Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Monday, January 11, 2010
The Games We Play... On Facebook
“Attention: A rare and elusive turtle has appeared on your friend’s island, hurry to be the first to adopt this cute little guy!”
You have probably seen this message, or at least something like it. Maybe it was a lonely pink cow that had lost its way, or it could have been an invite to join the mob. Regardless, if you have a Facebook account, you are aware of these games.
A survey of 50 individuals with a Facebook account revealed that all had tried at least one Facebook game. Thirty of them had well-established “farms,” and 20 had achieved at least a “125k Medal” in the game Bejeweled Blitz.
So what? Most people enjoy playing games. One might argue that it is part of human nature. The problem comes when games become more important than real-life responsibilities. Take the popular game “Farmville,” for instance.
“Procrastination through cultivation,” is the term used to describe the obsession my friends have with this game. Of the 30 individuals who said they had a “well-established farm,” 25 admitted to playing the game in lieu of doing homework. Ten of those said that maintaining their “farms” had at least once resulted in a negative real world consequence.
“I use my computer to write papers and do homework. The Internet is always there and it isn’t uncommon for me to put off the responsibilities of school in order to harvest my crops,” Stephanie Samuels said.
Forty-eight of those interviewed cited avoidance of homework or to-do list items as a reason they play online. “It is so easy to do, if you have a connection [to the Internet] you’re set,” said Ashley Nosam. “Who wouldn’t play?”
Good question. From the evidence of many casual conversations, as well as my own research for this article, I am forced to admit that most people do play. Like many of you, one of the things I do every morning is log on to my Facebook account. I maintain several pages, and, to be fair, Facebook is a great way to get information that may be important to my day ahead. For the most part, I find the services and features of the site to be helpful and entertaining.
Do I play any Facebook games? I have tried a few, but they are not my cup of tea. Do I think Facebook games are wrong? No. Do I think they can be a waste of time? Most definitely!
Play for entertainment.
Play to defrag from a stressful day.
Just don’t let your real life be negatively affected.
By these games we play.
At a glance:
Who: Facebook users
What: Facebook Games
Why: For entertainment or to avoid homework
You have probably seen this message, or at least something like it. Maybe it was a lonely pink cow that had lost its way, or it could have been an invite to join the mob. Regardless, if you have a Facebook account, you are aware of these games.
A survey of 50 individuals with a Facebook account revealed that all had tried at least one Facebook game. Thirty of them had well-established “farms,” and 20 had achieved at least a “125k Medal” in the game Bejeweled Blitz.
So what? Most people enjoy playing games. One might argue that it is part of human nature. The problem comes when games become more important than real-life responsibilities. Take the popular game “Farmville,” for instance.
“Procrastination through cultivation,” is the term used to describe the obsession my friends have with this game. Of the 30 individuals who said they had a “well-established farm,” 25 admitted to playing the game in lieu of doing homework. Ten of those said that maintaining their “farms” had at least once resulted in a negative real world consequence.
“I use my computer to write papers and do homework. The Internet is always there and it isn’t uncommon for me to put off the responsibilities of school in order to harvest my crops,” Stephanie Samuels said.
Forty-eight of those interviewed cited avoidance of homework or to-do list items as a reason they play online. “It is so easy to do, if you have a connection [to the Internet] you’re set,” said Ashley Nosam. “Who wouldn’t play?”
Good question. From the evidence of many casual conversations, as well as my own research for this article, I am forced to admit that most people do play. Like many of you, one of the things I do every morning is log on to my Facebook account. I maintain several pages, and, to be fair, Facebook is a great way to get information that may be important to my day ahead. For the most part, I find the services and features of the site to be helpful and entertaining.
Do I play any Facebook games? I have tried a few, but they are not my cup of tea. Do I think Facebook games are wrong? No. Do I think they can be a waste of time? Most definitely!
Play for entertainment.
Play to defrag from a stressful day.
Just don’t let your real life be negatively affected.
By these games we play.
At a glance:
Who: Facebook users
What: Facebook Games
Why: For entertainment or to avoid homework
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
ESPN 3D: Sports that hit you in the face, virtually.
If 2009 was the year of touch, 2010 is shaping up to be the year of 3D. With new breakthroughs in 3D technology, 3D media looks to become the next "big thing." At the forefront of this new movement is the sports news company ESPN. They announced Monday the creation of the industry's first 3D network, ESPN 3D. The plan is to produce at least 85 live broadcasts in 2010-11. The first of these is scheduled for June 11. It will be a FIFA World Cup Soccer match between South Africa and Mexico. According to the ESPN website, this will be the first of a possible 25 matches that will be broadcast in this new form.
To quote the ESPN news release,
"In addition to the World Cup opener, ESPN will produce up to 25 total World Cup matches, as well as the Summer X Games, college basketball, and college football, including the BCS National Championship game in Glendale, Ariz., January 10, 2011. ESPN has been testing ESPN 3D for more than two years, and produced USC's 18-15 win over Ohio State in 3D for select theaters back in September. This network launch will certainly drive the early adoption of 3D TV sets, while combining "great content with new technology to enhance the fan's viewing experience," according to ESPN President, George Bodenheimer."
An obvious question concerning this new way of viewing our media is "So what?" Aside from the "cool" factor, the possibilities for this kind of technology are exciting. While sports will be first, other subjects and networks will likely be soon follow. Can you imagine watching the Discovery Channel's "Deadliest Catch" in 3D? Better bring your Dramamine.
Source: http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/news/story?id=4796555
To quote the ESPN news release,
"In addition to the World Cup opener, ESPN will produce up to 25 total World Cup matches, as well as the Summer X Games, college basketball, and college football, including the BCS National Championship game in Glendale, Ariz., January 10, 2011. ESPN has been testing ESPN 3D for more than two years, and produced USC's 18-15 win over Ohio State in 3D for select theaters back in September. This network launch will certainly drive the early adoption of 3D TV sets, while combining "great content with new technology to enhance the fan's viewing experience," according to ESPN President, George Bodenheimer."
An obvious question concerning this new way of viewing our media is "So what?" Aside from the "cool" factor, the possibilities for this kind of technology are exciting. While sports will be first, other subjects and networks will likely be soon follow. Can you imagine watching the Discovery Channel's "Deadliest Catch" in 3D? Better bring your Dramamine.
Source: http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/news/story?id=4796555
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