- Author: Vanny Suitela
- From: Gadjah Mada University
Abstract:
This paper will discuss the Sims3 as a living space produced by the introduction of American?s urban folk culture into the virtual scene of gamers. The Sims3 is an open world of life simulation game developed by the Sims studio, an America Studio based in Redwood city, California and released by Electronic Arts in June 2009. Nature of the game is mainly a representation of urban society life targeting a transnational audience entrenched in similar gameplay mechanics of the genre. The game features urban society and city life based on Western environment. I was curious about the representation of ‘virtual space city’ of the game comparing to ‘real space city’ of Indonesia based on the overview of the Sims3 design. How did gamers in Indonesia, in particular Jogjakarta gamers construct and do spatial practice in the game? Further, how did they make some responses to those? Based on those questions then my focus is on the role of gamers in doing reception on spatial virtual lived and their potentialities to reverse that representational spaces following their real spatial lived. In this case then I refer to Lefebvre’s theory of production of space. My results of research show that there some dissimilarity appear related to spatial practice of the game comparing to real spatial practice of gamers. The spatial order of the game is linked to the cultural tradition of cartographic representations of space and territory commonly puts gamers in a powerful position from which he/she may command the ongoing game. Spatial practice of the Sims3 gamers in Jogjakarta are particularly captivating subject because of the bizarre situation where gamers are natives in the real space city of Jogjakarta but relegated to the position of native in the virtual replication of American cities in the game. Gamers stroll down through the luminous geometry of urban cyberspace game world exploration make them such as doing a kind of tourism practice. The case of the Sims3 gamers may appear similar since they are in fact native to Jogjakarta city and quite familiar with both urban geography and culture of Jogjakarta. The juxtaposition of the native and the tourist provides a very peculiar entry point into the virtual world for them. In addition, messages of the spatial practice of Jogjakarta Sims3 gamers are negotiation, re appropriation and overlapping of conceived space and perceived space of the two realms – American virtual space city and Indonesia real space city.
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