1. Cultural Models
video games as mirrors and shapers
John Carter McKnight
ASB 344: Technology and Society
Guest Lecture
Arizona State University
October 2010

2. that quote on the syllabus
Technology is not positive or negative. Nor is it neutral.
3. what does that meeeeannn?
One answer comes from cultural models:
Thats where we find meaning for technological systems
(and other stuff)
4. the Long Island overpasses
you interpreted them through your own cultural models
5. cultural models
not true or false
meant to capture only a partial view of reality
not conscious kind of a subroutine
become conscious when threatened or in conflict
6. cultural models and gaming
whats a gamer?
who are they?
who are they not?
how do they talk?
what do they eat? wear?
7. 8. what do gamers play?
9. you probably didnt mention
10. FarmVille: 81 million players
Tetris for GameBoy: 35 million sold
WiiFit: 22 million sold
The Sims 2: 16 million sold
11. games & gamers:a socio-technical system
a game isnt just what comes in the box its
hardware & the electronics industry
PAX, E3, etc.
cheat guides & walkthroughs
magazines
blogs
walkthrough videos
your friends
12. shaping
all of those parts shape the game
they also shape the gamer
13. cultural models and design
designers have cultural models of their customers
the reflexive user
the projective user
the actual user
the invisible user
14. weve seen this before, right?
15. cultural models and technology
the stove is a piece of technology
(neither positive nor negative nor neutral)
our cultural models gender it
16. Bow, Nigger
what cultural model was in play in Jedi Knights II?
the game allows bad behaviour, this is a good thing. It means by avoiding bad behaviour, you can demonstrate howgood you are.
17. cultural models: how do gamers talk?
is there a connection with the prospective user?
what about the invisible actual users? the people who wont become users?
18. 19. 20. Under Ash
if you play as Ahmed, do you share his values in the game?
if you play as Ahmed,
do you share his values
in real life?
21. what about this game?
22. cops & robbers
is it immoral to play the robber?
is it a game if nobody does?
23. 24. 25. 26. 27. The Hurt Locker
was the actor who played the suicide bomber making an immoral choice?
28. why are games different?
is playing the Taliban in Medal of Honor different from acting in a movie?
From playing a robber?
From playing Shadow, the dark Sonic?
29. if games enable us to experiencedifferent cultural models
well, then what?
30. want more at ASU?
PSY: Johnson-Glenberg, Psychology of Games & E-Learning
ENG: Daer, Gee, Hayes mostly graduate level
LAW: McKnight, Governance of Virtual Worlds (open to Honors College students)
31. contact me!
John Carter McKnight, MIA, JD
john.mcknight@asu.edu
johncartermcknight.com
Blog, CV, presentations
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LinkedIn, Goodreads, etc.