http://portfolio.idaimages.com Ida C. Benedetto - Portfolio Wed, 25 Jan 2012 14:10:56 +0000 http://portfolio.idaimages.com en http://portfolio.idaimages.com/Space-Cruiser-Trailer http://portfolio.idaimages.com/following/portfolio.idaimages.com/Space-Cruiser-Trailer Wed, 25 Jan 2012 14:10:56 +0000 Ida C. Benedetto - Portfolio 2674613 Ivan Safrin and Babycastles unveil the first ever co-operative SPACE GAME made for the Hayden Planetarium Dome of the Museum of Natural History. I produced this video from footage of playtests days before the live event on January 26th, 2012. The video recieved 40,000 hits in 48 hours between Vimeo and Youtube. It was posted on Engadget, Kotaku, Impose Magazine, Forbes, Motherboard.tv, CNET, and WNYC. Videography & Editing: Ida C. Benedetto Graphics: Colin Snyder Music: Greg Fox http://portfolio.idaimages.com/1770-Tchoupitoulas-New-Orleans http://portfolio.idaimages.com/following/portfolio.idaimages.com/1770-Tchoupitoulas-New-Orleans Sat, 14 Jan 2012 05:10:34 +0000 Ida C. Benedetto - Portfolio 70200 The 2008 JPMorgan Chase Community Development Competition held in New Orleans challenged schools across the United States to partner with a New Orleans community organization and propose development projects. <img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/0/958/70200/picture-16_1.png" border="0" width="640" height="509" width_o="642" height_o="511" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/0/958/70200/picture-16_1_o.png" align="left" /> <img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/0/958/70200/Picture 5_1_640.png" border="0" width="640" height="498" width_o="775" height_o="604" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/0/958/70200/Picture 5_1_o.png" align="left" /> <img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/0/958/70200/Picture 4_640.png" border="0" width="640" height="373" width_o="778" height_o="454" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/0/958/70200/Picture 4_o.png" align="left" /> <img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/0/958/70200/Picture 3_640.png" border="0" width="640" height="381" width_o="805" height_o="480" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/0/958/70200/Picture 3_o.png" align="left" /> The New School brought together a team of Parsons design students and Milano policy students to develop a competitive entry. In collaboration with Volunteers of America, we selected the site at 1770 Tchoupitoulas for a proposed mixed use development. Our project was awarded 2nd place in the competition, and Volunteers of America received an early development grant from JPMorgan Chase to begin the project. I researched diversity and housing development to inform the floor plan design, documented the design student's creative process, served as liaison between the policy students and the design students, and wrote portions of the final proposal. From our project proposal: Renaissance Neighborhood Development Corporation (RNDC), a subsidiary of Volunteers of America of Greater New Orleans (VOAGNO) and Volunteers of America Inc., challenged the New School team to create a proposal for affordable and market rate housing combined with commercial space on 90,000 square feet of riverfront property in New Orleans’ Lower Garden District at 1770 Tchoupitoulas Street. Our team proposes a visionary LEED silver-certified structure with 141 units of housing (87 affordable) and 36,819 square feet of commercial space. The building plan blends the best qualities of the Mississippi riverfront with the historic characteristics of the neighborhood. Green space, recreational areas and native landscape architecture along with on site medical and day care facilities will create a community nexus of services and commerce. The full report can be downloaded from the Enterprise Community Partners website. Photos: The New School team surveys the site, meets with city officials, and accepts the 2nd place prize. <img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/0/958/70200/08-02-23sitedyp.jpg" border="0" width="640" height="472" width_o="640" height_o="472" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/0/958/70200/08-02-23sitedyp_o.jpg" align="left" /> <img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/0/958/70200/08-02-23site093_1_640.jpg" border="0" width="640" height="426" width_o="720" height_o="480" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/0/958/70200/08-02-23site093_1_o.jpg" align="left" /> <img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/0/958/70200/08-02-21EdBlakley09_640.jpg" border="0" width="640" height="426" width_o="2048" height_o="1365" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/0/958/70200/08-02-21EdBlakley09_o.jpg" align="left" /> <img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/0/958/70200/08-02-22JamesCarter02_640.jpg" border="0" width="640" height="402" width_o="2048" height_o="1286" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/0/958/70200/08-02-22JamesCarter02_o.jpg" align="left" /> <img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/0/958/70200/checklg_1_640.jpg" border="0" width="640" height="426" width_o="720" height_o="480" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/0/958/70200/checklg_1_o.jpg" align="left" /> http://portfolio.idaimages.com/Activate-Games-Abu-Dhabi http://portfolio.idaimages.com/following/portfolio.idaimages.com/Activate-Games-Abu-Dhabi Tue, 03 Jan 2012 23:59:33 +0000 Ida C. Benedetto - Portfolio 2540863 In July 2011, a team of American game experts taught 80 high school youth in Abu Dhabi how to design games. We used a curriculum called Activate! developed by PETLab at Parsons the New School for Design that I helped develop. In Abu Dhabi, I short video to document the project and produced this short piece. http://portfolio.idaimages.com/SueyJaye-com http://portfolio.idaimages.com/following/portfolio.idaimages.com/SueyJaye-com Tue, 03 Jan 2012 07:09:25 +0000 Ida C. Benedetto - Portfolio 2535717 Artist Sue Jaye Johnson has produced a wide variety of documentary projects over a decade and a half. I designed and built a custom WordPress website that shows off her work in all its diverse formats. The grid layout and simple interface make the work stand out. With custom entry fields designed specifically for the details of Sue Jaye's projects, information can entered once and displayed consistently across the site. <img src="http://payload11.cargocollective.com/1/0/958/2535717/- Sue Jaye Johnson Portfolio 2012-01-03 01-52-16_640.png" border="0" width="640" height="1106" width_o="1024" height_o="1770" src_o="http://payload11.cargocollective.com/1/0/958/2535717/- Sue Jaye Johnson Portfolio 2012-01-03 01-52-16_o.png" align="left" /> <img src="http://payload11.cargocollective.com/1/0/958/2535717/On Our Way - Sue Jaye Johnson Portfolio 2012-01-03 01-48-19_640.png" border="0" width="640" height="1106" width_o="1024" height_o="1770" src_o="http://payload11.cargocollective.com/1/0/958/2535717/On Our Way - Sue Jaye Johnson Portfolio 2012-01-03 01-48-19_o.png" align="left" /> <img src="http://payload11.cargocollective.com/1/0/958/2535717/360degrees.org - Sue Jaye Johnson Portfolio 2012-01-03 01-53-00_640.png" border="0" width="640" height="1106" width_o="1024" height_o="1770" src_o="http://payload11.cargocollective.com/1/0/958/2535717/360degrees.org - Sue Jaye Johnson Portfolio 2012-01-03 01-53-00_o.png" align="left" /> <img src="http://payload11.cargocollective.com/1/0/958/2535717/EastVillageX.org - Sue Jaye Johnson Portfolio 2012-01-03 01-57-53_640.png" border="0" width="640" height="1106" width_o="1024" height_o="1770" src_o="http://payload11.cargocollective.com/1/0/958/2535717/EastVillageX.org - Sue Jaye Johnson Portfolio 2012-01-03 01-57-53_o.png" align="left" /> http://portfolio.idaimages.com/Winkel-Studio http://portfolio.idaimages.com/following/portfolio.idaimages.com/Winkel-Studio Tue, 03 Jan 2012 06:29:22 +0000 Ida C. Benedetto - Portfolio 2535718 Winkel Studio is a loft for events and film shoots. To immerse interested parties in the space before they arrive, I designed and build an elegant website where photos convey the studio's potential and textual information spells out its amenities. <img src="http://payload11.cargocollective.com/1/0/958/2535718/Winkel Studio 2012-01-03 01-11-30_640.png" border="0" width="640" height="408" width_o="1280" height_o="817" src_o="http://payload11.cargocollective.com/1/0/958/2535718/Winkel Studio 2012-01-03 01-11-30_o.png" align="left" /> <img src="http://payload11.cargocollective.com/1/0/958/2535718/Winkel Studio 2012-01-03 01-09-41_640.png" border="0" width="640" height="408" width_o="1280" height_o="817" src_o="http://payload11.cargocollective.com/1/0/958/2535718/Winkel Studio 2012-01-03 01-09-41_o.png" align="left" /> <img src="http://payload11.cargocollective.com/1/0/958/2535718/Winkel Studio 2012-01-03 01-11-04_640.png" border="0" width="640" height="408" width_o="1280" height_o="817" src_o="http://payload11.cargocollective.com/1/0/958/2535718/Winkel Studio 2012-01-03 01-11-04_o.png" align="left" /> <img src="http://payload11.cargocollective.com/1/0/958/2535718/Winkel Studio 2012-01-03 01-14-23_640.png" border="0" width="640" height="408" width_o="1280" height_o="817" src_o="http://payload11.cargocollective.com/1/0/958/2535718/Winkel Studio 2012-01-03 01-14-23_o.png" align="left" /> <img src="http://payload11.cargocollective.com/1/0/958/2535718/Winkel Studio 2012-01-03 01-13-34_640.png" border="0" width="640" height="408" width_o="1280" height_o="817" src_o="http://payload11.cargocollective.com/1/0/958/2535718/Winkel Studio 2012-01-03 01-13-34_o.png" align="left" /> http://portfolio.idaimages.com/W-B-Events http://portfolio.idaimages.com/following/portfolio.idaimages.com/W-B-Events Tue, 03 Jan 2012 06:04:17 +0000 Ida C. Benedetto - Portfolio 2535639 Infamous Brooklyn event producers Winkel & Balktick needed a website to showcase their many creative endeavors. I build a custom WordPress website where they could detail past projects and make it easy for audiences to find out about upcoming events. <img src="http://payload11.cargocollective.com/1/0/958/2535639/Winkel - Balktick - Events with Imagination 2012-01-03 00-33-10_640.png" border="0" width="640" height="487" width_o="1200" height_o="914" src_o="http://payload11.cargocollective.com/1/0/958/2535639/Winkel - Balktick - Events with Imagination 2012-01-03 00-33-10_o.png" align="left" /> <img src="http://payload11.cargocollective.com/1/0/958/2535639/Winkel - Balktick - Events_640.PNG" border="0" width="640" height="487" width_o="1200" height_o="914" src_o="http://payload11.cargocollective.com/1/0/958/2535639/Winkel - Balktick - Events_o.PNG" align="left" /> <img src="http://payload11.cargocollective.com/1/0/958/2535639/Winkel - Balktick - Events with Imagination 2012-01-03 00-40-05 copy_640.png" border="0" width="640" height="487" width_o="1200" height_o="914" src_o="http://payload11.cargocollective.com/1/0/958/2535639/Winkel - Balktick - Events with Imagination 2012-01-03 00-40-05 copy_o.png" align="left" /> <img src="http://payload11.cargocollective.com/1/0/958/2535639/Winkel - Balktick - Events with Imagination 2012-01-03 00-42-16_640.png" border="0" width="640" height="487" width_o="1200" height_o="914" src_o="http://payload11.cargocollective.com/1/0/958/2535639/Winkel - Balktick - Events with Imagination 2012-01-03 00-42-16_o.png" align="left" /> <img src="http://payload11.cargocollective.com/1/0/958/2535639/Winkel - Balktick - Events with Imagination 2012-01-03 00-43-07 copy_640.png" border="0" width="640" height="487" width_o="1200" height_o="914" src_o="http://payload11.cargocollective.com/1/0/958/2535639/Winkel - Balktick - Events with Imagination 2012-01-03 00-43-07 copy_o.png" align="left" /> http://portfolio.idaimages.com/PubIt-Facebook-Page http://portfolio.idaimages.com/following/portfolio.idaimages.com/PubIt-Facebook-Page Tue, 03 Jan 2012 05:06:21 +0000 Ida C. Benedetto - Portfolio 1153900 PubIt! is Barnes & Noble’s platform for publishers and authors to digitally distribute their works through BN.com and the Barnes & Noble eBookstore. I was contracted in the early stages of PubIt!'s launch to build a Facebook page where authors could share knowledge and stay abreast of the rapidly evolving world of self-publishing. The engagement strategy, content guidelines and publication schedule I developed attracted a significant portion of the PubIt! self-publishers to like the page within a month of going live. The page sustained engagement rates 5 times higher than the average page on Facebook. <img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/0/958/1153900/Screen shot 2011-03-10 at 4.28.07 AM_640.png" border="0" width="640" height="496" width_o="900" height_o="698" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/0/958/1153900/Screen shot 2011-03-10 at 4.28.07 AM_o.png" align="left" /> <img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/0/958/1153900/Screen shot 2011-03-10 at 4.26.35 AM_640.png" border="0" width="640" height="496" width_o="900" height_o="698" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/0/958/1153900/Screen shot 2011-03-10 at 4.26.35 AM_o.png" align="left" /> <img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/0/958/1153900/Screen shot 2011-03-10 at 4.24.43 AM_640.png" border="0" width="640" height="496" width_o="900" height_o="698" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/0/958/1153900/Screen shot 2011-03-10 at 4.24.43 AM_o.png" align="left" /> <img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/0/958/1153900/Screen shot 2011-03-10 at 4.27.14 AM_640.png" border="0" width="640" height="496" width_o="900" height_o="698" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/0/958/1153900/Screen shot 2011-03-10 at 4.27.14 AM_o.png" align="left" /> http://portfolio.idaimages.com/When-Global-Participation-is-Default http://portfolio.idaimages.com/following/portfolio.idaimages.com/When-Global-Participation-is-Default Sun, 01 May 2011 18:28:32 +0000 Ida C. Benedetto - Portfolio 75253 August, 2009 The internet is largely a global space. Even considering irregularities in hardware and software, coupled with regional variations in access to certain content, one must assume that anything online can be experienced across the globe. This can create unexpected consequences when content meant for a local audience attracts the attention of those beyond that region. Two cases in point? An international controversy over a rape themed Japanese video game and a parody-filled reaction to an Israeli cell phone commercial about soccer and the separation wall. Japanese video game RapeLay is about a man who, after he is convicted of groping a girl on a subway train, seeks revenge through rape. Never meant for sale outside of Japan, the game caught the attention of western feminist groups after a copy was made available through a third-party seller on Amazon’s United Kingdom site in February. <img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/0/958/75253/2559795732_229485a7e0.jpg" border="0" width="500" height="386" width_o="500" height_o="386" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/0/958/75253/2559795732_229485a7e0_o.jpg" align="left" /> The game was not available legally outside of Japan. Amazon quickly pulled the listing from its UK site after users complained. Women’s rights group Equality Now launched a letter writing campaign in May demanding that Illusion Software, which developed and distributes RapeLay, cease to sell the game. I first heard about the controversy through a Facebook friend who wanted to recruit me for the cause. Social media made it easy for Equality Now to mobilize sympathetic audiences to send letters to Japanese businesses and politicians. While the game is clearly misogynistic, why target RapeLay above all the smutty digital material available? Given the yet unresolved ethical debate in the United States about the impact of explicit content in video games, the sexually violent Japanese game served to reignite the issue. Several politicians demanded it be banned in the United States, overlooking the fact that it was never available in the US to begin with. Many Japanese distributors were blindsided with a sudden influx of letters from people in the US objecting to their products. In June, Japan’s Ethics Organization of Computer Software responded to the pressure by banning games depicting rape. As an additional protective measure, Illusion Software and several other distributors have blocked international access to their websites. It’s hard to say how much of a victory this is for gender equality. The United States has managed to export its ethical take on video games, and Japanese game makers have implemented some digital measures to protect themselves from it. Eventually, Japan’s Ethics Organization of Computer Software banned all sexual content in video games except the missionary position. The second example of local content being accessed and interpreted globally comes from Israeli cell phone provider Cellcom. Their television commercial, which aired in early July, inadvertently highlighted the continued strife surrounding the separation wall between Israel and Palestine. It shows Israeli troops encountering a soccer ball from the opposing side of the separation wall. The troops return the ball, only to have unseen Palestinians immediately kick it back. They then engage in a soccer game as cheerful music plays in the background. The ad ends with the punch line "After all, what are we all after? Just a little fun.” Their attempt to provide an aspirational message of cooperation struck audiences as demeaning and out of touch. Complaints from a Facebook group called “I too got nauseous watching the new Cellcom ad” amplified Israelis’ objections to the ad and created a global audience for the resulting viral video spoofs. Like many of the initial blog post reactions, the group, which attracted some 2,400 members, is in Hebrew. The reactions caught the attention of international news organizations like the BBC, and the commercial was reposted with articles in English on news sites for audiences outside the Middle East. While the Facebook group calls for the ad to be removed from broadcast, the publicity meant it was seen by an even wider audience. Cellcom apparently responded to upset viewers with an email stating their aim was to convey a positive message about cooperation and harmony. The international attention prompted viral video spoofs of the commercial. One of the most widely circulated shows Palestinians kicking a soccer ball over a barbed wire portion of the fence. The Israeli soldiers throw back tear gas. In both of these cases, audiences were mobilized around political ideas to object to a piece of media. With RapeLay, American and then Japanese politicians pandered flimsy ethical anxiety about video games to bluster their political clout, and Western anti-pornography feminists picked on an easy target in the context of this ethical debate. The game companies are now subjected to new regulations about sexual content in games, but given Japan’s media culture, the content will likely continue to be available under new guises. Thanks to all the media attention, the English language version of the game is now widely available through torrents. Good luck controlling that distribution. In the case of the Cellcom ad, a traditional marketing message was not checked against the political reality it was being projected on. By voicing their concerns via the internet, local audiences upset by the ad resonated with a global audience. Cellcom’s email response seems old school when compared to the viral videos still making tracks across the internet, only furthering the impression made by the commercials that Cellcom is a politically and socially tone deaf communications company. It is extremely difficult to control messaging on the internet. That’s why creatives and marketers are becoming such good conversationalists. In a digital media environment that is global and participatory by default, engaging an audience in a dialogue is the best strategy for maintaining leverage over an issue. That said, it’s impossible to anticipate where and with whom your message will strike the wrong chord. If you were in the position of Illusion Software or Cellcom, how would you respond to the unanticipated global response? http://portfolio.idaimages.com/Rotted-Desires http://portfolio.idaimages.com/following/portfolio.idaimages.com/Rotted-Desires Sun, 01 May 2011 18:28:24 +0000 Ida C. Benedetto - Portfolio 446584 Sex work is prevalent and highly visible in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia’s capital. So, it was not hard to guess why a quiet residential street near my home there was consistently littered with used condoms. At night, the dark, winding road offered a reasonably safe location for transactions. This doesn’t explain why I decided to photograph the condoms, though. Having lived and worked in many places known for repressive sexism, I found the attention I as a young foreign woman attracted to be the hardest to bear in Ethiopia. I became adept at avoiding all eye contact in public. After a few misunderstandings, I learned to treat friendly conversation from unknown men with persistently cold politeness. I avoided certain streets on weekends when chewing the narcotic chat was most prevalent. Sheltering myself from the dogged, self-righteous attention of men required constant strategizing. And what I experienced pales in comparison to what Ethiopian women go through. I don’t believe I understand what is happening between the sex workers and their clients or the larger circumstances that bring them together. All I know is that I hated being the object of male attention in Addis Ababa and that there is something profoundly satisfying in making photographs of these used condoms as decaying artifacts of male desire. <img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/0/958/446584/IMG_0131.jpg" border="0" width="432" height="576" width_o="432" height_o="576" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/0/958/446584/IMG_0131_o.jpg" align="left" /> <img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/0/958/446584/IMG_0133b copy.jpg" border="0" width="432" height="576" width_o="432" height_o="576" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/0/958/446584/IMG_0133b copy_o.jpg" align="left" /> <img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/0/958/446584/IMG_0203 copy.jpg" border="0" width="432" height="576" width_o="432" height_o="576" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/0/958/446584/IMG_0203 copy_o.jpg" align="left" /> <img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/0/958/446584/IMG_0205 copy.jpg" border="0" width="432" height="576" width_o="432" height_o="576" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/0/958/446584/IMG_0205 copy_o.jpg" align="left" /> <img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/0/958/446584/IMG_0225 copy.jpg" border="0" width="432" height="576" width_o="432" height_o="576" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/0/958/446584/IMG_0225 copy_o.jpg" align="left" /> <img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/0/958/446584/IMG_0233 copy.jpg" border="0" width="432" height="576" width_o="432" height_o="576" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/0/958/446584/IMG_0233 copy_o.jpg" align="left" /> <img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/0/958/446584/IMG_0238 copy.jpg" border="0" width="432" height="576" width_o="432" height_o="576" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/0/958/446584/IMG_0238 copy_o.jpg" align="left" /> <img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/0/958/446584/IMG_0290 copy.jpg" border="0" width="432" height="576" width_o="432" height_o="576" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/0/958/446584/IMG_0290 copy_o.jpg" align="left" /> <img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/0/958/446584/IMG_0297 copy.jpg" border="0" width="432" height="576" width_o="432" height_o="576" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/0/958/446584/IMG_0297 copy_o.jpg" align="left" /> <img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/0/958/446584/IMG_0316 copy.jpg" border="0" width="432" height="576" width_o="432" height_o="576" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/0/958/446584/IMG_0316 copy_o.jpg" align="left" /> http://portfolio.idaimages.com/Everybody-Alone-Together-Now http://portfolio.idaimages.com/following/portfolio.idaimages.com/Everybody-Alone-Together-Now Thu, 10 Mar 2011 09:18:44 +0000 Ida C. Benedetto - Portfolio 74817 A version of "Everybody Along Together Now: Social Netowrking and Spymaster" was originally published on the Big Spaceship Think Blog. July, 2009 In late May, arcane tweets about buying weapons and assassinating people began showing up in my Twitter feed. I asked what was up and received an invite to join a spy ring and play Spymaster. <img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/0/958/74817/picture-11.png" border="0" width="304" height="86" width_o="304" height_o="86" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/0/958/74817/picture-11_o.png" align="left" /> Opinions are divided on how ‘social’ social networking is. This Twitter-based spy game presents an opportunity to look at why. The social value of Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter can be outweighed by reputation games, where people do things just to be seen. Watching and being watched can be comforting – and addictive. It drives a great deal of online game play. Despite assumptions that people play MMOs (massively multiplayer online games) like Spymaster for the social experience of gaming with others, research suggests a more solitary experience enriched by the presence of, if not the meaningful interaction with, other players. Researcher Nick Yee identified this as an “alone together” experience, meaning we’re playing in the same space, but we’re not really playing with each other. What is the draw of playing “alone together”? Looking at the role-playing MMO World of Warcraft, Yee observes that "players have important roles beyond providing direct support and camaraderie in the context of quest groups: they also provide an audience, a sense of social presence, and a spectacle.” He said this trio of factors “can help explain the appeal of being ‘alone together’ in multiplayer games… MMORPGs (massively multiplayer online role-playing games) are in essence reputation games.” Social networking is often motivated by a similar focus on audience, social presence, and spectacle, making it somewhat of a natural fit for MMOs. Players can engage with a game that caters to their online behavior, and game designers can access a conveniently networked mass of potential players. Spymaster quickly reached a broad audience by using the Twitter API to support game play. (Its automated tweets also ended up annoying plenty of non-players, but I’ll get to that later.) I chose to play Spymaster because the espionage theme intrigued me, and the minimal, sleek site design stood out. Some tasks available to level-1 players include forging passports and bribing a mob boss. Performing tasks successfully earns the player experience points and money but also depletes energy and health. The size of a player’s Twitter network essentially impacts their ability to perform tasks effectively. <img src="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/0/958/74817/picture-31_640.png" border="0" width="640" height="503" width_o="1028" height_o="808" src_o="http://payload.cargocollective.com/1/0/958/74817/picture-31_o.png" align="left" /> After a week and a half of playing, I reached level 21. My modest spy ring of 130 included 24 spymasters, meaning that of the 130 people following me on Twitter, 24 are also playing the game. The strength of my spy ring increasingly impacted my effectiveness in the game, and thus how easily I could continue to level up. Spy rings matter. I started to follow Twitter accounts set up just for playing spymaster, those of players past level 30 and attack sums 300 times mine. The clever spy theme aside, I wouldn’t play Spymaster this persistently if the other players weren’t real people. Game play consists of one-button actions around simple strategies. There isn’t much incentive to keep playing, aside from the occasional assassination attempt on my spy ring. That’s when I get to assess the damage by reviewing the attacker’s stats; spy ring size, level, attack sum, etc. I even find myself fanaticizing about how impressive my stats are every time I level up. Reputation motives me to play, watching others and knowing others are watching me. I do the same thing on Twitter. It’s hard not to size someone up based on their followers, the ratio of followers to those they are following, what they are retweeting, who’s responding… Yee’s assessment of why people are drawn to “alone together” experiences holds up even when applied to Twitter’s more practical potential for conversation and exchanging information. Twitter offers “…an audience, a sense of social presence, and a spectacle.” If similar phenomena are driving participation in both Spymaster and Twitter, why was there such a backlash when Spymaster activity spread across Twitter? Some find the tweets annoying because they are automated. I would argue that even if Spymaster tweets where written by people playing the game, non-players would still get upset because the tweets come from an in-game persona. Real life and in-game roles on Twitter may both be motivated by ‘alone together’ principles, but the standards for assessing and gaining reputation in each role are dramatically different. When these standards are played out in the same space, they create noise. What’s the solution? Segregation. Spymaster rages on, even though most non-players no longer receive tweets from the game. Tweeting activity adds a bonus to game play but is not essential to it. (I’ve turned that feature off.) Hardcore players are using Twitter accounts dedicated to Spymaster, an option not readily available for Facebook based MMOs. Many spy rings now boast tens of thousands of members. The largest is approaching one million. Meaningful connections over social networking sites are incredibly difficult to achieve. Since social networking is influenced by “alone together” principles, successful social networking should take into consideration the three main incentives that Yee identified for participating in these experiences. Cater to an interest in audience, social presence, and spectacle. Then spend time learning what the rules are for the particular reputation system you want to play, connect or perform in. These rules differ among platforms and groups. Playing smartly to varying incentives can yield different results. That’s not to say you need to play by the rules. The noise Spymaster produced left a bitter taste in the mouths of those who had no interest in playing, but creating a lot of noise effectively recruited a large player base.