It Makes It More Real: Collocation and

Copresence at LAN Parties

Bryan-Mitchell Youngbryyoung@indiana.edu

@jccalhoun

Collocation Vs. Copresence• Collocation is about being together• Copresence is about feeling together• Everyone at a LAN party is collocated• Not everyone is copresent.

Ventrilo RecordingBoondocks: Just spam the Heavy… Focus fire… Where you at medic?Me: Right here. With you. Boondocks: Alright. Let’s go this way.Recono: Watch the stickies[…]

Boondocks: There’s a sniper down there. Recono: Pyro behind us! Pyro behind us! Pyro behind us![…]

Recono: Good cap – Get on the point! Get on the point! Get on the point! Get on the point![…]

Boondocks: We’re pushing….Uh, where’s that sentry [gun]? Disco: I got itBoondocks: Sentry’s down. Just turn off the uber. Disco: Touch [the point]Me: AlmostBoondocks: There we go.

Ventrilo• At LAN parties is it almost

exclusively used for game-related talk• At home this is not always the case

Ventrilo at home can be used socially

• When you’re in Ventrilo you bullshit a lot

• always have people in it. So when [they]’re not playing [they] just hang out in there.

Ventrilo at home can be used socially• “[couldn’t] even do homework without being on

Ventrilo. It’s kind of just like having someone there, always”

• “like five or six people that whenever [they are] doing homework or just sitting at home – if [they] are at home they are probably in Ventrilo talk to each other.”

• “a lot of times [they do] not say anything for an hour but at least we’re on Ventrilo and we can hear each other.”

• Not a hack• Not accommodation• Assimilation

When Ventrilo is not enough• “when something is urgent and you

want everybody to hear it, then you shout it and it just promotes urgency, I think.”

• Non-verbal communication in games

Computer Mediated Communication

• Allows them to talk when they wouldn’t be able to normally• Can create feelings of copresence

when it would not normally be possible.• Use tech to overcome seating

limitations.