Sherry Turkle’s original publication of her book The Second Self was an influence to the new media scene. The excerpt entitled Video Games and Computer Holding Power went beyond the consequence and influence video games have on children and adults. She explores the nature of the game and the immersed connection a person has when heavily involved in the matrix of a particular playing field and beyond that its computer software. Generations are physically seeing the expansion of design and detail within the games. Those who were at the prime age when Space Invaders came out share the same conceptual simulation as children do now with Halo, however since technology has advanced to such a degree “it seems to threaten a new kind of generation gap that feels deeps and difficult to bridge (500).” As we examine the conceptual idea of a video game we must consider its computer-programmed basis. “The video games reflect the computer within-in their animated graphics, in the rhythm they impose, in the kind of strategic thinking that they require (502).” If we compare the Pinball machine to Pacman we see that the pinball game doesn’t act as a transparent medium by any means, “it rusts, its slanted on the floor, etc.” With the Pacman video game, the “real world” allows more of a freedom for imagination. “It is a space where the physical machine and the physical player do not exist. You become the player within the game, you are the mouth (502).” She argues, “At the heart of the culture is the idea of constructed “rule-governed worlds (507).” Within a game, for example Turkle uses Dungeons and Dragons to draw upon this idea that as a culture we strive for a basis of rules that invokes us into a neverending challenge to conform and attempt to beat them. Her audience is not to children, though the consumer age most associated with video games is the youth we see her use collective insight from David, the lawyer in his midthirties and Marty the 29-year-old economist (508). I feel that her audience is to users of this medium for whatever purpose of use whether it is used as a confidence booster in temporarily changing persona, a way of Zen from daily trifles, or a general way of relaxation or hobby.
I would have to agree with Turkle's insight into video games. Though I must admit I have not grown up playing them everyday nor do I really care for them, I have plenty of indirect experience in their usage. I would like to share a story with everyone that I feel pertains to this. I had a friend from Ohio, who waited aimlessly for the release of the original Halo video game. Upon receiving it he began to devote all his time into the game so much so that he quit attending school for a period of time, broke up with his girlfriend, and cut off contact to the outside world. This may seem a little extreme but I want to relate it back to this idea of “losing oneself in a simulated world.” Turkle's even states, “Involvement with simulated worlds affects relationships with the real one (508).” Video games are becoming full on activities. If you read a friends facebook, you might find them list video games under “hobbies/interests.” After all video games are an official part of our culture and especially our generation, who will go on to create more difficult abstract game tactics. With this idea of video game playing I ask you to consider the following questions:
1. In the future do you think game players will be the designers of their own games? Or will there continue to be this idea of the creator and the player?
2. Do you think the new transparent, graphically designed games place a positive or negative effect on youth today?
3. Turkle mentions the concept of a “perfect mirror.” What is your interpretation of this? Is it helpful or destructive to gamers?
4. Why are video games important to our culture and what will they provide or hinder in the future?
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In response to the first question you posed about the idea of the players controlling the path they play on in video games, I do believe that in the future, video games will be mostly or perhaps completely driven my the player's imagination. The advancements that have already been made in technology and the changes that have been made since the beginning of video games are drastic and already as a player you can decide which path to take or what course of action to take when playing a video game, and controlling every aspect of a video game cannot be that far away. In response to the last question you asked, I think video games are a tool that started off as a way to entertain but over the years they have developed into a way of learning and understanding in a different way than books and homework provide for us. I saw this argument specifically in a paper we had to read for my English class, titled "Brain Candy" by the author Malcolm Gladwell. This article talked about how video games and television force our brains to make cognitive and real-world decisions that reading a book does not force us to do. I think this article is really relevant to what we have been reading about video games and the question that you asked about video games and how they affect our society.
ReplyDeleteAbout the "perfect mirror" question, the line in the article, "Not everyone wants to be around the perfect mirror. Some
ReplyDeletepeople dislike what they experience as the precision, the
unforgivingness of mathematics, (512)" stood out. With video games being based on such definite structure as math and programming, there is little room for error. Precision is key, as with the section about making one wrong move, and you're dead. For many, when faced with such unbending rules, it's easy to become frustrated. I can account for the number of times I've played a game or worked on some program and gotten angry, irritated, annoyed with it (making this blog gave me trouble, also, bad coding with a template, ugh not fun...). But it's the fact that we know WE are the ones doing something wrong, the computer can't be at fault, it's well, a COMPUTER and does things right. It's a tool that can point out all our mistakes, for better (yaye spellcheck) and worse. For gamers, though, this becomes a constant, neverending challenge. For a devoted gamer, they will always be looking for the higher score. Sure, they'll beat the game...but on medium, then on hard, then on expert, then over again for fun...it doesn't end.
On another note, with video games, I'm going to assume we've all heard of "glitches" in games. Computer programs are essentially creations of man, and sometimes that includes a human creating a programming error. It happens. So 100% perfection...not always the case.
In response to the first question, I am personally and honestly unsure. In Turkle’s analysis she discusses that video games represent a “socialization” into the culture: “you interact with a program, you learn how to learn what it can do, you get used to assimilating large amounts of information about structure and strategy by interacting with a dynamic screen display” (NMR 501). It seems as though if a designer were to create his own game, he would already be knowledgeable on the structure and information as well as the best strategy in playing the game he created. This would, therefore, go against the general appealing nature of video games, which Turkle says is the idea of learning how to learn, as well as mastering. However, Turkle uses the example of the young boy named Jarish, who hypothesizes on a game he would like to play (NMR 503). This example highlights the fact that the gamer is designing a game that he would like to be a part of, or a role he would like to be. Under these circumstances, I feel as if the creator could also be the gamer. This example would be the perfect case to represent Turkle’s noted observations on the fact that gamers enjoy being someone else, and a co-gamer and designer would then create a game that exemplifies who he would want to be and what abilities he would like to have. In conclusion, I can see both sides of the coin, and only a true designer and gamer would be able to shed light on this question.
ReplyDeleteIn response to the first question (and Annie and Olivia), I strongly believe that game players will be the designers of their own games. In fact, I think that this transition is already underway. Being a gamer myself, I have seen how this transition is occurring; there is still the idea of the creator and the player, but now the player can also ad modifications to their gaming experience, in essence, manipulating the game to their liking. Although it is only a sports game, my Fifa 10 game (soccer) boasts that you can create a player (in which you can upload you OWN face), create your own team, create your own plays, create your own arena, and the list goes on. There are many similar freedoms that game players are given in RPG’s as well (many people create maps on Halo, etc.). This ability for gamers to customize their experiences lead me to agree with Annie in that in the future, games have the potential to be completely driven by the player’s imagination (if not already).
ReplyDeleteHow to make your own Halo map for everyone to compete on
http://hce.halomaps.org/index.cfm?nid=406
Uploading your face on a created player for Fifa
http://www.easports.com/blogs/offthebench/post/slug/how-to-game-face-and-fifa-10
... btw, could anyone let me know how to do hypertext on here??
ReplyDelete