Metaphors

Central my new thesis idea is the metaphor between the Net/WWW and the real physical world. This is to conceptualize the new gaming possibilities that I am in envisioning. This is where I outline most of those metaphors.

1. Internet (series of connected servers) --> analogous to a limitless, flat and empty earth waiting to be populated with things and people.

2. World Wide Web (series of documents link over the Internet) --> each page (or domain on larger scales) is analogous to contained spaces such as houses, playgrounds, sports fields, or any other type of structure or space that can be inhabited and interacted within on that flat empty earth described above.

3. Web artifacts/content (anything from text, pictures, empty fields, buttons, tables, etc. anything within a web page) --> analogous to artifacts or items within each contained space that we as players can potentially interact with when playing a game.

4. Person browsing the WWW (self-explanatory) --> analogous to a player inhabiting the game space described above. Without the extension described below the player is just a passive player not yet able to interact with anything or anyone within the rules of the game.

5. Web browser (self-explanatory) --> analogous to the eyes of the player within the game space. It allows the player to see what there is in the space to interact with from next to nothing all the way to thousands of different artifacts and items.

6. Web addresses (the name of different web sites that allow you to navigate to it and remember where it is so you can come back later) --> analogous to real life addresses that we use to categorize spaces so we can remember where exactly they are when we want to come back to them. Essential in moving between different game spaces.

7. Extension (the overlaying tool connected to the browser that allows the games to be played) --> analogous for the "brain" of the player. It allows the player to know the rules and have skill sets for interacting with each space in the world. Without this the player is just a passive viewer using the browser with no way to interact based on the thesis idea.

And that's all I got. Stay tuned!