these pictures by robbie cooper (which i just photographed at the brilliant computer games exhibition playtime) are great examples of non-pretentious, passionate, conscious and yet secretly meaningful portraits.

in coopers project (which you can find more examples and explanatory text to on his website), more or less random people have been asked to deliver a portrait shot of their alter ego which they use in various computer games; cooper then portrayed the players of these games alongside with their creations. the resulting contrast frames are also available as a book.

the surprising confrontation helps to understand what immense importance virtual reality has been providing to the generations of computer gaming in the past 20 years. unlike other imaginative media like TV, movies, comics or literature, where the reader/viewer merely is a spectator and has to identify with one or the other protagonist introduced, role playing games (and specifically online virtual reality worlds provide the possibility to form your alter ego according to your own wishes and fantasies.

the question arising here is about the purpose of these charades available for everyone - why does a wide and growing community of people grown up with these possibilities to become someone else and have adventures in virtual reality exist? is their only goal entertainment? do they seek relief of their otherwise dull lives? is this a form of additional life complementing reality?

the answers to these questions are remarkably complex and diverse. being a player of such games myself for years, i have experienced very different relations to my alter egos - and those of other player i have encountered in online worlds. all of them were experimental, passionate and "true" - in a very personal way identifying the player with their alter ego.

i think the same thing is true, very often, with the pictures people publish here on their photoblogs.

Wow. Great series and provocative question! I think it is probably a combination of things for most people. I definitely think there are those people who use these games as an escape from reality, everyday boredom, unhappiness etc. I know one person who is so addicted to a particular game that he gave up his job and most of his face-to-face interactions with people so he can play all day until very late at night. Certainly don't think it is always healthy. I've played and I mostly liked being able to get engrossed in the fantasy aspect (I AM a killer witch with all kinds of cool spells) in a different way than reading a book or watching a film. Great post Michael. liveandletlive · 2012-06-22: 11:20

Yes, great post. And I am sure "the dude" would approve! Lsample · 2012-06-22: 11:33

Well I know nothing about alter egos such as these and computer games never having made one or played as one.... seems I might be missing out on something in terms of making the image ... but I doubt it terms of playing games. 8^) I find you last sentence most interesting but I want to make sure I understand what you mean. Are you saying that time spent here on PB is not so unlike time spent with these games? And therefor do we spend time here out of entertainment/ boredom/ finding fulfillment??? Very interesting to think about! But what I'd really like is to find some place to make one of those incredible looking alter egos!! DancingDolphin · 2012-06-22: 13:40

I think that it's just simple escapism for most people. In the same way that they would have played, say, Monopoly and enjoyed "being" a property tycoon for an hour or so, now they play these online games. The only thing that interests me about the games is how people can just play them for hours on end when they are so repetitive? My son plays them all the time, and I often say to him when he's enthusing about a new game: "Is it about going in and out of rooms shooting people?" He just laughs and almost invariably admits that that is the case; the only exception to that rule is when the killing takes place over a rambling landscape rather than in a building. I think people who have alter egos should channel all their energies into being themselves. If you're not happy with who you are and your achievements, then try harder; don't pretend to be a superior person in a game :-) ????? · 2012-06-22: 20:02

Very interesting post my friend! And comments as well, alter egos are so fascinating and gaming like PB can be very addicting but in a creative way. Myself,I'm intrigued by supermans alter ego- Clark Kent. TEOMONTANA · 2012-06-24: 18:18

@dancingdolphin: isn't your profile picture somewhat of an avatar/alter ego already? and yes, i believe many people (including me) are here on photoblog to at least partly live an online life. i don't post pictures and text only to give them a place; i don't need to show off my stuff to others, i am quite content with producing all that stuff for myself. but i love to get in contact with others in discussions and in a community of strangers, and these pictures and texts and comments are my contribution to the community. similar things happen in online games; where people come together to solve puzzles or have adventures together; each one of them contributing to the community either with their skills and presence, or by competing with others for a price. this can become an addiction of course, like going to the pub every night or work your ass off, but it is a very social addiction and often self regulatory because there are many factors (including real world demands, repetitiveness, etc.) that restrict you from loosing yourself completely in these avatar worlds. as there are limits in being social on photoblog, something we all have experience here before, too. stormfish · 2012-06-25: 04:25

@markscottgibson: thank you for your thoughts :-) i am not sure what is "simple" about escapism. the wish to escape from the reality surrounding you has often very complex reasons and can occur in quite different forms; playing games is just one way of getting your steam off and finding a - rather non-destructive - way of exploring different "realities" or dreams or wishes then many other things that people do to get away (getting drunk in the pub, "exploring" your world in gangs, etc). the repetitiveness of computer games is indeed a mind boggling fact. i often have given up on a game because of too much of it; however, i think there are player who are not only happy with it but exactly seek this kind of repetitiveness - it can have something relaxing, even meditative, to do the same thing over and over again; although it's not my cup of tea. and yes, unfortunately, most games are simply about killing enemies, monsters or people in a competitive, who-comes-first-survives way. there has been plenty of discussion about this fact which does neither reflect the actual violence of player or game designers, but also has a multitude or reasons: first of all, killing of an enemy is the easiest and most drastic way to show that a player has overcome an obstacle or reached a goal (often it is combined with advancing on a map or through a linear series of rooms). then it also provides the possibility for spectacular effects such as explosions, blood shedding, etc. - experiences, all of which are both tabooed (and thus interesting) for people who normally in their lives won't witness either. and last but not least, the killing situation in most games that i know is constructed as a defence situation, i.e. i cannot avoid being attacked by my enemies when i try to reach the games objective. there are some brilliant exceptions ("thief" and partly, "splinter cell" comes to mind) but for the first and second reasons mentioned above, they have never been fully "mainstream". thanks for this interesting discussion - comments like yours are the reason why i come up with blog entries like mine. :-) stormfish · 2012-06-25: 04:25

@teomontana: oh, i'd like to know more about this superman/clark kent alter ego thing! i've never gotten too deep into superhero comics, and the only thing i know is that clark kent is in love with his colleague louise lane, who herself has only eyes for superman... what a cock up situation! ;-) stormfish · 2012-06-25: 04:26

Tagged: alterego avatar rpg games virtual reality thebestofbothworlds