Information as capability for action and capital in synthetic worlds

Introduction. The purpose of this paper is to elaborate the specific qualities of information in the context of synthetic worlds, particularly, information practices accomplished in playing online games. The main attention was directed towards two main features of information: information as capability for action, and as capital, implying the potential of using power over others. Method. A conceptual analysis of about 30 key studies on synthetic worlds and online gaming was conducted, to examine how researchers have characterized information as capability and capital in the context of virtual worlds. Analysis. The identification and comparison of the similarities and differences in the characterizations of information as capability and capital as constituents of information practices. Results. Information-based capability for action is the extent to which the actors can identify, acquire and use ecological and emphatic information available in the virtual environment. Importantly, information of both types can afford action in a virtual environment, although failure to identify relevant ecological or emphatic information is likely to render the task performance more difficult or interrupt it. In virtual contexts, information appears as both capital and experience goods whose value cannot be estimated in detail before the consumption process. Nevertheless, information can be bought and sold as a virtual currency in the context of online games in particular. The acquisition of information can provide an individual with the opportunity to use power over others and in some cases even gain the status of a cognitive authority. Conclusions. The study of information-systemic properties enriches the picture of information practices, by demonstrating how the virtual contexts shape the ways in which people seek, use and share information.