Welcome to my homepage. I don’t intend to update this page like a blog, but merely have information about my current work and research projects for those who are curious about me and my research.
Feel free to get in contact with me,
marcusc (at) unimelb.edu.au
About Me
I am currently a PhD Student at The University of Melbourne, within the Information Design Group in the Department of Computing and Information Systems. I commenced my PhD in Feb, 2012. My supervisors are Martin Gibbs and Michael Arnold. I have a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in the History & Philosophy of Science, also from The University of Melbourne.
My Research
PhD Research – My PhD research is investigating Ruthless Play in EVE Online and DayZ. If you’re interested in learning more about this, please click here.
My PhD research is supported by an Australian Postgraduate Award and additional funding from the Institute for a Broadband Enabled Society.
Tabletop Gaming Research -This research project, titled Social Gaming Events,with Martin Gibbs and Mitchell Harrop examines non-digital social gaming events. Our first study aims to understand the various resources and social structures utilized by players in competitive tournaments. The study focuses on Warhammer 40k (Games Workshop); currently the most popular tabletop war-gaming system.
If you are interested in learning more, please click here.
DayZ Research – This research project, being conducted with Greg Wadley and Martin Gibbs investigates the unique and engrossing zombie survival MMO DayZ. A questionnaire investigating the motivations involved in playing DayZ is currently in pilot. If you are interested in learning more, please click here.
Recent Publications and Conferences
Metagames, Paragames and Orthogames: A New Vocabulary, Carter, M., Gibbs, M. & Harrop, M. 2012 Foundations of Digital Games Conference. 30 May – 1 June. Raleigh, North Carolina. [link]
“Friendly, Don’t Shoot!”: How Communication Design Can Enable Novel Social Interactions, Carter, M., Wadley, G., Gibbs, M. 2012 OZCHI. 26 – 30 November. Melbourne, Australia. [link]
Avatars, Characters, Players and Users: Multiple Identities at/in Play, Carter, M., Gibbs, M., Arnold, M. 2012 OZCHI. 26 – 30 November. Melbourne, Australia. [link]
Accepted Publications (that aren’t out yet)
eSports in EVE Online: Skullduggery, Fair Play and Acceptability in an Unbounded Competition, Carter, M. & Gibbs, M. 2013. Foundations of Digital Games Conference, 14-17 May, Chania, Greece.
The Roll of Dice in Warhammer 40,000, Carter, M., Harrop, M. & Gibbs, M. 2013 Physical and Digital in Games and Play Seminar, The University of Tampere, Finland.
The Demarcation Problem in MMOGs: Using Boundary-Work to Understand the Development and Disputations of Informal Game Rules, Carter, M. & Gibbs, M. 2013. EVE Online Workshop at the Foundations of Digital Games Conference, 15 May, Chania, Greece.
Vile Rat: Spontaneous Shrines in EVE Online, Gibbs, M., Carter, M. & Mori, J. 2013. EVE Online Workshop at the Foundations of Digital Games Conference, 15 May, Chania, Greece.
Scams and Game Mechanics in EVE Online. Jackson, K. & Carter, M. 2013. EVE Online Workshop at the Foundations of Digital Games Conference, 15 May, Chania, Greece.
Ruthlessness as Hyper Social Play, Carter, M., Gibbs, M. & Wadley, G. 2013. Digital Games Research Association Conference, 26-29 Aug, Atlanta, USA.
Everyone’s a Winner at Warhammer 40,000 (or, at least not a loser), Harrop, M., Carter, M. & Gibbs, M. 2013. Digital Games Research Association Conference, 26-29 Aug, Atlanta, USA.
The Pretense Awareness Contexts and Oscillating Nature of Coaching Frames, Harrop, M., Gibbs, M. & Carter, M. 2013. Digital Games Research Association Conference, 26-29 Aug, Atlanta, USA.