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The Playground and the Stage (Ep. 5)
Gamecraft1 February 2023·1 hours 11 minutes
Mitch and Blake propose a framework for understanding user-generated content in games based on two central metaphors -- the playground and the stage -- representing the two ways users "create" content in games through play and performance. They discuss the rise of sandbox games, The Sims, GTA3, Runescape, Second Life, EVE Online, and Minecraft. Mitch explains the evolution of games as performance spaces, beginning with early machinima and progressing to YouTube videos and Twitch streaming. They conclude with a brief look at Roblox and Discord as two "third places" that people hang out online, and the influence of games on the future of social networks.
Links & Show Notes:
GTA 3 (The Ringer retrospective)
Second Life and lessons for the metaverse