players encounter different experiences. Roger Callios defends that
games are either one or the other and not merged. So rather rules create
fiction for the game itself. When a player plays the game he or she is
separating himself from the world, thus the player enters into fiction. This
makes the player in a fictional mindset, but adheres to basic rules.

             The
methods used to analyze video games help to understand the focus for which
video games have. When we focus on what games are in actuality they seem to
always exhibit key elements so that we can discern if it is a good game.
Does it interest the player enough to play again, does it have fiction or not,
is it giving strategies? Most games make it known its direction, story line, and what they want and will allow you to do. So like with the colorful, vast, fictional worlds
that are shown, there is a limit to the places one can explore. Like for example
when I have played games there happens to be the instructional portion, levels
and acquired tools as you progress. So to give an example a game I’ve played
before, the game Banjo- Koozie has a vast and beautiful ocean that you can see,
and when you try to go further and swim to see if you can find musical notes (the
game points for that game), you can’t and are again reminded that games have
limitations to what they want you to do. So many times with games you can get emerged thinking game rules and fiction are reality. This article can relate to
class through augmented space and for example with XBOX 360 people can play
with people in various locations around the world. So people can also network
through games along with feeling connected and not separated from others. It
also applies to mobility. With gaming systems, it is possible to transport the
consul to virtually anywhere you would like to play. This makes it easier for people
to play and be connected through networks of games and convenient locations.

Text can be distinguished from other forms of knowledge by the way in
which we obtain information. The new adjustments that have been employed
to textual information have undergone advancements to our basic
understanding of text. That is not to say the basic ways in which we view
text are null and void, but the views of today’s text have changed in
structure and who the text is directed to. In some ways the text can be
blurred as far as merging the author and reader as one recipient. Then
there includes text that have no author or reader in the traditional
sense.
The author Aarseth describes how mathematically text is connected with
information. He describes how non inear text is sometimes chaotic and not
organized. The word nonlinear means not in a straight line, so the
connotation of text, for that matter, would mean scattered and sporadic.
The transfer of geometry to textnomy is similar because the format in
which we view text and math is exactly the same. He further discusses how
the use through letters, words and phrases, the things in which we
understand text, happen to not represent nonlinearity. Though it is
proclaimed the location of a letter and the position of dangling syntagms
( phrase or sentences) can in fact be nonlinear text. He describes how the
“unit” of letters can be scene as “constrained” and “separated” by the
protocol of text. The classification of these unique units of writing are
labeled  texton. A terms that would appear more appropriate would seem
like scripton, but then the focus would not be placed on the reading
process than the format. A synonym to the word texton could also be lexie.
Lexie is derived from the English translation of “lexia”, and partially
taken from Roland Barthes “unites de lecture”. Barthes description of
lexie would be a violent display of reading.
He lists corrdinate systems that are transversal functions, they overlap
and connect, and are applied to nonlinear text.The first Topology is
basically void of in scriptons and is a random created sequence. The next
Dynamics there is static text which is linear or constant, then there is
dynamic text where the number of textons vary. In the Determinability the
text dertermines whether the scriptons, the reading is the same, if not
it’s the inderteminate. Transciency is if ones passes the readings, its
transcient. In Maneurability is hyow easy it would be to aces the
scriptons.
The basic concept of how we view  text would come into play as something
we read and interpret, yet Aarseth makes a point of saying that we can't
read and when we read we can't view the text in its entirelty. He makes it
seem like the text is so complex and so webbed that the only thing that
we could do in that case would be to sit back and admire it for it
formidability.  Like with ancient text such as hieroglyics and chinese
vernacular, they remain prestigious and intrigiung to the commoner. Unlike
some texts the text of Beowulf from I Ching reinforce how text is
unchanged through time. Th differnce with that and some texts mentioned
like Agrippa : a Book of The Dead is the way in which the information was
recived. The medium used to understand the text makes Agrippa more of a
scripton based text making it waver continuiously between being nonlinear
and not.

The reading made refernce to how the text had so mauch convention to
writing and how it related mathematically. The problem that was with the
text described was that the text seems never to be in sinc or parrallel in
format but comes to the same conclusion in the end. The actual deciphering part of text in chinese chracters and hieroglphics make the decoding part difficult. Which is like when Aarseth described text as being unreadable and then when one does read it one can't see the whole text for its entirety. Like we reviewed in class the scripts of the bible, the book of Kells, and the dead sea scrolls incorporated new ways and versions to understand and read the text in its entirety. New forms of the bible like New International version, new revised standard, Living  Text can be distinguished from
other forms of knowledge by the way in which we obtain information. The new adjustments  that have been employed
to textual information have undergone advancements to our basic
understanding of text. That is not to say the basic ways in which we view
text are null and void, but the views of today’s text have changed in
structure and who the text is directed to. In some ways the text can be
blurred as far as merging the author and reader as one recipient. Then
there includes text that have no author or reader in the traditional
sense. With the bible the audience can be blurred as the reader and author because the authors happened to also be the audience.

The advancement of televsion started off dismal. Following WWII people's concerns did not focus on entertainment, but rebuilding economy and lives. There was common fear of the upcoming televison. Many people did not feel the most enthusaistic about its birth. However that drastically changed when the production and purchases of television sets changed abruptly from 178,000 to 15 million in the span of 5 short years. A common complaint with the television was that creativity had died or dissapered. More so because the lack of revenue produced from movie tickets and broadway plays. Theatrical entertainment had fallen as a result of the televison thus making other forms of traditional entertainmnet take a back seat.New entertainment emerged therefore because of the televison,. Gameshows were now broadcast live and visually. One of the most famous tv programs I Love Lucy was a staple to American programming.A fundamnetal differnce evoked from British television and Americain televison were the approches. American televsion was positioned like the prior radio as happy go lucky. Bristih broadcasting atemppted to bring into the picture shows of sarcasm like That Was The Week That Was and many of their sitcoms helped bring about the their television programming. Then to add to that they also had competition amoung programs. In comtemplating the emrgence of televison we must consider the old media as a stepping stone to the new one. However both though were strong and spread diversely.    Though compared to the United States, Britain looked dim as far as mass production of televsion sets with a bleak 4.8 million compared to 36 million in the US.So the United States looked abroad because it had nearly maxed out its capacity in America. By expanding its outreach to Havana, Puerto Rico, and other nations it created  countries without offending politics of other nations. 

     Televison in its immediate state in the 40's was just suppose to be of entertainmnet value. Through the controversal ages of the 60's televison brough much mor eto the forefront as far as sheadding light on politics, corrpution, and racism. By depicting live coverage people at home could view the war in Vietnam. When poeple saw the images of the destruction and fighting it also provided a public opinion of them and how they felt. With media there was agenda setting to denote the countries perspective and how they felt intiatlly. Thus they framed what was persented as well as what was percieved and the American public had a generalized opinion. So as with politics, religion also took a perception in media through television through time. Televison had also a negative cnnotation with constant viewing as in Japan the young children watched 3 hours and 31 minutes on average. But when comtemplating the above all accomplished like the first footage of Neil Armstong walking on the moon, there is little doubt having possesion of a tv set.

         With the tv much of old media had to play a role in advancing it. It puts into question if live gameshows couldn't be aired orally through radio would we be able to view them today? Or without press could tv had lasting to generate live captions?  One would point out that the main differnce in radio and televsion would be the one is visuola and the other is not. But that is a great differnce when one considers the ability to point out and be able to recognize a news achor. And thus to make a more perceptualized view of today's current world. The politics, the environmet, the globaliztaion all could be more dictated though a vast opinionated scope.So in saying all that " Radio will be to the 20th century what the press has been to the 19th", then Televison was what they were to the 20th and 21st century.

In the beggining of the article their was something called a SIGGARTH show which demonstrated through red string the flow of inflormation. This happens to be quite similar to the discussion we had in class pertaining to the video that we watched with the pinwheels. They happened to be circlating whenever their particular network had movement like so with the string. So in this one the more information flowing throughth channel the more the strings would gyrate.By saying that "virtuality is the cultural perception that material objects are interpenetrated by information patterns" Hayles is saying that through actual demonstartion and sight are we able to understand the framework of what is happening in the computer. By that i think he wants us to understand how through physical example with objects and material, we can view the working within the computer itself. By using the examples of WWII to denote how the technolgy was " quantifiable and measurable—an accomplishmentthat only now appears within reach through such imaging technologies". So to speak it makes it seem like through imaging technolgies are people able to understand how technology operates freely.                                                                                                                                                           So to relate this to me the example that we saw in class we very interesting because it reminded me of the windmills they have in the northern part of the United States. The fact that wind enrgy is gained by putting a rather giant pinwheel outside. So that made me think that with the enrgy flowing from the computer could it in fact be transferred and used as a source of energy itself considering how much of things we have today that is on the web. That would make a generous amount of energy accumulated so that people could see and acquire energy through the demonstration of technolgy itself. Another intersting thing I read was that he mentioned through a virtual book rather than a binded one you feel detached, but with a virtual book it is as if you move through the pages was quite intersting. It was as if he was to say that the pages themselves transport you like a cursor or a website.

In the article "The New Media", the author, L. Manovich, tries to convey the persumed defintion of  were transended to the cards printed. The invention of the loom supposedly inspired Baggages machine to do calculations. So Mannovich relates with  hese two inventions, that the two coincide and go new media reflected from the effects placed in communication and presented media. He starts by talking about Babbages machine, when it had an immediate and direct effect to society because the invention itself performed operations on data and recorded it. This invention was followed with invention of the loom in 1800 by J.M Jacquard which alloted the number of punches thathand in hand by one generating the other. One of the major uses that the loom helped with was the 1890 census where the recorded findings. Created by Herman Hollerith, this device had the same concept of punching the results onto cards. Thus this was transitioned into buisness as a way in which to calculate.

A further connection with media and computers can be realted with a Berlin native that created a digital computer in his parents basement. It was essentially a movie which ran off punched tape to do its computer functions. And so Manovich merges everyones invention and says that every image, sound, and text scene throrugh a comupter is from the result of computer data, and computer calculations. So thus everything the computer translates is from actual numerical data. The new media in which  he speaks of has two concepts it must fit it must be able to undergo algorithmic manipulation, which is basically a sequence of instructions, and it must be mathematical.

So in my opinion the fundamental difference in the media and the actual computer technology would have to be whether is it tangible or not. Much of old media one could actually grasp in their hands. Things like newspapers, magazines and other documents with the existence of new technology is becoming obsolete. In retrosepct this can be viewed a benefitial via we are conserving usage of paper materials, yet many newsppaer companies are going out of buisness. Since then the actual printed good is the result of data from computers, people are more apt to invest in a one time no strings attached investment. The actual tangible media I spoke of like art and sculpture can actually be resignated by simply clicking a mouse on ones computer. The true realization is that print could actally become nonexistent in the society because we might not have a further need for it. It is very evident when I entered into college and became aware many of my assignment were to be submitted by the internet. Many college students research is done primarily in a seat at a computer. My mother had to skim through many books to get what I can gain just by typing in a simple sentence.

And as with new technology there are always casualties of buisness. When the mass production of air travel was increased who was it that suffered. The train industry in itself is subject to extinction in such a way because so many buisnesses dont want to risk time to make their company regress, so it isnt a wonder that many railroad tracks are fairly empty. So like all fashions of production one day the computer may infact make itself obsolete. That is a scary thing to ponder when considering that the foundation for so many of countries are reliant on them.

Gabrielle Bennett

Manovich tries to explain the progression that happened conveniently between Blade Runner and Macintosh. The advancement though old now had the line drawn to newer technology and how it ran.

So for instance in artwork the classification process for media can differ in how the media is perceived. There happens to be more experimentation, which is why the art design in that media differs, oppose to other media as well. So they get labeled for their design in art or informational design. In the idea of pre-existing content of the information acquired, the interface has information generated on the spur of the moment oppose to information for a website already accessing the information before hand. So in dynamic new media artworks the data happens to exist by whim and spontaneously appears almost. The ways in which this can be accomplished is formal language systems, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Artificial Life (AL) programming. There is also brought about the term cultural interfaces that include CD-ROMS and DVD titles.

            In acquiring the language for HCI, which is human computer interfaces, it pertains to the devices, which are output, or input devices. They usually pertain to objects from the computer that have controls or which can be things such as the monitor, mouse, and keyboard. They happen to all aid in the computers use. Bt the question had arisen as to why these devices are comprised the way it is. The theory tries to communicate that the things that inspired it is cinema. The other HCI hardware aids in film, photography, print filmed. So with cultural interfaces things have to be presented in such a fashion that the people of the time can accept and identify with the tools at hand. Like so if presented a barbarian with a cell phone he wouldn’t know how to use it.

            In unveiling the components and processes to which these consuls have formed it surprises me that all the technology especially video gaming was incorporated. Before this article I hadn’t realized the extent to which Artificial Intelligence had contributed to the making and creating process and artwork involved to make the games I happen to like Tekken 2. This and Doom happen to be games I am fond of and it just really astounded me the extent to which some of these games went to involve various component to their gaming. Things such as the AI feature in Tomb Raider that controlled stimulated life or the view changers. The view changers I had though just were your everyday gaming tools not realizing that there was probably much involve getting the mechanics of the software to do that simple yet complex task. The article concludes by naming the order of the screen and body to the system.

GABRIELLE BENNETT 

In this article Manovich decribes in  the computer industry the new development of space considered as a tecnolgy in referance to the components of a compute. The fact in itself that space is considered a component makes the compueter industry seem as if  it is its own industry.Henri Lefebvre's work regarding politics and space. Michel Foucault's analysis of the Panopticon's topology as a model of modern subjectivity, and Frederick Jameson and David Harvey about global capitalism and  Edward Soja have all written on the subject as classifying space as a component of the computer.

So then it becomes looked upon that the way in which to search thorughout the computer is a source of navigation as the "space" unto which we are looking. Gaming that included the concept of space like computer space and space war differ than those like the movies Tron and Starwars which happen not to allow it to be naviagble and able to roam through it . It also goes on to explain that not much of the artwork for instance with shape, shadows, designs and other things happen to aid projecting the space in the computer design and makeup. The work happens to be virtually navigable yet there happen tob elimitations as to how the mimic existing physical reality without proposing anycoherent asthetic programs. The sapce in wwhich it navigates by artists was described as a homogeneous dense field. In that meaning that it is an abstract space that accompanies many other applications.

I believe that the advancement that happen to be contributed to the media with venturing and setting the stage making the space of computers a component,  amazing partly from the film we had watched with the manipulation of the had movements instead of the mouse. The drawback that it aside from the article in lamens terms comes down to how art will be formulated now. I feel that art will become watered down and instaed of the art wehappen to be use to seeing we will get a virtual generic, makeshift substition for the real thing. In existence I believe that art in itself was always supppose to be work from the hands but with this new technologyu who is to say that art can not be work that comes from the hands through the screen.

I think that the space spoken about in the article more refelcets how we anmanipulate compuetr functions and seem as if we create a new spectrum for the computer to dwell at anyway. So it appears that in making a space for the computer it is like making a new mini aura for your computer. One that you can personalize and dictate the way in which you would want to see you screen.

The article discussed expounds on how technologies have become mobilized and how they are now transportable. Examples such as the laptop and the telephone surfaced but in actuality people can be separated by space but technologically they are still connected to their business and surroundings. Mainly through the advancement of portable belongings are people allowed to hold constant transactions going. In saying that transactions specified under personal or public they are determined whether transactions be broadcasted or not. Many of he examples of portable technology placed had a considerable gap from the time of invention to production. One comparison between the car and the telephone made was the actual venues in which those technologies were used n as far as being public or private sector to work on. Another difference in these two technologies happens to be within how they are operated for uses. He phones means to connect people by communication whereas the car connects people to destinations. Many transmissions that occur happen to be on infrastructures as far as physical innovations. With the Internet and other wireless systems does not necessarily have an imminent need to have a tool to move, but through the channels it has information that happens to be transported. The need that has been places on the advances that we do happen to have appear t o be within the need to have technology with us at all intervals for communication because unlike the roadways and other advances we can reduce the size of at and make it portable to use for not just everyday purposes, but spur of the moment needs. Since the telephone and the car happen to be one of the most used advancements it is natural that these to would be compared on a large scale. AS far as the modes of individual, society and space they both seem to be similar with pleasure, localism, speed, and routine time. Obviously the car does pollute but as such the comparison shows that the phone is on the same playing field that the car was first introduced on. The fundamental difference lies within how the wireless and Internet connections play a crucial role in that particular technology. Mokhtarian distinguished the position that communication and travel placed with substitution, generality, modification, and neutrality. The main concern that was broached from that argument was the time travel placed within the two technologies. In my opinion the advancement and reviews gained by the car and the telephone really do not compare to the wireless Internet. The Internet is fairly efficient not to mention speedy so one is able to do travel business and so many other tasks while being occupied. With the car, yes transportation is good and the phone allows communication but the Internet gives you so many more options and choices whether it be emergencies or everyday hassles. If the Internet was to suddenly disappear overnight I am sure we would be more at a lose for it than the telephone and the car.

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