New Media M.A. Research Blog | Media Studies, University of Amsterdam

It’s a Small World – Oculus’ Quest 2 Redefine Distance

Oculus Quest 2, Facebook’s latest wireless Virtual Reality (VR) headset, was released in September 2020. Similar to its predecessor Oculus Quest, the gadget has been largely used for gaming, however this is not where the possibilities end. According to...

By on 09/28/20 Comments Off

VR as a Tool to Prevent Sexual Offenses

According to an article by Refinery29, 81 percent of women and 43 percent of men report having experienced some form of sexual assault or harassment in their lifetimes (Ohikuare). With 2017 being the year of trailblazing campaigns such as...

By Mahmoud Badry on 10/24/18 Comments Off

Mission Control: The changing boundaries of control and ownership in the world’s biggest crowd funding success.

The latest controversy surrounding the in development game Star Citizen, struck me as illustrative of the pitfalls and complexities of new forms of financing, and how they manifest the sunk cost fallacy in new, unexpected ways. It isn’t just...

By Tim Groot on 09/24/18 Comments Off

The new Xbox adaptive controller, another step towards digital inclusion?

It is not easy for some players to enjoy the virtual experience of video games. Microsoft noticed the issue and, to break down the barriers faced by people with disabilities, the multinational technology company just launched a couple weeks...

By Camille Godineau on 09/23/18 Comments Off

The VR Cinema is the latest attraction to claim a space in Amsterdam’s entertainment landscape. It is the first of its kind in the world, and offers an experience reminiscent of the first movie houses. Unfortunately, that means offering...

By Phillip Morris on 09/21/16 Comments Off

Mobile Apps as a New Level of Reality

“New Media”. This collocation is used so often nowadays (and not just by researchers or practitioners, but by journalists, self-proclaimed experts and general populace) that it takes a conscious effort to take a step back and ask “What’s new...

By Leonid Goryachev on 09/15/15 Comments Off

A New Kind of Pop-up Book

Early pop-up books are made out of pure paper. Each time the kid opens a page, an architectural piece of art jumps out of the book. In 2014, it looks much different. Bridging Book established a new mixed-media book for children and presents...

By Janina Sommerlad on 09/18/14 2

The Internet as a Culture of Equality and Opportunity

The digital revolution not only introduced new means of economics and power, but also introduced radical changes in the social aspects of life, acting as a catalyst for the emerging virtual world. We no longer can imagine our lives...

By Katja Viarshynina on 09/10/13 Comments Off

IT IS NOT JUST A GAME

It was not far ago when in order for you to have a video game experience you had to purchase a game package which included a DVD and instructions. Nowadays, with the evolution of the internet, games are bought...

By Alexandros Valarakis on 09/09/13 1

Getting real

“We have lived through more than half a century of being constantly told that the future of food was artificial, the future of books, newspapers, medicine and school was virtual. And that we would soon deal entirely with computerized teachers...

By Patrycja Szumacher on 09/08/12 Comments Off

Augmented reality: the first steps to a society of control?

Layla van Daalen, Chris Hoogeveen, Hanneke Mertens Every aspect of the world has an extra layer of information. It may not always be obvious, but these extra layers are most certainly present. Marc Tuters and Kazys Varnelis describe these...

By Chris Hoogeveen on 03/13/11 2

The human race towards immortality or stupidity.

The idea of immortality plays a significant role in the human life. Within every generation, and within every culture this is an issue. The Chinese incorporate this with Ba Xian, the eight immortals. Within he Indian Mythology there is...

By Chris Hoogeveen on 10/21/10 1

World of Tweetcraft?

The emergence of MMO gaming and virtual reality, especially the largest artificial worlds such as Azeroth in World of Warcraft, gave us a new way of socializing with people from around the globe. Twitter is one of the...

By Bart Brodzki on 10/07/10 3

Botting, Plotting and Multiboxing

A short entry on people botting, people plotting, bots multiboxing, and virtual goods adverts in games. Includes a MOVIE!

By Bart Brodzki on 10/01/10 3

Advantages of having a ‘Second Life’ – a short essay on how MMO Games may change the World

What are MMO games? Massively Multiplayer Online games are a fresh genre to the gaming industry, as all of them require a strong and stable Internet connection. This particular branch of gaming is becoming more and more popular due...

By Bart Brodzki on 09/26/10 2

Harvest your crops, feed your dog, serve the dishes… socialize!

Let me get this straight. I don't have a pet. I never felt like growing pumkins. My cooking skills are below average. Does that make me socially "incompatible" with the millions of people playing Pet Society, Farmville, Cafe World...

By Ilektra Pavlaki on 09/13/10 3

Notion Motion: a virtual existence

Darkness has fallen over the Bodon Chambers. Only slim light shimmers over a pool of water onto a massive wall, creating a Virtual Space of light and movement. The Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson created Notion Motion: a visualization of...

By Chris Hoogeveen on 09/10/10 Comments Off

Pifworld: an Engaging Graphical Donating Platform

A friend of mine informed me about an interesting service that was recently launched: Pifworld. It is basically a Google Earth/SNS – mash-up that facilitates global crowd funding. It allows individuals and communities to support specific projects in a fun...

By Pieter-Paul Walraven on 04/25/09 Comments Off