Originally presented at the Institute for Ethics & Emerging Technologies' "Biopolitics of Popular Culture" seminar (December 2009)

1. LIFE: THE GAME
Jeannie Novak
Founder, Indiespace
Lead Author & Series Editor,
Game Development Essentials

2. GAME REVIEW
 accessible and widely
accepted to date
 believable characters
 lasting appeal
 challenge & variety
 unusual design features
 customization later
 NPCs as early guides
 “level treadmill”
 player economy
 career system

3. COMPONENTS OF PLAY
 engagement
 perceived control
 entertainment
 decision-making
 social interaction
 stealth education
 emotional attachment
 level of simulation

4. GAME ELEMENTS
 gameplay (form /
structure / mechanics)
 story (drama /
narrative)
 character
 interface

5. LIFE EXAMPLES

6. MY STRANGE ENCOUNTER

7. DOPPELBOT
 virtual agent
 “not so evil” twin
 software-based
 automatic
 immediate – linked to
your thoughts

8. LIFE MANAGEMENT TOOLS
 project management
 wikis
 discussions
 blogging
 networking
 strategizing
 searching
 organization
 email
 collaboration

9. AGE OF THE AMATEUR

10. THE TRANSPARENT SOCIETY IS HERE

11. WHO NEEDS PRIVACY ANYWAY?

12. TOTAL RECALL?

13. NOT QUITE . . .

14. DREAMTIME

15. VIRTUAL WORLDS

16. GAME-LIFE HYBRID

17. WILL WE USE – OR LOSE –
OUR ILLUSION?

18. GENRE: SOCIAL AS “SERIOUS”

19. MOBILE: “MY LIFE PLATFORM”?

20. AUGMENTED REALITY

21. FROM MOVIE TO SIMULACRA

22. THE GAME . . .

23. . . . HAS ALREADY BEGUN

24. SUGGESTED READING
 The Transparent Society (David Brin)
 Total Recall (Gordon Bell et al.)
 Life: The Movie (Neal Gabler)
 CivilWarLand in Bad Decline (George Saunders)
 Play as Life (http://playaslife.com)
 Real Life Gamespot Review
(http://tinyurl.com/gufy)
AFTERTHOUGHTS?
jeannie@indiespace.com