Aaron Delwiche | Trinity University, Texas (original) (raw)

Papers by Aaron Delwiche

This article proposes a simple conceptual framework that can be used to promote critical consumpt... more This article proposes a simple conceptual framework that can be used to promote critical consumption and production of video game content. After establishing the basic case for video game literacy, it sketches the broad outlines of an interpretive framework for understanding the medium. Because exposure to media production is a crucial component of media literacy, the article closes with a consideration of ways that cheat codes, level editors, and other modding tools can empower students to design their own game experiences.

Edited by Aaron Delwiche, and authored by nearly two dozen students at Trinity University, the an... more Edited by Aaron Delwiche, and authored by nearly two dozen students at Trinity University, the anthology Reality Hackers: The Next Wave of Media Revolutionaries asks a number of important questions about emerging technologies. Should citizens have the right to be truly anonymous on-line? Should we be concerned about the fact that so many people are choosing to migrate to virtual worlds? Are injectable microscopic radio-frequency ID chips a blessing or a curse? Is the use of cognitive enhancing nootropics a human right or an unforgivable transgression? Should genomic data about human beings be hidden away with commercial patents or open-sourced like software? Should hobbyists known as "biohackers" be allowed to experiment with genetic engineering in their home laboratories?

Special seminar guests included Annalee Newitz, Richard Bartle, Ekaterina Sedia, Steven Shaviro, and R.U. Sirius. Linked to a seminar series of the same name, the course was made possible with a generous grant from the Martha, David, and Bagby Lennox Foundation. This book includes student writings, stories and articles written by our guest speakers, creative projects (e.g., stories, photographs, performance art, documentaries, and machinima animations) and a treasure trove of related works from the creative commons.

This paper argues that video-games have the potential to shape attitudes and behavior in ways tha... more This paper argues that video-games have the potential to
shape attitudes and behavior in ways that Goebbels could never have dreamed. After addressing common misconceptions about the term propaganda, I identify
four traits of video games that might function as mechanisms for influencing attitudes. These characteristics- the four I's- are immersion, intense engagement, identification, and interactivity. The most successful propaganda games are likely to exploit all four of these dimensions. It is time for game designers and scholars to acknowledge the ethical responsibilities that accompany this powerful medium.

To learn more about the motivations of individuals who scan and distribute comic books, this stud... more To learn more about the motivations of individuals who scan and distribute comic books, this study reports findings from a content analysis of 389 scanner tags extracted from comic books posted on the torrent network Pirate Bay. Coded according to four categories linked to the literature on comic fandom and participatory culture, tags were analyzed in terms of recognition, aesthetic style, textual signifiers, and visual signifiers. Though comic book pirates seek recognition from their peers, they are primarily concerned with focusing attention on their favorite fandoms. This study challenges the view that digital piracy should necessarily be interpreted as a form of cultural resistance. The phenomenon of comic book scanning makes more sense when understood as a manifestation of fan behavior. Comic book pirates are more fans than revolutionaries.

This article proposes a simple conceptual framework that can be used to promote critical consumpt... more This article proposes a simple conceptual framework that can be used to promote critical consumption and production of video game content. After establishing the basic case for video game literacy, it sketches the broad outlines of an interpretive framework for understanding the medium. Because exposure to media production is a crucial component of media literacy, the article closes with a consideration of ways that cheat codes, level editors, and other modding tools can empower students to design their own game experiences.

Edited by Aaron Delwiche, and authored by nearly two dozen students at Trinity University, the an... more Edited by Aaron Delwiche, and authored by nearly two dozen students at Trinity University, the anthology Reality Hackers: The Next Wave of Media Revolutionaries asks a number of important questions about emerging technologies. Should citizens have the right to be truly anonymous on-line? Should we be concerned about the fact that so many people are choosing to migrate to virtual worlds? Are injectable microscopic radio-frequency ID chips a blessing or a curse? Is the use of cognitive enhancing nootropics a human right or an unforgivable transgression? Should genomic data about human beings be hidden away with commercial patents or open-sourced like software? Should hobbyists known as "biohackers" be allowed to experiment with genetic engineering in their home laboratories?

Special seminar guests included Annalee Newitz, Richard Bartle, Ekaterina Sedia, Steven Shaviro, and R.U. Sirius. Linked to a seminar series of the same name, the course was made possible with a generous grant from the Martha, David, and Bagby Lennox Foundation. This book includes student writings, stories and articles written by our guest speakers, creative projects (e.g., stories, photographs, performance art, documentaries, and machinima animations) and a treasure trove of related works from the creative commons.

This paper argues that video-games have the potential to shape attitudes and behavior in ways tha... more This paper argues that video-games have the potential to
shape attitudes and behavior in ways that Goebbels could never have dreamed. After addressing common misconceptions about the term propaganda, I identify
four traits of video games that might function as mechanisms for influencing attitudes. These characteristics- the four I's- are immersion, intense engagement, identification, and interactivity. The most successful propaganda games are likely to exploit all four of these dimensions. It is time for game designers and scholars to acknowledge the ethical responsibilities that accompany this powerful medium.

To learn more about the motivations of individuals who scan and distribute comic books, this stud... more To learn more about the motivations of individuals who scan and distribute comic books, this study reports findings from a content analysis of 389 scanner tags extracted from comic books posted on the torrent network Pirate Bay. Coded according to four categories linked to the literature on comic fandom and participatory culture, tags were analyzed in terms of recognition, aesthetic style, textual signifiers, and visual signifiers. Though comic book pirates seek recognition from their peers, they are primarily concerned with focusing attention on their favorite fandoms. This study challenges the view that digital piracy should necessarily be interpreted as a form of cultural resistance. The phenomenon of comic book scanning makes more sense when understood as a manifestation of fan behavior. Comic book pirates are more fans than revolutionaries.