Posts Tagged: video games

I like video games. I’m not crazy about them. I played Spyro growing up, and only play Halo now if I am severely intoxicated. I still enjoy playing video games, but I’ve found I just don’t have the time to sit for three or four hours in front of a game console when I have numerous other tasks to accomplish.

Now, that doesn’t mean games are bad. Actually, I think that video games can be quite educational. Growing up, I played Math Blasters, Oregon Trail, Treasure Mathstorm, and more to learn valuable math, writing, critical thinking, and problem solving skills. By the time I was in 4th grade I was a self-declared genius because I had beat Treasure Mathstorm ten times (but usually always died on the Oregon Trail).

However, there needs to be a balance today. Gaming can definitely be an addiction. The kids in South Korea usually spend whole days gaming, every day. There’s even boot camps where children can go to break the gaming addiction. When kids spend that much time playing video games they potentially do worse in other areas like school or social interactions.

I grew up with video games and the great outdoors. There was a healthy balance between the two. I never played my PlayStation for more than 2 hours tops, and I never played it every day.

Sometimes, video games like World of Warcraft help people branch out from all corners of the world. Players will interact online but never physically meet each other unless they arrange something or meet at an international W.o.W conference.

This can be good for people who have difficulty meeting others. But gaming can still suck up a lot of time without users realizing where it’s gone. It can be hard to break a habit, but there are so many other things besides compulsive gaming.

I don’t see compulsive gaming being a problem in the USA like it is in South Korea. The two cultures are entirely different, and unlike in South Korea, the USA doesn’t have internet cafe’s on every street. BUT Americans do have at least one computer in the household. So, maybe compulsive gaming isn’t as publicized as it is in South Korea. Since the computers are more a domestic involvement, perhaps compulsive gaming is hidden within individual homes.

Either way, parents should be monitoring how often their children game, and adults who play video games should be informed about the risks of over stimulation.

I like to think of myself as a “gamer.” I own all three major home consoles and usually play through all the major well-reviewed releases, Red Dead Redemption, Super Mario Galaxy 2, you name it. But then I look at the most popular games around right now. I’ve never desired to play any Call of Duty game, nor do I play very much Madden. I especially have no interest in dancing for Kinect. When looking at the role games play in our culture, these are types of games that I observe breaking the boundaries from stereotypical gamers like myself, and reaching people who have never picked up a controller. Even with online games, whether they are Farmville or World of Warcraft, they just don’t appeal to me.

When trying to look at this paradox, as a gamer who doesn’t like or play the most popular games, I arrived at two reasons: I love narratives, but dislike social gaming. Almost all of the above games include some interaction with other players, where I guess I would rather just play through a game on my own. I wasn’t aware introversion applied to video game usage, but apparently it does. Further, I like to play through narratives on my own, which are almost exclusively single-player based. Ironically, I am most attracted to the cinematic and literary elements in games, not their ludological elements. In juxtaposition with what distinguishes games from other media, I play games that are similar to other media.

As to avoid the egotism that goes with talking about oneself for an entire blog post, what does this personal case study mean about games in our society? Well for one, I think it shows how diverse the audiences are for any type of game. Whereas many people may like specific genres of film, television, or books, it seems that many people view games as an entire genre, which is liked by a specific group of people. There’s no other medium that I can think of where the medium is thought of as more of a niche market rather than a form of entertainment that everyone can enjoy a part of. In contrast with this mindset, I think recent surge in diversity in not just game content, but game interface, displays the growing appeal of games to various types of people. The idea that someone like me would like some games but not many others shows how games, like traditional media, are developing specific genres.

Additionally, I think these narrative elements of games make them comparable to other media. In the early days, games were focused on challenge and skill, but as the industry has grown, the genre of narrative-based games have developed as well. By focusing on well-developed characters and plot, in a single-player experience, games can offer stories in the vein of a miniseries or television show, where the audience views the story episodically. Like other media, not all games are about stories, but many of them are. For every Heavy Rain there is a Wii Fit. For every Boardwalk Empire there is a Dancing with the Stars. Different strokes for different folks. Even though I may not care to play a lot of games, I’m happy they’re bringing new audiences to this growing medium. As the industry expands further, I don’t expect everyone to play games for same reason, I just hope we can all find satisfaction in them, rather than passively dismissing them as a waste of time. Games aren’t just for gamers, they’re for everyone.

It is crazy to see the way interactive entertainment is changing. I think its really interesting that the week we discuss video games is in conjunction with Xbox’s newest video game platform, Kinect. Kinect allows the users to be “the controller.” The advancment of technology in the game Kinect makes me wonder, where is the future of video games headed? Can anything top a controller free video game? Not only are the environments in which interactive games are played changing, but I believe our social norms are changing as well. How are interactive games changing our social norms? Will serious games become part of everyday classroom lesson plans? Will people get together on weekends to play video games instead of board games or watching movies? And are these social changes a good thing?

After watching the “Digital Nation” in class today, I realize the answer to my question may line within this video. One part of the film was about how elementary students were using laptops for learning. The principal legitimized children’s laptop use for learning by saying that technology will always be apart of our world, it’s like oxygen and we would never not let children use oxygen. Lame example. But a valid underlying point. Technology will always be developing, expanding, and changing the way we as society does pretty much everything. Obviously, technology is changing the way people play video games, and that serious games are a very unique way to learn. I could definitely see the future of video games involving many different environments, especially the classroom. Can you imagine a bunch of students sitting around in class and playing games for class? I don’t believe this is a far off future. I actually took a class here at Elon undergrad where we made presentations and projects in Second Life. Not exactly a game, per say, but definitely on the pathway to playing games in classrooms

I could also definitely see the future of video games being incorporated into lots of social settings, like Jordan T. said in class on Monday. No longer will people be going out to see movies. They may be creating movies through game controllers, or becoming part of a virtual video game. Seriously, if technology has now allowed video games to be controller free… we are definitely headed towards a world of unimaginable games.

I am a gamer. Not just a casual gamer, but a hard core gamer. I do not just play video games, though. I also follow the trends and news related to video games. I feel that the questions I posted for this week reflect and were inspired by the knowledge I have gained over the years.

For example, in my first question I asked if video games as a forum for media is protected by free speech. I asked this question because of a case currently being deliberated by the Supreme Court. Essentially, law makers in California are trying to pass a law that would make it a criminal act to sell violent video games to minors. The defender against this law is the Entertainment Software Association who claims that this law would be illegal under the free speech amendment. At this point, both sides have given their testimonies and the results will be decided upon between now and the Court’s recess in June.

I bring up this case because it highlights a feature of video games which separates them from other forms of media; interactivity. Part of the overarching concern over violent video games is the player is an active participant in the actions the character takes in the game. The short version is: if you do it in a game, you might do it in real life. There is research that argues both sides of this argument, but this is not the reason I bring up the interactive feature of  video games. I am highlighting this feature because of the possibilities that stem from it.

The possibilities of interactivity are the focus for my other questions this week. For example, presume that video games followed the principle of monkey see monkey do. By that logic if you make a video game that teaches kids to practice good oral hygine then those who play said game would also practice good oral hygine.  That is not how things are so let’s twist the idea another way with another example. Centuries ago, certain professions required one to obtain an apprenticeship to learn the trade such as carpentering, masonry, etc. This apprenticeship required one to practice and train under their mentor before they could “graduate”. In other words, the apprentice had to interact and practice in order to learn his trade instead of being considered a master by reading a few books. A more modern example, would be our production classes. In these classes, we have the opportunity to take the knowledge we gain in our theory class and apply it. We get to interact not just with the tools, but with the knowledge as well.

What I am trying to get at is the model of interactivity presented by video games has the potential to be exercised across the board. For the past decades, our culture has been one of passive consumption. Video games and their popularity, however, reflect our desire as a culture to become active producers and active participants in the world. And, no, I do not mean the way depicted by schell where you get points for everything. I mean a world where people not just have a perception of power, but truly have the capability to interact with various aspects of their lives.

Last week we discussed Obama’s presidential campaign and the website mybarackobama.com. Part of what drew people to the site was the ability to have a say. People were empowered. Whether that is true or not still today is up for debate, but at the very least a domino effect was started. Just look at the rise and exponential growth of the Tea Party, if that does not reflect people’s desire to be an active participant I don’t know what does.

Ultimately, the incorporation of interactivity holds a number of possibilities for the future.

Earlier in the week I posted some questions regarding the relationship between education and interactive entertainment. Sure enough, there is a significant sector of the industry that is dedicated to the education of users (I read a blog that referred to this as “edutainment.”) Despite the monumental amounts of money driving the gaming industry, there are still games being produced that go beyond the mindless, violent themes with which they are often associated. In addition to educational benefits such as teaching math and science lessons to children in the form of gaming systems, there are studies that show interactive entertainment has the potential to impact the general motivation for learning. Upon reflection over the Wikipedia entry game studies, I find the social science approach fascinating.

The social science approach to game studies inevitably leads to the question: “What do video games do to people.” I can’t help but think of the people who were interviewed in the Frontline documentary that we watched in class. There was a woman who admitted to quitting her job, just so she was able to play her favorite video game full-time. There was also a couple who told the reporter they actually met online through the video game and were eventually married. We were even introduced to overseas rehab (rehab?!) centers for young children who were trying to break free of actual video game addiction.

Clearly, video games do a lot to people.

I think video games have the capacity to have different effects on different people- perhaps due to personality, environmental factors, etc. Still, it’s fascinating to consider the wide range of impact that interactive entertainment has on users. There is the extreme, where people are clearly so addicted that it results in the disruption of their every day lives. I have a difficult time relating to this, probably because my parents never allowed video games in our house when I was growing up. Instead, they encouraged my brother and I to stay active in sports and have “real”, for lack of a better word, interactions with our friends. I think the only way for me to relate to the need to constantly interact with a game is to compare my Internet usage. In this sense, I can understand how certain behaviors can be developed, including a subconscious dependence on the medium.

Still, I think it’s more important to focus on the benefits that the interactive entertainment industry has to offer. The Wikipedia entry on the social science approach to game studies also detailed some of the specific instances of games that are leveraged to encourage learning in a variety of interface forms, including challenge, fantasy, curiosity and control. I find it hopeful that these studies support the belief that video games can provide an appealing, alternative form of learning for younger generations. At the same time, when considering some of the addictive behaviors that result from video game use, perhaps the use of interactive entertainment for education still has the potential for negative side effects.

I think that it is amazing that in a world of time-shifted television, pirated movies, and free music, one aspect of the entertainment industry has blossomed and grown considerably in the last 20 years: the video game sector.

I think that as interactive media students, it is very important for us to take a good look at video games which could be considered the most interactive of media.

In my questions that I posted earlier this week, I questioned the idea of demographic shifts in the video game audience. In recent years, we have seen a historically young male dominated industry embrace a much more diverse audience. There are now there are many more female gamers and older gamers. It is no longer considered a pastime for nerdy guys in their basements. The game systems have moved from the basement to the middle of the living room and are as ubiquitous as television sets.

Industry legend, Nintendo, knew they couldn’t compete with the hardcore systems like XBox and Playstation, and instead they decided to utilize their low-priced Wii system as a family-friendly device. They have released motion-controlled games like Wii Sports and Wii Party that appeal to families and are positioned to replace the board games of old. There are also games like Wii Fitness that target women and can even be used by the elderly for aerobics. Nintendo has found great success with their Wii system and the industry has definitely taken notice. We now are seeing rival companies, Microsoft and Sony, creating motion-control add-ons that form much more immersive gaming experiences and are targeted towards families.

Gaming is also become more relevant to diverse users via free games on the internet, especially through social networks. We have recently seen the explosion of games like Mafia Wars and Farmville that not only are engaging and addictive but also allow a variety of users to connect with others to compete and cooperate…and all for free.

It’s only going to grow more. As mobile phone technology continues to advance, we see more and more games popping up and being used by all types of users. We are even seeing these mobile games taking it a step further and shifting their game-like elements from virtual to the real world. Apps like Foursquare, could be considered social media video games but still involve people exploring the real world and earning rewards that are both digital and real. There are also QR codes and other scannable interfaces that hide digital content in the real world that transfer to the virtual world.

I feel that this idea of augmented reality will continue to advance and become more relevant in everyday lives. This idea and the increase in motion-based controls will continue to push gaming to the forefront of the entertainment industry and bring in users of all different backgrounds. Will we eventually see every person with a virtual avatar in a virtual world like Second Life? Will we eventually find it difficult to separate the real world from the digital game world? These are questions that remain to be answered and it will be interesting (and maybe a bit scary) to see what happens.

1. Why has a counter/subculture developed around video games? Why have these “gamers” become known for playing into the wee hours of the morning in their special gaming chairs (equipped with rocking capabilities and built-in speakers) and a headset to trash-talk little kids? Is this stereotype only related to intense “first-person-shooter” games?

2. Why have we accepted the transition from family board game night to family “Wii game” night? What are the elements shared between the Wii and board games that make them “fun for the whole family”?

3. Why are people willing to spend $40-$60 dollars per game? This has been the case since the advent of games and people have continued to accept the cost. Why isn’t there a “pirate bay” for video games? Are the encryption codes better, or is this just a more loyal and upstanding demographic?

Old school games from the 1980’s had an innocence. Dig Dug. Centipede. Joust. The Mario Games. They all had a simplicity to them that seems novel and maybe even boring compared to today’s games. Current video game culture still retains a place for ‘cutesy’ games, but as video games become more mainstream, the best selling games seem to be more violent, more over the top and more aggressive.

1.) Does this change indicate a change in popular culture that is reflected in video games? If video games are more violent, does that mean Americans feel more violent?

2.) Does this change reflect the increased developing capacity brought on by cheaper and cheaper computing power? Were these violent tendencies always there and just remained unexpressed in video games because we did not have the capacity to realistically render it?

3.) Is there a link between economic well being and the kind of video games we enjoy? The 80’s were a time of recession and uncertainty (relative to the 90’s) In those times, games were more innocent and ‘family oriented.’ The 90’s saw economic boom times – our games became more violent and aggressive and stayed that way through the early part of the 21st century. Now, however, as times again become rough, there seems to be a return to family oriented, ‘fun’ games. Do we crave ‘fun’ games more during hard times? Is their a psychological need these games fulfill that are linked to our feeling of existential well being?

The questions I have for this week are:

How do games effect people?

Do games allow the player express individual morality?

What sociological impact do games make on groups of people?

As someone who routinely procrastinates blog posts in favor of going on one more quest, I’m excited to discuss interactive entertainment and video games this week.

1. What I mostly wrote my paper about was the use of narratives in games. While I know my opinion, and that of the research I did, I’m curious to as to what the class thinks. Are games capable of telling stories or narratives on the same level as movies, books, or TV? Or are they a different type of narrative entirely?

2. The Xbox Kinect recently came out recently, which for those of you who don’t know, is basically a way of playing video games without a controller. While the technology might be cool, the reviews for the games seem to suck, at least from what I’ve seen. Aside from the novelty and usage for family dance games, what practical entertainment uses can be gained from controllerless games?

3. As Lackaff mentioned, games are a huge industry, where the cash flows despite a down economy. Yet, they don’t quite have the mass appeal that other media do. More so than any other medium, video games are associated with specific demographics. Why is this, and why are games not as prevalent in our culture as they are in our economy?