WEEK 1 HW
So excited!!!!
I googled "make avatars" and tried something on.....
First one!
This one probably good for a social media profile photo
and the second one too..
https://avatarmaker.com/
Now it's time to try the real badass Fuse to make a 3D avatar of me lol.
I did a screen recording of it.
What did you have control over? Were there things you wanted to have control over that you didn’t?
I have controlled the shape of body including the bones and some parts of muscles, the basic shape of face, the length and positions of arms and legs, the hair color, style and put some clothes on...
But, I wanted to control the bones structures around the mouth and the thickness of mouth,...it only got weirder..
Moreover, the hair style and texture, the clothes style are limited. (now I am going to do research of change texture of the clothes and skin..)
Also for the eyeballs, it cannot roll up and down, only can do apart and close to each other lol.
Is this avatar an accurate representation of you? What is missing?
I think it seems look like me, but if I am not telling others that this is me, they won't know. but I do like the face emotions lol I like doing weird emotions.
I think the post is important, a man-like post will be more showing of one's personality. (bc we can tell who is that person while we looking at his/her back when he/she is walking.)
How do the two avatars compare to one another? What is the original context for this avatar (what game or social platform was this for)?
The 2D avatars are more like simple social media profile photo, like Instagram, Wechat, or phone card games..
The 3D avatar is for big video game on pc or VR/AR game...or social media photo like instagram that can represent us?? or projection mapping performer!
Readings
http://www.psychologyofgames.com/2013/11/the-psychology-of-video-game-avatars/
Why avatars?
1 unchangeable on our own body? Or hard to change?
2 social situations?
“An emerging line of research says that when the choice is ours, it’s often about building a better version of ourselves.”
Doubt that
( in the middle of the reading, I feel like to do research of avatars games "shaping avatars” kind of games.)
A funny experiment
I had strong feeling about what he said. but immersive experience is for all kinds of game right?
unconsciously affecting human behaviors... and "fake" reality?
Reading 2 Virtual worlds are real
http://www.slate.com/articles/technology/future_tense/2014/01/proteus_effect_world_of_warcraft_nsa_virtual_worlds_have_real_effects.html
Emphasized how avatars affect on us.
" While we assume that virtual worlds are an escape from reality, they are in fact perpetuating the status quo."
How? People put their real thoughts into virtual worlds? Is that means... virtual worlds are real, real world is unreal?
How we think of regulations on virtual world? especially when games are online...
just a thought
Reading 3 Touching online funerals that gamers hold for friends they have never met
This is really interesting one! I didn't know there are virtual funerals before. I know players in games often have strong feeling of their connections and experiences, that is totally understandable and I think it's smart.
Reading 4 Controlling vs "Being" Your Video Game Avatar
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dLkyNzFmlHA
Connected to the Reading 1 and 2 of the idea "Immersive" feeling of avatar games. A more you-like avatars in a game will make you feel more immersive, more like "you" in the game world. And a common avatar that same to everyone just will be like you are controlling that avatars in the game world.
Thoughts: Do people do more "bad" things if you are controlling that avatar? for example, GTA, many players do bad things in GTA world, but what if the avatar look like them and other players can see them?
Reading 5 Rethinking Agency and Immersion: videogames as a means of consciousness-raising
Heavy thoughts on this reading... a little bit remind me of western world.
But if let players to create a new world/ a new role, do they know how to do? do they have the conscious of rules structures on their mind?