FInal Game Studies PRoposial

Final Game Studies Proposal

 

    The message I want to get across for my final game studies project is that education flash games are not only fun and visually stimulating for students but are beneficial for them as well. I think that these games are beneficial for problem solving, critical thinking, and multi tasking. I as well propose that the games are beneficial across the board for all ages of students, but mainly elementary students. I think that math games are the best games that help students. Math is one of the more difficult subject areas for students and the more practice they have with it and the more fun that the practice is the more the students should get from it.

 

    My plan is to write a small information piece ( 1-2 pages) that states my ideas of what I want to accomplish with my idea and than compose a lesson plan (1-3 pages)  that is "chock" full of these games for a math lesson. Than I have been taking pictures of my interning class of them playing these games in the computer lab and I want to make a digital Collage using Picasa from Google.

 

     I truly think through observation and watching of math grades in the second grade class that I am in now that extra math work and these games help the students build their "math brains". Math is undoable besides English either the most hated or liked subject in school and it one of the two subjects that a person really will use their whole lives. That is why it works on so much in the classroom and during extra time. I hope that you like this idea that you approve of it. I know that this idea probably isn’t what exactly you may have in mind for this project but, I like that it is not only toward flash games which is a type of concentration for the class but it is geared toward my area of interest. And it proves that these are worth having for learning in the classroom and don’t need to be shunned for not being beneficial.

In the reading that we had to do toni...

 

In the reading that we had to do tonight it opened my eyes to the fact that video game study is a process and is something that comes in steps. The books talks about how there is a toolbox full of methods. The one method that really stuck out to me the social sciences methods are all the different that are out there to use when doing studying. I like how this section gives different examples of methods to use when studying videogames. Such as doing a survey on the topic is to gather more information on the topic that you are studying. Interviewing is another great way to gain insists and answers questions about what you want to study of the particular aspect of videogames.

 

One of the most interesting things I found in the chapter was to have video game players keep a diary of their playing. I think if this was done to where you had the player write down feelings at the time of playing games, the time, what they did before and after playing the game and the kind of game they played. I think that some kind of correlation would be made some where between all of the ideas.

 

There are a lot of different techniques on how to study the different aspects of social science methods. I think that social methods is one of the most important aspects that need to studied because that goes back to how videogames such a violence effects people or sex in videogames and it can all relate back to how they interact socially in the world.

Ok so for as long as I have been in t...

Ok so for as long as I have been in this class which is as long as the rest of you, i honestly never bothered to do a little Wikipedia research and find out what the hell a RPG or MMORPG game is. So tonight i did. It makes more sense now as to why they are so addicting. I suppose that when you are thrown into a role you become that roll and you personify it. I know a person who spends countless hours in front of the computer playing World of Warcraft. His wife tells me that he only gets off the computer to go to bed a 3am only to get up at 5 am and to eat and go to work for a couple hours go home plays for a couple hours goes back to work and so one day in and day out! I sent him the article about W.O.W. being as addictive as cocaine. I defiantly think that is an AMEN. I think it is a little over the top and scary how people allow games to control their lives. The author writes the happens as described by one boy Ian, "It was never that bad for me, but in my most recent spate with MMOs, back in November, I found myself spending four to ten hours each day (and more on weekends) in Warhammer: Age of Reckoning to reach level 40 while maintaining a high PVP rank and getting the best gear. Needless to say, it took a severe toll on everything else I was doing—Hellforge included. I was constantly lethargic, not eating well—for eating took time away from the game, and the game does not wait for you." (Sol Invictus) PRIME example as to how people allow MPG 's to take over their lives. I think it is really scary how people can do this.

 

I know that I have never done something like this I think the farthest i have gotten to be addicted to something is about four years ago i was addicted to chatting on the Internet with people. If i wasn't at work i was home on the computer until the weeeeee hours in the morning chatting online. Thinking back on it now that was really weird and totally unnecessary.

Review 3

Review 3

 

Flash Game: Gold Miner Vegas

 

I am glad that we had to review a flash game this time. I don’t normally take the time to do much "mind veg" and play games especially ones that are on the computer or the internet. I usually just get on the internet and face book or do homework. So this was a nice change of pace.

 

Gold Miner Vegas is a game where you are an old man in a mine cart and for the free trial version which I played for a while before I decided to download the game you are in Australia. You have a claw that, that is moving in a pendulum motion and  with your down arrow you lower it  to try and pick up the gold pieces to get them into your cart. On the website www.girlsgame123.com the description that is given for the game is, "Gold Miner Vegas takes our bearded friend to the modern-day mother lode! Can you get all the way to golden Las Vegas? With new levels, challenges and gadgets the action is bigger, brighter and more enjoyable than ever before. Gold Miner Vegas is family-friendly and fun for all ages. Mine this entertaining game today!

You're a gold miner and it's your job to mine as much gold and come out with the most amount of money you can. Each level you have a different goal (a money goal) that you need to reach. IN the first level, you are on a sixty second timer. So you are in a race against the clock to get gather as much gold chunks as you can. The gold chunks are worth a different amount depending on how big they are. The smallest is worth fifty dollars, the medium is worth one hundred dollars and the biggest is worth five hundred dollars. As well there are chunks of coal that are scatters and if you accidently pick on of them us you press the up arrow key and it shoots down a stick of dynamite "BOOM" to blow the coal up so you don’t waste your time trying to crank it up! There are also small plates of food that you want to pick up they are worth fifteen dollars. The little bags that have a "9" on them are surprises, they may be worth money and they may have something useful in them like a "laser claw scope"

 

Once you meet your goal for the first level you move onto the next level but, it is not without stopping at the store with the "creepy" mustached man who wants to sell you some gold mining equipment. You can purchase oil to make you move faster down the track, tandem rope for long reaching objects, dynamite for the higher levels that have coal walls that you need to get through and that helps you move faster. There are other things like a four leaf clover that give you better luck to hit something good during your mine!

 

I really like this game and would recommend it for anyone who likes a minesweeper high challenge. It is the suspense and hand eye coordination that you really need to use to continue to advance to the next levels of the game. The best part is that you are mining gold and winning money, not real, but who cares really!? When in your life are ever going to be able to go fishing for gold!

Why is this? “The majority of America...

 

    For me sex and violence is an everyday part of our so society they are now selling M & M's with sex in the commercials and in most TV shows Nip Tuck prime example and violence is shown in most shows that are played at night. Take a new show that is on TV call Trauma it is about rescue teams that respond to the most violent car crashes, spills etc. or Son of Anarchy on FX there is another violent motorcycle gang show. So the fact that a parent is scared to see sex in a video game is a little out there for me. “It scares them when a toy features sex. They can’t fathom it. As a designer, I'm hoping people will eventually catch on that this is an entertainment medium that can feature any theme. Sex, violence or otherwise.” Just because it is a toy and they can simulate sex do they not think that them SEEING the REAL THING on a TV show is not going to STIMULATE them! As for violence do they not think that seeing it again is not going to STIMULATE them or DESENSITIZE them violence and then they start to think that hitting, biting, kicking, punching, fighting in general is an OK thing for them to do.

 

    Now, for racism i am not a fan no matter what shape, form or whatever it comes in. I think that race has been a hard, dark, dirty, scary, sad and many other adj in our society for far too long. The article that we had to read I liked that he felt that the video game trailer was racist. When i watched it with that idea in mind i felt the same way. I don't like seeing those commercials on TV of the sick and poor children sitting in the street or in their "homes" with nothing to eat and skin and bones. And the thought that he felt that is what he was seeing in a video game and then the producers of that game want you to SHOOT THEM is just plain awful! I wish that no matter what it is or where it is that racism wasn't an issue for anyone of any color, shape, size etc.

So in reading the peices for the blog...

So in reading the pieces for the blog, my mind keeps coming back to the two main ques ions that i pose to you....

1. Is there a defined genre pattern for video like there are for literature and many other aspects of our lives?\

2. If there is genres are they too broad and need to be more defined?

 

Here is what I answer to my own questions....

1. I would say there is a some what defined genre pattern that maybe many do not seem to think is there. I would say that the genres are more defined by the type of game play that is happening verses the kind of game you are playing and what it is about. In literature there are genres like horror and sci fi and they have their own definitions, in video games like in the piece that we read where she compared the two kind of zombie games, the games are the same within the content she mentioned that Both "Planescape Torment (Interplay 1999) and Silent Hill (Konami 1999) feature zombie assailants, violent confrontation, exploration, peril and death. But Planescape Torment and Silent Hill belong to different genres, and they employ different strategies in their bid to generate generically appropriate affect. Planescape Torment offers its players intersecting worlds, bizarre creatures, amnesia, gore and questing. It's a fantasy role playing game (RPG), and its meandering structure enhances its capacity to honour its generic roots. Silent Hill is a 3D survival horror game. The success of the Silent Hill series is a result of its capacity to frighten its users." (Genre and Affect in Silent Hill and Planescape Torment by Diane Carr). But the game play is different in one game from the other within the story lines.

 

2. So does this make the content on the genres that are slightly outlined too broad, i think so. But, how do you define them more? That is the good question. I am not inclined to answer this question because i am not as versed in videogames and all the components however i do think that it should be done. why not? It is a good idea especially if the videogaming industry is wanting to become more concrete and taken more seriously in the eyes of social groups. They are already on their way in developing its own language and trying to nail something down so that it is consistent time to start nailing down the genres in which video games are categorized.  

Operation Flashpoint-Dragon Rising is...

    

Operation Flashpoint-Dragon Rising

Ps3

Released 10-6-09

 

Operation Flashpoint-Dragon Rising is the newest and greatest war game to come out on the market. This game makes you feel and gives you the feeling that you are in live combat a war. This game seems to be the closest thing to war that has come out in years. So here is what I am going to try and do is account for the game from the observationist stand point.

    

    Sit down and get comfortable and get ready for this game to start. Pay attention to learn the premise of the game. This game takes place on an island of Skira of which to whom it belongs to has never been officially settled since World War II. But with recent discovery of extremely rich and viable oil fields U.S. and Japanese presence have been prevalent. On September 23rd the People's Liberation Army of China (PLA) is to execute an invasion claiming Skira Island for the People's Republic. The mission is: you and your fellow Marines go be expecting to engage upon scattered and heavily entrenched PLA positions. As well the Russians have requested U.S. Military support, so in response to this the USS Iwo Jima has been deployed. Are you hyped up are you ready to be deployed to the island to start killing and take over the island!?

 

    It is time you gather a few other fellow Marines to invade and liberate the island. You gear up in the Co-op mode of Campaign. With-in this mode you can start at any stage of the game. If you start in the middle of the stage you tend you miss how you got to this point. You are just dropped in the middle of the war zone and off you go. If you start at the beginning of the game you are able to rally together and charge through as one.

 

    You and your Maries and gather you are packed with the latest and greatest best gear the Marine Corps have to offer. You are on a boat and now the load you guys into a river rat that is going to carry you to the island be careful as you are going to be heavily watched and waited for. Don’t lose anyone just as you are dropped on the island. GO GO GO GO GO.......You and your team crouches down and takes off for cover. You are under heavy gun fire. Get tot he banks where you can hide and fight back.

 

 

          
http://www.flashpointgame.com/uploads/images/global/gallery/screenshots/OFDR_Screenshot_Mar_0019.jpg

http://www.flashpointgame.com/uploads/images/global/gallery/screenshots/OFDR_Screenshot_Mar_0033.jpg

    
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GkT1ME-J_V0 -- great link to some game play.

 

    As you fight you give orders to your men telling them where to go and what to do. "Throw that grenade over there, go go go..." As your group defeats the enemies you continue on your mission. You go make your way through fields into the towns of the island. You order you team to sweep through buildings looking for enemies and hostiles to capture and kill. You continue to give orders to your men. Than you are fired upon and you take cover to figure you where it is coming from. You hide behind an abandoned tank. Your team than recons the tank and it is now yours to use. You command a team member get in and fire upon the hostiles. You fight one battle after another.

    

    As an observer unless you really like war stories and movies, this game would not be fun for you to watch. There tends to be some blood and guts in this game. But, it is so real if the person you are watching takes their time to complete their mission and allows you to read and follow along so you can get the whole story by all means this is defiantly something you would love. If you are the complete opposite than you may want to pass this game up. But, this game is awesome for an observer. The story is so wonderful it honestly allowed me to reflect back on the stories that my brother has told me from being in combat over in Iraq. The story sounds and the animation of pictures that this game brings forth is truly something extra extraordinary for a war time game.

 

    Great game cool story of Maries Corps going and fighting special op missions, or going in teams in the multi-player version and obliterating enemies. Helping allies acquire land that has never been claimed but, they have used for many years since WWII. Modern warfare in a videogame but, not having to do with the actual war that we are fighting...two thumbs up.

 

Grade- Buy it if it’s your thing defiantly if not gives it a shot (no pun intended) and try it!

Every innovative, trailblazing game n...

 
In the article by Iroquois Pliskin in Games Journalism Needs Journalists he states, "Every innovative, trailblazing game needs a good business model to succeed, and that's why it's interesting to know something about the vicissitudes of the various publishers, and to get an understanding of why they make the choices they do. This is what journalists can provide and critics cannot." I am going to try and write my whole blog on this. Because nothing really stuck out too much for me to write about. So here we go.

 

He is correct in saying that every game needs a business model to succeed. Every piece of merchandise set forth by any company no matter if it is clothing line (American Eagle, Express, Polo etc), shoe line (Jordan's, Nike's etc), cell phone lines or companies. They all need a strong business model if they have any chance to succeed. However, videogames i feel would need the strongest most potent model to make it in the biz. WHY! Because for clothing and shoes there are a lot more people that are heading out to the stores to pick those things up. There is a lot more give in style, price, quality, quantity etc for people to choose from. With videogames it is a little different. YES YES YES there are a lot of style, trends, genres etc but it isn't as vast as in different industries. One war game isn't going to have to compete against ten thousand different war games to try and appeal to that one person or group of people. It is more likely in my opinion for a videogame to die rather than a color or style of shoe. There is more clientele in the shoe or jean industry rather than in the videogame industry.

 

As for his slight but, powerful argument as what journalists can bring and critics cant, if you read the whole article you get what he is saying. Journalists bring more knowledge and a different prospective on things to the table they don't talk about the game in a critique stand point but in a stand point if that game or piece of shit in some cases is going to make or break for the company that developed it. Does any of this make sense!!!??? Or am i being too informal?

Good Evening,

Good Evening,

 

Welcome to confused ville here in my bed room as i sit trying to decide what the hell it is I am supposed to blog about. The three articles that we where given to read are in my opinion defiantly just rants of people about Star War type videogames.....for someone not hip to the videogame scene i do not know a damn thing they where talking about. I feel as though I just read a bunch of gibberish. Beside that point I am not only hip to videogames as I am defiantly NOT hip to Star Wars or anything to do with Star Wars. The closest I have even been to watching it is seeing a commercial on TV. The End!!!!

 

Although I do have to point out that in the reading "Bow Nigger" I found it interesting as to the way it was documented that he played by the "rules".  Why do we think he put "rules" in this form? The other thing I wonder is with this other person calling him this does it relate back to the book and the multi player aspect of game playing "For one thing, my screen name has nothing to do with my ethnicity and for another, it's only a game and the fascist doing the typing is probably hundreds of miles away and far beyond anything you could call an actual influence on my life." Does this maybe relate back to the book as the information communication stream we have seem to advanced to and now use on a consistent basis.

 

I feel now through playing games online and texting a lot that we have become bolder communicators. We feel that maybe we can call people these names, within a videogame because maybe we think we aren't calling these live actual people this, we are calling the avatar this name rather!? As well with texting I have found myself becoming more bold in saying certain things to people that I would feel uncomfortable with this coming out of my mouth even if it was on the phone same idea......

 

This all being said lets move on to the reads of the book........reading in the book it brings up lexicon...lexicon by a rough definition is the word bank that we have in our heads that we use when we talk or do any kind of communication....this being said, I feel that when a new form of technology comes out we adapt and expand our lexicon to this new "language'' this is making a wave in our life. When videogames where coming out with a rough general start of Pong and the Atari those people of the Era and generation started to learn the new language of "videogames" if you will....now with advancements to this genre videogames and those around them have continued to advance their lexicons as the genre grows and expands......

 

Phew that was rough.....

Lauren Welninski

Lauren Welninski

Review One

Eng 298

Rating 7-8

Madden 2010

First things first, while conducting my research for my review; it really was a long day. I watched hours upon hours of Madden play. That being said I did do some playing for this review. Just so that is stated I did so some literal hands on research for the review. So, let’s continue on. Madden 10 and Madden 09 I played and watched both. I did this because I wanted to see for myself the differences and changes that have been made between the too different years of the same game.

So the differences that are from this year verses last year are the roster changes every year. The teams get new players from the draft and they as well trade to get different players as well. Something else that is different is the plays. Every year the plays change the offense and defense plays. All of the plays that are used are very close to the actual play books used by the coaches and the teams.

Some graphic differences that where found are the weather scenes are a lot more real which means that they have made the overall graphics better. The way the catch the ball and the way the players fall is as well a lot more life like. As well the players themselves every year become more and more realistic. It is more as if you are watching a real football game but, controlling what is going to happen.

slashgamer.com

The one thing that I can absolutely not stand about this game is Madden himself His voice drives me crazy! It is really annoying hearing him commentate the whole the game. I always this time while doing research and any time while Justin is playing and I am watching turn the sound off and turn the radio on because he gets on my nerves so much. The video here is has some of John Madden's voice in it so you can all hear how annoying it is! http://ps3.ign.com/dor/objects/14270630/madden-nfl-2010/videos/madden10_gmp_dreamteamoffense_81109.html (link from IGNvideo.com)

In this link you will find a video that tells all the new things on Madden 10. They touch on the on thing that has changed and the one thing that really drives my fiancée crazy. He absolutely hates the new gang tackling feature. A gang tackle is when a player on the offense is running with the ball and he is trying to be forced down the multiple players from the opposite teams. He finds it extremely annoying. While I was playing to do research I as well found it annoying that six, seven, or eight playing could come up and jump on you and try and tackle you. Yes yes it does make it seem more real, due to the fact that, that is what really happens in a real game BUT, this is a video game and I find it totally unnecessary. http://ps3.ign.com/dor/objects/14270630/madden-nfl-2010/videos/ignstrategize_madden10_081209.html (link from IGNVideo.com)

Gang tackles Gaming trend.com

The next thing that annoyed me as well, do more to the fact that it prolongs the game, is that if a touch down is close to the goal line the referees need to discuss it. They stop and stare and it appears that they are talking to one another to make a decision on to what they are going to call the play as. Than the commentary continues and they announce the call. Blah Blah Blah.

Some things that are advancing on Madden 10, that I did work on but, didn't actually play is the online experience. There are new achievements that can happen offence, defense, quarterback achievements. Something that was new in 09' and came back in 10' is Madden Moments. This is actually are really cool feature. This allows you to play the highlighted moments from the year before. Not just to watch them, but to actually PLAY them! How cool is that. And of course the music is always new. New songs new bands, etc.

So really there are not too many differences from one Madden to the other or is there? I think it is all in the eye of the beholder. If you are a huge Madden player and your ultimate dream is to be able to play in the Madden tournament on the big screen in NYC, well good luck. But, there is a lot of controversy about games like Madden, it’s just a videogame. Yea I said it. It’s just a videogame if this is what people like to do with their spare time or not spare time just all their time, well that is just fine.

Again, like I stated in the beginning of the review, I did do a little play so I could get the feel of the game. I am not a huge videogame player by any means, let alone a little bit of a player. I am more of a watcher and I think that watching Madden is boring, just as boring as watching football on TV and playing it (from what I have tried) is hard for me. But as far as from one Madden to another, to me if there are differences it's all the same to me.

Playing games in clas!! what!

I played a couple of flash games, on Addiciting games.com . One of the games I played was Squzzle. It is a game similar to Tetris in where you have to fit blocked shapes together to fill a whole grid and once you do that, that grid clears and you start over. there are four grids you can play from at one time. The more you play the faster the you have to put the piece in spots to clear out your grid. Yes, I would consider this art. It is full of viberant colors and you have a objective and rules to follow. It was very fun which was a plus.

In the article Is it art? the author ...

 
In the article Is it art? the author states, "The other way in which games might converge on art is through the beauty and detail of their imagined worlds, combined with the freedom they give the player to wander around in them. " I feel that this is true for all games. I feel that in order to combine a story line that people are going to want to play, great graphics, and the imagination that it takes for someone to think up all the characters and ideas that make and become the videogame itself.

 

"Many games now aspire to be “cinematic” above all else. In Halo 3, as in most games, the plot is conveyed largely through short expositional movies that are interspersed throughout the action." As for this part to determine whether or not a videogame is considered art, I say why not. If a movie is considered art than i say why cant a videogmae that is made on a computer the same way a movie by Pixar is? I am sure that when videogame developers sit down to build a videogame whether or not it is the first time the game is coming out or is the third release, they are going to sit down and put their creative minds together and make clay figures for the computer people to create the people on the computer. JUST like when the creators of Shrek (one, two and three) and Finding Nemo etc. sat down and brainstormed. they would draw and make figures and write out story lines one after another on a story board, pounding out their ideas to make any movie, videogame etc the best it can be!

 

So YES videogames in my opinion can be art. If someone can sit and draw, mold, create character after character on a computer and create something that has a great storyline and people love to play it and continue on to play the sequel than they have created art. Just think people are still talking about the Mona Lisa and how long has that been considered art!?

Let me first state this. The article ...

Let me first state this. The article Killzone 2: The Edge Verdict, I hardly know five words of what they are talking about in the article. I was so confused within the first two paragraphs that I quite reading it because it was pissing me off.....any help? Now as for the article Edge Killzone 2 Review: A Disservice To Game Consumers, By PSX Extreme basically is saying that numerical reviews on videogames are yes there and people look at them and consider them when they review games on line, "As we said, we're not about to question if there are legitimate reasons, and we're well aware of the often drastic differences in review policy from one publication to the next. But this is nothing more than a blatant attempt at attention, and if it were a strict editorial that doesn't really have any impact on the consumer, we wouldn't blink an eye."--But these do have an impact on the consumer. People take into account that number, (most people) because publications started to use them in the first place and it is what the media uses when they talk about a game. They probably say something to the effect that, -This game is a sequel to this game, the first game got a 7 will this one is just as good and it got an 8, BUT when you actually play the game you feel that you are playing the first game not the sequel there is nothing different or not much different between the two and you feel that the sequel deserved more like a 4. If they would have reviewed the game correctly and give it the right score and you wouldn't have wasted your money on it.   Continuing on with my rant the same article the writer writes, " But this is assigning a numerical value to a game that basically says, "it's good, but there are better titles out there for your money." This...is...a...lie. That's right, a lie. Like it or not, opinions exist on a sliding scale, and we're not saying everyone is going to enjoy KZ2, but this review is akin to saying something similar about "The Godfather II" or "Citizen Kane."

 

OK so how does everyone feel about the numerical parts of reviews? Do you think that too much weight is put on them? I do, I am almost to the point to say that I think that numerical parts of reviews shouldn't even be allowed!!!! What do ya think about that? They create too much bias toward a game, when you already that within when you think about it. If it is a game you like or kind of game you like you are more likely to rent, buy or "fly" that game anyways. Where as in you many people have friends who are as well gamers and they tend to feed off one another in their game choices and if one friend like first person shooter games and the other friend likes a game like Grand Theft Auto, one friend plays one and the other plays, and they trade and tell one another to play the other  OR TO NOT giving each other a personal review of their favorite game. O goodness I hope that makes sense to everyone. Sorry if it doesn't.  

Basically, I think Leigh is right. Ga...

 In order for me to write this blog I had to actually read a few video game reviews myself. Before this I have never seen a review of a videogame.  Anything I have ever read on a videogame is either here starting in this class, possibly in a magazine or seeing the commercial on the TV for the game. Which yes as more to be an advertisement I would consider that a review to an extent, because it is showing you pieces of the game and how the game is going to look and that is what a majority of the reviews are on, are they not?

 

In one of the articles, If critics did more championing and less obsessing over details, the writer states,"Basically, I think Leigh is right. Game critics (broadly speaking) do attribute too much to minor details, especially ones that are already present in games they love, and fail to give credit to bigger picture advances in storytelling and game play." Videogame Press. Now not knowing a whole lot and only having few examples to go by from what I have seen and read already I would say this is a very true statement! Most of the reviews have gone over well this screen shot sucked, and this camera angel doesn't work in this game. Or they continue on about the graphics, music, colors etc. I would say these are the BASIC and first things of a game that are reviewed. However, I have a feeling that true "hardcore" games who love one game to another want more. They want a new and improved story line. They would love to see better graphics and more achievements more levels and different characters on the levels. They don't want to feel that they are continually playing the same version of a game over and over when it is a sequel to the one before it! As stated in the article, If critics did more championing and less obsessing over details, "Of course there will always be those who just want a rundown of game play elements and analyses of how good they are compared to what's come before. But it's also wonderful to see critics with completely different orientations as to what matters and what doesn't when reviewing a game." The writer goes on to say that basically reviewers who get more into the story lines and see the bigger picture of the game that the more mature audiences of videogame players will want to go try different games they want to be challenged by the critics and want them to really think about what they are playing and give deeper insight about the videogame not making the review just like any other review. In the same article that is stated above, 'The videogame audience is maturing, and the result is that there are gamers who want to be challenged by critics to think about what they're playing, or should be playing, in a new way. The more critics who are championing what's new, challenging what we think is good, and engaging with each other and the audiences, the better off the art form of videogames will be."--

 

So from what I have read on videogame reviews I find an article like this extremely refreshing wanting reviewers to put out more engaged and thoughtful reviews. Ones that are not so monotonous and boring and continue on in the same format as the one before it and before that one and so on. Please give us something else to think about we get that graphics where all they could be! This isn't the Army we are talking about here!

 

 

 

Blog 9-15 Our lives with videogames

     "Delving into the complexities of cultural definition are completely un-worthwhile (and hardly entertaining) for you the reader. It's an endless rabbit hole of confusion. Instead let's adopt the mantra that culture should be understood as a very open term, with the generally accepted definition being: “the way of life of a people”. (Column: 'Lingua Franca' – The Place Of Games In Culture) These people could be connected by geography (country), interest (fan) or anything else that binds them together." --OK so does this quote from the article, Column: 'Lingua Franca' – The Place Of Games In Culture, really give you the definition of culture. For me it does to an extent. Last year I took a multicultural education class. We had to define culture in our own words. For me culture is who we are, it is how we define ourselves as a person. The dictionary defines culture as the "behavior patterns, arts, beliefs, institutions, and all other products of human work and though esp. as expressed in a particular community or period." (The American Heritage Dictionary, pg. 213)

   

    With in the gaming community there are certain things that define it as a culture. The community has it is own language and style of wording. It feels that those who develop the games are artists. These folks go to school for such are and they have their own institutions and products and systems on how they develop their art. Such as a photographer uses a black room and certain programs on a computer to develop and edit pictures.

 

    The next question once the culture is developed is who is considered to be in the community of gamers? One article talks about the difference between a gamer and a hipster. They define a hipster as someone who plays games because they are fab, for example when everyone wanted a Nintendo Wii so they could bowl, and they than had parties that revolved around the Wii. Or when Guitar Hero came out and parties revolved around it. In the article, The Hipsters of Gaming it states, "A hipster is judged by what’s now; gamers, by what they were playing in 1993.” Easily the most popular critics of video games is Penny Arcade, and as she points out, they accomplish this through a sense of inclusiveness. But past these social difference, they are technically performing the same cultural activity. Both identities are self-created and enforced by the community’s own tastes."  So a hipster is someone who plays the game at the time and when something new comes out it moves on to the new WOW!

    

    So lets put out there the true people of the videogaming community. They are defined as this according to the article The Hipsters of Gaming, "“Gamers accumulate knowledge; hipsters move through it, consuming and relinquishing it daily. Gamers accumulate years’ worth of garbage and trivia, and never let it go. They are still making Portal jokes. " These are the ones who dwell and go back and play the game over and over again. They are the ones who are out there developing and making these games better. They have the heart and ambition to stay with gaming and certainly does not ever stray away, from their favorite but tries out everything, and is always wanting to know more. As Ian Bogost states in his article "The End of Gamers, he feels "The point is not whether games qualify as art or not. Nor whether games are useful tools or not.  Rather, the point is that there are lots of other things people can and do accomplish with videogames. Some are well-established, like entertainment, and some are emerging, like meditation. No matter, all of those uses taken together make the medium stronger and give it greater longevity." Now just because games are used for other things such as helping someone through postpartum syndrome or exercising does that really mean that it is knocking out the term gamer?  I don't feel that it does. I think that the gamers should be proud that something they are so passionate about can help someone over come a struggle in their life, and you never know that person may someday become one of their own!

 

 

videogames vs. video games

The discussion in class today was very interesting. I was surprised as to how many people where extremely passionate about whether or not it should be video games or videogames! It was nice how when it was brought up, the added discussion of digital games or just games. That people made really good points: games is to vague when we are blogging about something specific and they are open to the public. It is a good idea that we stick with video games or videogames outside of the realm of the class. As for digital games i am glad that we squashed that topic quickly and no one really cared to call it that!

So back to video games vs. videogames. I would have to say honestly as long as its there who cares. It is specific enough for someone to read your blog and know that you are not just referring to a game but something specific as a videogame or video game. There was a good point made that it, for the sake (just like in the book) we want the video gaming community and culture to be taken more seriously that we do need to start sounding more uniform in the writing and reviews that are put out for others to read. Videogame(s) makes term more linguistically correct seems how it is one thing. It is a game played with some sort of monitor, TV, console, CPU or whatever have you, for the video part. Game correctly that you have parameters, rules, and guidelines that you follow to play. Putting those two terms together you are forming one thing and one word.

As we ended it is personal preference I myself may use them interchangeably but, I am defiantly leading more toward videogame(s), for my writing and reviews that I will tackling for this class. For the record when you spell check apparently in the dictionary videogame(s) is video games..........

This is only a test to see if I will ...

This is only a test to see if I will be able to get this to work. Writing my blogs here and uploading it to my blog!!!!!! OYE!

My gaming history

Hello,

My gaming history is minimal. I am quite unfamiliar with a lot of the terminology and abbreviations. So lets begin at the beginning. I was a wee tot when me dad brought in his Atari from the garage and set it up to see if it would play. I think it did for about a half of second. A few years later my sister and I received Nintendo the first one. We used to play Tetris and Mario Bros. and of course Dunk Hunt all the time. Next for us came Super Nintendo, on this system we played Donkey Kong, more Tetris and probably some others. Continuing on was N64 we played a lot of James Bond 007 and Mario Kart......OYE the competitions that would rise from these games!!! Somewhere between all of those I played a lot of Organ Trail on the computer. For a couple of years I didn't play much if anything at all on the gaming systems and stuck more to the free online games, mostly the word games such as Book Worm. I played a lot of euchre online too. Than I got a PS2 and played mostly sport games like NBA and Tiger Woods. Once Guitar Hero came out, myself as well as my sister got into that for a while.....now I don't do much in respect to playing video games, but i do a lot more watching as my fiancee is really into playing his beloved PS3. Now don't get me wrong it is not that I don't like gaming it is more I don't have TIME for gaming, it is very far down on my list of things to do. There you have it my gaming history.

My first

I am a virgin blogger. NOT ANY MORE!

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