Presentation (Video game) : Zoo tycoon

Introduction to Zoo Tycoon
Type: business simulation game
Developer: Blue Fang Games
Releasing day: 2001
Publisher: Microsoft Game Studio

Detailed Description of Zoo Tycoon
It is a tycoon game in which players are required to design, build and manage a zoo. There are three modes in Zoo Tycoon, including tutorial mode, scenario mode and freeform. Player needs to ensure the animals and tourists in the zoo stay happy. What is so attractive is the realistic scene in the game. Also, there are over 40 kinds of animals for players to choose, such as, chimpanzees, camels, tigers, giraffes and so on.

Evaluation : Whether Zoo Tycoon harms or benefits individuals and society at large?

Benefits to individual
1. Stimulate creativity and imagination
According to Rainier Van Autrijve, a critics  online, She said that Zoo Tycoon can stimulate people's creativity and imagination. "Zoo Tycoon has something for everyone, stimulating creativity and imagination as players respond to the needs of the animals and guests."("GameSpy: Zoo Tycoon Sells BI.Rainier Van Autrijve, Retrieved 2007-11-21.) Since players are required to operate a zoo, they need to design the zoo and respond to the needs of the character in order to gain steady income. The game also challenges the players to make sure every tourist stays happy in the zoo. Players need to think the strategy to maintain the normal operation of the zoo and they need to design and decorate the zoo. Therefore, in the process of playing, players' creativity and imagination may be inspired.

2. Train people's decision making skill
Also, it can train people's decision making skill. Players will be the entrepreneur of the zoo, therefore all decisions will be made by the player. For example, players need to think how to build a suitable habitat for the animals.
3. Develop problem solving skill In addition, Zoo Tycoon can help developing people's problem solving skill.  According to, Will Wright, a video game designer, Video games can be a learning platform for individuals, game and education can be interrelated.(Game Revolution, CBC Documentary, 2007) Players can learn and develop their brain when they need to solve complex questions in the game. Zoo Tycoon requires the players to solve different kinds of problem by themselves. For example, in the scenario mode, players need to complete a series objectives. They need to think of the method to achieve those objectives.

Benefits to society
Apart from the above-mentioned benefits to individuals, zoo Tycoon also benefits the society.
1. Boosts the society's economy
It boosts the society's economy. 4 million units have been sold since it released in 2001. Because of the success of Zoo Tycoon, the developer Blue Fang Games has achieved 80% growth in the revenue in the following 2 years. Also, Zoo Tycoon is one of the top 15 best selling  PC games in US. ("GameSpy: Zoo Tycoon Sells BI.Rainier Van Autrijve, Retrieved 2007-11-21.) Thus, Zoo Tycoon creates income for the society in a certain extent.


2. Stimulates the PC game industry

Zoo tycoon also stimulates the PC game industry as some other games were developed afterwards, such as Zoo Tycoon 2.

3. Contributed to community

Zoo Tycoon also contributed to the community. It is because Microsoft Game Studio has donated part of the revenue (25000USD) of Zoo Tycoon to WWF which is a environmental organization. 

Harms to individual
Although Zoo Tycoon seems beneficial to society and individual, there are still concerns about the game.
1. Violence
Zoo Tycoon is advised to play under the guidance of parents as it may encourage violence in certain extent. Players are allowed to do whatever they like in the game without any restriction. They can even do something which is illegal. For example, players can release the animals, and therefore allow the animals to attack and harass the tourists. If the players are not mature enough, they may be easily affected by the game.

Conclusion
All in all, Zoo Tycoon is beneficial to both society and individual at large. Although Zoo Tycoon may have disadvantage, a study in 2009 revealed that video game violence and serious aggressive behavior in real life are not interrelated. ("The Public health risks of media violence: A meta-analytic review." Journal of Pediatrics, 154, 759-763, Ferguson. C. J., & Kilburn, J. (200)) As long as we play the game with a mature mind or under proper guidance of parents, such simulated games can be meaningful and educational.

Reference
1. "GameSpy: Zoo Tycoon Sells BIG". Retrieved 2007-11-21. (http://pc.gamespy.com/pc/zoo-tycoon/529739p1.html)
2. http://zootycoon.com/default.htm
3."The Public health risks of media violence: A meta-analytic review." Journal of Pediatrics, 154, 759-763, Ferguson. C. J., & Kilburn, J. (200)

Stelarc : Third Ear

Stelarc is a performing artist whose works put emphasis on extending capability of human. In 2007, he attached the third ear in his forearm. 

"The body now performs beyond the boundaries of its skin and beyond the local space that it occupies. " The third ear is so interesting that it breaks our conventional mind in which we are always accustomed to an idea that human has 2 legs, 2 eyes, 2 ears only. Never does a person think that a third ear can be attached in the body. However, Stelarc's work proves that our body can perform beyond the original skin. The ear cannot be functioned, but it proves that nothing is impossible. Human can even have their third ear.



Also, it is interesting because it shows the mobility of organ. Our organs can be placed in wherever we want, just like the third ear attached in the forearm. As what Stelarc said : "THE EAR ON ARM project suggests an alternate anatomical architecture - the engineering of a new organ for the body: an available, accessible and mobile organ for other bodies in other places, enabling people to locate and listen in to another body elsewhere." This project suggests a new perspective in anatomical surgery, organ is available, accessible and mobile in other places beyond the original space.

Reference:
1. Stelarc: http://stelarc.org/?catID=20242

"Mission to earth"

1) Using "Mission to Earth" as an example, note what is new or different about digital cinema compared to traditional filmmaking? Consider the story, the structure and the appearance of the film.

The Story

• emphasizes the feeling of the main character.

The Structure

• Different frames display different things in order to present the split of identity which Inga experiences. Seldom do we see multiple layers in traditional filmmaking.
• There is no dialogue in the film while traditional filmmaking always contains dialogues.
• Repeating some scenes.

The Appearance

• Multiple frames. "Mission to earth" displays different things in each frame.
• Pastel colors.

What other art forms(eg. early film, digital art, painting, websites etc) does this film remind you of? Explain each similarity. 

This film reminds me a painting of Piet Mondrain which is "Composition II in Red, Blue, and Yellow". In this painting, the artist just uses horizontal line, vertical line and primary color. 

The similarity is definitely the multiple layouts in Mission to earth and the rectangular and square pattern in "Composition II in Red, Blue, and Yellow".

Mark Napier’s ‘Shredder’

This work is typical of much digital art because it is an artwork that places importance on the following aspects :

1) Formal instructions

Instructions are provided in Shredder. "Type a URL into the textbox above and hit enter, or choose from one of these favorites." Users are asked to follow the instructions so that they can use Shredder correctly.

2) The concept rather than the art object

The Shredder 1.0 deconstruct the website literally by splitting the texts and images, and therefore the website becomes abstract. Actually, what construct the website are numerous html codes. Mark Napier aims at revealing the jumble of the text, images of the websites.  He also wants to present the web in a totally different way. 

3) the event and audience participation

The Shredder 1.0 requires the users to select or enter a website to shred. The users will therefore become a collaborator of the art work.

4) an interest in random events and/or chance

Although users are allowed to select a website to shred, the result of shred is random. Users are not able to control the result. The order of the text, url will be displayed randomly.

5) borrowing or appropriation

The Shredder requires the users to enter a website. Therefore it is obvious that the text, images in Shredder  are borrowed from other websites. 

What are some challenges digital art presents to the art world?

DaDa poem

Comment - Gamer Revolution

a) According to the film, what are some positive aspects of playing videogames for individuals and societies?

According to the film there are some positive impacts of playing video games for individual and the society. 

First of all, for the society, video games help boost the economy as the market of video games is quite big. Video games are so famous all over the world.Therefore, video games always generate a huge sum of money. 

For individual, video game is one of the learning methods. According to the film, players' mind can be trained when solving complicated problems in the video games.

video games may help the players build a strong sense of patriotism. It is because some games require the players to attack the opponent from other countries. According to the film, one of the games encourage the players to join the army.

b) According to the film, is there any evidence that digital games can encourage aggressive values and anti-social actions in the real world? Do you agree? Should governments have the right to ban certain games? Why or why not?

According to the film, there are some evidence that digital games can encourage aggressive values and anti-social actions. One of the games called "America army", players are required to kill the Arabs as many as they can in order to win in the game. Another game which called "Under Seige" also encourages anti-social actions. 

I agree that digital games can encourage aggressive values and anti-social actions in the real world. Most of the video games allow people to do something which is illegal in the real world , like murder, killing etc. Worst still, video games are addictive thereby immersing in those games may be easily affected by the games gradually. 

We agree that the government should have the right to ban certain indecent games. It is because most of the players are youngsters. Youngsters are not mature enough to distinguish between the wrong and right. They can be affected easily by others, and therefore go astray. If the government does not ban or restrict those games, youngsters will therefore be influenced by those games easily.

c) What is a favorite videogames played by a member of your group? What is good about that game? Does it have any aspect that could lead to bad real-life behavior?

One of the favorite video games is Sims which is a life-simulation video game. The game requires the player to simulate the real life. Players are allowed to get married, decorate their house, work, cook, give birth to baby and so on. It seems that the player is  having the real life in the game. Once the players immerse in the game, they will experience a life which is very realistic. 

In my opinion, It could lead to bad real-life behavior in a certain extent. It is because the game is very free. Players are allowed to do whatever they want in the game, for example players can be lazy and remarry without  any restrictions. Players can even be a thief in the game. Such indecent behaviors may influence the players. Thereby immersing in Sims may affect people's real-life behavior. However, I do believe that as long as we play the game just for fun, people may not be easily affected by the game.

Summary : Super Mario Cloud

After discussing with classmates, we come up with some ideas.

We agree that Super Mario Cloud can be considered as an art work. Although Super Mario Cloud looks simple and meaningless, according to Cory Arcangel the movement of clouds represents the development of humans, communication and technologies. Therefore, Super Mario Cloud does have content. Art is one of the methods for the artist to express their feeling. Even though Super Mario Cloud looks simple, it also expresses the artist’s feeling. Since Super Mario Cloud has content and it was created with purpose, therefore it is an artwork.

Besides, after the discussion, we all agree that Super Mario Cloud allows the players to experience the game in a new perspective. Some people said that Players could imagine that there were Mario, obstacles, princess...in Super Mario Cloud when they are playing the game. It is obvious that Super Mario Cloud allows player to experience a new game with new ideas. As a result, Super Mario Cloud can be regarded as an art work.

Some may think that Super Mario Cloud should not be regarded as an art work. It is because they always accustomed to an idea that art work should have content. However, it seems that Super Mario Cloud is meaningless. Therefore some people may not regard Super Mario Cloud as an art work. In fact, Super Mario Cloud is not as meaningless as they think. As I mentioned before, Super Mario Cloud represents the progression of humans, communication and technology. Therefore, Super Mario Cloud it is not fair to say that Super Mario Cloud is meaningless.

Is Super Mario Cloud a art work?

Super Mario Cloud (Source : http://www.zunta.org/blog/archives/cloudsscroll.gif )

The idea of Super Mario Cloud is based on a Nintendo game "Super Mario". Cory Arcangel, the creator of Super Mario Cloud,  hacked "Super Mario" and modified "Super Mario". Cory Arcangel deleted everything but left the clouds scrolling slowly in the blue sky.

Before discussing whether Super Mario Cloud is art, we should define art first. According to Adam, art has content. Also, art is not formulaic. Art is aesthetically interesting as well.

In my opinion, Super Mario Clouds can be regarded as an art work. Although Super Mario Cloud looks simple, it is quite aesthetically interesting. The clouds keep moving slowly across the blue sky from right to left. Also, there are some aesthetic possibilities, like the modeling and shading on the clouds.

Beside aesthetic possibilities, "Super Mario Cloud" has content. Cory Arcangel said that although the cloud looks simple, it represents the progression of humans, communication and technology. Players are allowed to think the game's purpose, and therefore there is a interaction between the artist and players.

Also, Adam mentioned that art can be everything. Art is not formulaic. Even though Super Mario Cloud is a simple video game, but it still can be regarded as art.

Interview (Venus)

Question : 

How does Adams define art in your reading? Do you agree with his definition?

Project : Opus

Opus (Source:  http://www.raqsmediacollective.net/resultCC.aspx?id=83&type=works)

Opus is a online platform for visitors to share, download, veiw, edit digital objects. Visitors are allowed to share or download anythings freely.

In my opinion, Opus can be regarded as an open source because everyone is allowed to share, download, upload or modify any digital objects which are released on Opus. Since everyone can edit the information which is posted on Opus, it makes me concerning about the accuracy of information on internet. It seems that open source resources are convenient, but accuracy and privacy are still a concern.

Pros and Cons of internet and new computer technologies

With the widespread use of broadband network, information can be spread easily. We can get information easily by simply entering a key word on search engine, like yahoo, google. It is so convenient that everyone relies on internet. Therefore, it is not surprised to see that people loves searching information on internet rather than library.

Besides, in these day and age, because of the well-developed technology, we can communicate with others easily without any boundaries. For example, nowadays smartphone is so common that we can chat with others easily via whatsapp, facebook, skpe etc.

Without doubt, internet and new computer technologies have several advantages, but we still need to be careful. Privacy is a serious problem on internet and smart phone. No matter how powerful internet is, there are always some loopholes, our personal information may therfore be revealed.

Also, we should bear in mind that the information on internet may not be true. It is because everyone can be a writer and provide information to the others through internet.

In fact, as long as we use internet and new computer technology properly and wisely, internet is definitely a fabulous platform for us. Never should we use internet and new computer technologies illegally.

Hello

Hello! I am Chan Ming Ming, Year 2 student of Visual Studies. You can call me MingMing. Let's discuss more in this platform.