<html><head></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><div>I've been lurking on the list thinking about how to contribute and introduce myself. An opportunity has presented itself through a very recent graduate student project. While this particular project is disruptive in subject matter, the mention of it on this list is not meant to be a disruption to the terrific essays that have been threading nicely along the conference themes.</div><div><br></div><div>My MFA thesis student in the Parsons Design & Technology program, Zach Gage, has launched an "art game" which is stirring up substantial controversy online called "Lose/Lose." It outlandishly deletes your files as you win and deletes itself as you lose. Is it malware? No, because it clearly discloses the outcome of playing, rather than employing deception. What constitutes an "art game?" The student has only recently discovered Flux kits and other playable artworks.</div><div><br></div><div>Here are a few links that point to the project's site and some coverage:</div><div><a href="http://bit.ly/XHV6P">http://bit.ly/XHV6P</a></div><div><a href="http://bit.ly/SymG0">http://bit.ly/SymG0</a></div><div><a href="http://bit.ly/acbpc">http://bit.ly/acbpc</a></div><div><a href="http://bit.ly/WbauM">http://bit.ly/WbauM</a></div><div><a href="http://bit.ly/9D6XX">http://bit.ly/9D6XX</a></div><div><a href="http://bit.ly/sAIoa">http://bit.ly/sAIoa</a></div><br><div>Certainly, the project interrogates the notions of play, property, privacy and the problems of virtual/actual agency. Considering the topic of labor, the applicability of the project is more of a stretch, but something (albeit simplistic) is there. Indeed, the "work" of play here disrupts the habits of a regular game mechanic through reversal (i.e., to not play is to win; to reject the assignment of a weaponized player as the vocation of an alien killer). </div><div><br></div><div>Perhaps what's most interesting about this project, which is merely a design research experiment working towards formulating a greater body of work, is the collective labor of playing of the game and/or just responding to it. Zach remains surprised that anyone actually plays the game despite its clearly stated effect (it will delete your files and destroy your digital property). Yet, the high-score list is growing. In addition, it serves as a theoretical work because the designer's statement clearly states the rationale for its creation and release into the wild.</div><div><br></div><div>Maybe I am just curious if this experiment merits any scholarly consideration? What advice would you give this student if he was your MFA thesis candidate?</div><div><br></div><div>thank you.</div><div>Dave</div><br><div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; "><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; "><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; 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"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; "><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; 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"><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; "><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; "><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; text-indent: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-transform: none; orphans: 2; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; text-indent: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-transform: none; orphans: 2; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; text-indent: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; text-transform: none; orphans: 2; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; "><div><b><font class="Apple-style-span" size="1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 9px; ">David Carroll</span></font></b></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" size="1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 9px; ">Assistant Professor of Media Design</span></font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" size="1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 9px; ">School of Art, Media & Technology</span></font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" size="1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 9px; ">Parsons The New School for Design</span></font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" size="1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 9px; ">2 West 13 Street, Room L1106</span></font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" size="1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 9px; ">New York, NY 10011</span></font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" size="1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 9px; ">212 229 8908 x4092 office</span></font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" size="1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 9px; ">917 302 1296 mobile</span></font></div><div><font class="Apple-style-span" size="1"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 9px; "><a href="http://dave.parsons.edu">http://dave.parsons.edu</a></span></font></div></span></span></span></span></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span></div></span>
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