Embodied and Material Play

Technology is without a doubt merging with the human organism when inserting devices like pacemakers or hearing aids into the body - the foreign technological object actively contribute to the bodily functions and are therefore socially accepted almost as a "natural" part of the body. Turning to body mod upgrades like incorporating screens, chips or magnets into limbs are typically not understood by the majority but praised within technological advancing groups. These seemingly random and radical body modifications may prove to be an important experimental step towards a technological leap within medical care and our physical interaction with software.

When a routined gamer is playing a MMO game, his or hers focus is often fixed far within the virtual world and controlling the game turns to pure bodily reflexes target at activities happening on screen. One may say that hand /mouse /keyboard becomes connecting cords between the mental consciousness of the player and the virtual body of the in-game character. As the player experiences no gap between the physical- and the virtual world, the melt between physical body and technological circuit may be considered complete. However this example is very dependent on the gamers perception of this fluid connection between self and the game. As less experienced gamers often struggle with functionality and directing view perspective while moving, game experience turns fragmented, attention is directed to hand/ mouse/ keyboard and activities within the game distanced from self with the growing conscious of the presence of technology.

On the other hand when playing Wii or Connect skills within the game are not influential on perception of bodily interaction with technology. In short movement of the physical body is controlling the game and in doing so emphasizes our bodily consciousness and pulls some of the game experience back into the physical offline world.

The discussing of the merge between human and game controllers, led my thoughts to the movie "Gamer" that tells us, set as a drama of ethics, the story about how advancement of games and controller technology challenges the basic virtues of human nature, as we are able to control real people within physical gaming worlds. A classic image of how we humans fear the progress of the unknow technological leap ahead.

Readings:

Dovey & Kennedy, "Bodies and Machines"

Simon, "Geek Chic"

Kirkpatrick, "Controller, Hand, Screen"