Marcus Carter
@marcuscarter.com
Professor in HCI @ USYD, Australian Research Council Future Fellow. Game Studies & Virtual Reality.
What’s enough of a milestone for me: We have finally agreed out how to represent a Wordle grid in black and white, which means this book is now completely done!
The webpage for our upcoming book has the cover on it now which is enough of a milestone for me to write another post about the book we have coming out soon. www.politybooks.com/bookdetail?b...
November 13, 2025 at 9:33 AM
What’s enough of a milestone for me: We have finally agreed out how to represent a Wordle grid in black and white, which means this book is now completely done!
Reposted by Marcus Carter
The webpage for our upcoming book has the cover on it now which is enough of a milestone for me to write another post about the book we have coming out soon. www.politybooks.com/bookdetail?b...
November 11, 2025 at 5:05 AM
The webpage for our upcoming book has the cover on it now which is enough of a milestone for me to write another post about the book we have coming out soon. www.politybooks.com/bookdetail?b...
Reposted by Marcus Carter
Check out the latest from the SSRN #blog which features a selection of #research on age verification & #online safety.
Read more: spkl.io/63322AKCwm
#Academicsky #AcademicChatter
Read more: spkl.io/63322AKCwm
#Academicsky #AcademicChatter
The Latest Research on Age Verification & Online Safety
This list includes a selection of the latest research on age verification & online safety posted to SSRN in 2025. Tinder Backgrounds by Irina D. Manta (Hofstra University) The “Segregate-…
spkl.io
August 13, 2025 at 4:05 PM
Check out the latest from the SSRN #blog which features a selection of #research on age verification & #online safety.
Read more: spkl.io/63322AKCwm
#Academicsky #AcademicChatter
Read more: spkl.io/63322AKCwm
#Academicsky #AcademicChatter
Reposted by Marcus Carter
This is basically @adriennemassanari.bsky.social's new book in meme form.
April 6, 2025 at 1:03 PM
This is basically @adriennemassanari.bsky.social's new book in meme form.
Reposted by Marcus Carter
My DRS paper on graphic design and AI has just passed 15,000 downloads | dl.designresearchsociety.org/drs-conferen...
March 20, 2025 at 12:27 AM
My DRS paper on graphic design and AI has just passed 15,000 downloads | dl.designresearchsociety.org/drs-conferen...
Reposted by Marcus Carter
Teaching game design is way harder than anything else I've ever taught, because we make collaborative social rituals out of all of human experience... and then also sometimes have to balance spreadsheets about polearm damage.
March 25, 2025 at 3:07 AM
Teaching game design is way harder than anything else I've ever taught, because we make collaborative social rituals out of all of human experience... and then also sometimes have to balance spreadsheets about polearm damage.
Last year, we ran a study where we gave children a $20 pre-paid debit card to spend in any game. This method elicited incredible data showing how carefully children weigh their purchasing decisions, but also revealed the many minefields and deceptive practices they have to navigate.
March 25, 2025 at 2:15 AM
Last year, we ran a study where we gave children a $20 pre-paid debit card to spend in any game. This method elicited incredible data showing how carefully children weigh their purchasing decisions, but also revealed the many minefields and deceptive practices they have to navigate.
Reposted by Marcus Carter
New article in @theconversation.com today by myself and @marcuscarter.com on how kids talk about when spending money in Roblox is harmful to them. TLDR; virtual currencies and random reward features should be better regulated!
theconversation.com/literally-ju...
theconversation.com/literally-ju...
‘Literally just child gambling’: what kids say about Roblox, lootboxes and money in online games
Kids who play Roblox games describe ‘scary’ virtual currencies and ‘cash grab’ random rewards.
theconversation.com
March 23, 2025 at 11:29 PM
New article in @theconversation.com today by myself and @marcuscarter.com on how kids talk about when spending money in Roblox is harmful to them. TLDR; virtual currencies and random reward features should be better regulated!
theconversation.com/literally-ju...
theconversation.com/literally-ju...
Reposted by Marcus Carter
Agree, it's why I always recommend reading @brkeogh.bsky.social's book The Videogame Industry does not exist.
Games are a media, an art field. While it's understandable to want to help people pay bills, we undermine them by focusing so much on their monetization - especially when it's unrealistic.
Games are a media, an art field. While it's understandable to want to help people pay bills, we undermine them by focusing so much on their monetization - especially when it's unrealistic.
December 25, 2024 at 11:23 PM
Agree, it's why I always recommend reading @brkeogh.bsky.social's book The Videogame Industry does not exist.
Games are a media, an art field. While it's understandable to want to help people pay bills, we undermine them by focusing so much on their monetization - especially when it's unrealistic.
Games are a media, an art field. While it's understandable to want to help people pay bills, we undermine them by focusing so much on their monetization - especially when it's unrealistic.
Reposted by Marcus Carter
God this is really annoying - but Adam Tooze posted the best thing he’s written in months *today*. It’s a wide ranging interview from a Chinese publication, but here’s the best (and most terrifying) description of the current AI bubble I’ve yet read
adamtooze.substack.com/p/chartbook-...
adamtooze.substack.com/p/chartbook-...
December 24, 2024 at 10:44 PM
God this is really annoying - but Adam Tooze posted the best thing he’s written in months *today*. It’s a wide ranging interview from a Chinese publication, but here’s the best (and most terrifying) description of the current AI bubble I’ve yet read
adamtooze.substack.com/p/chartbook-...
adamtooze.substack.com/p/chartbook-...
Reposted by Marcus Carter
I agree with @localthunk.bsky.social. Rating Balatro as an 18+ game is as unserious as it is hypocritical, and how we use ratings and regulations to safeguard children often makes no sense. My latest at @crossplayblog.bsky.social: patrickklepek.substack.com/p/is-balatro...
Balatro’s 18+ Rating Underscores Gaming’s Hypocritical “Protecting” Children Rhetoric
Loot boxes pass through regulatory and rating scrutiny without batting an eye, but a card game? My word!
patrickklepek.substack.com
December 18, 2024 at 8:05 PM
I agree with @localthunk.bsky.social. Rating Balatro as an 18+ game is as unserious as it is hypocritical, and how we use ratings and regulations to safeguard children often makes no sense. My latest at @crossplayblog.bsky.social: patrickklepek.substack.com/p/is-balatro...
Reposted by Marcus Carter
“the catchphrase might be that the Bullshit Jobs are now being done by the Bullshit Machine.”
Great read!
Great read!
@himself.bsky.social knocks another one out of the park with his great piece on LLMs and the anticipated effects they will have on large organizations of all kinds.
The Management Singularity - LLMs aren't going to transform the Fate of Mankind but they will remake how big organizations work. www.programmablemutter.com/p/the-manage...
December 12, 2024 at 2:51 AM
“the catchphrase might be that the Bullshit Jobs are now being done by the Bullshit Machine.”
Great read!
Great read!
Reposted by Marcus Carter
Wondering why Australia shouldn’t (consider) ban social media (games) for minors? China sets us an example. Thanks for the great team work @benegliston.bsky.social , @marcuscarter.com 🍻
theconversation.com/china-restri...
theconversation.com/china-restri...
China restricted young people from video games. But kids are evading the bans and getting into trouble
In China, many people see video games as ‘spiritual opium’. However, laws restricting young people’s play have proven difficult to enforce in practice.
theconversation.com
December 9, 2024 at 4:07 AM
Wondering why Australia shouldn’t (consider) ban social media (games) for minors? China sets us an example. Thanks for the great team work @benegliston.bsky.social , @marcuscarter.com 🍻
theconversation.com/china-restri...
theconversation.com/china-restri...
Reposted by Marcus Carter
"The global venture capital sector has invested over USD 225 billion in AI startups over the past five years, compared to USD 143 billion over the same period in startups operating across all aspects of the clean energy sector"
From the IEA's 2024 World Energy Outlook (p186). Now that's a problem.
From the IEA's 2024 World Energy Outlook (p186). Now that's a problem.
December 6, 2024 at 6:13 AM
"The global venture capital sector has invested over USD 225 billion in AI startups over the past five years, compared to USD 143 billion over the same period in startups operating across all aspects of the clean energy sector"
From the IEA's 2024 World Energy Outlook (p186). Now that's a problem.
From the IEA's 2024 World Energy Outlook (p186). Now that's a problem.
I don’t listen to much music, but when I do …
December 5, 2024 at 3:50 AM
I don’t listen to much music, but when I do …
“As we have seen in the past bad policy designs leads to bad outcomes,” Rowland said last week. “It is important we take the time to get these reforms right.”
December 3, 2024 at 12:50 AM
“As we have seen in the past bad policy designs leads to bad outcomes,” Rowland said last week. “It is important we take the time to get these reforms right.”
Maybe we can call gambling ads ‘social media’ and we’ll ban it then?
Gambling ads between Frozen and Bluey songs.
This shouldn’t be happening. Govt needs to have the guts to ban gambling advertising.
www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...
This shouldn’t be happening. Govt needs to have the guts to ban gambling advertising.
www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...
Australian father calls out Spotify for allegedly playing Sportsbet ads during Frozen and Bluey songs
Man says gambling ads ‘potentially damaging’ for his children who regularly listen to Disney and the Wiggles on his account on music streaming app
www.theguardian.com
December 2, 2024 at 10:28 PM
Maybe we can call gambling ads ‘social media’ and we’ll ban it then?
Reposted by Marcus Carter
Gambling ads between Frozen and Bluey songs.
This shouldn’t be happening. Govt needs to have the guts to ban gambling advertising.
www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...
This shouldn’t be happening. Govt needs to have the guts to ban gambling advertising.
www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...
Australian father calls out Spotify for allegedly playing Sportsbet ads during Frozen and Bluey songs
Man says gambling ads ‘potentially damaging’ for his children who regularly listen to Disney and the Wiggles on his account on music streaming app
www.theguardian.com
December 2, 2024 at 9:43 PM
Gambling ads between Frozen and Bluey songs.
This shouldn’t be happening. Govt needs to have the guts to ban gambling advertising.
www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...
This shouldn’t be happening. Govt needs to have the guts to ban gambling advertising.
www.theguardian.com/australia-ne...
All you need to know about how much the government actually understands youth online safety: Apparently YouTube is "primarily for the purposes of education and health support"
www.pm.gov.au/media/social...
www.pm.gov.au/media/social...
www.pm.gov.au
November 28, 2024 at 9:56 PM
All you need to know about how much the government actually understands youth online safety: Apparently YouTube is "primarily for the purposes of education and health support"
www.pm.gov.au/media/social...
www.pm.gov.au/media/social...
I reckon Ms Rachel would crush a season on Survivor
November 28, 2024 at 1:18 AM
I reckon Ms Rachel would crush a season on Survivor
Delighted to share that our ARC Discovery Project on 'Proactive harm prevention for emerging virtual and augmented reality technologies' has been funded. Stoked to get to do more VR & AR work with Jo Gray and @benegliston.bsky.social, and keep growing @cavrn.org !
November 27, 2024 at 12:10 AM
Delighted to share that our ARC Discovery Project on 'Proactive harm prevention for emerging virtual and augmented reality technologies' has been funded. Stoked to get to do more VR & AR work with Jo Gray and @benegliston.bsky.social, and keep growing @cavrn.org !
Reposted by Marcus Carter
A very early version of this was shown at the first Parallels. It was amazing then, even more amazing now.
🚋 Short Trip 🚋, my hand drawn scenic tram experience for cats, is coming to Steam in December! This standalone version includes a new 'scheduled mode' that syncs with your clock to give the tram a timetable, and more. You can wishlist now!
store.steampowered.com/app/3187700/...
store.steampowered.com/app/3187700/...
November 26, 2024 at 9:58 PM
A very early version of this was shown at the first Parallels. It was amazing then, even more amazing now.
Reposted by Marcus Carter
News Corp basically going all in.
November 25, 2024 at 8:40 PM
News Corp basically going all in.