Amazing how suddenly one can just not blog for a whole week, after blogging many times a day for a while. Most of the reason I didn’t blog was that we just spent three and a half days up at Hilde and Atle’s place in Sogn, where Hilde and I drafted the introduction for our anthology on World of Warcraft, and Scott finished his chapter and read our introduction for us. I really don’t spend enough time just exploring this beautiful country. I mean, I’ve lived here most of my life and still I hadn’t really grasped not only how close Sognefjorden is but how stunningly beautiful it is. Oh, of course I’ve seen it before, but after this trip I really want to spend more time there. So Scott and I extended our initial plan to take visiting family on Norway on a Nutshell before our wedding and have started thinking about a three day trip the week after the wedding, for those family members who are still around. It should be wonderful.
I was planning to blog the table of contents for the WoW anthology, but I’m going to wait until the final final drafts are in in a few days time so we have the final chapter titles.
Albertine
I can¥t do anything else but to live here. Tell me next time you¥re around! I live in the centre of Sogndal, close to the fjord. I¥ll invite you for a cup of coffee, and you can try my kayak, if you like! 🙂
Jill
You have a kayak!? Ooh, what fun. I’ll take you up on that 🙂
Nick
Hi Jill,
just wanted to say that your essay in Second Person was really inspiring. I was writing a presentation for a conference of market researchers, ad agency people and marketing people and your chapter really brought to life how important quests are to the WoW experience. It’s so easy to take them for granted whilst playing that I forgot how well they immerse you in the lore and mythology of the world.
Anyway your chapter gave me an idea that I knew would appeal to my audience – the idea of quests as adverts! It went down very well, so thanks 🙂
Here are a couple of links reviewing my presentation – http://www.leemcewan.com/serendipitybook/2007/03/one_of_the_most.html
http://www.warc.com/ConferenceBlogs/MRSR-032007.asp?Post=47
Jill
Wow, that’s an turn on it that I wouldn’t have expected, cool! Sounds like the presentation went really well – wish I’d seen it! And I’m really pleased that my paper was inspiring! Do you know whether there is any marketing in WoW, apart from spam to sell gold and levelling services? I imagine you were comparing to Second Life where obviously marketing is built in?
Nick
Ha ha, glad you liked my twist on your idea! My presentation is quite a heavy document because it has lots of fraps footage in there, but I could put it on a hosting site for you to download. I put together my first bit of machinima telling the Stonefield-McClure saga which I’d love you to see.
I don’t think there is any marketing in WoW at the moment, the closest I’ve seen is the Coke/WoW ad in China http://youtube.com/watch?v=UokDWzJY1xM.
I think it’s dawning on lots of companies that 2nd Life hasn’t got as great a potential for profit as once thought, and is used as a PR stunt as much as anything. That means WoW is starting to register on their radars as a possible marketing medium. I think it could happen, if it’s done the right way. Some of my guildmates were joking about resting at an inn called McDougals and farming the Barrens for burger meat. I guess it all depends on what the companies have to offer Blizzard!
Nick
P.S. looking forward to reading the WoW project you and Hilde are working on.