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Sims 4 case study

Immersion - A virtual reality. - a blur of reality vs artificial - imagination

Flow - A flow of material - the game challenges the gamer, harder but pleasurable too.

Fluid Identities - Identities are changed and are not set.Facebook

Simualcra - Simulation of reality.

Ironic Position - Involvement in text

Detached Position - viewers watch something to be apart of something within a group.

Sandbox games - A sandbox is a style of game in which minimal character limitations are placed on the gamer, allowing the gamer to roam and change a virtual world at will. In contrast to a progression-style game, a sandbox game emphasizes roaming and allows a gamer to select tasks. Instead of featuring segmented areas or numbered levels, a sandbox game usually occurs in a “world” to which the gamer has full access from start to finish. 

Avatar - A hyperreal character in a simulation

Sims 4:

Sims (short version of simulation) allows users, to create their own world and characters, it is a simulation of reality. This sandbox game allows players to immerse themselves within the game, sometimes becoming confused and this is were reality vs artificial is blurred.

Modern:
Some grand narratives - nuclear family

Pomo:
Technology vs human - robots etc.
Real vs artificial
Hyperreality
Intertextual references to the sims, etc.

Style - Simulacra, a simulation of reality - careers, phones etc.
Theoretical - intertexual references
Historical - still includes some grand narratives

Foucault - Panopticon - we are watching and controlling the avatars. 

Dubord - style over substance

Baudrillard - simulacra, hyper reality

Pre Reading - Sophie G

ImmersionImmersion into virtual reality is a perception of being physically present in a non-physical world. The perception is created by surrounding the user of the VR system in images, sound or otherstimuli that provide an engrossing total environment.

FlowWithin television programs, its how channels and networks hold their audiences.

Fluid IdentitiesIdentities are changed and are not set.

SimualcraSimulation, example being sims 4. 

Ironic Position
Involvement in a text. 
Detached Position
viewers watch to be part of something within a group. 

Sandbox gamesAn open world is a type of video game level design where a player can roam freely through a virtual world and is given considerable freedom in choosing how or when to approach objectives. The term free roam is also used, as is sandbox and free-roaming.

AvatarA virtual character that you can control through games. The person you can create on the sims, which you use as 'yourself'

Sims 4 is a simulated game within allows the gamer/controller to create their own avatar and life a realist life in game form. The avatar will be faced with takes the normal human with do on a day to day basic. For example, looking after themselves (Showering, Eating), getting a job. It also holds social elements too, so creating relationships/friendships and making sure they can last. The game doesn't hold much of a postmodern element, in example being you'd have to be married for the sims to have a child. But the rest being a post modern game.

It is a game which allows you to connect with other sims (Who are controlled by a computer) but it doesn't allow you to mix with other users of the game that are real. 

Other examples of games similar to Sims 4:

Minecraft 

IMVU 

Habbo 

Open world 

The above are example of games which allow you to determine the life of the avatar you have created. It allows you to control and freely move around the virtual world that has been created for the game. 

White Bear

Essay Plan - To what extent is WIR a post modern text?

Plan:

Jameson
Intertexuality
Bricolage
Nostalga
Hybridity
Parody
Pastiche

Lyotard
Grand Narrative

Baudrillard
Hyper reality - Simulacra - WIR Animated 

Foucault - Surveillance -Penoption

Dubord - Society of the Spectacle

Commodification - something becomes valued £ example valentines day  and charity 

In white bear justice is commodified

Black mirror looks at the theoretical approach  and is deliberate 

This is a text which deliberately feeds into post modernism. 

How does wreck it Ralph and black mirror compare. 

WIR - does it do it knowingly ? style yes, theoretical no, lyotard grand narrative yes religion nuclear family, historical yes and no  1982 tron to WIR 

BM - Charlie Brooker, understands post modern theory so deliberately puts these theory's in, yes stylistic hyper reality , simulation reality v artificial, historical no grand narratives individuals

Jameson you can't make anything real- cultural recycling white bear- the purge, saw, the Truman show, Big Brother, Jurassic park, west world 

15 Million merits intertexual reference- Britain's got talent, X factor, sims, wii characters, big brother, Facebook.

Both BM and WIR very stylistic 

WIR strongest intertextuality does not weaken the grand narratives however the barrier between reality and artificial had collapsed weakened 

BM strongest simulacra and hyper reality. Does weaken grand narratives, 

Black mirror is more post modern 

BM 3 WIR1 1/2

Black mirror is more post modern than Wreck it Ralph. Black mirror is post modern in terms of historical, theoretical and stylistic. Whereas Wreck it Ralph is only postmodern in stylistic terms and some historical terms. BM and WIR use Intertextuality references, such as Mario cart and halo for WIR and the Truman show and big brother for BM, simulacra snd hyper realty. But only BM follows theoretical theory of PM, because WIR is By Disney, and BM is made by Charlie Brooker because he understands the post modern theory. They both hold some historical theories, BM more because it weakens grand narratives, there is no morality or belief in family or religion. But WIR does not weaken these grand narrative because their is belief in God and the nuclear family. WIR is slightly post modern because of it relating to Tron which merged the wall between reality and artificial.

Black mirror wins!

WIR

• Structures are blurring/breaking, lack of belief and rejecting traditional ideas.
• Genres are merged together from the different games.
• Representation of gender, Felix is feminine Calhourn is masculine
• Grand Narrative - good beats evil (Disney) technically - but Ralph is bad to begin with
• Audience vs text - No its a film modern
• Jameson
• Lots of interetexuality - Heros Duty - Halo/COD and Sugar Rush - Mario cart
• Bricolge - lots of games come together to create original ideas
• Parody - Alcoholic meeting - counseling with all the evil characters
• Pastiche - to older games to reach parents and middle aged people 90's games
• Hybridity - in terms on the genres mixed together
• Lyotard
• Empty/meaningless - lack of belief - Religion - out of order sighn, high angle, god like power, nuclear family - Felix and Calhourn marry and patriotism Venvelope - princess - but not stereotypical one
• Style over substance - Retro games?
• Baudrillard
• Hypereality - cartoon, Calhourn has emotion - husband to be is killed by the bug machines

Simulcra - simulation of reality

• Hyper reality simulacra - Baudrillard - Jameson
• Disney so can not deliberately fedd post modernism into the texts
• Grand Narrative - morality, Nuclear family, religion and Marriage
• Intertexuality