http://blogs.setonhill.edu/DerekTickle/ en-us Copyright 2008 Mon, 21 Jan 2008 23:39:26 -0500 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/ http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss This is the last portfolio for MWG: Video Game Culture and Theory and covers many important concepts that I have learned since portfolio 2. After reading Newman’s article called, "The Myth of the Ergodic Videogame'' I learned how on-lookers can have the same pleasure that the actual gamer does. My reflection called, “Character Relationships (Newman)" correlates with Ashley and Zach’s blog entries because of the same ideas we had for this concept. The Presubmission Report and Ex 4: Article Analysis assignments went hand-in-hand, to say, because of how important they were for my research paper. With the completion of “Ex 4” I was able to find and analyze academic articles in a better way because I understood what to look for. For example, finding the thesis, opposing and supporting ideas, and also how the article differs from my experience with traditional and NGJ reviews were some learned concepts.

The recent computer game called “Fatworld” was released and I was able to play it and express my initial opinions. “The Video Game” allowed me to compose a claim (thesis) that was able to be discussed and be debatable among my classmates. This was made possible after finishing the Persuasive Games book by Bogost because he explained different elements in a video game such as procedural rhetoric, values, and artistic expression. I had never heard about the term procedural rhetoric before reading this book and found it to be a very interesting term. In my blog entry called, “Procedural Rhetoric and Maintaining Order” I describe how important it is that video games contain a procedure or method for the player to follow.

After reading the detailed and informative “comment” made by Dr. Jerz about my “Presubmission Report” I realized that I needed to focus on some of my writing skills. This included SHOWING instead of TELLING when describing a research study or stating my opinion, using more specific wording, and also use scholarly quotes to back up my opinion. After completing this assignment and reviewing the feedback I was now able to compose my blog for Dr. Jerz’s "review" of Fatworld. Now knowing my feedback I was able to think of questions that the class could consider when playing or reviewing the game. Within my blog entry, “Fatworld - Interesting Game” Darrell commented about some of my questions and he was able to think of some ideas that arose while playing the game.

After reading the second half of Persuasive Games I was able to apply the learned concepts with a comparison between “Turok and Bogost.” This was important because it sparked discussion and I was able to list my connections between the text and video games. The last section of the book was interesting to me because of the chapter about “Religion and Values.” I compared literature with video games and how morality plays an important role. My “Annotated Bibliography” and “Class Presentation” were easier to compose together because of how each assignment related to each other. Most of my sources from my bibilography were able to be used in my class presentation because I understood what each source consisted of and how they could relate to my research paper.

The last part of Persuasive Games let me learn new concepts about “determinability”, “English,” and “Traditions.” My new experience with text-based games and these learned ideas were very important to me because I was able to connect everything I learned during the course. I would like to finally say that I have enjoyed reading everyone’s blog entries and their comments to me and I hope they feel the same. Now that the class is coming to a close I have completed all blog entries, reflections and assignments for this course that were listed on the “Outline.” Blogging is a great learning tool that lets classmates, like us, interact in a virtual classroom environment and I wish everyone best of luck in your future endeavors!]]> http://blogs.setonhill.edu/DerekTickle/2008/01/participation_portfolio_3_gami.html http://blogs.setonhill.edu/DerekTickle/2008/01/participation_portfolio_3_gami.html Mon, 21 Jan 2008 23:39:26 -0500 After finishing the last section of Persuasive Games I learned a lot of information about “Values and Aspirations.” It was amazing to see how this category was broken into many parts which included “Consumption” to “Values of Work” and “Morality and Faith.” In my blog entry called “Religion and Values” I analyze the quote on page 282 that states, “Issues of morality in videogames are more often found in newspaper headlines than in game mechanics” (Bogost 282). This quote seemed very true to me because video games usually do not use morality as a key concept.

Many video games contain morality through choosing different options in the game. For example, if you choose one doorway in a video game instead of the other then there may be a different outcome. On the other hand, Bogost uses examples such as Bible Buffet and Sunday Funday to show that some games are focused around religion. I never knew that there were these types of games in the market, but I think it is great because it can be a wonderful teaching tool. The video game example Bible Buffet could be great in Sunday school because it could let the children learn Bible trivia. This is just a suggestion because I have never played the game and do not know what is involved with it.

Video games contain many values whether they are seen through procedures or visual graphics. The use of religion in video games is great because it shows that game designers are trying to include many options for the player to relate to. It will be interesting to see how future generations interpret the values in current video games. ]]> http://blogs.setonhill.edu/DerekTickle/2008/01/traditions_and_values_reflecti.html http://blogs.setonhill.edu/DerekTickle/2008/01/traditions_and_values_reflecti.html Sun, 20 Jan 2008 11:41:38 -0500 After reading half of Persuasive Games I began to understand virtual reality, rhetoric, and persuasive games better. Many video games encourage people to do things such as eat healthy or save money in order to buy something. The saving money aspect can be seen with the “Kool-Aid” game because the player has to buy the Kool-Aid packets and save them to get the game. Some advergames such as Tapper are not educational because they use alcohol as a focus point.

Bogost presents a “Procedural Literacy” chapter that was very education and informative for me because I am an English major. I never thought about games containing literacy. Some video games contain puzzles or problems that the player must solve in order to win the level. One example was the game Tetris because it makes the player use there cognitive abilities to win before the block reaches the bottom. Bogost also included the literacy concept with procedures and how game designers develop games. This makes sense to me because a programmer must use proper literacy in order to make a game procedural. The video game “Sim City” shows this idea because the player is able to learn about the environment and how planning is important when building a town, road, bridge or anything.

Instead of thinking that video games are just fun I learned how they contain many everyday aspects. The use of “procedural literacy” and “advergames” let me understand how companies and designers use games as a learning tool or for advertising. Every game teaches a concept either through a procedure or marketing technique. ]]> http://blogs.setonhill.edu/DerekTickle/2008/01/english_and_video_games_reflec.html http://blogs.setonhill.edu/DerekTickle/2008/01/english_and_video_games_reflec.html Fri, 18 Jan 2008 16:32:27 -0500 After reading “Persuasive Games” I had developed many different theories and feelings towards video games. I knew that the book was going to be an interesting read from the beginning because I could relate to a lot of examples that he talked about. The first example was about procedures, policies, and technology. When playing video games you can see that there are specific rules and pre-programmed procedures because of how each level requires another skill.

Bogost introduced the concept of “Political Processes” and this is something that I would have never noted in a video game. The example of BioChemFX is important to consider because of how important rules in today’s society are. The beginning of Chapter two was a great read for me because of how it related to the course specifically. The games that were noted were “September 12th” and “Madrid” and let me understand how both games represent a form of rhetoric failure.

I remember that before playing a video game there is always a reference to some type of advertising. This may be before the game starts or during the game such as a logo on a car. After learning about demonstrative, illustrative, and associative advertising I was able to apply them to the games that I played in class. Take “Fatworld” for instance and how the game uses exercise and obesity as a learning tool and how illustrative it can be.

The chapter called, “Procedural Literacy” was particularly important to me because I always like being able to refer literacy to another concept. I compared “Fatworld” to “Sim City” and learned how educational both games are. A last comment about this book is how Bogost refers to values in society and notes Laurel’s ideas. This was important because I compared there ideas amongst each other and noticed how rhetoric had a factor.

The entire time that I was reading this book I felt like I could refer to something in the class. For example, I related Roger Ebert’s issue about artistic expression to Bogost’s chapter about “Values and Aspirations.” After playing many of the video games mentioned in this book I felt that I was able to relate to the topic better than if I had not played the game. Bogost’s last line states, “And the logics that drive our games make claims about who we are, how our world functions, and what we want it to become” (Bogost 340) shows how video games are important in today’s society. After finishing "Persuasive Games" by Bogost do you feel that video games play an imporant role in today's modern world?]]> http://blogs.setonhill.edu/DerekTickle/2008/01/video_games_and_bogost_discuss.html http://blogs.setonhill.edu/DerekTickle/2008/01/video_games_and_bogost_discuss.html Thu, 17 Jan 2008 20:20:48 -0500 I’m going to use my own blog entry called, “Procedural Rhetoric and Maintaining Order!” to reflect upon the first part of the book. Bogost talks a lot about “Procedural Rhetoric” and how video games incorporate it. I really like how Bogost uses rules as a form of expression because it only makes us think in different ways. I believe that video games all contain a procedure that is pre-inputted by the game designer.

One specific example that I found interesting was the game called, “Tax Invaders” because of how simple it looks, but the game meaning is very detailed. The game uses tax strategy as a key concept and the player has to use a procedure in order to get through the game. Bogost also explains “procedural media” (Bogost 52) and how play is incorporated into it.

There are some parts of the first section that I found hard to understand. This first concept is on page 60 and uses “Fogg’s suggestions about persuasive technology” (Bogost 60). The six terms differ from Bogost’s ideology because they do not make the user see the procedures involved in technology. The “Political Processes” chapter was very interesting to me because of the game BioChemFX. This is because the game gives a simulation of a possible negative event.

Overall, Bogost presents many ideas and questions that are interesting to consider such as “Persuasive Games versus Serious Games.” Not only does he give explanations about every idea, but he provides the reader with examples of video games that relate to the specific topic. Some questions for the class I thought would be interesting: 1. Is technology a persuasive tool that uses specific ideas to influence society? 2. Are text-based adventure games considered "Procedural Rhetoric" Or "Persuasive?" These are just a few ideas that I think would be interesting to consider for the first part of Bogost.]]> http://blogs.setonhill.edu/DerekTickle/2008/01/everything_is_already_determin.html http://blogs.setonhill.edu/DerekTickle/2008/01/everything_is_already_determin.html Thu, 17 Jan 2008 19:08:30 -0500 24, Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars Episode 3, and Travis Grady in Silent Hill: Origins. Many video game main characters are males and the games do not represent females. Advanced Media Network columnist Aaron Roberts admits that “games are considered a highly male-centric form of entertainment" and suggests that men only play Tomb Raider because they want to look at a pretty girl, but a BBC news article suggests that girls can offer a lot to the video game world and conducted an experiment of adolescent boys and girls. Do you agree with Roberts? Or do you think that women are in video games because they represent the second-half of culture? Most video games are focused toward being masculine and able to conquer everything whereas games like Barbie provide a more sensitive and caring side. When reviewing the book review called, “From Barbie to Mortal Kombat: Gender and Computer Games” by Jackson one can see how important female video games can be. When “Barbie Fashion Designer” was released thousands of girls bought and played the game. Is this because it was a Barbie game or because girls like feminine games? It is interesting to think how the psychological make-up of girls and boys differs. Blumberg composed an article called, “Boys’ and Girls’ Use of Cognitive Strategy When Learning to Play Video Games” that used an experiment to determine which types of games females and males like. The study concluded that girls and boys used different internal and external responses. When typing the keywords “female video game characters” into a Google search bar I received many sex related pictures. Some of them included using female breasts as a focus point or wearing limited clothing. This representation of female characters in video games is somewhat negative and gives an impression that females are “sex objects.” Would you agree or disagree that Lara Croft and other female characters are designed to be sexy and attractive? While researching my topic I came across this YouTube home video that presents a woman's opinion on the topic. (When the movie concludes pay special attention to her last statement about video gamers). Now let’s focus on looking at video games through a female’s lens or viewpoint. It is important to consider values, role-model status, and having power as part of your observation. Before deciding on an answer lets take a look at Brenda Laurel, the author of “Utopian Entrepreneur,” who stated, “Stories, movies, videogames, and Websites don’t have to be about values to have a profound influence on values” (Laurel 62). Does the video game “Tomb Raider” incorporate values? Also, let’s use “Roger Ebert’s” opinion of video games not being an artistic form. Roger believes that video games cannot be compared to famous literature such as Shakespeare or Jonathan Swift. After reviewing different opinions about video games does your lens change? On a closing note, you as a player must look beyond the stereotypes provided by society. Elisabeth Hayes uses her article called “Women, Video Gaming and Learning: Beyond Stereotypes” to describe how males and females have the same playing experience. Some may say that males put more effort into video games than females. Would you agree or disagree? The lack of female gender roles in video games have been attributed to stereotypes and video games being focused towards the male culture. I will leave you with this article by Helen Kennedy who offers “Lara Croft as a Feminist Icon or Cyberbimbo" and challanges the many stereotypes that are used in today's society about females in video games.]]> http://blogs.setonhill.edu/DerekTickle/2008/01/class_presentation_gender_equa.html http://blogs.setonhill.edu/DerekTickle/2008/01/class_presentation_gender_equa.html Thu, 17 Jan 2008 16:32:30 -0500 Works Cited Blumberg, Fran C., and Lori M. Sokol.. “Boys' and Girls' Use of Cognitive Strategy When Learning to Play Video Games.” Journal of General Psychology 131.2 (Apr. 2004): 151-158. Academic Search Elite. EBSCO. Seton Hill University, Greensburg, PA. 13 January 2008. Summary: Blumberg’s article is designed to show how boys and girls cognitive structures are different. She uses an experimental observation that includes 104 elementary grade students and the video game, “Sonic the Hedgehog 2.” Each child was tested in a quiet room and was asked questions about video games. One question was, “How often would you say you play video games? A lot or a little?” (Blumberg 154). A code scheme was used for the responses and categorized as either internal or external. The conclusion of this study stated that the children would use internal approaches instead of external. How it will help my paper: This article uses an experiment that finds the differences in cognitive abilities within children. This will help my research paper introduce how children’s cognitive abilities are different and boys are more likely to use internal strategies. The thesis of Blumberg’s paper states that how a research study will prove cognitive abilities with boys and girls. Bonanno, Philip, and P. A. M. Kommers.. “Gender Differences and Styles in the Use of Digital Games.” Educational Psychology 25.1 (Feb. 2005): 13-41. Academic Search Elite. EBSCO. Seton Hill University, Greensburg, PA. 13 January 2008. Summary: This academic article illustrates gender differences in digital media games. Bonanno introduces how men are better at “visuospatial” than women (15). He then states that women are better at “perceptual speed” than men (15). He lists the advantages of men and women and then introduces playing time, motivations, and game preferences. Each one of these categories connects with a specific study. For example Rosengren and Windahl’s information is listed in the motivations paragraph. An experiment was then conducted with biology students about digital games. The study showed that the PC, ranking in at 56%, was the most used gaming system. The study then went on to show how females played less than males. A visual chart was used and proved that females were not into playing as much as males. The article conducted many more studies including game coding, student grouping, and specific genres. How it will help my paper: This shows the how different genders have different strengths and abilities. The experiments will be useful to incorporate into my paper because it will show how females differ than males when it comes to video games. When relating to specific genres I will be able to note that the “game genre study showed how females and males are better at certain games.” Overall, this article will be useful to refer to when making specific points. Bryce, J. & Rutter, J. “Killing Like a Girl: Gendered Gaming and Girl Gamers’ Visibility”, DigiPlay 3: Leisure Constraints, Entitlement and Access to Technologies of Leisure, University of Central Lancashire, 15th Sept. Summary: This article explains the many concerns and problems with the video game industry. The article uses “gendered game content” as a heading and shows that female characters are stereotyped and given limited roles. The use of violence in then examined to show how females don’t enjoy hurting things. The next topic is “gendered spaces” which explains how females don’t get the space they need. The article goes on to provide examples of “gender activities.” The conclusion of the article re-states that there are many ways to explain gender differences in video games. How it will help my paper: I will be able to use this article by listing specific examples of video games such as “Tomb Radier” or “The Sims” and show the gender differences. This article can be incorporated into a paragraph about video games being gendered based or also how females are stereotyped objects in society. Flanagan, Mary. “Next Level: Women’s Digital Activism through Gaming.” Digital Media Revisited. England: London, 2003. Summary: Flanagan’s article describes many topics such as cyber feminism, questioning women, self-discovery, and many more. The first topic is cyber feminism which shows how women have become a part of the video game industry. This section goes on to explain how articles about females in video games have brought much controversy. The section about questioning women talks about how stereotypes have made women seem like sex objects. The next interesting topic was self-discovery which talked about how women’s video games have introduced expressing yourself through art or culture. How it will help my paper: In the summary I talked about three specific sections in the article that stood out to me, but there are many more. The use of cyber feminism could be included towards the end of my research paper which talks about how women are an important part of video games. When analyzing “questioning women” and “self-discovery” I will be able to talk about controversy of women in video games and also how women are shown as sex appeal objects instead important human beings. Gailey, Christine Ward. “Mediated Messages: Gender, Class, and Cosmos in Home Video Games.” Journal of Popular Culture 27.1 (Summer 1993): 81-97. Academic Search Elite. EBSCO. Seton Hill University, Greensburg, PA. 14 January 2008. Summary: Gailey’s article describes the messages that video games can portray. These include gender, class, and cosmos. She uses a project that studied “Nintendo” and “Home Video Games.” This then lead into the discussion about “morality games” and class differences. She then shows how technology can be an important part of games through learning new strategies. The next topic was “class” and she mentions that the price of video games can distinguish which class buys them. This is something that I had not thought about before, but I definitely agree with it. She goes on to talk about what kinds of games boys and girls like to play. For example, she notes “Fantasy-adventure” games as being girl’s games. How it will help my paper: This article is very interesting because of how Gailey introduces the different topics with video games. I will use this article when talking about specific video games and what gender they are liked by. Gailey uses an important topic called, “Impact: Adults’ and Children’s Views” (91) which explains video games and there effects. Hayes, Elisabeth. “Women, Video Gaming & Learning: Beyond Stereotypes.” TechTrends: Linking Research & Practice to Improve Learning 49.5 (Sep. 2005): 23-28. Academic Search Elite. EBSCO. Seton Hill University, Greensburg, PA. 13 January 2008. Summary: This article talks about theories in video games and argues three female gaming issues. These include gaming experience, gendered games, and “acquired” skills. She first uses role-playing games as a starting point and moves into experience. Hayes uses the game “Morrowind” as a game with many advantages. Many people think that women like to shop instead of play games, but Hayes tells us that women like games that they can relate and express thereselves in. She debates violence in video games as being a “masculine thing” to women not liking it because it is “direct competition.” She lists five key topics when it comes to gendered learning. The first one is, “Avoid Stereotypes” (27). How it will help my paper: This article relates to websites such as womengamers.com and how some females enjoy playing games. In addition, when explaining the three issues about females in video games I can use “Morrowind” as a starting point. I like how Hayes uses five points about gender in video games and I can use it to explain what video games need to do in order to attach females. Jackson, Kathy Merlock. “From Barbie to Mortal Kombat: Gender and Computer Games (Book).” Journal of American & Comparative Cultures 23.3 (Fall 2000): 125. Academic Search Elite. EBSCO. Seton Hill University, Greensburg, PA. 13 January 2008. Summary: This entry is a book review showing the psychological aspects of women and men. Jackson notes specific statements that are very strong when talking about gender in video games. One example is, “males have tended to control the computer games industry, create games for themselves, and market exclusively to boys” (125). This statement is true when thinking about video games and shows how women are not even consider apart of the gaming industry. The review goes on to talk about the release of the video game called, “Barbie Fashion Designer” and how successful it was. How it will help my paper: This article can help start my paper by introducing statements like the one noted above and talking about how important female video games can be in society. This review introduces many ideas that could help the video game industry improve on being not so gendered bias. Kasavin, Greg. “Samus' Suit Was Made by Men.” GameSpot. 16 Jan. 2008. . Summary: This website article is composed by an executive editor of GameSpot who talks about how video games are made mostly by men. He continues on to explain how disappointing some of video are today because they do not even include women. He uses the video game “Metroid” as an example of introducing women into the gaming experience. This only occurs at the end of the game when the player wins. How it will help my paper: I can include this paper in my article because it shows how women are separated from the video game experience. The example that he uses is just one game that vaguely uses a female character, but the player does not know it until the end of the game. This article can show how females are limited in video games. Kennedy, Helen. “Lara Croft: Feminist or Cyberbimbo.” Game Studies. 16 Jan. 2008. . Summary: The title of this article gives the reader insight about what is going to be talked about. This article uses the video game “Tomb Radier” as a feminist or cyberbimbo example. It starts off by explaining how “Tomb Raider” started and how successful it was. This game introduces many debatable topics about females in video games. Kennedy starts by talking about “Lara Croft as Action Heroine” and how females can be heroes in video games just like males. He then continues by talking about a male player playing a female character. Kyoko Date is introduced as a Japan video game character similar to Lara Croft. This article uses Lara Croft as a comparison to females in video games and how successful they can be. How it will help my paper: This article will help my paper by providing a well-known video game (Tomb Raider) and analyzing it for female success in video games or how important they can be. Kennedy makes some interesting points about Lara Croft being an “Action Heroine” and this can help make my paper more specific because it shows a female character in control of the entire video game. Pratt, Mary K. “She Got Game.” Computerworld 41.23 04 June 2007: 32-36. Academic Search Elite. EBSCO. Seton Hill University, Greensburg, PA. 13 January 2008. Summary: This important article shows how women can bring “ideas to the table” just like men can. An important quote used in this article stated, “If we want to have [game] titles that reach a diverse audience, our workforces has to reflect that diversity” (34). This title explains what the article is trying to portray because the video game industry must accept female ideas for women to want to play the games. A pie-chart poll shows that more than 60% of males are game players with only 38% being females. This article expresses how important the female voice and brain can be. How it will help my paper: This article will be important when talking about the women voice in video game industries. The use of statistics can be a focus point that needs to be changed because women are at a lesser advantage when it comes to playing video games. I can also include “What Women Bring” into a paragraph about women’s ideas are as important as males. ]]> http://blogs.setonhill.edu/DerekTickle/2008/01/anotated_bibilography.html http://blogs.setonhill.edu/DerekTickle/2008/01/anotated_bibilography.html Thu, 17 Jan 2008 14:15:59 -0500 Most books contain an issue about morality and offers the reader with symbolism, imagery, and allegories. It seems that video games do not use religion or morality in the game mechanics. Is this because it would only appeal to certain religious groups and they would not make such a large profit? Ren Reynolds talks about video games using "good" or "bad" and this can be debated in all video games. For example, the video game "Turok" in my opinion is good because it is fun, interactive, and is a good action-adventure game. On the other hand, many people could say that it is bad because it has a lot of violence and issues of killing things. When thinking about moral choices in games this can be seen throughout all video games. If the player makes a wrong choice then the answer could be failure or re-starting the level. Remember playing the text game "Shade" and how there was light areas and dark areas. This game made the player decide where to go in the apartment and if the player made a wrong choice the answer was simple.

Do you think that video games incorporate "Morality and Faith?" Or should the games focus on being fun and letting the player make their own choices?]]> http://blogs.setonhill.edu/DerekTickle/2008/01/religion_and_values_bogost_com.html http://blogs.setonhill.edu/DerekTickle/2008/01/religion_and_values_bogost_com.html Thu, 17 Jan 2008 10:10:00 -0500 Is advertising an important part of video games? This is an interesting question to consider and I would be interested in any comments.]]> http://blogs.setonhill.edu/DerekTickle/2008/01/advertising_bogost_continued.html http://blogs.setonhill.edu/DerekTickle/2008/01/advertising_bogost_continued.html Wed, 16 Jan 2008 22:18:48 -0500 Do you think that "Turok" uses procedurality and rhetoric? And what other ways is the game "Turok" related to Bogost?]]> http://blogs.setonhill.edu/DerekTickle/2008/01/turok_and_bogost.html http://blogs.setonhill.edu/DerekTickle/2008/01/turok_and_bogost.html Wed, 16 Jan 2008 17:10:57 -0500 Bogost stated, "Persuasive games mount procedural rhetorics effectively" (Bogost 46). In addition, "procedural rhetoric is the practive of using process persuasively, just as verbal rhetoric is the practice of using oratory persuasively and visual rhetoric is the practive of using images persuasively" (Bogost 28). I think that Fatworld is a persuasive game based on the visual rhetoric aspect only. The game does not seem to have the procedures worked out that great, but the visuals are there and show the player how healthy living is important.

I did not see the "exercising minigame," but found this to be very interesting. Since my character was extremly obese it would have been a benefit to play the exercise game. This would have allowed my character to walk faster and as Dr. Jerz stated, "my character's default speed was much, much faster, making exploration less tedious." This would have made the game much more fun and less frustrating. I also had another issue with the use of the space bar because I kept pressing the enter key. I think this is because I am so used to pressing enter for everything and this was a change to my routine.

Dr. Jerz said, "Why do I need to go shopping at all? Do I have to stock up my refrigerator so that when I shut the game off, my PC will have enough food to live until I return?" This question was very interesting to me also because I found the shopping part to be unrelated. This may be because the game wants the player to understand that you must shop healthly in real life in order to maintain proper health.

Dr. Jerz's last question was particularly interesting and stated, "is this just the game's way of telling me I can go home because I've finished my shift?" I did not understand this part of the game because it simply "throws you out of the restaurant." This is something that is left unanswered because why would it put you on the street just because you walked over the exit sign? The are many hypotheses that relate to why the game does this, but I am undecided on a final answer.

Overall, this game presented many problems for me at first because I like fast moving games without having to wait. As I became used to the game, on a player's level, I thought that the game was being used to teach us to eat healthly and how it takes time to do things. And yes, this does include walking...Hmmm. I feel a similar reaction to the game as Dr. Jerz has because of the interface problems. I thought that the game would have some issues because it is a new release and has no corrections or feedback yet. I believe that if a newer and more user-friendly verison of this game is released then a lot of these problems may be resolved. Maybe. I think that this game would be great for younger children because it is a teaching tool and also would be fun for them to play. Questions:

Why does the game have a very big hand for the pointer and large screens? Is this because the game is focused more as a teaching tool? Or because it is basic for the user to understand?

Did anyone feel that the game did things randomly? For example, when steping over the exit sign it put the character outside. This was interesting... These are just a few questions that I would be happy to hear comments about. ]]> http://blogs.setonhill.edu/DerekTickle/2008/01/fatworld_interesting_game.html http://blogs.setonhill.edu/DerekTickle/2008/01/fatworld_interesting_game.html Wed, 16 Jan 2008 16:29:19 -0500 1) Thesis paragraph: Video games are a great source of fun because they include simulations, character relationships, and role-playing scenarios. The popular “Tomb Raider” video game uses Lara Croft as the main character and shows how females are equal to males. The video game industry has used male figures as the prominent characters for many years. When studying gender differences in video games it is important to consider stereotypes because of how society demotes one gender over another. For instance, most people consider the video game “Barbie” to be played by girls and “Need for Speed” to be played by guys. By allowing females to be involved within the video game industry it will promote new ideas and games that may not have been thought of before. As a result, video games need to be equal in there representation of gender roles and show that females can make a game just as fun as males. 2) Several direct quotations from the literary source(s) you plan to study: • “The present study was designed to examine potential differences in the cognitive strategies that girls and boys report they use when they learn to play an unfamiliar video game” (Blumberg 152). • “As Cassell and Jenkins point out in their introduction to the book, males have tended to control the computer games industry, create games for themselves, and market exclusively to boys” (Jackson 125). • “A second problem is that explanations for gendered play patterns tend to be linked to broad theories about biologically or psychologically based gender differences” (Hayes 24). • “I did find considerable gender differences in the kinds of games preferred by girls and boys, as well as class differences in the kinds of games played. The girls and boys in my sample showed similar patterns of interest and involvement in the fantasy-adventure games and the spatial relations games. However, only boys played the sports games with any regularity, and only the two working class boys played urban-violence and paramilitary games (Gailey 86). • “Theories about gender differences in digital gaming tend to be based on inferences drawn from the types of games that women and men already play, or what they say they would prefer” (Hayes 23). • This research has demonstrated that female game characters are routinely represented in a narrowly stereotypical manner; for example, as princesses or wise old women in fantasy games, as objects waiting on male rescue or as fetishised subjects of male gaze in first person shooters” (Bryce 246). • “This investigation works at odds with stereotypical game images of women and against larger assumptions about the body” (Flanagan 368). 2A) Quotations that support your thesis... • “I did find considerable gender differences in the kinds of games preferred by girls and boys, as well as class differences in the kinds of games played. The girls and boys in my sample showed similar patterns of interest and involvement in the fantasy-adventure games and the spatial relations games. However, only boys played the sports games with any regularity, and only the two working class boys played urban-violence and paramilitary games (Gailey 86). • “As Cassell and Jenkins point out in their introduction to the book, males have tended to control the computer games industry, create games for themselves, and market exclusively to boys” (Jackson 125). • “If we want to have [game] titles that reach a diverse audience, our workforce has to reflect that diversity” (Pratt 34). • This research has demonstrated that female game characters are routinely represented in a narrowly stereotypical manner; for example, as princesses or wise old women in fantasy games, as objects waiting on male rescue or as fetishised subjects of male gaze in first person shooters” (Bryce 246). • “This investigation works at odds with stereotypical game images of women and against larger assumptions about the body” (Flanagan 368). 2B) Quotations that refute your thesis: • “Some “female” gaming practices can be attributed to women’s lack of experience with gaming rather than to innate gender-specific preferences” (Hayes 24). • “The gender difference in time dedicated to game play can be attributed to the fact that boys find digital games much more attractive and conductive to their natural cognitive processing” (Bonanno 16). • “While we may question the methodologies of commercial research and its market agenda such figures point towards a growing representation of women in computer gaming activities” (Bryce 244). 3) Direct quotations from outside sources: • “The worst thing about today's games is that they're developed almost exclusively by men” (Kasavin 1). • “There is no doubt that Tomb Raider marked a significant departure from the typical role of women within popular computer games” (Kennedy 1). • “The absence of any romantic or sexual intrigue within the game narrative potentially leaves her sexuality open to conjectural appropriation on the part of the players” (Kennedy 2). • “It could be argued that Lara's femininity, and thus her castratedness, are disavowed through the heavy layering of fetishistic signifiers such as her glasses, her guns, the holster/garter belts, her long swinging hair” (Kennedy 3). 3A) Quotations that support your thesis: • “There is no doubt that Tomb Raider marked a significant departure from the typical role of women within popular computer games” (Kennedy 1). • “The worst thing about today's games is that they're developed almost exclusively by men” (Kasavin 1). 3B) Quotations that refute your thesis: • “It could be argued that Lara's femininity, and thus her castratedness, are disavowed through the heavy layering of fetishistic signifiers such as her glasses, her guns, the holster/garter belts, her long swinging hair” (Kennedy 3). • “The absence of any romantic or sexual intrigue within the game narrative potentially leaves her sexuality open to conjectural appropriation on the part of the players” (Kennedy 2). 4) A Preliminary conclusion: As demonstrated through academic articles the use of female characters is limited in video games and shows how racial the industry can be. After analyzing several academic articles including psychology journals and books one can see that video games are focused more towards the male culture. The gaming industry then developed a video game called, “Tomb Raider” that showed how women can be strong and active just like men can be. Gender roles in video games begin to develop when a child is young because of culture stereotypes and can be seen as they grow older. This gender separation is very prevalent with modern video games compared to the beginning of video games which were text-based adventure games. 5) An example of the efficient integration of a brief quotation from an outside source: • Human psychology is a major factor when playing video games because of how the brain works. Blumberg conducted a research study that, “…was designed to examine potential differences in the cognitive strategies that girls and boys report they use when they learn to play an unfamiliar video game” (Blumberg 152). The study consisted of 104 elementary grade level students and the video game called, Sonic the Hedgehog 2. 6) MLA-style Works Cited list: Blumberg, Fran C., and Lori M. Sokol.. “Boys' and Girls' Use of Cognitive Strategy When Learning to Play Video Games.” Journal of General Psychology 131.2 (Apr. 2004): 151-158. Academic Search Elite. EBSCO. Seton Hill University, Greensburg, PA. 13 January 2008. Bonanno, Philip, and P. A. M. Kommers.. “Gender Differences and Styles in the Use of Digital Games.” Educational Psychology 25.1 (Feb. 2005): 13-41. Academic Search Elite. EBSCO. Seton Hill University, Greensburg, PA. 13 January 2008. Bryce, J. & Rutter, J. “Killing Like a Girl: Gendered Gaming and Girl Gamers’ Visibility”, DigiPlay 3: Leisure Constraints, Entitlement and Access to Technologies of Leisure, University of Central Lancashire, 15th Sept. Flanagan, Mary. “Next Level, Women’s Digital Activism through Gaming.” Digital Media Revisted. England: London, 2003. Gailey, Christine Ward. “Mediated Messages: Gender, Class, and Cosmos in Home Video Games.” Journal of Popular Culture 27.1 (Summer 1993): 81-97. Academic Search Elite. EBSCO. Seton Hill University, Greensburg, PA. 14 January 2008. Hayes, Elisabeth. “Women, Video Gaming & Learning: Beyond Stereotypes.” TechTrends: Linking Research & Practice to Improve Learning 49.5 (Sep. 2005): 23-28. Academic Search Elite. EBSCO. Seton Hill University, Greensburg, PA. 13 January 2008. Jackson, Kathy Merlock. “From Barbie to Mortal Kombat: Gender and Computer Games (Book).” Journal of American & Comparative Cultures 23.3 (Fall 2000): 125. Academic Search Elite. EBSCO. Seton Hill University, Greensburg, PA. 13 January 2008 Kasavin, Greg. “Samus' Suit Was Made by Men.” GameSpot. 16 Jan. 2008. . Kennedy, Helen. “Lara Croft: Feminist or Cyberbimbo.” Game Studies. 16 Jan. 2008. . Pratt, Mary K. “She Got Game.” Computerworld 41.23 04 June 2007: 32-36. Academic Search Elite. EBSCO. Seton Hill University, Greensburg, PA. 13 January 2008. ]]> http://blogs.setonhill.edu/DerekTickle/2008/01/gender_roles_in_video_games_pr.html http://blogs.setonhill.edu/DerekTickle/2008/01/gender_roles_in_video_games_pr.html Wed, 16 Jan 2008 10:00:42 -0500 Quote: "While we often think that rules always limit behavior, the imposition of constraints also creates expression" (Bogost 7). The beginning of "Persuasive Games" has been a very interesting read, but somewhat difficult at the same time. I think that Bogost offers the reader many ideas about procedures and rhetoric. I particularly liked this quote because of how true it is. For example, the rules in video games only make the player be creative and express thereselves by finding alternate ways or correct ways to win the level. I think that Bogost incorporates everything that we have learned so far this semster and prepares us for our research paper. I also found the "Eliza" program to be very interesting because it simply re-formulates the questions that the person inputs. This is all based on procedures and how the program works. I have really enjoyed reading this book so far and look forward to finishing it. http://blogs.setonhill.edu/DerekTickle/2008/01/procedural_rhetoric_and_mainta.html http://blogs.setonhill.edu/DerekTickle/2008/01/procedural_rhetoric_and_mainta.html Tue, 15 Jan 2008 23:14:26 -0500 After completing the article analysis assignment I thought how interesting gender roles in video games are. The article that I read was called, “Mediated Messages: Gender, Class, and Cosmos in Home Video” and it showed what messages video games can relay. After finding the thesis statement of the article I knew that the article would be categorized into several sections. For example, the first section was gender followed by class and so on.

The article uses an experiment including adults and children and the local video game stores. The experiment only included 21 people which I thought was a small amount for finding class differences. Even by saying that the author finds differences among boys and girls with video games. When searching for the opposing view points I was shocked at how the author used cultural studies and personal opinions as part of the experiment. I think that this is a positive addition to the study because it shows current trends and opinions.

The last important difference was between traditional game reviews and New Games Journalism reviews. The article was driven towards being more like a NGJ review more so than a traditional review because of how personal and detailed it was. The article was 17 pages long and is intended for a sit down and read article. Most traditional game reviews are shorter and consist of only a few pages whereas NGJ reviews are lengthy, detailed, and personal.

Overall, this article made me understand that there are gender differences in video games. Not only did I enjoy reading it, but it will most likely be used in my research paper which is called, “Gender roles in video games.” Now that I have completed the article analysis assignment I feel that I am better prepared for starting my research paper.]]> http://blogs.setonhill.edu/DerekTickle/2008/01/gender_and_class_differences_i_1.html http://blogs.setonhill.edu/DerekTickle/2008/01/gender_and_class_differences_i_1.html Tue, 15 Jan 2008 19:15:59 -0500 Claim: The game "Fatworld" contains issuses about weight and managing a good lifestyle, but learning the difficult game elements and slow simulations make the player feel bored, frustrated, and a sense of not putting effort forth. This game was very basic to me and was not very interactive. As I was playing I thought that the game was slow and did not allow the player to move quickly. My thesis or claim statement expresses how I "see" the game. The long tutorial elements and slow simulations are not something that I want to see in a video game. Juul states, "Rules are designed to be above disucussion in the sense that a specific rule should be sufficiently clear that palyers can agree about how to use it" (Juul 55). I applied this quote to the game because the directions did not seem particularly easy to follow and some of the rules could be challenged. One rule that I thought would make the game better was when your character had to complete the tasks on the menu panel. I thought the game would be similar to "The Sims" in the sense that you could buy a house, buy grocerys, eat what you wanted and much more without having rules or directions. When I was designing my character it started out with an 80 year old man who was extremely obese. I laughed and changed the age to about 40 and his weight to obese. I began to think that the game seemed very basic and did not challenge me. The controls were frustrating and everything I wanted to do was another button. After about 5 minutes I felt comfortable with the controls, but still felt like the game was not providing enough for me. Koster's stated, "It's clear that players tend to prefer certain types of games in ways that seem to correspond to their personalities" (Koster 104). I agree with this quote because "Fatworld" did not correspond with my preference of games. I think that this game would be great for younger kids because it would teach values and also how to live a good lifestyle. http://blogs.setonhill.edu/DerekTickle/2008/01/the_video_game_fatworld.html http://blogs.setonhill.edu/DerekTickle/2008/01/the_video_game_fatworld.html Tue, 15 Jan 2008 15:49:29 -0500