January 2008 Archives
My Blogging Portfolio 3
A lot has happened through out the J-term semester. I have read a total of four intense books, most of which I enjoyed. I have honed in on my critical thinking skills. I have given my opinion which has been respected by my peers and I have respected my peers opinions. It was an emotionally moving class that has talked about issues affected us today. We (my peers and I) accomplished all this with in the four week limit. The best thing about this class is that it was about VIDEO GAMES.
Depth
Much of my past blogs have been very much in depth. Here are a list of my past in-depth blogs:
May the Force be with You, Realism, Video Games as Art? Pffft, Super Mario World, Ms. Lara Croft, My Role Model, Just Another Text Game, and Disagreements. My explanations can be found in my past blogging portfolio. I expressed my feelings about a subject and took it another level. After the last blogging portfolio, my most in-depth article was about The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. I did an analysis of the game and pointed out aspects of the game that made it so wonderful. It was enjoyable to write this article because LOZ is one of my favorite games. Another in-depth article was Household Decorating. This article also meant something to me because it was refute of my final essay. As I started reading Persuasive Games, I wanted to be truthful about what I read. I explained in Persuasive Games..Chpt 1 that the book was a very difficult read and how I felt about the book.
Interaction
Interaction with my peers is very important. Commenting on your peer’s blogs allows them to see what other think through different lenses. These are some of my past interactions: Wikipedia edit, Shade? Interesting, Flustered, Video Games as Art? Some say No?, Mr. Ebert, IF/if/id = harmony, Cadre and Short, and Plotkin's "Shade". These were all great interactions that were made by me and my peers. Not very many new interactions have been made because I was away for a few days. A few days goes along way in this fast paced course. In Juul is finally done I answered some of my peer’s questions that they had for me. It is very fun answering my peer’s questions. It is also fun to comment on others comments of my blogs, as seen in Persuasive Games..Chpt 1.
XenoBlogging
XenoBlogging is the best factor of this class. It is not just interacting with your peers but giving them in depth comments. You can find some of my old xenoblogging in my older portfolio. Not much xenoblogging has been done between my peers because I think a lot of us have slowed down and are becoming exhausted. One recent xenoblog was on my article Household Decorating. My peers not only commented on my article but asked questions. I answered these questions in-depthly to everyone who asked. Also no articles have really been debatable enough to question.
Coverage
My past blogs can be found here. The rest of my blogs written since my last portfolio can be found right below:
Online Presentation. Presubmission Report.
Persuasive Games..Chpt 1 FatWorld.
Household Decorating. Juul is finally done.
Differences Between New Games Journalism and Original Reviews
The Legend of Zelda: The Twilight Princess
This has been a really great class and I enjoyed taking it. I would take this class again if it was longer so maybe I had more time to concentrate on my readings. It was a great four weeks, and I wish everyone the best of luck in the new semester.
I was wondering if someone would like to send their essays to me for me to peer review. I should be on most of the day. My email is snazZy55@hotmail.com.
Thanks!
Have you ever played a video game where you felt connected to the character? Or perhaps you have felt the need to take care of your character and guide your character? I have. I have felt it through a few games that I have played in my lifetime. In any game that you play some type of object always represents your self and you have the need to protect it or help it achieve it’s goal. My goal is to interpret the relationship a person has with the character they play and how it affects the person’s want to play that game. To define ‘character’ so there is no confusion, I mean what the player directly controls and is the main object of the game. I also believe that the stronger the relationship, the stronger the need to play the game (to interact with your character). I know I have felt the urge to play Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess because I wanted to help Link finish his quest to save the princess. My own experience showed me that it is possible to want to play a game because of how you feel about a character.
Now that we did a quick overview, I would like to specify my claim. The Sims is the highest selling pc game of all time. It has this spot of honor for a reason. The Sims draws players in and the players get hooked. The Sims is a simulation of reality that attracts consumers because it not only simulates life its self but consumers can relate to the characters they create and control. Do remember that this is my opinion and it has not been proven. Players can relate to the Sims that they play and that is why they love the game. After they create their Sim and build their house, they begin their new life with their Sim family. It has been known that the personality of the player reflects the personality of the Sim. My priorities in life are passed on to my Sim because it is ultimately me controlling my Sim’s life. Griebel undertakes a study of human personality and the likeness of this personality in their Sim. It is a really great read. It is not only about The Sim’s but the influence on the human mind. Think I am right so far when it comes to my thesis? I hope so. Another great article does not go over the relationship between the player and his/her Sim but the impact of videogames in real life. For a person to develop a relationship with a fictional character the game must impact their life. Can The Sims be a social game without human interaction? This is also discussed in the article. The Sims 2 includes an expansion pack that allows you to date and explore downtown areas. It lets your Sim to have the relationships with other Sims. So not only do you get to control your Sims life, but you get to control their love life. Relationships are everywhere in The Sims and it attracts you even more to game. The Sims 2 Online is a social game where The Sims are taken to the internet. This proves socialism can be done through a game.
Another fact I think why people love to play the Sims is because of the realism. The game is realistic to a real day in real life except for Sim-gibberish and a few other things. Realism attracts consumers to buy a game. Everyone knows this. In this day and age people aim for realism. They aim for realism in videogames, television, and movies.
The best way for anyone to get the philosophy of The Sims is to read Will Wright’s exact words. He speaks about why he created The Sims and what he did before it. The interview was very interesting and Will Wright sounds like the biggest nerd alive. He is also a very rich nerd.You can find his interview here.
There are people who reject my thesis. Many say the best part of The Sims is build mode. One person says that they just do not like the Sims at all. The author believes The Sims is repetitive and unappealing. The best article I could find is one by Charles Paulk. Paulk claims the main draw to The Sims is build mode. It allows you to customize the environment for the Sims. It is a very detailed article I have wrote about before. Build mode has inspired many websites, such as this one, that have new items to download for your Sim house. Users have created thousands of pre-made appliances, furniture, wallpaper, and more so you can decorate your house accordingly.
It is a tough debate because I do agree that build mode is fun. I do know that the real reason I play is because I like playing with my Sim seeing what kind of life I can create. I hope you enjoy my quick online presentation.
- Thesis Statement: The Sims is a simulation of reality that attracts consumers because it not only simulates life its self but consumers can relate to the characters they create and control.
- Humans feel more emotional about what they can relate to. For example humans feel strong emotions and can relate to monkeys, who resemble and act like humans, more then they like a grasshopper.
- The Sims is the highest selling video game for a reason. People do not normally all agree that one game is good. If the majority of people in a room all agree that The Sims is a good game, then it must be something most people would enjoy for a similar reason.
- Not only do most people agree that The Sims is a great game but The Sims broke gender barriers. The male to female ratio of people who play the game is 50/50. The game satisfies all genders, so the game must have a certain aspect that appeals to men and women.
- Creating your own character and stories allows you to play god, and people enjoy being in control of life. Many people wish they were in control of their own life and if not they can get satisfaction from this game.
- Quotations from Literary Sources that support my theory
- “I remember a couple that was really concerned about the lack of handicapped virtual babyz. Others were a bit concerned about the amount of time that people "wasted" playing with virtual babies while real orphans where starving for affect. I really do not care if the discussion was driven by real concern or political-correctness. The fact was that a game about humans engaged the audience to take a critical look at both the simulation and reality.” (Frasca)
- “Unlike other failed attempts to realistically simulate human life and language, Wright came up with an elegant solution that not only works but also encourages the players to project their thoughts on the cute little computer people.” (Frasca)
- Videogames have long been cast as an almost purely masculine domain. And not merely masculine, but regressively, tree house macho, trading in lurid, invariably violent adolescent fantasies. (Paulk)
- Almost eerily devoid of such bias, The Sims has pulled the neat trick of building a player base evenly split along gender lines, drawing in women without alienating male gamers. (Paulk)
- Some Quotations that Refute My Theory
- “Unlike other failed attempts to realistically simulate human life and language, Wright came up with an elegant solution that not only works but also encourages the players to project their thoughts on the cute little computer people.” (Frasca)
- “Particularly intriguing is that the better part of The Sims' fanbase may have less interest in the Sims themselves than the spaces they inhabit. According to Psychology Today, "most long-term players say designing Sim households is the chief delight of the game" (Thompson, 2003), and indeed, The Sims' construction and interior design aspects are as impressively realized as its "human" element.” (Paulk)
- Quotes from Outside Sources that Support My Thesis
- [“The Sims changed the way people play videogames and also changed the kinds of people who play videogames," said Bing Gordon, Executive Vice President and Chief Creative Officer of Electronic Arts ](TMCnet)
- “Since it launched in 2001, the series has gone on to sell a staggering 58 MILLION copies, and with a new version for mobile phones just released, that number is sure to soar into 2006.” (TheSun)
- “Will Wright: When we launched there were few women gamers and the casual gaming market was not established the way it is now. That has been our secret weapon as half the players have been female. They play it for a lot longer too; it is more of a hobby.” (TheSun)
- Quotes from Outside Sources that Refute My Thesis
- The Sims 2 players have created over 125,000 Sims & Houses for their Sims, and uploaded these to www.thesims2.com to share with other players. The player-made Sims & Houses have been downloaded by over 5 million unique visitors from around the globe. (TMCnet)
- Preliminary Conclusion
- Humans show interests and emotion for things they can relate to in life. The Sims allows players to relate to life it’s self. The Sims proposes problems that real life proposes every day. It attracts people to problems they wish they could solve in real life and but are able to solve in a game. This game helps people who are not able to control their own lives, yet they can play god to a whole city or town. (There is going to be more but until I start writing I do not know how to really make it flow.)
- Parenthetical Citation
Many consumers play The Sims because of control over the lives of the Sims that they create, however, TMCnet states the build aspect of the game attracts users as well:
The Sims 2 players have created over 125,000 Sims & Houses for their Sims, and uploaded these to www.thesims2.com to share with other players. The player-made Sims & Houses have been downloaded by over 5 million unique visitors from around the globe.
So far I have not read anything so persuasive in this book written by Ian Bogost. It has been a very difficult book to read and I am glad I have been able to get a head start on the book before the first workbook is due. Not to make my self sound dumb in anyway but Bogost uses big words that are difficult for me to understand my first time reading through. As I read more and more I do understand what he means about rhetoric and procedure. Procedure, in my own definition, is a sequence of steps to accomplish a goal. Companies and businesses use procedure so there is not any confusion when accomplishing a task. Steps are easier to follow then thinking of your own way to finish the task. Also it would not be uniform or appealing to the public. Computers do follow a very strict procedure with out any emotions. If one day our world is ran by computers, it would be more uniform and less hectic.
With me saying that would you want the world run by a system that did not waiver or change emotionally? I think the world would be fairer to everyone except the people who designed the computer who would probably add in their own benefits. Procedure is necessary to prevent chaos. Can there be too much procedure not allowing for one's creativity? The world is at a point where it is changing rapidly into new political policies, training methods, and overall lifestyle. We live in a fast paced world and with the technology it is only going to get faster.
This reflection will not be long because I did not finish playing FatWorld. The graphics lagged on my computer and caused me a major headache and dizziness. Certain games do that to me. However I did get through the first half of the tutorial and I took some notes on what things I noticed and how they affected me. The first thing I noticed is that when I went to create my character it started me off as a 62 year old obese male with all the health condition and on top of that I was middle class. That describes a good part of the population in
As I continued playing there was the projects, suburbs, and estates. Fatworld has all the classes in this fictional world make which makes it even more realistic to our world. When I chose my foods I figure I could choose what was most appealing because I was 'underweight'. Is it not what they say in
Household Decorating
Designers have been creating fictional worlds since video games started about thirty-five years ago. Fictional worlds lure consumers in with promises of new places and imaginative creativity. Different games target different consumers and their taste. The Sims is a game that all consumers can equally play. The difficulty of the game is not hard and the controls are simplistic. Studies have been done to show that both genders play the game equally showing that The Sims is for both genders (Paulk). What is surprising about the studies though is that a decent amount of people play because they get to build and decorate houses for their Sims. Paulk declares that The Sims popularity is due to the fact the game allows the user to construct and beautify houses for their Sim family. He writes:
In short, people relate to the game in a fascinating variety of ways. Particularly intriguing is that the better part of The Sims' fan base may have less interest in the Sims themselves than the spaces they inhabit. According to Psychology Today, "most long-term players say designing Sim households is the chief delight of the game" (Thompson, 2003), and indeed, The Sims' construction and interior design aspects are as impressively realized as its "human" element.
Paulk has found that throughout the years popular culture has led to rise of house hold decorating. He did not have to research or take surveys to see this. Decorating shows, such as Trading Spaces, Extreme Makeover: House Edition, and Trick My Trailer, makes up most of the television playing in our living rooms. The fact that these shows are popular shows even more interest in interior design. Not only do woman host the shows but men do as well. A man hosting pa popular interior design show shows that it is not a one-gender interest anymore. The Sims has shown it as well. Players who play the game spend most of their time decorating. As mentioned before in the essay, half of these players are male. If a male is now doing what a ‘woman’ is supposed to do, does show that it is more widely accepted by all classes and races? In our society if one border is crossed then the rest of the borders jump on the same bandwagon. For example, African-Americans gain rights then woman take their stand with their new found feminism, but that’s another story. It could be argued that men do not like to play Sims for the reason that the decorating makes them feel feminine. However in our culture today men can be more open to their feminine side and other options. Not only is it decorating that lures players into playing The Sims, but it is human resemblance to the game. The Sim world is fictional but it is more closely related to the human race then any other video game available. Not only do people enjoy building for their Sims, but they enjoy controlling their lives, dressing them, and caring for them.
Paulk’s article differed from a traditional game review. His article had nothing to do with how you played the game or if you should buy it. It dealt more with a certain aspect of the game in this case, build mode. A New Games Journalism review would have probably focused more on how The Sims affected their life or how it affects a population. NGJ gives readers a deeper read then this academic article. Academic Articles are a little bit of both worlds. They do define some points of game play and really look into the game. Paulk’s article was about how a consumer decorated and why a consumer decorated.
Ex 4: Article Analysis
Juul was a great read. I learned a lot from him and if I ever took a class like this again I would definitely look for other books written by him. When I started to read chapter 5 the first sentence really popped out at me.
"Rules and fiction interact, compete, and complement each other."
Many games on the market today take place in a fictional world that we do not live in. The world can consist of other planets, natural laws, zombies, and aliens. It may be the fictional worlds that draw consumers into the game as they play it. Different people are attracted to different things in video games. A person may enjoy role-playing when their cousin enjoys first person-shooters. With so many different personalities of a human being, the number of fictional worlds will grow everyday. Along with these visual worlds are the non-visual rules. Rules just hang over a player's head with out the player even noticing it. Rules are so intertwined into game play that they go unnoticeable. I believe that what makes Juul's statement so true. A fictional world can not work with out a defined set of rules. Rules allow game play to run smoother and interaction with the fictional world. They define what is allowed or possible in a fictional place. The most work that has to be put into a game is what the player is allowed to do and not allowed to do. A designer must go through and figure it all out so his created world runs smoothly and evenly throughout the game.
When I first was assigned to due this assignment, I thought to myself that a review is a review and nothing about that was going to change. Until I actually read both of the articles, I chose for this paper did I see the differences. The differences are major because New Games Journalism is entirely different then regular reviews. They each serve a different purpose and I think are for different kinds of readers.
New games Journalism could be for consumers who want to sit and read for a few hours, but I would not recommend it to a normal consumer. I would recommend this type of article to people who genuinely enjoy video games and want to see how others experienced them. One difference I noticed between the two is who you are as opposed to the game. In NGJ, the author writes as if he is in the game experiencing it and relaying his experience to you.
“The prince slips from a moonlit balcony into the warm glow of a bedroom. We see a woman sleeping, hear her gasp. "You may wonder who I am," says the prince, silencing her. "Sit down, and I will tell you a tale like none which you have ever heard." What could be plainer? But gamers have been trained for years to mistrust cut-scenes; what gamers trust is action. And so, once they gain control of the prince, the bedroom and the tale-telling is dismissed or forgotten. Shrugged off as a hackneyed narrative device for setting the game's fantastical scene.”
Edge Magazine describes the game as if it is a book that you opening up for the first time. It does gain your interest to actually read the whole article. People who write these are reviewers expressing their artistic expression or love for a certain video game. As these artists take you through the game as if you were there, a review acts like you are playing the game in your home.
A review is usually long but the author will let you know if it is a good game or not within the first paragraph. I usually stop after that. A review is not as intense as a NGJ article would be since it covers the basics and general guidelines all reviews have. The author explains controls, mapping, graphics, and compare it to other or older versions of the game. They also give you a overview of the story without telling you much detail so the story is still a surprise. Reading the VGJ article I felt like some of that surprise was taken away with such a descriptive explanation of the game. The VGJ article makes you feel like you already played the game. A review is get you ready for what your about to play.
“The quest seems just as insurmountable from a purely game play perspective. Prince will travel through the entirety of the palace, a huge, hulking thing that stretches up, down, and all around. He'll use his wits, his acrobatics, and his sword, avoid traps and kill enemies, engage in high-rise platforming, balance on beams and swing on poles, climb and hang, dangle and flip, shimmy and slide, run, summersault and fight, fall and rewind, slow time and… fall in love? Well, he does meet a beautiful princess along the way and an intriguing sub-story unfolds. As to just what happens, our lips are sealed.”
IGN clearly states what your getting out of this game without telling you how the game goes. The differences could not be more clear with the quotes I pick. They are exact opposites to each other. They are targeting two different audiences and are not meant for the same purpose.
Works Cited
Casamassina, Matt. "Prince of
Edge Magazine. "Prince of
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time started a craze that swept
While graphics are mediocre on the Wii console, Twilight Princess was extremely surprising. The intregrated graphics were done beautifully and while not be easy to match on future games. Every detail was clearly seen, although most TVs will need a slight adjustment to brighten the screen. The world you enter in this game starts off like it did in Ocarina of Time. Many people and places you’ll get to revisit like the Gorons in
Every know Link gets a bow in the game, but what makes it s exciting is the fact you playing with an interactive remote. Swinging the remote to slash enemies helps you get more into the game and feel like your actually playing. Point and click makes it easier too. If you want to shoot an arrow in a certain place you simply point your remote and click. The nunchuck I say has to be the best invention ever for movement in a game. I could not imagine using anything else. It help navigate easier as well. While in wolf form controls are basically the same and not confusing in any matter. There is no special combinations and a lot of buttons to press rapidly and that is a nice change. One you start playing this game you will not want to stop and when you hand is not cramping you do not have too.
One you start playing you get lost in the storyline and find yourself exploring new worlds, wondering who is the Twilight King, and will Gannondorf return. It is a difficult, challenging story that can make any mind wonder. The game consists of animated blood and violence which is not suitable for younger children, however I recommend it to from young teenagers to a person of any age who enjoys exploring large maps, great action, interesting puzzles, and an awesome adventure.
My Second Portfolio
Thus far in my student career Video Game Culture has been one of my hardest classes not only requiring a lot of hard work but critical thinking. Our professor requires expanding our thinking past our opinion or bias, while still letting us express our true opinion on a subject. This is the first class where my opinion can be respected and understood by the teacher/peers without them telling me why I am wrong. So far this class has allowed to me to expand my mind in a whole different way on a subject that I love: Video Games.
Depth
As I mentioned above I have really been able to express my thoughts in this class. I not only covered the surface of the subjects but I was able to explore deeper into meanings and my own thought. As a biology major. I have learned to study other people's opinion before being able to give mine. This class has really allowed me to express myself in ways I have not been able to express them before. In my blog, May the Force be with You, I talked about my initial reaction to New Games Journalism. It may not be a long blog but it is interesting. Here I gave my thoughts on the Realism in games and if it is necessary to have such realistic gaming. While I do agree with most people on their perspective of video games, I did not agree with Mr. Ebert’s view of video games as an art and challenged it here in Video Games as Art? Pffft. I not only agree or disagree with an author’s article or book but I also tried giving my own version of a NGJ game review for Super Mario World. In this class I even defended Ms. Lara Croft, My Role Model. I also thought a lot about what makes Interactive Fictions so fun to some people, Just Another Text Game. Taken into consideration as well was my biology background of disagreeing scientists and how video game theorist will constantly have Disagreements for generations.
Interaction
What most online classes miss is interaction. Even though this class is small, we do interact with each other on our blogs. We know each other by name, not face like my regular classes. I enjoy reading other people's opinions about a subject, although I do not always comment. I do enjoy answering people's questions and if I do not agree then that is the best way to start a conversation or a debate. I try and keep up with my peers as well so we are all on the same page or still thinking about the same article. One of my blogs even sparked a Wikipedia edit by my professor. Shade? Interesting that started a conversation about the similarities between ‘Escape the Room’ games and interactive fiction. My peers also understood some of my opinions like in Flustered. Video Games as Art? Some say No? was written by Derek Tickle and it was the first blog that I was able to debate against and state my opinion. I also tried to help my classmates better understand where the author was coming from such as Zach T.’s blog about Mr. Ebert. The blog What should a Game Contain? allowed me to I express my thoughts on virtual reality and its future. My comments were short at times, IF/if/id = harmony. I also have noticed how different some of my classmates are to me in Cadre and Short. We also expressed our opinions on the psychology of video games in Kevin McGinnis’ Plotkin's "Shade".
Xenoblogging
Xenoblogging is a term my teacher, Dr. Jerz, created to encompass interaction between peers that involves answering a question or leaving a more in-depth comment. I did not leave many of these types of comments because I could only write a passionate comment about something I felt passionate about. Certain blogs really caught my attention and I felt as though the author of it can benefit from reading someone else’s opinion or comment on what he wrote. In Effort or Fun we discussed some of our generation’s expectations of receiving rewards for our effort. I expressed how different my opinion was to Kevin’s in Cadre and Short. The defined example of xenoblogging is the blog The Role of Women in Video Games. Every one makes their opinions extremely clear and I felt very strongly about this article in general.
Coverage
I feel I have accomplished much of my readings and gave my thought on each subject. I tried my hardest to have my blogs written and finished within the same day that they were assigned. Many blogs were posted the day after seeing I had more time to really think about them and read other people's opinions as well. I tried to include my initial reaction and then finish off with a deeper thought about the subject. Many of the texts were interesting enough where I could really be passionate about what I wrote. This list includes all of my blogs up until now about each of the assigned text.
- Shanahan, "Bow, N*gger" - Ex 1a: Traditional Game Review
- Ex 1b: Comparative Analysis - Strong Bad on Videogames
- History of Video Games - "Storytelling in Video Games."
- Interactive Fiction - Historical Perspective on Video Games
- IF (Cadre and Short) - "Somewhere Nearby Is Colossal Cave"
- Plotkin, "Shade" - Douglass on "Shade"
- Ex 2: Game Analysis 1 - Laurel (to page 65)
- Laurel (Finish) - Ex 3: Game Analysis 2
- Juul (Preface to Ch 3) - ''The Myth of the Ergodic Videogame''
- Juul (Finish) - Ex 4: Article Analysis
- Video Games as Art? - Effort: Work and Fun with ''Adventure''
- First Blog Portfolio - Gender and Games
Many of these entries express my opinion, an opinion that in this class people respect. I have learned many things about various subjects pertaining to video games. I looked forward to the end of this class so I can really understand exactly what I have learned. I am proud of the blogs that I have written so far and I hoped you enjoy them.
Playing with distinct human player-characters allows a player to understand what the character is going through. If you’re getting shot at you are most likely paniked and sweaty, in games that happens as well. You feel more attached to the character I believe. You can also recognize how a character is feeling or understands if he/she is out of breathe. I do not think you would be so emotionally attached to the nameless explorer. It would happen though if you were so emotionally attached to yourself, then feeling like another's life was put in your hands.
Playing with depersonalized characters feels like it is just a representation of yourself or you are acting like the spaceship or box. I believe those games are more technical then they are emotional. Emotional games you put more thought into then strategic games where it is more the likely based on reflexes.
Newman's theory about non-ergodic games would apply to a game's character that a 'onlooker' could have emotional feelings about; relating to the character rather then playing it.
Coming from a field where great scientist's theories are found out to be wrong about every 200 years, I can see why there are so many disagreements in the video gaming world today. The main question: Is the structure and formula enough to consider video games an art along with things such as literary works, drama, and paintings? This question will never be answered until people can agree on what components make a video game and how they make the video game greater then other video games. Juul, Newman, and Aarseth have very different views on how to judge video games. Juul believes they should fall under his six-part system and I agreed with him. Aarseth said games must be ergodic, "requiring effort." I also agree or a game would not be fun or appealing to the consumer. Last but not least Newman believes that video games should also be enjoyable to those not giving effort or 'onlookers' of a video game.
"The pleasure of videogame play does not simply flow through the lead of a joystick."
Once again I love the idea. As many of you know, I am a girl who grew up in a boy’s world. Since I was a girl I was not usually allowed to play with my brother or dad so I had to learn how to watch. Some games would be boring to watch and only the person playing would fully get any joy out of it. Other would be exciting for me to watch while getting into the story and I did not even have to play. Some game's stories invite non-players into their world along with the person actually playing the game. I know for a fact I used to get really into the Resident Evil plotlines even though I have never played. Watching my cousin play gave me just as much excitement as playing the game.
All of these authors had great points and when someone is finally able to mash all these together, games are going to have to take it to another level and become an actual art.
Newman, ''The Myth of the Ergodic Videogame''
Half-Real by Jesper Juul (what a cool name) has been a really good read so far. This book you can compare closer to a text book then the past books we have read in this class. The similarity to a text book has made me enjoy it more actually. I am used to my biology books; reading exact theories and/or guidelines. For example, I liked reading his classic game model. I understood exactly what he meant when he was telling us what basic guidelines something needs to be considered a game. The classic game model was the perhaps the most interesting part of the book so far. He proposes six distinct features a game must have to be considered an actual game. I have applied a few games that I have played to those rules to see if they would be considered a game and they were. Perhaps these are the beginning guidelines to get video games considered an actual art, not just a medium.
"Game rules are designed to be easy to learn, to work without requiring any ingenuity from the players, but they also provide challenges that require ingenuity to overcome."
Game players do not even realize how much rules control the games that we play today. We do not question them. If we go to the end of a map and can not go past a mountain we do not question the game, we just know that we can not pass that mountain. What is nice about video games though is that the rules are set by the computer. When you play made up games such as tag with you friends, everyone has a different set of rules. Video games however have defined rules which both players can not question and it makes the game a lot more fair. Let us look at the definition of ingenuity. Dictionary.com says it means, "the quality of being cleverly inventive or resourceful." So basically that quote is saying that the players should not have to create the rules, but the rules should be difficult enough that overcoming the game should be challenge. What fun is there in a game if you do not have to try?
Juul (Preface to Ch 3)
Utopian Entrepreneur by Brenda Laurel was a very interesting book indeed. She made lots of points on how the culture business can bring you to the top, then chew you up and spit you out.
"...the transmedia process has thus far consisted of repurposing content from one medium for another -- film to tv, comics to film, dolls and toys to videogames, movies to dolls and toys, or movies to the Wed. In a transmedia world.."
If you haven’t noticed any item for sale has a website. People expect them too. How else are you to find information on an item that you would like to buy these days? You see an item, type in the items name then slap on a .com at the end and viola! your item is on a web page. Also people who market items want to reach out to all communities. For example let’s talk about Disney. Disney is probably the best transmedia marketer to date. For example, lets use Aladdin. It was a very popular movie in the 90s. They based this movie off books that had to do with a magic genie and lamps. Not only did they create a book of the Disney version; they came out with a TV show, a video game (SNES), arts/crafts, legos, and toys. They basically covered all areas of Toys R Us. Believe me I know, I worked there. Disney reached out to all areas that kids like to explore. Other then Disney, businesses basically are doing the same thing to survive in the industry these days. If a video game is popular they are more then likely to come out with a movie to broaden its audience. No longer are businesses in it for one certain type of genre, they are in it in to get as many people hooked as they possibly can.
Laurel (Finish)
Up to this point in this book, it has been a hard reading for me.
"Barbie represents possibilities to girls -- Fashion Model Barbie, Teacher Barbie, NBA Barbie, Dentist Barbie, Working Woman Barbie. She can be whatever a girl wants to pretend she is -- a plastic-limbed scaffolding for imaginative play. Nevertheless, I hate her."
When I played with barbies I never really thought I should be like her. I chose my barbies according to how they would fit in a scene I acted out with them. I had soap opera-like stories in my head, and I would act them out with my barbies. I always made them dramatic like Ken cheated on Barbie with Teresa and Barbie would find out, losing her best friend. I watched a little too much TV when I was younger. The only barbie I think I ever wanted was Veterinarian Barbie because I have always enjoyed animals from childhood and knew I wanted to be a vet. That is beside the point. I never wanted to be like Barbie. I never thought I should look like her or be skinny like her because no one ever told me I should look like her. I played with her, she was a play toy. I think that parents are the ones who put into their child’s mind that kids feel like they should look like barbie. They tell their kids that they can not play with her or they will become anorexic. I do not understand the psychology of the mind, but I would want to become skinnier because of the real people I see on TV or in the magazines...not the toys that I play with because they are simply..fake.
Laurel (to page 65)
Dr. Jerz pointed out that he was playing a point and click game called MOTAS. I was bored so I decided to play it not knowing whether or not I should post a blog. Well I am because it is a VERY COOL game. It involves puzzles and clues. What I wanted to point out was a quote that popped up in the game.
"OH REALLY? ILLOGICAL? THIS PLACE SEEMS AS MUCH OF A LOGICAL NIGHTMARE AS THOSE TEXT ADVENTURES...."
I thought that was interesting because both the 'get out the room' and text adventures are very logical games. They require you to think more then most games that require action do. It was also funny because as I was playing this game I thought the same thing.
On the pages that I read Douglass seemed to point out a lot of details about Plotkin's Shade. Because I was not able to beat the game, he basically told me how the game ended which was okay since I do not think I would go back and play it. Games that confuse me or do not get my immediate attention are not that appealing and it is hard for me to stay on track. Games that are not my idea of 'fun' are frustrating instead of just giving my brain a good work out. As I read how the game ends, I wondered exactly how Plotkin came up with that crazy storyline. I mean a wh