ANTIZINE vol. 6 / 2018

VOL. 6 2018

VOL.6 2018

ANTI – Contemporary Art Festival ANTI - Contemporar y Art Festival works

ANTI - Contemporar y Art Festival työs-

with innovative artists on projects that

kentelee innovatiivisten taiteilijoiden

explore and explode urban space. ANTI

kanssa projekteissa, jotka tutkivat ja

began life in 2002. Since then we’ve pro-

avartavat urbaania tilaa. Ensimmäinen

duced 16 editions of ANTI Festival and

ANTI järjestettiin vuonna 2002, ja siitä

established a year-round programme of

lähtien olemme tuottaneet 16 ANTI-fes-

artist residencies and cultural projects

tivaalia sekä taiteilijaresidenssejä,

and events. Held annually in Kuopio, Fin-

projekteja ja tapahtumia ympäri vuoden

land, the city hosts the festival, projects

Kuopiossa. Festivaali järjestetään kerran

by artists from around the world inhabit

vuodessa ja on yleisölle ilmainen. Ympäri

the spaces of public life – homes, shops,

maailmaa tulevien taiteilijoiden teokset

city squares, business, forests, lakes –

ottavat haltuunsa kaupungin julkisia ti-

and directly engage communities and

loja - koteja, kauppoja, toreja, yrityksiä,

audiences in the making and showing of

metsiä, jär viä. Yleisö ja erilaiset yhteisöt

their work. The festival is free to attend.

pääsevät arjen keskellä osaksi teoksia tekemään ja kokemaan niitä.

TOIMITUS / EDITORS Elisa Itkonen & Marleena Huuhka KUVAT / PHOTOS Screenshots from Creativerse (Playful Corp. 2017), Pekka Mäkinen (p.8–9) ULKOASU / LAYOUT Tomi Leppänen

info@antifestival.com | www.antifestival.com #antifestival #ANTIisagift #ANTIgame Postiosoite / Post address ANTI OFFICE | Nahkurinkatu 1 | 70600 Kuopio Finland 2

before 4–5 PREFACE E L I S A I T KO N E N

the

6–1 0 NOTES ON IM MERSION MARLEENA HUUHK A

game 3

E L I S A I T KO N E N

PREFACE

Now we inv

if it was me or the character breathing deep and strongly. My heart was beating, my body was tense, and I felt exhausted. After the playing session, I called to my co-editor, Marleena. I was both excited and overheated; the way I feel when I’ve taken part into something a bit stressful but endlessly interesting - I exit the excitement and crash the real world by fussing around. What happened to me?

I asked. Well, you did get immersed, said Marleena.

We wanted to find a way to not only talk about games but talk about games through a game.

Yet, ANTI Festival’s programme offers much more diverse perspectives to games, it was both the festival themes and the idea of co-creation that lead us as we decided to use a video game as a tool of text creation.

I WASN’T SURE

For each volume of ANTIZINE, we’ve been trying to find alternative views to ANTI Festival’s current programme; to talk about the artists and their works in a more casual way. We’ve offered space for the voices of our artists and audiences. Also, we’ve wanted to create discussion between audiences, the festival team and

As ANTI - Contemporary Art Festival 2018 is inspired by ideas of play, playfulness, games and gaming, this volume of ANTIZINE is responding to the same themes.

experiment on t 4

PREFACE

vite you to international artists and partners. This year, we wanted the zine to BE a discussion.

ous deaths and rebirths, I believe I finally got involved. And as the game developed – even being a social personality in the reality – in Creativerse, I found myself in isolation, satisfied with digging a cave all on my own.

We invited three artists, working towards ANTI 2018, to join us in the process. We also invited a presenter of International Game Developers Association Kuopio Hub. In the end, only two of the invited found their way to the ANTIZINE world of Creativerse, to play and discuss together online. I soon realised that the others had a very different starting point to playing from me. Personally, I’ve never engaged with video games. I’ve never taken the time for the possible commitment. However, after all the battles with night creatures, numer-

As my personal experience, the overall editing process of this year’s volume was based on an experiment. Also, we don’t know what to expect next – from you, the readers, for example. By the way, since the global language of video games is English, we decided to keep this magazine monolingual. Now, we invite you to experiment on the experiment.

BEFORE THE GAME

5

– THE GAME – AFTER THE GAME

the experiment

NOTES ON IMMERSION

IMMERSION is a contested concept, a territory of both wonder and concern. Immersion is a full body experience or it makes your body disappear; it allows you to feel more or it makes you numb; it connects with the world or it shuts you up in solitude.

6

MARLEENA HUUHK A

NOTES ON IMMERSION

creates a safe haven, another dimension, a place of both movement and stillness.

This text introduces some conceptions of immersion together with my own subjective experiences. I will concentrate on video games, but immersion has been used to describe other phenomena, such as intensive learning, as well.

One of the things that separates video games from other sorts of entertainment – or art for that matter – is the shortened distance between the player and 7

– THE GAME – AFTER THE GAME

In 2005, Frans Mäyrä and Laura Ermi introduced the SCI model to analyze immersion in the context of video games. The SCI model takes into account three different aspects of immersion: sensory, challenge-based and imaginative. Sensory refers to the audio-visual information, which can easily drown the information from the “real world”.

This sort of immersion is experienced for example when looking intensely at a moving screensaver. Challenge-based immersion is typical for games. According to Mäyrä and Ermi, it is experienced strongly as the player finds a satisfying balance be-

BEFORE THE GAME

tween the skills they possess and the difficulty and the challenges the game offers. In video games the skills usually include both motor and mental skills. This type of immersion is also present with other, engaging tasks. The third type of immersion in the model is imaginative. This refers to the storyline, characters and everything else that constructs the fictional world of the game.

The player enjoys, empathizes, and lives. This type of immersion can be experienced when reading a book, for example. Movies, on the other hand combine both sensory and imaginative types of immersion. This model tries to show the complexity of game play through player engagement. It is not exhaustive, and has been criticized since.

IMMERSION

NOTES ON IMMERSION

the game environment. The player often feels they are somehow deeply involved with this environment, something that researcher Gordon Calleja calls a sense of inhabiting the environment. Calleja has suggested replacing the immersion with incorporation. He argues that incorporation can more accurately describe the phenomenon of game play. Whereas the model introduced prior had three different areas of engagement, Calleja proposes six: kinesthetic, spatial, shared, narrative, affective and ludic involvement.

IMMERSIVE ART

The audience for 10 minutes and those ten full on craz in confine

Using immersion as a tactic or goal has increased in the performing and visual arts in recent years. Performances such as Blast Theory’s Operation Black Antler (2016) remove the role of the spectator and replace it with the role of a performer, of an active agent inside the fictional world. In this specific piece the spectator is an undercover agent infiltrating a potentially violent right-wing protest group.

8

NOTES ON IMMERSION

The spectator – or maybe player – has to make decisions, many of which are based on competing moral and ethical values. Another example is Joseph O’Farrell’s 10 Minute Dance Parties! which was seen at ANTI Festival 2017.

The piece, which was organized in collaboration with local teens, featured a freight container set up as a mini disco. The audience was let in for 10 minutes at a time, and those ten minutes were full on crazy partying in confined space. Art installations using virtual reality are also common these days: for example, ARS17 in Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma featured a virtual reality piece Alembic Cache Passes (Time-snark) by Rachel Rossin.

9

– THE GAME – AFTER THE GAME

Examples mentioned here all have a different approach to immersion. This varies from creating a new fictional world to transforming the world as something different. Immersive experiences are not always fun or pleasant at all, they can indeed be deeply disturbing, as in the case of Black Antler. In this way immersive art does share qualities with video games.

BEFORE THE GAME

e was let in es at a time, minutes were zy partying ed space.

w w w.antifestival.com/en/tapahtuma/joseph-ofarrell-au-10-minute-dance-parties w w w.blasttheory.co.uk/projects/operation-black-antler

As said earlier, virtual reality technology is used increasingly in art. Sometimes the medium does really become the message, as our awe of new interesting technology exceeds the need to create actual content. What value does virtual reality bring?

And more: what value does immersion bring? What does it produce in my body? For one, immersive art makes the experience more personal. Experience is of course always subjective, but immersion is different from typical art piece/ spectator divide.

CALLEJA , GORDON (2011) In-Game: From Immersion to Incorporation. MIT Press.

w w w.rossin.co

REFERENCES

10

ERMI, LAURA & MÄYRÄ, FRANS (2005) “Player-Centred Game Design: Experiences in Using Scenario Study to Inform Mobile Game Design” Game Studies 5:1, October 2005.

NOTES ON IMMERSION

11

N A M E C r e a t iv e r s e D AT E 0 8 0 5 2 0 1 8

the game Min. 00.00

THE GAME

start –––––––––– (global) Zane_Pip_Wolf: hello (global) I-H: hey! (global) Marmar: helloooo (system) Marmar was killed by a Miru! (system) hojo was killed by a Night Leafi! (system) Marmar’s death statue was claimed! (global) hojo: I just saw myself, I think (global) Marmar: :O there are two of you (system) Marmar defeated a Leafi! (global) hojo: No, it was you Zane! (global) I-H: I already went to one of the ice mountains and froze to death (system) I-H fell to their death! (global) hojo: I’m just so lost here (global) hojo: I will need your help in the night. (global) Marmar: The night is coming? (global) I-H: sure (system) I-H’s death statue was claimed! (global) hojo: w www (system) Marmar defeated a Pigsy! (global) Marmar: Do you have some kind of stick for a night? (global) hojo: Can you help me kill the pigs? (system) I-H was killed by a Night Pigsy! (system) I-H’s death statue was claimed!

12

THE GAME

(global) hojo: I keep dying (global) Marmar: where are you hojo (global) Marmar: do you need help? (system) Zane_Pip_Wolf defeated a Night Hoglet! (global) hojo: I’m stuck (system) Marmar was killed by a Night Pigsy! (system) Zane_Pip_Wolf was killed by a Night Pigsy! (global) I-H: there we go (system) Marmar’s death statue was claimed! (system) Zane_Pip_Wolf’s death statue was claimed! (global) hojo: How was your night? (global) Marmar: I died (global) Zane_Pip_Wolf: long and deadly (global) I-H: managed to get some pigs (global) I-H: has anyone played minecraft a lot? (global) Zane_Pip_Wolf: not really (global) hojo: I met with skeleton seafood (global) Marmar: I will build a wall

(global) I-H: maybe we should set up some kind of spot for a base (global) Marmar: yes

(global) hojo: I find it super difficult, even more when chatting :D (global) Marmar: that’s why you need a proper house

13

– THE GAME – AFTER THE GAME

(global) Marmar: and create a new teleport

BEFORE THE GAME

(global) I-H: ID

THE GAME

(global) I-H: yeah, you need to find a safe place to write (global) Marmar: Do you think this world is beautiful? (system) Marmar threw a Glob of Goo! (global) I-H: I like the snowy mountains (system) I-H crafted a Moss Torch (system) Zane_Pip-Wolf: Wow! (global) hojo: I’m afraid all the time, there might be beauty in it (global) Zane_Pip_Wolf: I ate some mushrooms (global) Marmar: Mushrooms are great :D (global) hojo: Can the pigs kill us in the daytime? (global) Marmar: no (global) I-H: if you attack first I think (system) Zane_Pip_Wolf crafted a Wood Wall (system) hojo was killed by a Rambeau! (global) hojo: I guess my panic has something to do with immersion? (system) Marmar defeated a Pigsy! (global) I-H: very much so I’d think (global) Marmar: Do you feel connected with the world? (global) I-H: you’re already invested in the game so much that you’re afraid for your life (global) Zane_Pip_Wolf: or is it the fear of the game mechanics? (global) hojo: Can be both (global) I-H: I’d say fear of the game mechanics is already part of being immersed in a game (system) hojo was killed by a Night Pigsy!

14

THE GAME

(global) Marmar: Yes, I think game mechanics are crucial in immersion, or immersion in game play at least (global) I-H: I’ve played so much minecraft and other games that I’m already immersed in a different way, since the mechanics are familiar and I’m more confident about survival and not too afraid of death (global) hojo: Are you immersed anyhow then? I mean now (global) I-H: I’d say the level is somewhat social, or maybe societal, since I’m building a house for us (global) Zane_Pip_Wolf: I’m getting more immersed as I am building a house (global) I-H: oh, there (system) hojo has left the world. (global) I-H: I guess I can move my stuff there (global) Marmar: I feel immersion in a deeper level is easier to achieve when actually doing something related to the world (global) Marmar: And I guess the actions make immersion in video games different from other forms of art (system) hojo has joined the world (global) I-H: yeah, you’re experiencing the thing instead of watching someone else experience something, like in the movies for example (system) Zane_Pip_Wolf crafted a Wood Wall

(global) hojo: Yet, you can act in contemporary art performances, as well

(global) hojo: I moved from theatre world (mostly watching) to performance art because I got bored in the audience (global) hojo: Just sitting there

15

– THE GAME – AFTER THE GAME

(global) Zane_Pip_Wolf: making is one of the core things in being, same true for virtual as well?

BEFORE THE GAME

(global) I-H: ah, we weren’t that far away

THE GAME

(global) Zane_Pip_Wolf: and now that I am invested in the world I am more afraid of the coming night? (global) I-H: depends on if you have something you value so much you’re afraid of losing it (global) hojo: sure (global) I-H: not sure if this game has them but in minecraft there are the creepers which explode and destroy the environment around them, so even if you don’t have anything in person there’s your buildings and other stuff you might lose if you get attacked by it (global) Marmar: I think the more you get used to the actions, the more you can feel it in your actual body (global) I-H: falling certainly does that (global) hojo: What do you mean by getting used to the actions? (global) Marmar: At first everything is meaningless, just pixels… (global) Marmar: I mean to the controls, the interface, the graphics. (global) Marmar: Oh shit (global) Marmar: I am building a monument to death, feel free to add your urns (system) Marmar threw a Glob of Goo! (system) Hojo was killed by a Night Leaf! system) Zane_Pip_Wolf crafted a Wood Sword (system) I-H defeated

a Night Hoglet!

(system) Hojo was killed by a Night Leaf! (global) I-H: my teleporter takes to a house (system) Hojo was killed by a Night Hoglet! (system) Zane_Pip_Wolf defeated a Pigsy! (system) Marmar was killed by a Night Pigsy!

16

THE GAME

(system) Marmar’s death statue was claimed! (system) Hojo was killed by a Night Leaf! (system) I-H was killed by a Miru! (system) Marmar defeated a Night Pigsy! (system) Hojo was killed by a Night Leaf! (global) Marmar: hojo, do you need help? (global) hojo: For sure (system) I-H’s death statue was claimed!

(global) Zane_Pip_Wolf: Oh, cool, I also placed a teleport to the roof of my house (global) Marmar: can you describe the place where you are? (system) I-H crafted a Moss Torch (global) hojo: I’m in a deep hole… I dig down cause they told me it’ll be more exciting down here (global) hojo: And it sure is (global) I-H: heh (global) Marmar: who told you so? (system) Hojo was killed by a Night Leaf!

(global) hojo: The system told me (global) Marmar: really?

(global) I-H: I guess in broad terms for the experience (global) Marmar: I don’t know if I want to be

17

– THE GAME – AFTER THE GAME

(global) hojo: I wonder why I went down there. Anyway, why we want to be immersed by games and art?

BEFORE THE GAME

(global) Marmar: the night is so intense

THE GAME

(global) Marmar: Sometimes it is not a choice (system) Zane_Pip_wolf defeated a Pigsy! (system) Hojo was killed by a Miru! (global) Marmar: For example now I know I should be concentrating on a discussion, but I am more intrigued by this statue I am building (global) Zane_Pip_Wolf: it is quite interesting how fast one gets accustomed to the world. I mean we only can use one hand, there’s a peculiar gravity here, we kill with woodstick and so on like its everyday life for us… (global) hojo: I (global) I-H: the exploring sure does take some concentration (global) hojo: found a treasure but Miru is guarding for it (system) Zane_Pip_Wolf was killed by a BossHog! (global) Marmar: Immersion has very little to do with realistic settings (global) Marmar: Or I mean the fictional is real here (global) I-H: these “minecraft-based” games are pretty good games to get immersed in since you start from a pretty blank slate and the content of the game is mostly created by yourself (system) I-H defeated a Leaf! (global) I-H: beeswax seems something useful, if you happen to find it by the way (global) hojo: There’s the commitment point again, I also think it’s important in arts. (system) Marmar claimed some land! (system) Zane_Pip_Wolf’s death statue was claimed! (global) Marmar: By the way, this is my land now (global) Marmar: I don’t know what it means (system) I-H has claimed some land!

18

THE GAME

(global) I-H: cool (global) hojo: You claimed some land, so I guess it’s not all yours? (global) Marmar: No, only one square (global) Marmar: but a big one (global) I-H: you can set settings for your area it seems (system) Zane_Pip_Wolf was killed by a Rambeau! (global) I-H: when you realize what you can do in the game, you can start planning what to do next and think of some kind of projects (system) Marmar was killed by a Rambeau! (system) I-H crafted a Coal Torch! (system) Marmar was killed by a Rambeau! (system) hojo defeated a Miru! (system) Marmar defeated a Rambeau! (system) Marmar’s death statue was claimed! (global) hojo: I’ve never got addicted to a game project but now it seems like I have: I went to kill Miru for the 4th time and finally succeeded! (global) I-H: hahah (global) I-H: first of many (global) Marmar: But it kind a gets to you

(system) Zane_Pip_Wolf crafted a Basic Health Potion (system) Zane_Pip_Wolf defeated a Pigsy!

19

– THE GAME – AFTER THE GAME

(global) I-H: but yeah, as soon as you learn the controls, and the interface becomes natural, you are not really playing the with mouse and keyboard anymore but rather exploring this virtual world

BEFORE THE GAME

(global) Marmar: or you take it personal

THE GAME

(global) I-H: to someone else, you are just sitting at the computer (global) I-H: for my friends on steam I am playing Creativerse (global) I-H: but for myself I am scouring the land for flowers so I can get a better mining tool (global) I-H: to dig faster to get building materials for my house (global) I-H: which is pretty far from just sitting at a computer (global) hojo: I know what you mean, in the past, I thought playing a video game is physically passive but it actually is not; I hit Miru so much that I’m not cold anymore (system) I-H crafted a Stone Mining Cell (global) Marmar: And the body engages so completely. You might move yes, or freeze completely. Artist whose name I have forgotten photographed kids immersed in video games and/or cinema, in front of a screen (global) Zane_Pip_Wolf: found some beeswax! I’m so excited :) (global) I-H: nice! (global) I-H: yeah, when you’re spatially immersed in car games you tend to lean to the direction you’re turning, at least you used to as a kid, right? (global) Marmar: And their faces were interesting, frozen, yet concentrate. I think immersion is like a trance sometimes (system) Zane_Pip_Wolf crafted a Wood Door (global) Marmar: After I saw those pictures, I started to observe myself after playing, and my face was also like that, in trance (global) hojo: I can imagine the pics, my eyes seem to blow off from my face while I’m playing (global) Marmar: Eyes blow off and your mouth relaxes. Sometimes they drool (system) Zane_Pip_wolf defeated a Leaf! (system) I-H crafted a Coal Torch (system) I-H defeated a Night Hoglet!

20

THE GAME

(system) Marmar defeated a Night Twiggy! (system) hojo was killed by a Miru! (system) hojo was killed by a Miru! (system) Zane_Pip_Wolf was killed by a Night Pigsy! (system) I-H was killed by a Night Twiggy! (system) Marmar was killed by a Night Pigsy! (system) hojo was killed by a Miru! (system) I-H’s death statue was claimed! (system) hojo was killed by a Night Pigsy! (system) Marmar was killed by a Night Pigsy! (global) I-H: ooh, bedrock (global) I-H: and obsidian

(global) Zane_Pip_Wolf: I got a bit bothered by the freemium model of this game, that unless you pay you do not get all the possibilities. (system) hojo was killed by a Miru! (global) I-H: you can find a hole with ladders from the house you get from my teleport

(global) Zane_Pip_Wolf: this got me thinkin that economy is perhaps the strongest connection to the “real” (system) hojo was killed by a Miru!

(global) Marmar: Is it also a way to make money? (system) Zane_Pip_Wolf’s death statue was claimed!

21

– THE GAME – AFTER THE GAME

(global) I-H: it can easily break immersion if you’re prompted for real world money

BEFORE THE GAME

(global) I-H: yeah, it’s not luckily as intrusive as it could be

THE GAME

(global) hojo: Real world money easily kills all the positive (global) hojo: If immersion is a positive thing? (global) Marmar: I mean for a company to make a free game, get people immersed and then demand money (global) Marmar: And you have to give it, cause you are already inside the world (global) Zane_Pip_Wolf: I get that developers should naturally be paid, but I think the freemium model breaks the immersion (global) Zane_Pip_Wolf: or should be paid in the current economy? (global) I-H: well, you don’t have to but it’s a very strong incentive since you’ve already built upon the world (global) Marmar: But I guess it is the only way now, as there are so many similar games and you have to get the customers somehow (system) Zane_Pip_Wolf defeated a Pigsy! (system) Zane_Pip_Wolf was killed by a ShrewdShrew! (global) Marmar: And as a player you usually pay in some form.

For example I am addicted to a fashion design game, and in order to get more money I fill out these surveys and give away my information willingly (global) I-H: I doubt game development will be free. Same thing could probably be argued that artists should be employed the same way as game developers are or vice versa (global) Marmar: just to buy a virtual dress :D (global) Zane_Pip_Wolf: :9 (global) Zane_Pip_Wolf: :) (global) I-H: sounds like you’re invested and immersed enough so that the dress is worth that :) (system) I-H crafted an Extractor

22

THE GAME

(global) hojo: Some artists also create video games, btw, but I often find the engagement much less intensive than in this game, for example (system) Zane_Pip_Wolf’s death statue was claimed! (global) hojo: Or I guess some game developers consider themselves as artists (global) I-H: oh yeah, there are indie developers who do it for the creative expression (global) I-H: development is usually very intensive and takes a lot of time though (system) Zane_Pip_Wolf’s death statue was claimed! (global) Marmar: Is immersion necessary for art? (global) hojo: I can imagine, maybe that’s why works that you see in contemporary art museums, which are both VR games and artworks, are not creating any immersion to me at least (system) Marmar’s death statue was claimed! (global) hojo: I mean since they are not developed till some sort of end (global) I-H: I’d say it depends on the context and how complex message the artist wants to express (global) Marmar: I think in these kind of artworks the problem is that their content is the medium. (global) Marmar: And immersion needs something more

system) I-H crafted a Forge (system) Zane_Pip_Wolf crafted a Leather Breastplate

(global) Marmar: Well could you call this, what you are doing here, inhabiting the space?

23

– THE GAME – AFTER THE GAME

(global) hojo: These kind of artworks often rely on visual/ aesthetics only… I don’t find this game very interesting visually but still it keeps me stay here - where as the artworks, I referred to, often make me walk away pretty fast

BEFORE THE GAME

(system) Zane_Pip_Wolf defeated a Golden Keepa!

THE GAME

(global) Zane_Pip_Wolf: I think somewhere between inhabiting and observing, it’s a bit strange feeling, a bit lost in space :) (global) I-H: I guess the advantage of this game is the easiness of interfacing with the game world, you move with WASD and use mouse to look around and click to interact so your mind can concentrate on observing the world instead of the controls (global) Zane_Pip_Wolf; But I just obsidian sword and I am so powerful now! (global) I-H: progress! (system) Zane_Pip_Wolf defeated a Pigsy! (system) hojo was killed by a Night Hoglet! (global) I-H: if you want to come explore the depths, there’s a ladder in my little house that you can teleport into the T menu (global) Marmar: I have to finish my honey roof first (global) I-H: nice! (global) Marmar: thanks :D (system) Zane_Pip_Wolf defeated a Night Rockster! (global) hojo: Not too many people killed tonight (global) I-H: I’ve been mostly in my hole (system) I-H defeated a Night Twiggy! (system) hojo was killed by a Night Rockster! (system) hojo defeated a Leaf!

24

THE GAME

(global) Marmar: I lose track of time constantly (system) hojo was killed by a Night Hoglet! (global) I-H: it’s about 13 yeah (global) I-H: I at least need to move on soon (global) Marmar: I have no idea for how long I was building (system) Marmar was killed by a Night Pigsy! (global) Zane_Pip_Wolf: Yeah, time went fast (global) Zane_Pip_Wolf: I have to be going soon also (global) Zane_Pip_Wolf: nice playing with you all (global) I-H: thank you, likewise (system) hojo was killed by a Night Pigsy! (global) Marmar: yes, it was fun! (global) Zane_Pip_Wolf: Bye (system) Zane_Pip_Wolf has left the world. (system) Marmar’s death statue was claimed! (system) Marmar defeated a Night Pigsy! (system) hojo was killed by a Night Hoglet! (global) I-H: I think I’ll quit here as well, thanks for the session!

(global) Marmar: bye! Thank you! (global) I-H: right, bye!

–––––––––– stop

25

– THE GAME – AFTER THE GAME

(system) I-H has left the world.

BEFORE THE GAME

(system) Marmar was killed by a Night Hoglet!

Min. 01.59.59

26

af ter 28–29 REFLECTIONS AFTER THE GA ME T O M I D U F VA & T E E M U KO K KO N E N

the

3 0 –31 THE PLAYERS

32–34 REFLECTIONS ON IM MERSION MARLEENA HUUHK A

game 27

Tomi Dufva alias Zane_Pip_Wolf Tomi Dufva alias Zane_Pip_Wolf

REFLECTIONS AFTER THE GAME

Tomi Dufva alias Zane_Pip_Wolf Tomi Dufva alias Zane_Pip_Wolf Tomi Dufva alias Zane_Pip_Wolf

“

The experience of playing the online game Creativerse and chatTomi Dufva alias Zane_Pip_Wolf ting at the same time was intriguing. First fifteen minutes for Tomi Dufva alias Zane_Pip_Wolf me was spent on learning the game and getting over some technical glitches in the game. After that, the game sucked one in with the posTomi Dufva alias Zane_Pip_Wolf sibility of exploring and crafting things.

Tomi Dufva alias Zane_Pip_Wolf Tomi Dufva alias Zane_Pip_Wolf

I

Tomi Dufva alias Zane_Pip_Wolf n the beginning, we, players, could not create anything in the world, we were more holograms than actual beings. That exTomi Dufva alias Zane_Pip_Wolf Tomi Dufva alias Tomi Dufva alias Tomi Dufva alias Tomi Dufva alias Tomi Dufva alias Tomi Dufva alias

perience, afterward though, was quite valuable: First, it joined us, Zane_Pip_Wolf players, together, we were together in the unknown, under someone Zane_Pip_Wolf else’s power. Also, it showed how significant creation is for a game to Zane_Pip_Wolf create immersion: just seeing things is not that interesting, or, it does Zane_Pip_Wolf not grab you into the game that well. This is a little bit same as it is in most VR right now, being a hologram, a tourist in a world without the Zane_Pip_Wolf possibilities to do anything loses its importance quite fast.

Zane_Pip_Wolf

Tomi Dufva alias Zane_Pip_Wolf

A

fter we got rights to create in the world, the game quite quickly immersed me in. I was collecting food to eat (because now, I Zane_Pip_Wolf could die). Started building a house to ward off nasty night animals, Zane_Pip_Wolf started exploring the word. After a while, I managed to create weapons and light that gave me the possibility to explore caves and fight Zane_Pip_Wolf monsters. That becomes a thrilling experience. Likewise, the ability to Zane_Pip_Wolf build something became meaningful, and I think the fact that others Zane_Pip_Wolf were playing with me made that even more critical, I could tribute to Zane_Pip_Wolf my tribe, or show off my skills. These immersive qualities made the Zane_Pip_Wolf game for me, the game formed into a new world, where I could exist Zane_Pip_Wolf in some meaningful way.

Tomi Dufva alias Zane_Pip_Wolf Tomi Dufva alias Tomi Dufva alias Tomi Dufva alias Tomi Dufva alias Tomi Dufva alias Tomi Dufva alias Tomi Dufva alias Tomi Dufva alias

Tomi Dufva alias Zane_Pip_Wolf

L

ater on, I showed the game to my spouse and 8-year old son, Tomi Dufva alias Zane_Pip_Wolf

and we created our world, with the house and everything. We continue playing it. My son has been very into Minecraft but liked Tomi Dufva alias Zane_Pip_Wolf this one even more.”

Tomi Dufva alias Zane_Pip_Wolf Tomi Dufva alias Zane_Pip_Wolf Tomi Dufva alias Zane_Pip_Wolf

The game formed into a new world, where I Zane_Pip_Wolf Zane_Pip_Wolf could exist in some Zane_Pip_Wolf meaningful way.

Zane_Pip_Wolf

Tomi Dufva alias Zane_Pip_Wolf Tomi Dufva alias Zane_Pip_Wolf Tomi Dufva alias Tomi Dufva alias Tomi Dufva alias Tomi Dufva alias

Tomi Dufva alias Zane_Pip_Wolf Tomi Dufva alias Zane_Pip_Wolf Tomi Dufva alias Zane_Pip_Wolf Tomi Dufva alias Zane_Pip_Wolf

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Teemu Kokkonen alias H-I Teemu Kokkonen alias H-I Teemu Kokkonen alias H-I

REFLECTIONS AFTER THE GAME

Teemu Kokkonen alias H-I Teemu Kokkonen alias H-I

“

Teemu Kokkonen alias H-I Creativerse was an easy game to get used to for me, since Teemu Kokkonen alias H-I I have hundreds of hours played in Minecraft, which is very

similar to Creativerse. The controls were mostly the same with minor differences, and the user interface was somewhat easy to Teemu Kokkonen alias H-I learn even if it took a moment to get used to at first.

Teemu Kokkonen alias H-I Teemu Kokkonen alias H-I

A

Teemu Kokkonen alias H-I Teemu Kokkonen alias Teemu Kokkonen alias Teemu Kokkonen alias Teemu Kokkonen alias Teemu Kokkonen alias Teemu Kokkonen alias

s we started our gameplay session, it became clear that we’re operating on varying levels of experience in games.

H-I This relates to each of our immersion in the game, as those with H-I less experience in playing games like this were getting used to H-I the controls and mechanics and immersing themselves spatially H-I to the world whereas us who were more fluent in the mechanics H-I got into it and could concentrate on deeper levels of gameplay immersion.

H-I

Teemu Kokkonen alias H-I

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rom the short two-hour session we had, one could identify a few different types of engagement: the above mentioned H-I spatial “reconfiguration” to get yourself moving and interacting H-I with objects and enemies in the game world. After this “phase”, H-I the next layer of interaction could be said to be the building phase, where the player starts constructing things in the world.

H-I First simple things, and then as you learn and get more comfortH-I able with the mechanics and resources, more and more coherent H-I buildings and structures are created. After the player manages H-I to build a sort of a base of operations for themselves, they may H-I get interested in more efficient tools and items. This next level of H-I immersion involves explicitly planning to get certain items and seeking them out in the world. It may also mean that the player H-I plans for expansions to their base, depending on what kind of H-I space they know they are going to need.

Teemu Kokkonen alias H-I Teemu Kokkonen alias Teemu Kokkonen alias Teemu Kokkonen alias Teemu Kokkonen alias Teemu Kokkonen alias Teemu Kokkonen alias Teemu Kokkonen alias Teemu Kokkonen alias Teemu Kokkonen alias Teemu Kokkonen alias Teemu Kokkonen alias

Teemu Kokkonen alias H-I

Teemu Kokkonen alias Teemu Kokkonen alias Teemu Kokkonen alias Teemu Kokkonen alias Teemu Kokkonen alias Teemu Kokkonen alias Teemu Kokkonen alias Teemu Kokkonen alias Teemu Kokkonen alias

Teemu Kokkonen alias H-I Teemu Kokkonen alias H-I

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– THE GAME – AFTER THE GAME

he final layer in this session and according to my observations is the social level of immersion. When you are faH-I miliar with the processes and resources, you start planning the gameplay as a team or community instead of just building your H-I own little base. This involves positioning the player’s base near H-I others and possibly even sharing one with fellow players. A playH-I er immersed in the game and the game world this way thinks the H-I gameplay as a team effort and may call out items they might H-I need for upgrades or certain instruments if they know someone H-I is exploring the world. Ideally players like this help other players as they know it also advances their gameplay, but also expect to H-I be helped in certain ways.”

H-I

Teemu Kokkonen alias H-I

BEFORE THE GAME

T

Teemu Kokkonen alias H-I

THE PLAYERS

Tomi Dufva alias Zane_Pip_Wolf Tomi Dufva has a doctorate in arts from Aalto University School of Arts, Design, and Architecture.

He is an art educator and a visual artist working primarily with the intersection of new and traditional media as well as crossing borders between art and technology. He has taught new media, interactive art and creative program ming from primary schools to universities. He is the co-founder of art & craft school Robotti, which combines science and art education. Dufva’s dissertation handles creative coding as a practice in art education. The research revolves around the topics of code literacy, media literacy, critical pedagogy, issues in AI research, machine learning and postdigital art.

Teemu Kokkonen alias H-I Teemu Kokkonen is a game developer representing the IGDA Kuopio com munity. He is a former game development teacher originating from Kouvola. Games are his hobby and escape, with several hundred hours of experience in varying genres and games including Path of Exile, Dark Souls and Civilization. In addition to just playing games, he has also streamed playing them ever since 2009.

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THE PLAYERS

Marleena Huuhka alias Marmar Marleena Huuhka, MA, is currently working as doctoral researcher in the Centre for Practice as Research in Theatre (T7) in the University of Tampere. Her PhD thesis examines video games as places of performative resistance, and searches for new counterplay practices.

Elisa Itkonen alias hojo

– THE GAME – AFTER THE GAME

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BEFORE THE GAME

Elisa Itkonen is a curator and producer in contemporary arts.

She has an MA in Theatre and Drama research from the University of Tampere. Since 2014, she has been concentrating on site-specific contemporary art, performance art and urban art, creating curatorial concepts, producing events and working in close relationship with multidisciplinary contemporary artists. Since 2015, she has been working as the Festival Manager of ANTI – Contemporary Art Festival.

MARLEENA HUUHK A

REFLECTIONS ON IMMERSION

Silence is discussion was conveyed using a video game as a tool of communication. Or rather the chat of a video game, the game itself acted as both a distraction and an inspiration, at least from a player’s point of view. We chose Creativerse, as it featured a free version and it was available on both PC and MAC. Creativerse is an open world building and exploration game, much like its predecessor – and I would guess inspiration – Minecraft. The aim is to build your own world, and share it with others online.

THIS EXPERIMENTAL

The idea was to experiment on the limits of immersion, on whether or not it is possible or sensible to have theoretical discussion while doing something that requires a lot of attention and energy. To reflect the topic more thoroughly we chose to keep the topic and the action related: we chose to discuss immersion.

During the game play/conversation I noticed two interesting points. First, the time and timing had a completely different significance while playing.

The reader might not see this from the transcript, but the actual play time was two hours. We were trying to keep the conversation going on a pace

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REFLECTIONS ON IMMERSION

– THE GAME – AFTER THE GAME

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BEFORE THE GAME

Secondly, the conversation faded and changed fast. As the chat was filled with different notifications, the actual topic was pushed away from the chat window. The discussion on immersion was present, but often overlapped and shadowed by immediate actions or light chatter about the affairs of the game world. A lot of openings were made that never received any answers, or they were answered 10 to 15 minutes later. I would argue that the linguistic dimension was the least important one. Deeper desires and urges directed us, and we had to force ourselves to concentrate.

the key here

natural for a live discussion or even a chat interview, but we failed. There were long moments of nothing – or like that it would seem, if we were only focused on the chat. All of us were involved with our own project: the actual discussion was well below digging and fighting on our priority list. The rhythm of the game world affected us: the dreadful night filled with monsters silenced us all.

Or rather the chat was silenced, individual experiences were filled with struggles for life. We died repeatedly, and these defeats were documented in the transcript. So even when we were silent, our actions were documented to some extent.

The conversation is not perhaps the most extensive or deep, but it clearly demonstrates the effects of immersion. Silence is the key here: surrendering to immersion is to surrender the control over other things, in this case the discussion. There are moments when we battle the urge to really inhabit the world, and moments when we pull ourselves together and discuss.

Whether or not we were able to get to the core of the topic is left to the reader to decide. The QR code will lead to a video where the discussion can be followed in real time. That video is of course the experience of a single player, three other worlds are left for the observers’ imagination.

If the reader finds themselves intrigued by Creativerse, we invite them to join our world. The game is accessible for free through Steam gaming community. Once the game has been downloaded, search for a world called ANTIZINE. The password is antizine. All the things we talked about are still there, maybe someday also our avatars will be there again.

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ANTI - Contemporary Art Festival 2018 M A I N Â PA R T N E R S

Action Hero UK OH EUROPA Tania El Khoury LB THE SEARCH FOR POWER Tania El Khoury LB AS FAR AS MY FINGERTIPS TAKE ME Signe Becker NO, Rosalind Goldberg SE & Ingvild Langgård NO STILL LIFE

PROGRAMME

Madeleine Flynn & Tim Humphrey AU PIVOT

Meetlab HU TRON Anna Maria Häkkinen, Lotta Suomi & Emil Uuttu FI WRESTLING CLUB Richard DeDominici UK THE SWIVELYMPICS Theatre of Research DE PLAYING UP Sanna From & Riina Hannuksela FI I LOVE ME LUNCH PLAY ANTI FESTIVAL INTERNATIONAL PRIZE FOR LIVE ART FUTURE DIVERCITIES LAB + MORE!

FREE TO ATTEND!