Annotated Bibliography

"At the Center of Lifestyle Centers." ISCS Research Review 12.1
(2005): 1-3.

This article is an interview with the creator of the first lifestyle center. It discusses how he dreamed up the new concept as well as the future of lifestyle centers in the retail market.


Coppley, Heather. “Developer to ‘de-mall’ Hunt Valley Mall.” The Daily Record 23 May 2003.

This newspaper article from the Maryland Daily Record details the history of the decline of Hunt Valley Mall and discusses its planned redevelopment. It includes quotes by many prominent Baltimore County officials.


Hunt Valley Mall. 2007. Greenberg Gibbons Commercial. 13 Apr. 2008
http://www.shophuntvalley.com.

This is the shopping center’s official website aimed at potential customers. It contains a shopping directory, information about the shopping center, and a list of upcoming events. It includes a great description of how the shopping center represents a “new” and “fresh” approach to shopping.


Hunt Valley Towne Centre. Feb. 2007. Greenberg Gibbons Commercial. 12 Apr. 2008 http://www.ggcommercial.com/hunt_valley_towne_centre.html

This site is published by Greenberg Gibbons Commercial, the company responsible for redevelopment and leasing of Hunt Valley Towne Centre. The site describes the redevelopment project and offers facts and statistical data about the shopping center, such as location, population density of the surrounding area, average income of the surrounding area, and traffic volume around the site. It contains a map, aerial and land-based photos of the center, and a listing of all of the tenants and the square footage of their locations.


Press Kit: The Impact of Shopping Centers in the United States. May 2006. International Council of Shopping Centers. 13 Apr. 2008
http://www.icsc.org/srch/about/impactofshoppingcenters/index.php

This press kit is published by the International Council of Shopping Centers. It offers several different documents providing information about the history of shopping and shopping centers in the United States as well as current trends in the retail industry.


Schoenherr, Steven E. Evolution of the Shopping Center. 17 Feb. 2006. University of San Diego History Department. 13 Apr. 2008
http://history.sandiego.edu/gen/soc/shoppingcenter.html

This site, which was put together by a professor in the University of San Diego’s History department, traces the evolution of shopping centers over the last 100 years.


"Unique Issues Presented by Lifestyle Centers." 24 Oct. 2007. International Council of Shopping Centers. 13 Apr. 2008 http://www.icsc.org/handouts/2007LC/205.pdf

This document is a handout that was distributed at the 2007 United States Shopping Center Law Conference. It details some of the legal issues facing lifestyle centers. Its introduction features several pages of detailed information about what exactly makes a shopping center a “lifestyle center.”

Paper 2 Proposal Part 1

Description

Hunt Valley Towne Centre is a newly developed “lifestyle center” in the suburb of Hunt Valley, approximately 20 miles north of Baltimore, Maryland. The mixed-use shopping center with almost 750,000 sq. ft. of retail space serves a population of over 1 million with an average household income of $140,000 (ggcommercial.com). Hunt Valley is an affluent suburb with wealthy industries including many science, tech, and engineering firms, as well as the headquarters of McCormick Spices, and the shopping center takes advantage of access to upscale clientele.

Hunt Valley Towne Center was redeveloped by Greenberg Gibbons Commercial in 2004 from the former site of Hunt Valley Mall. The original mall was built in the early 1980s and was lauded as being an upscale version of the traditional shopping mall. The mall was anchored by Macy’s (originally badged as Bamberger’s) until 1992. Although the mall was never overwhelmingly successful, the departure of Macy’s speeded a steady decline. When a Light Rail line leading into inner-city Baltimore was constructed directly outside of the mall, fears that lower-class people would bring increased crime to the mall drove a final nail into its coffin.

Although the main section of the mall was all but closed by the late 1990’s, the remaining anchor department store, Sears, was still open to the public. A Burlington Coat Factory, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Hoyt’s Cinemas, and Wal-Mart, as well as a discount shoe warehouse opened as anchors adjacent to the mall during this time as well. Although these stores were reasonably successful, most of them did not contain inside entrances to the main portion of the mall and thus did not bring business to the stores inside the enclosed structure. After Greenberg Gibbons Commercial purchased the site, the central enclosed section of the mall was torn down.

The new Towne Centre now consists of an outdoor “Main Street” style shopping plaza intermixed with the original anchor tenants from Hunt Valley Mall. The center is laid out in a linear fashion, with the center, “Main Street” section forming a two-story U-shaped plaza. The original anchor Sears sits on the westernmost side of the site. Next to Sears is the newly built Wegman’s, an upscale grocery store featuring a wide variety of gourmet products. Dick’s Sporting Goods and Burlington Coat Factory occupy the eastern side of the site. The original Wal-Mart was included in the Towne Centre when it was first built, but its doors were closed in the summer of 2007 when Wal-Mart opened a large new supercenter two miles away in Cockeysville. The empty building now sits on the easternmost edge of the site. The center of the marketplace is the two-story U-shaped block of small shops and restaurants. An outparcel of restaurants including Outback Steakhouse and Carraba’s sits on the southwest corner of the site, by the intersection of Shawan Road and Interstate 83. The Hoyt’s Cinema, now a Regal Cinema, remains on the northern side of the site.

The new buildings were built with a nostalgic style of architecture meant to evoke an Old World charm. Each store has a different façade and roofline, creating a look of individual buildings. The former tenants of Hunt Valley Mall were refaced in order to match the new architectural look of the center. The center’s design also clearly focuses on an outdoor environment. Fountains and gazebos serve as centerpieces of the plaza area, and benches lining brick sidewalks invite shoppers to relax and enjoy the scenery. Most restaurants have outdoor dining areas as well. The site is landscaped with grass, bushes, flowers, and trees. Old-fashioned light posts provide illumination for evening shopping and provide a nostalgic appeal. Music is piped through faux-rocks blending in with the landscape design and providing a peaceful background for shoppers. There is limited parking located in diagonal spaces along the “Main Street” area. More parking is available in larger lots in front of the anchor stores, and the Light Rail line is just on the other side of the parking lots. The entire center is still very clean and new-looking, and is thus very inviting to consumers.

Central Argument

The transformation of Hunt Valley Mall into Hunt Valley Towne Centre represents the shifts in consumer attitudes and shopping trends over the past 25 years. The original mall site suffered from shifting ideas in consumer culture as well as wider cultural issues including the changing suburban landscape and fears of what impact inner-city people would have on an insulated exurban community. After the acquisition of the sit by Greenberg Gibbons Commercial, its redevelopment in to an outdoor “lifestyle center” with a distinctly nostalgic look and feel represents current consumer attitudes in today’s modern consumer culture. Americans have become bored with traditional shopping models and marketers must use new strategies to capture the attention and business of consumers.

Paper Proposal: The Miniskirt

Description

The miniskirt is a tube of fabric that sits on the hips of the wearer and hits at mid-thigh. It is made of stretch denim; the fabric is 99% cotton and 1% spandex, with the spandex giving the denim just enough stretch to be comfortable and conform to the wearer’s shape. The skirt is dark blue with distressed fading on thighs and whiskering (horizontal bands of faded fabric where the fabric has wrinkled over time) at the lower hips. The skirt does not look worn, so the distressing was most likely factory-made to produce an already worn-in look. The skirt has tan contrast stitching, with seams down the front and back and a back yoke. The stitching is noticeable, giving the skirt a casual look, but it is not overly bold. The skirt is a bit rough to the touch and has slightly raised vertical ridges.

The skirt has a wide hem and waistband, and the waistband is interrupted by six belt loops – one on each hip in the front, one on each side slightly towards the back of the skirt, and two in the back center of the waistband. It has five pockets: two rounded front pockets, a small slit change pocket on right side, and two back pockets. The back pockets give the skirt a more unique look, with pointed bottoms and flaps that snap closed. The front pockets are held together with dark bronze grommets at the corners. The skirt features a short zippered fly with a bronze YKK brand zipper. The waistband fastens with a faded bronze button on the outside and a clear plastic button on the inside.

The skirt contains writing in several places. The brand name, “American Eagle,” is embroidered on the back inner waistband in tan cursive. The front waistband button and back pocket snaps each feature the words “AE since 1977” in the same cursive style. The skirt also features two tags, hidden from view on the inside of the skirt. A small tag is attached to the back inner waistband and contains the skirt’s size. Another slightly larger tag is attached to the inner front waistband above the left pocket and contains washing instructions in both French and English.

The skirt is machine washable and can be put in the dryer on a low setting. It was made in China. The even stitching and uniform features show that it was mass-produced; however, there are several loose stitches and the garment does not seem to be of terribly high quality. The tags have faded to a grey-blue and the ink has run slightly, showing that the skirt has been washed at least a few times. The inside of the skirt is a grayish-tan color and has an unfinished quality. The overall styling of the skirt is simple, and the round buttons, cursive writing, and the hip-hugging fabric and cut of the skirt give it a curvy aesthetic.


Central Questions
1) How does the miniskirt express identity? (Age, Gender, Ethnicity, Religion, Personal Values, Taste/Aesthetic) What messages does it send, intentionally and unintentionally?

2) Can the miniskirt be generalized? Do they all function in basically the same way, or do different fabrics and styles fundamentally change the message of the skirt?

3) Does wearing a miniskirt keep women from being taken seriously? (Especially in the professional world, but also in cases like the Southwest Airlines incident).

4) Are mini-skirts a tool of feminism (women having the power to express their sexuality), or are they a tool of patriarchy (men gazing at women). How does each group view and use the miniskirt?

5) What effects does wearing a mini-skirt have on the wearer and on those around her?


Argument

The miniskirt was originally worn in the 1960s as an expression of feminism and uninhibited sexuality. Third-wave feminists of the late 1990s and early 2000s see the miniskirt in a similar way. However, the culture at large disagrees, and wearing a miniskirt sends a message that is the antithesis of feministic. On the surface, it invites the sexual attention of men, turning the wearer into nothing more than an aesthetic object. However, more damagingly, the miniskirt sends a message that the wearer is young and not serious enough for “the real world.” This is especially problematic in a business setting: while men might appreciate a young colleague’s sexy work outfits, they may cost her the benefit of being taken seriously in the workplace and damage her ability to rise in the ranks of the corporate world.


Annotated Bibliography

Costello, Carrie Yang. “Changing Clothes: Gender Inequality and Professional Socialization.” NWSA Journal, 16.2 (Summer 2004): 138-155.

This article discusses how clothing demonstrates identity in a professional setting. It discusses a young law student named Lydia who begins her training wearing short skirts but switches to a more androgynous look. It is especially interesting because it compares Lydia to the character of Ally McBeal, a TV lawyer who was famous for wearing very short miniskirts and sexing up professional dress in the late 1990s.

Frankel, Susannah. “Get shorty: the mini’s back.” The Independent. 31 January, 2001.

This article provides an interesting look at the miniskirt at the turn of the 21st century. Frankel touches on both the history and debate surrounding the miniskirt in her article, as well as looking at some current trends.

Hammers, Michele L. “Cautionary Tales of Liberation and Female Professionalsm: The Case Against Ally McBeal.” Western Journal of Communication. 69.2 (April 2005): 167-182.

This article uses the TV show Ally McBeal as a case study to examine how female identity in the working world has been played out in recent years. It discusses feminism and portrayal of the female body in the professional world, concluding that women such as Ally McBeal are not, in fact, in control of their sexuality, but are, on the contrary, playing into the patriarchal system.

“Miniskirt.” Icons: A Portrait of England. 27 February 2008. http://www.icons.org.uk/theicons/collection/miniskirt

This website provides a comprehensive history and analysis of the miniskirt. Articles cover topics such as the miniskirt and women’s lib and the creator of the miniskirt, Mary Quant. The site also features lots of images.

Nicks, Joan. “Hemlines.” St. James Encyclopedia for Pop Culture. Gale Group, 2002.

This article gives a brief history of skirt lengths. It discusses how skirts have been represented in popular culture since the 1950s, such as Lucy of “I Love Lucy” and Harriet of “The Adventures of Ozzy and Harriet.” It culminates with a discussion about the late 1990s TV character Ally McBeal.

Schoetz, David. “Underdressed Passenger or Overreacting Airline?” ABCNews.com. September, 2007. http://abcnews.go.com/US/Travel/story?id=3571435&page=1

This news article from ABC News discusses the case of Kyla Ebbert, the young woman who was recently kicked off of a Southwest Airlines flight for wearing a skirt that was deemed too short. It shows how the miniskirt is still a controversial fashion item in our society.

Wilson, Elizabeth. Adorned in Dreams: Fashion and Modernity. Rutgers University Press: New Brunswick, New Jersey, 2003.

This book explores the function of fashion in the modern era, rejecting older theories and explaining that modern society uses clothing to express different messages than it did previously. Chapters explore topics such as fashion and eroticism, gender and identity, and fashion and popular culture. Although the miniskirt is only explicitly mentioned a few times, the arguments made by the authors about the aesthetics and meaning of modern fashion are certainly applicable to the miniskirt.

Assorted clothing websites:
Aeropostale
American Eagle
Charlotte Russe
Kohl’s
Nordstrom
Old Navy

These are some examples of the skirts that are currently for sale at several American retail chains. Looking at the current trends shows the miniskirt’s popularity right now as well as who is wearing it and how it is being marketed.

Pod People

I’m sitting behind the counter working at the UMBC Registrar’s Office when a student glides through the door, nodding his head to an invisible beat. I call out, “Can I help you?” but the student’s eyes are glazed over and he isn’t even looking my way. Two thin wires snake out of his pea coat and disappear under his matching scarf, and I sigh with recognition as I ask again. He looks up, surprised, and fumbles in his pocket to turn off the iPod I know is lurking within. The small, white buds continue to dangle from his ears as I attempt to solve his registration problem; he doesn’t bother to remove them, knowing that once he leaves, he will immediately turn up the music again.

iPods are one of the most annoying, overhyped gadgets ever created. They were cool at first, back when they actually were one of the best-functioning mp3 players for the price. However, as technology has continued to evolve, the iPod has not kept up. Sure, they have introduced new models, like the iPod Shuffle, iPod Nano, and the newest, the iPod Touch. However, these models have not added any features that are important enough to justify their ridiculous prices. Other players offer more storage space for a much lower price. Additionally, iPods only allow users to play certain file types, mainly ones sold by their companion music download site, iTunes. Users also must use the iTunes software in order to upload music files onto their iPod. In the name of “ease of use,” Apple has greatly limited the functionality of the iPod in the hopes that it can be mastered by everyone from the hipster college student walking around campus to the soccer mom who wants a soundtrack for her afternoon yoga session.

And it’s the “iPod mentality” that many iPod users have that is so annoying. The word “iPod” has become synonymous with “mp3 player” for many Americans, providing an unfortunate amount of free advertising for Apple. There are plenty of people out there who don’t even know that other brands of mp3 players exist, let alone do any research to see if a different player might better suit their needs. The iPod has become so overhyped that people assume that

a) their life will not be complete if they don’t have their music with them at all times;
b) having an iPod gives them license to tune out the world and be rude to those around them; and
c) their iPod is not only the best mp3 player out there, it’s the greatest piece of technology ever invented.

There’s nothing wrong with buying an iPod if you’re willing to shell out extra cash just because something is shiny and has a scrolling wheel. All I ask is that you don’t walk around smugly congratulating yourself for being an iPod owner, and please, please don’t try to brainwash me into joining the cult of the i.

American Exhibiton v. 2.0

I am obsessed with my digital camera. I seriously doubt that I am the only person in the class who feels that way, let alone the only person in America. Seemingly everywhere I go, people are whipping out their tiny, pocket-sized cameras and snapping dozens of photos. Digital cameras seem to simply be one more incarnation of America’s obsession with tech gadgets.

Then again, Americans have been fostering an obsession with cameras since back in the 1840s when the daguerreotype was invented. By the early 1900s, Brownie Cameras, with their modest price of $1, were in the hands of quite a few Americans. Maybe the narcissistic urge to preserve your image isn’t a new one at all, but it’s definitely a concept that we seem to have perfected in this country. A combination of emerging technology and record levels of self-absorption among today’s generation of young adults (the so-called “Me” generation) is taking this exhibitionist phenomenon to new levels.

The instant gratification afforded by digital technology is a major part of this. In just a few hours, you can take hundreds of photos of yourself, upload them to a computer, delete any unflattering pictures, and upload them to the internet. The ease of this process has afforded Americans a major opportunity to create their own online celebrity. Photo-sharing and social networking websites such as Flikr, Facebook, and MySpace, have allowed Americans to happily put their entire lives on display. It was an exciting day when Facebook added photo-sharing capabilities, because now you could display entire albums of silliness and debauchery in addition to a carefully chosen profile picture. Of course, there would be no point to this if there was no comment feature allowing instant feedback from Facebook friends and the internet at large.

And that’s really the main reason for putting up photos – wanting attention. I am by no means putting people down for this, because I am certainly guilty of it myself. Of course, there are times it crosses a line – when you post thousands of photos of yourself in under a month, or when you spend hours sitting alone in your room, taking MySpace-angled photos of yourself in the mirror, and then act shocked when 40-year-old men comment on your swimsuit poses and try to add you as an online friend.

Photography is a great activity to share with friends and family. However, a lot of Americans aren’t taking photos for the sake of art, or even to preserve memories. They are doing it because they can, and because they love looking at themselves in their tiny LCD screen. Camera manufacturers know this and are raking in the dough. Other corporations know this as well, and you can be sure they will be Googling you to see how many drunken party pictures they find before extending you that job offer. As long as you know that your professor, boss, and future mother-in-law are likely to see any photos you take, click away!


My friend Caitlin and I spent last night taking silly pictures of ourselves at Arundel Mills. Then a mall cop made us put the camera away, because shots of the inside of the mall are no longer allowed due to the threat of terrorism.

American Exhibiton

I am obsessed with my digital camera. I seriously doubt that I am the only person in the class who feels that way, let alone the only person in America. Seemingly everywhere I go, people are pulling their cameras out of bags and pockets and purses to snap photos, show off their handiwork to others, or even record secret videos of their friends acting stupid in public (there is no doubt that a trip to YouTube is in these videos’ future…). Digital cameras seem to simply be one more incarnation of America’s obsession with tech gadgets.

Then again, Americans have been fostering an obsession with cameras since back in the 1840s when the daguerreotype was invented. By the early 1900s, Brownie Cameras, with their modest price of $1, were in the hands of quite a few Americans. It’s not like taking silly pictures of yourself is a new phenomenon, either. Both of my grandmothers have quite a few funny shots of themselves with their friends when they were teenagers and young women.

So maybe the narcissistic urge to preserve your image isn’t a new one at all, but it’s definitely a concept that we seem to have perfected in this country. Digital technology has afforded us even more opportunity to do so than ever. Instant gratification is certainly a major part of this (and Americans love the word “instant”). It’s so much more enjoyable to take hundreds of pictures of yourself over the course of a few days when you can see each individual picture as soon as it is done, rather than waiting to fill up a whole roll of film and then waiting even longer for the photos to be processed.

Other technologies contribute to these urges as well. Practically unlimited storage space allows you to take as many pictures as you want. There is no need to stop and think about the value of a shot before snapping away – you can always go back and cull through the results later. The delete button is important too; digital camera users (especially girls) frequently become trapped in the endless loop of taking a picture, looking at said picture, deciding said picture makes one look too ugly, fat, stupid, short, tall, slutty, hobo-like, or fill-in-the-blank-here, and quickly pressing delete before anyone can see the results.

Of course, when you are going to post your photos all over the internet, you want to put your best impression forward. Photo-sharing sites such as Flikr, and to an even larger extent, social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace, have allowed Americans to happily put their entire lives on display. It was an exciting day when Facebook added photo-sharing capabilities, because now one could display entire albums of silliness and debauchery in addition to a carefully chosen profile picture. Of course, there would be no point to this if there was no comment feature allowing instant feedback from Facebook friends and the internet at large.

And that’s really the main reason for putting up photos – wanting attention. I am by no means putting people down for this, because I am certainly guilty of it myself. Of course, there are times it crosses a line – when you post over 1000 photos of yourself in under a month, or when you spend hours sitting alone in your room, taking MySpace-angled photos of yourself in the mirror (yes, I know people who have done both).

Photography is a great activity to share with friends and family. However, digital cameras have allowed Americans to become a little too obsessed with it. A lot of Americans aren’t taking photos for the sake of art, or even to preserve memories. They are doing it because they can, and because they love looking at themselves in their tiny LCD screen. Camera manufacturers know this and are raking in the dough. Other corporations know this as well, and you can be sure they will be Googling you to see how many drunken party pictures they find before extending you that job offer. As long as you know that your professor, boss, and future mother-in-law are likely to see any photos you take, click away!



My friend Caitlin and I spent last night taking silly pictures of ourselves at Arundel Mills. Then a mall cop made us put the camera away, because shots of the inside of the mall are no longer allowed due to the threat of terrorism.

AMST 344 Introduction

I'm Jen Matthews and I am a senior American Studies major. I am also majoring in English and minoring in history. I am interested in either entering the publishing field or pursuing a graduate degree in material culture or museum studies. When I'm not in class, I work at the Registrar's Office on campus. I also enjoy nerdy hobbies such as reading, attempting to learn foreign languages, and drinking coffee while discussing literature. I also like photography (I'm obsessed with my digital camera!), watching tv, and riding roller coasters. I'm a huge figure skating fan, and I love driving with my windows down and singing along with the radio.

I'm addicted to Facebook.

I look like this (except I don't usually come to class with my roommate's hand draped over my shoulder):

Blog #4

In his book Synthetic Worlds, Edward Castranova presents an interesting view of the growing genre of Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games, or MMORPGs. MMORPGs include popular titles such as EverQuest, World of Warcraft, and Guild Wars. Castranova begins by giving an overview of how these games work. He adopts the point of view of a new player navigating through the game for the first time. He creates a character named “Sabert” and then leads the reader through the beginning stages of the game, introducing them to the elements that define an MMORPG, such as gathering objects, meeting fellow characters, battling “mobs,” and trade. As Castranova described how these games are played, I became more and more intrigued. My interest was piqued and I wanted to create a character and explore the game for myself. However, I was afraid I would get sucked into the game and not finish the book, so I chose to skip trying the game until I have more free time.

Castranova discusses many interesting points throughout the book. One that struck me the most was that the economy inside the game and the world economy are somewhat tied together – although it is expressly forbidden by the rules, many people buy and sell game money, equipment such as swords, and even entire user accounts on websites such as eBay. I was really surprised when I read this because I had never heard of this phenomenon before. Castranova explained that these types of trades began to occur because “some people who had lots of dollars happened to want more EverQuest play money, and some people who had lots of EverQuest play money happened to want more dollars” (36). As I thought about it, this began to make a lot of sense. Some people also argue that it’s a waste to spend money on objects in the game because they are not tangible; however, in my opinion, it’s no different than spending money on any other hobby. A sword in the game EverQuest will do someone no more good in their everyday life than an authentic Civil War sword will do a reenactor in his everyday life – but both things are a part of a hobby, and both make the person happy. I don’t think one is worth more just because it’s a tangible object.

Another interesting point Castranova makes is the extent to which players identify with their character and the in-game world. He first displays this when he is introducing the game play in Chapter One. Castranova explains, “Coming to own the avatar, psychologically, is so natural among those who spend time in synthetic worlds that it is barely noticed. No one ever says, ‘My character’s strength is depleted,’ or, ‘My avatar owns a dune buggy.’ They say ‘my strength’ and ‘my dune buggy’” (45). Having not played MMORPGs myself, I can’t identify with this phenomenon. In fact, I generally don’t even enjoy playing first-person games. I have watched friends play EverQuest and I actually prefer to watch in third-person view. I’m guessing if I played, I would do the same. I’m not sure if playing regularly in third-person view would cause me to identify with my character as much.

I was also surprised by the fact that there are people who actually consider themselves to live in Norrath, the in-game world of EverQuest. I couldn’t believe that 20% of those surveyed in a study would say that they considered Norrath to be their full-time home (59). I was expecting these players to be very hard-core, so I was even more surprised when more statistics revealed that those players only spent 1-2 additional hours playing each day than the other players surveyed (61). However, those who were willing to participate in a survey are likely more hardcore players in general.

Another point Castranova raised was that these games are basically microcosms of our everyday lives. The economics of the game closely mirror real-world economies, and many of the same motivations and problems that plague the real world appear in synthetic worlds as well. Castranova states, “Everything that happens in a synthetic world is the consequence of the interaction of human minds, and our minds have things like Love, Property, Justice, Profit, War, and Exploration hard-wired into them. We could not create a world and put people in it without also enabling sex, trade, and battle” (48). I think this is one of the reasons why the games are so attractive to players. They are a fantasy world, and give players a sense of escape from their everyday lives, but still include the things that are most important to us.

Castranova wraps up by giving his thoughts on how synthetic worlds will operate in the future. He seems to have, in my opinion, a rather limited view on the subject. He seems to think, first of all, that everyone will have access to these worlds, which I disagree with. There will be many people who lack access to these worlds due to lack of money or even infrastructure in less-developed areas. There will also simply be some people who are not interested. It’s hard to imagine the Amish tapping into World of Warcraft anytime soon.

Additionally, he seems to think that these spaces will either become rosy paradises to which people move their entire lives, or that they will become corrupted by commercialism, or that we will all become the pod people from The Matrix. I think these games will grow in popularity for awhile, but eventually they will level off with a core group of people playing and the rest of the world basically uninterested. The virtual reality of synthetic worlds might become somewhat more pervasive than it is right now, but I doubt it will be taking over the world anytime soon. However, I’m sure there were people who forecasted that the internet would be a bust, too. We will just have to wait and see where this technology takes us in the future.

Blog Assignment #3

Is video game addiction a real phenomenon? Several researchers, including Griffiths and Davies, the authors of “Does Video Game Addiction Exist?” have attempted to prove that game addiction is actually real. However, I personally remain dubious about their claims.

Supposedly addiction consists of six required elements: salience (which basically means the addiction monopolizes one’s thoughts and activities), mood modification, tolerance, withdrawal symptoms, conflict (with others, self, and activities), and relapse. However, the researcher’s attempts to correlate these elements to video games are a bit of a stretch. I can see how the researchers might attempt to show video game addiction through salience – when anything is completely dominating your thoughts and actions, it’s probably not healthy. I can also easily see how conflict could occur – with school, work, sleep, relationships with others, etc. However, I’m not sure I believe that one activity causing conflict with another or even with relationships constitutes addiction.

Additionally, I’m not sure that the fact that gaming can cause “mood modification” proves addiction either. Any activity that one enjoys is likely to cause excitement or a “buzzed” feeling, or else a feeling of escape. One can even get these feelings from watching an engaging movie, but that doesn’t mean the person is addicted to the movie, or watching movies, or anything else for that matter. Relapse I can sort of see – for example, I know people who have tried to quit playing WoW, but have gone back to it – but the person can make a choice to return to the activity without that constituting relapse.

The two elements I find hardest to equate with game addiction are tolerance and withdrawal. It’s very difficult to prove that gamers need to play more and more in order to feel the same effects. Additionally, withdrawal is equally hard to prove. Most people would get irritated or moody if forced to stop playing in the middle of a game, but this certainly does not mean they are addicted. Physical symptoms such as headaches or tremors from lack of game play seem even less likely.

The studies that researchers have used to measure game addiction have many flaws. One such study involved handing out questionnaires to gamers. The question meant to measure salience read, “Do you play video games most days?” In my opinion, this question measures nothing. I mean, I brush my teeth every day, but that doesn’t mean I’m addicted by any means. A better question would have been “Do video games occupy your thoughts even when you aren’t playing?” but even this question would not have accurately measured salience.

Researchers have also tried very hard to correlate video game addiction with gambling addiction, probably because there has been a great deal of study related to the latter, and not so much for the former. However, just because the games share certain attributes like shiny pictures and flashing lights does not make them the same. Video games, for one, do not offer the promise of money. Sure, you can rack up a higher score, but the psychological lure of money is much greater and completely different, and in my opinion, should be studied differently.

Blog Assignment #2:Critical Reading of Space in "Super Paper Mario"

I spent some time this summer trying my hand at the newest Mario game in the Nintendo franchise, “Super Paper Mario” for the Nintendo Wii. It was an incredibly interesting and addicting game, one which I unfortunately got only halfway through due to more pressing concerns like school and life. “Super Paper Mario” contains elements of several genres – it is an adventure game, with Mario and his friends on a quest to rescue Princess Peach from the evil Count Bleck and to collect the eight Pure Hearts in order to destroy Bleck’s hold on the malignant Chaos Heart. However, the main levels of the game play somewhat like a typical platform game, with Mario moving past different obstacles to collect objects and defeat enemies.

One of the most interesting elements of “Super Paper Mario” is the way it uses space. The game’s design challenges commonly held views of space in video games, and space plays an incredibly important role in the game – it impacts how characters move through the game, how they confront obstacles, and even which character should be used at different points in the game.

The hallmark of “Super Paper Mario” – the ability of players to “flip” between 2-D and 3-D views – is in itself a major challenge to the conventional uses of space in video games. While the game takes place mainly in 2-D, Mario is able to flip into 3-D play, allowing players to discover hidden objects, such as power-ups or hidden tools. Additionally it allows players to maneuver around obstacles more easily. For example, Mario’s path might be blocked by a large boulder or by an enemy, but after flipping to 3-D, the obstacle becomes flat and Mario can simply walk behind it. Finally, flipping to 3-D may allow players to find a hidden path, such as a ladder or tunnel, which leads to a different part of the level. There are some constraints on Mario’s ability to navigate in 3-D space, however. There is a timer which only allows gameplay in 3-D for a few seconds at a time. Additionally, players can generally only travel through a small portion of the level at a time while in 3-D before being blocked by a wall, ledge, or other obstacle that must be crossed in 2-D.

Another way conventions of space are challenged in “Super Paper Mario” is the setup of the levels. Mario does not simply move directly from level to level as he did in the original “Super Mario Bros.” Instead, there is a central location, a town known as Flipside, where Mario returns between levels. Mario can enter the different buildings within Flipside in order to rest, buy supplies, or talk to characters that might have important information about his quest. He can travel between levels of the town using elevators, and when flipping into 3-D, he can travel outside the gates of the town and visit “Flipside Outskirts,” where players must find the correct Heart Pillar and install the newly collected Pure Heart at the end of each level. Further complicating things, in order find one of the Heart Pillars, players must visit the town of “Flopside,” which is a mirror image of Flipside. Once Mario has installed a Pure Heart, a new door appears at the top of Flipside Tower, allowing him to travel into a new dimension and move on to the next level.

In order to successfully navigate through “Super Paper Mario,” players must also understand how they can use characters and tools to manipulate and conquer space. Players have a choice of playing as Mario, Peach, Browser, or Luigi, and each has a particular strength to navigate through space. As previously mentioned, Mario is able to flip between 2-D and 3-D views of space. Peach is able to float, allowing her to cross canyons or easily move from one platform to the next. Luigi is able to jump very high, and Bowser is taller than the other characters, which sometimes enables him to reach things others can’t. Additionally, throughout the game, players collect Pixls, which are small, fairy-like creatures with special abilities which again can help players move through space more easily. For example, the Pixl Slim allows the character to turn sideways and become very thin, and therefore able to squeeze into narrow spaces. Likewise, the Pixl Dottie shrinks the character so that they can fit into very tiny holes. The Pixl Boomer turns into a bomb and can be used to blow away obstacles to reveal secret doors or pathways. The use of Pixls allows players to move through spaces that seem inaccessible at first, and figuring out how to enter these areas is a crucial part of the adventure-style gameplay.

“Super Paper Mario” challenges conventional notions of space like those put forth by Mark J.P. Wolf in Chapter 5 of his book, The Medium of the Video Game. The game does not neatly conform to any of Wolf’s categories of spatial structures in video games. It contains both 2-D and 3-D views at the same time, a concept that was unheard of in the late 1990s when Wolf was writing his book. Wolf also does not mention the ability to switch between characters or the ability to use tools to manipulate space. Additionally, the idea of moving between a central town and levels in other dimensions with the ability to revisit previously played levels does not seem to fit with Wolf’s ideas either. Nor does the idea of being able to move through the level freely, going back to the beginning or revisiting any location at any point. “Super Paper Mario” seems to conform best to Wolf’s idea of “Adjacent spaces displayed one at a time,” but even this does not accurately describe the game’s setting. As video games continue to advance, it seems likely that new structures and uses of space which eclipse Wolf’s ideas will continue to provide new and exciting gameplay experiences for years to come.