The Virtual Backyard
One of the greatest moments in life is childhood. Before we become aware of the world’s problems and allowed them to make us jaded and cynical, we could sit in our backyards and create fantasy worlds where anything was possible. And when we were called to dinner we could always return to it. Some of us carried those abilities into adulthood; others checked them at the door. Either way, we distorted our environments for enjoyment and fun. Though we have succumbed to the harsh rules of reality, we still have been given outlets where we are provided with altered realities to satisfy our fantastical egos.
Huizinga discussed the cultural phenomena of play and the different ways it can be interpreted from rituals to fishing. In this common age, our sense of play exists on a technological level. We watch movies, play video games, and talk on the phone. Of course there still exists the simpler forms of play, but the rise of technological entertainment is forever on the rise. We immerse ourselves in these altered realities, but always remain connected to the true reality in some fashion – listening for the oven timer to go off, having real time conversations as we play, or realizing that bathroom break is desperately needed. We still follow some form of accepted rules, and a cheater is still cheater.
The important thing to consider is how our enjoyment can be heightened by our environments. Andrew Hinton, B.J Pine, and J.H. Gilmore have all discussed how our enjoyment of something is heightened by our level of involvement and what caters to our senses. We play games like WoW and Second Life, where we are allowed a great level of control, but the designers have taken the time to create a place that is comfortable and welcoming to provide an environment that the users are going to constantly use. Pine and Gilmore discussed the sensory experiences that Disney and the Rainforest Café provide, but it is only a matter of time before new technology develops to offer an all encompassing experience through our computers (Strange Days, anyone?).
“The best way to predict the future is to invent it.” Alan Kay
Interesting post. Where do you consider your environment being? DO you play video games? If so, what games do you play?