For my field trip i ventured into the world of Habbo Hotel, which i found extremely amusing. There are alot more qualitative differences than your regular IM program like MSNmessenger (something i have used since i was about 12). First of all, il just outline the basics of the regular IM -you can only talk to your own ‘contacts’, that is, other people who you generally know (because you have 2 know their email address to add them) and the extent of it is prety much instant text messaging in a conversation, you can share files and photos, you have a display picture and you can use a webcam for live video feeds, microphone etc. But HabboHotel – well. where to begin!
First you create youre own ‘habbo’, a little caricature that represents yourself in the 3D world and of course a name to go by. Then you enter the hotel, and choose where you want to go, the lobby, a bar, the pool etc. Here you can choose how you say something (whisper, shout etc) and then when you speak, the text is displayed for everyone in the ‘room’ to see (cute as it comes up as a little speach bubble from the caricatures mouth and then ‘floats’ up to remain on the screen) You can then have ‘private’ conversations with other habbos while the ‘public’ can see it. or you can be invited or simply go to a room within the hotel where other people have established certain ‘businesses’ and etc. You can get a job, which will pay in ‘material’ items in the 3D world which you can add to your own room. You can constantly change your clothes and interact with certain things in teh world, such as going swimming etc. You can use your credit card to get ‘credit’ to buy things from a catlogue to furnish your room, and many other things.
Really, it is just so extensive i could not possibly cover all there is to habbo hotel unless i went on for hours.
I think the main differences in socialising within such 3DÂ worlds is that you dont know who you are talking to, they are anonymous users and you only know them by their display name. The 3D aspect definately makes alot of difference to the ‘simple’ msn. there is so much more oppotunity to do other things. you dont even have to talk to other people to be entertained, simply walking around and watching the caricature interact with objects is fun enough!
As for where this sort of application may lead us… im not entirely sure. Personally i wouldnt become obsessed and spend all my time on there, but the whole idea of getting a ‘job’ through other users – i think somewhere there are actually people who profit from setting up such ‘businesses’ and what not. which is kind of scary to think about and sad in a way – to think someone would just sit at their computer day and night messing about with that application…. people need 2 get lifes – REAL ones (i know this is slightly ironic as it brings up the debate and point of one of our lectures of what is defined as reality etc) but really. what has this world come to?
