YOUR SECOND LIFE ?
This article examines the performativity of intellectual property in digital gaming environments, with a focus on Massively Multi-Player On Line Games (MMOGs). The analysis centers on the creation and management of goodwill, an intangible asset of considerable value to corporations based on affectiv...
| Published in: | Cultural Studies Vol. 20; no. 2/3; pp. 184 - 211 |
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| Main Authors: | , , |
| Format: | Article |
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Taylor & Francis Ltd
Mar/May2006
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | View this record in EBSCOhost |
| fields | @attributes: recordID: 1 pdfLink: plink: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=hlh&AN=20213137&site=ehost-live header: @attributes: shortDbName: hlh uiTerm: 20213137 longDbName: Humanities International Complete uiTag: AN controlInfo: bkinfo: jinfo: jid: 09502386 05G jtl: Cultural Studies issn: 09502386 maglogo: N pubinfo: dt: Mar/May2006 vid: 20 iid: 2/3 pid: 377 pub: Taylor & Francis Ltd artinfo: ui: 20213137 10.1080/09502380500495684 ppf: 184 ppct: 27 formats: fmt: – @attributes: type: T – @attributes: type: P size: 155KB tig: atl: YOUR SECOND LIFE ? aug: au: Herman, Andrew Coombe, Rosemary J. Kaye, Lewis su: Intellectual property Massively multiplayer online role-playing games Games Video games Linden Lab (Company) sug: subj: Intellectual property Massively multiplayer online role-playing games Games Video games Linden Lab (Company) keyword: consumption digital games goodwill intellectual property performativity ab: This article examines the performativity of intellectual property in digital gaming environments, with a focus on Massively Multi-Player On Line Games (MMOGs). The analysis centers on the creation and management of goodwill, an intangible asset of considerable value to corporations based on affective bonds between consumers, corporations, and their commodities in the marketplace. Most critical analyses of intellectual property consider neither the centrality of goodwill to corporate management of their intellectual properties in digital environments, nor the significance of the legal conditions that structure activity in such contexts. We develop a theoretical framework based on cultures of circulation involving network sociality, circuits of interactivity and the extensibility of the computer/user interface. This enables us to better understand shifting relations of power and reciprocity between corporations and consumers in digital gaming contexts, where the division between player-consumption and player-production is increasingly blurred. Technological capacities for consumers to become producers of gaming content changes the terrain upon which conflicts between corporations and consumers about intellectual property are negotiated and enhances the value of goodwill. An examination of Linden Lab's Second Life – one of the fastest growing MMOGs and the first to affirm players’ intellectual property rights in their digital creations – provides an illustration of both the limits and possibilities afforded by goodwill as a form of emerging governance in game worlds. pubtype: Academic Journal doctype: Article src: R language: English refInfo: copyright: @attributes: flag: Y custom: Copyright of Cultural Studies is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. item: Cultural Studies holder: Taylor & Francis Ltd dt: @attributes: year: 2006 holdings: @attributes: islocal: N |
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