I didn’t really know what videogame to do for my first review. I play games all the time, but I don’t have very many brand new (less than six month old) games. As in, zero. I haven’t bought a console game in long time, so none of those games would work. The only game that could possibly work for this assignment was a game I bought for my girlfriend over the summer: The Sims 3. The only other “sim” game I have played is an old SimCity game, which was pretty fun. I know the general idea of The Sims, and I watched my girlfriend, Laura, play it when she first got it. I wasn’t totally sure what to expect, but I figured that since I didn’t have an extra wad of money to go buy a new game, The Sims 3 was the only good option for a videogame review.
I tried out The Sims 3 on my computer. The general idea of the game is that you create a person (or family), choosing how they look, their personality, and even their life goals. The level of customization available is pretty impressive. It took me a good forty-five minutes to create characters for myself, Laura, and my best friend Bryce. I did a pretty good job of making my characters look like the real thing, and their personalities are pretty spot on. I made myself friendly, attractive, and a hard worker (just like in real life), my girlfriend a shy and neurotic artist, and my best friend Bryce a goofy, lazy musician who doesn’t take anything seriously (I mean that in the best way possible Bryce).
Next I had to pick a house for us to live in, and I settled for a middle of the road two-bedroom house. I figured that if Bryce could find a job, it would be extra income for the family, so we all moved in together. I bought some snazzy accessories with the little money I had left, but only the necessities: a chess table so that I could get smarter, a bookcase so Laura could learn how to cook for all of us, a guitar for Bryce so that eventually he could make money playing outside our house for strangers, and a computer so that I could play videogames when I got home from work.
After the life necessities were purchased, I looked in the newspaper, and luck was on my side. There was an opening in the health care field, which I promptly accepted. I was well on my way of having a happy, successful family.
I played The Sims 3 for a good chunk of time. I am not sure how long it was, maybe six hours or so, but eventually, Bryce became a rock star celebrity, and was playing concerts at the theater. I got pretty high in the medical career ladder, and was making pretty good money. Laura did have a decent job, but one of her character traits was that she hated being around people, and her job required her to socialize all day long. After her work shift, she would come home a crazy mess, and yell at my character and complain that Bryce sat around all day flirting with women and playing his guitar, and I was afraid she might have some sort of nervous breakdown. So I ended up having her quit her job and proposed to her. We had a small wedding with a birthday cake and balloons, and Bryce was telling stupid jokes and making faces at us. Then she got pregnant and had twins. I did what any good sim-“father” would do, and named my daughters after my two real life pet turtles: Slimer and Lipstick. This was the beginning of the end for my little alternate reality.
Maybe I was not totally prepared for how much of a pain in the butt having a baby would be. In the Sims 3, for me, it brings the fun factor WAY down. Having two babies made it almost non-existent. Before, it was fun, having Bryce wander into town with his guitar and pick up ladies to bring home, flirt with, and eventually get slapped by. Or throwing a party after work where all of my closest sim-friends came over to eat my food and watch me play videogames. Or the close, sweet hugs between me and my girlfriend after she cooked me dinner. Once you have a baby (or two), the whole game become changing their nasty diapers (which put my sim-self in the most awful moods), giving them bottles, giving them “social interaction”, teaching them to talk, teaching them to walk, and so on and so on and so on. There was no longer any time for Bryce to pick up women in the town, I was always tired and grumpy when I went to work because I never got enough sleep, and Laura was behind on her housework.
The game was no longer any fun for me. Before, I got to mess around, do what I wanted, and potentially ruin Bryce’s life by the stupid things I made him do. Now, there was Slimer and Listick, two young babies that needed around the clock care. I heard somewhere that if you neglect your babies in The Sims 3 long enough, a social worker would come and take them away. No social worker came for mine. Eventually, I turned off the game. It was fun while the party lasted, but once “real life” set in my alternate reality, the fun was gone for me. I can see how this game would appeal to Laura, because she likes tedious, repetitive things. Maybe I will make new characters, and start over, back in the good old days without responsibility. Sort of like perpetual high school. Until then, I’ll stick to shooting zombies.
PROS: You are able to make highly customized Sims of yourself and your friends, and then control their lives, making them do really funny things. There is a wide range of jobs, skills, household items, and character interactions to play around with. High replay value, because you can make several Sims and ruin their lives as well.
CONS: Once you have kids, life goes downhill fast. The game play can be very tedious.
GRADE: 8/10 at first, dropping to 5/10 after your Sim has a baby.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Example of Art in Videogames
Spending the last 30 minutes playing Crayon Physics, I would have to say that this is a good example of art in videgames. The gameplay in Crayon Physics is simple: you draw lines and boxes to make a ball roll into a star. Different levels give you a new puzzle to solve, and the key to solving the puzzle is to use physics to your advantage. This game demonstrates how artistic it is in the gameplay and music. The music is calm and relaxing, and complements the game very well.
Monday, September 28, 2009
Yes, Videogames ARE Art, Actually
The very first videogame, Pong, was nothing more than a pixel moving across a bland, blank screen, while two thin rectangular paddles moved up and down to bounce it back and forth. It was not particularly interesting to look at, but it didn’t have to be. The whole point of the game was that an actual person was controlling the little vertical rectangle in real time, interacting with their television (and possibly another person at the same time). It was revolutionary at the time, and it didn’t really have to look good in order to be good.
Since then, videogame graphics have come a long, long way. Thirty seven years after Pong’s big debut, videogame graphics are almost lifelike in their realism, and a player comes to expect incredible, immersive graphics when a game is released. With such high expectations, videogame companies put a lot of effort into making their graphics, characters, and environments stunning- essentially elevating videogames to a high art form.
Art can be described as a way to express emotions or ideas in a creative way. Using this definition, it is hard to argue that videogames are not “art”. Music, literature, film, and visual art are all elements commonly found in videogames. A composer is hired to create a moving soundtrack for the game, which is performed by musicians. A writer is hired to write a moving story which takes the characters in the game on exciting adventures. A film maker is hired to direct and edit cut scenes, which may involve real actors, or may just use voices of real actors recorded over an animation. An artist is hired to create lush environments, exciting weapons and outfits, design sweeping cityscapes, or terrifying monsters. All of the main areas of “fine art” are incorporated into most videogames. With so many artists adding to the creative “soup”, it is hard to argue that the final videogame itself should not be considered a work of art.
Art is also used to make the viewer feel a certain emotion. Many artists pour their own emotions into their art in order to try to convey how they are feeling. Videogames can do this too. Some videogames may be all about shooting the zombies, or hijacking the car, or figuring out a puzzle, but some games also try to create an environment that the player can lose themselves in, and forget about their real lives. The game lets the player believe that they truly are the main character, exploring new worlds or saving the world. When things go right, the player truly feels proud and good. When things go bad, the player may feel like a failure, and it might hurt a little. By making a videogame totally immersive, on a visual and emotional level, videogames have elevated themselves to a high art form. They might not be something that a millionaire and his wife might enjoy at a museum, but videogames are something that the players can connect to on an emotional level, just as the artists who made them intended. With that fact, it is hard to argue that videogames should not be considered art.
Since then, videogame graphics have come a long, long way. Thirty seven years after Pong’s big debut, videogame graphics are almost lifelike in their realism, and a player comes to expect incredible, immersive graphics when a game is released. With such high expectations, videogame companies put a lot of effort into making their graphics, characters, and environments stunning- essentially elevating videogames to a high art form.
Art can be described as a way to express emotions or ideas in a creative way. Using this definition, it is hard to argue that videogames are not “art”. Music, literature, film, and visual art are all elements commonly found in videogames. A composer is hired to create a moving soundtrack for the game, which is performed by musicians. A writer is hired to write a moving story which takes the characters in the game on exciting adventures. A film maker is hired to direct and edit cut scenes, which may involve real actors, or may just use voices of real actors recorded over an animation. An artist is hired to create lush environments, exciting weapons and outfits, design sweeping cityscapes, or terrifying monsters. All of the main areas of “fine art” are incorporated into most videogames. With so many artists adding to the creative “soup”, it is hard to argue that the final videogame itself should not be considered a work of art.
Art is also used to make the viewer feel a certain emotion. Many artists pour their own emotions into their art in order to try to convey how they are feeling. Videogames can do this too. Some videogames may be all about shooting the zombies, or hijacking the car, or figuring out a puzzle, but some games also try to create an environment that the player can lose themselves in, and forget about their real lives. The game lets the player believe that they truly are the main character, exploring new worlds or saving the world. When things go right, the player truly feels proud and good. When things go bad, the player may feel like a failure, and it might hurt a little. By making a videogame totally immersive, on a visual and emotional level, videogames have elevated themselves to a high art form. They might not be something that a millionaire and his wife might enjoy at a museum, but videogames are something that the players can connect to on an emotional level, just as the artists who made them intended. With that fact, it is hard to argue that videogames should not be considered art.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
The War Between Consoles Continues...
I knew that fanboys/girls are people that favor one videgame company’s consoles and games over another, such as Sony’s Playstation 3 and Microsoft’s Xbox 360. What I didn’t know is that they throw common sense out the window when arguing with each other. Reading comments on reviews of Killzone 2 was appalling. Some people were accusing reviewers of being biased toward Sony or Microsoft, and even went as far as accusing them of being bribed to lean one way or another. For me, this really takes the term “fanboy/girl” to a whole new level.
The people writing these comments spoke highly of their favored company, and insulted anyone who didn’t agree with them- for no apparent reason. If the reviews of Killzone 2 weren’t a perfect score, Sony fanboys and fangirls would insult the reviewer’s credibility. Likewise, if the game did have a perfect score, you would have Microsoft fanboys/girls claiming that the reviewers were “paid off” by Sony. To my amusement, Adam Sessler from X-play read some of the comments the show received after their review of Killzone 2. One angry fanboy commented that even though X-play gave Killzone 2 a perfect score, the tone in Adam’s voice made clear that he didn’t believe the game deserved the score; obviously a subliminal message.
There was a lot of heated (and ridiculously stupid) debate over the reviews of Killzone 2, but one stood out in particular. The review “Killzone 2: The Edge Verdict,” gave the game a mediocre score of 7/10. Other reviewers pointed out that Edge purposely rated the game low to start controversy and bring traffic to their site, which is exactly what happened. There were people commenting like crazy in an all out war against each other. It’s things like this that make us look bad as a community.
As for fanboys/girls, companies like Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo probably aren’t bothered by them. The fanboys or fangirls will buy just about all of the major games that are exclusive to their company’s console. The quality of the actual game doesn't matter. All that matters is that there is a logo on the box. It is this concept that I have a hard time understanding. What is it that makes fanboys/girls exist? Why do they blindly follow these companies? Just because Sony made it doesn’t mean it is better than something Microsoft made. There are pros and cons to every videogame or console which can be debated intelligently. Unless you are a fanboy, then you just whine and cry when someone says something mean about your precious console, and then point out how much of a dumb-dumb head they are. So there!
The people writing these comments spoke highly of their favored company, and insulted anyone who didn’t agree with them- for no apparent reason. If the reviews of Killzone 2 weren’t a perfect score, Sony fanboys and fangirls would insult the reviewer’s credibility. Likewise, if the game did have a perfect score, you would have Microsoft fanboys/girls claiming that the reviewers were “paid off” by Sony. To my amusement, Adam Sessler from X-play read some of the comments the show received after their review of Killzone 2. One angry fanboy commented that even though X-play gave Killzone 2 a perfect score, the tone in Adam’s voice made clear that he didn’t believe the game deserved the score; obviously a subliminal message.
There was a lot of heated (and ridiculously stupid) debate over the reviews of Killzone 2, but one stood out in particular. The review “Killzone 2: The Edge Verdict,” gave the game a mediocre score of 7/10. Other reviewers pointed out that Edge purposely rated the game low to start controversy and bring traffic to their site, which is exactly what happened. There were people commenting like crazy in an all out war against each other. It’s things like this that make us look bad as a community.
As for fanboys/girls, companies like Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo probably aren’t bothered by them. The fanboys or fangirls will buy just about all of the major games that are exclusive to their company’s console. The quality of the actual game doesn't matter. All that matters is that there is a logo on the box. It is this concept that I have a hard time understanding. What is it that makes fanboys/girls exist? Why do they blindly follow these companies? Just because Sony made it doesn’t mean it is better than something Microsoft made. There are pros and cons to every videogame or console which can be debated intelligently. Unless you are a fanboy, then you just whine and cry when someone says something mean about your precious console, and then point out how much of a dumb-dumb head they are. So there!
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
What Makes a Videogame Review?
When reviewing a videogame, the most important thing is to think of the person reading the review. The reader already knows what type of games and styles of gameplay are appealing to them. They know what they like. I think the important thing to remember when writing a review is that just because you like it, doesn’t necessarily mean others will, too. Exploring the “feel” and style of the game would be more beneficial to the reader than if the reviewer mostly talks about the graphics. Not to say graphics aren’t nice; they certainly add to the game, but just because a game has good graphics doesn’t make it fun to play. A game review is about helping the reader decide if they want to buy the game.
I’m going to be writing reviews soon, and one thing that I thought was important I read was from “Chewing Pixels” where they said games are judged on what they do just as much as what they don’t do. This was interesting because it makes it difficult to decide whether a game is “good” or not when you could look at it in different ways. A game could be good because the combat system was made simpler and easy to use, but this could also be a negative aspect to someone else. One must also look at all of the aspects of the game and take them into account before deciding whether a feature is good or bad (and how that feature ties in with everything else). Things like this aren’t necessarily good or bad, but it is up to the reader to decide that for themselves.
I also read something interesting from “The Cut Scene” which was talking about how critics debating whether something new or innovative is a good thing (or not). This is nice because it provides more in-depth views, but with videogame critics, they are shot down by the consumers if they are too far from what the other critics are saying. This really is a shame because it seems like all of the critics are in agreement on whether a game is of high or low quality. Critics disagreeing would make more of a diverse analysis of a videogame, which would provide consumers with more than one point of view of a game. This happens most likely because videogame reviews seem to get stuck in their formulistic approach to writing reviews, which gets very tiresome to read.
I’m going to be writing reviews soon, and one thing that I thought was important I read was from “Chewing Pixels” where they said games are judged on what they do just as much as what they don’t do. This was interesting because it makes it difficult to decide whether a game is “good” or not when you could look at it in different ways. A game could be good because the combat system was made simpler and easy to use, but this could also be a negative aspect to someone else. One must also look at all of the aspects of the game and take them into account before deciding whether a feature is good or bad (and how that feature ties in with everything else). Things like this aren’t necessarily good or bad, but it is up to the reader to decide that for themselves.
I also read something interesting from “The Cut Scene” which was talking about how critics debating whether something new or innovative is a good thing (or not). This is nice because it provides more in-depth views, but with videogame critics, they are shot down by the consumers if they are too far from what the other critics are saying. This really is a shame because it seems like all of the critics are in agreement on whether a game is of high or low quality. Critics disagreeing would make more of a diverse analysis of a videogame, which would provide consumers with more than one point of view of a game. This happens most likely because videogame reviews seem to get stuck in their formulistic approach to writing reviews, which gets very tiresome to read.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
My Life As a Gam3r
Videogames have been a part of my life since I was very young. My earliest memories are of me watching my Dad play the Nintendo Entertainment System. There were times when videogames were my only friend, and provided a safe haven for me when I was scared and alone. Videogames have also allowed me to impress other kids with my l33t skills, which helped me make friends easier. Now that I am in college, videogames give me a way to kick back and relax when I need a break from the stress of school. I am older now, and don’t “game” as often as I used to, but videogames will always have a special place in my life.
I didn’t have a very close relationship with either of my parents, but videogames were one way I was able to connect. My introduction to videogames was through my Dad. My Dad enjoyed playing the NES, and I’d often sit with him and watch him play Super Mario Brothers. As I grew older, he let me play as well. I must not have been very good at it, but he was usually willing to let me sit there with him and try. My Dad was also a big hockey fan, and one of his favorite games was Blades of Steel. At the time, graphics in that game were superb; but when I play it now, it looks like rectangles throwing a square around. The game also featured one of the very first examples of voice recording in a videogame. I always got a kick out of hearing the refs yell “FACEOFF!” The fact that you could fight every two seconds was also very exciting to me (I was six years old).
One of my fondest birthday memories was my seventh birthday, the day I received my Super Nintendo Entertainment System. The SNES came with Super Mario World, which instantly became my new favorite game. At first I was having difficulties, because the controls were a bit more complex than those of the NES. When I started playing Super Mario World, the only jumping move I would use was the one that made the character spin in the air, which would break various blocks, but was a much shorter jump than the normal one. I was stuck in the game for awhile because of this, but once I learned how to jump normally, things were much easier. My Dad didn’t want to play the SNES with me until my parents bought me Super Mario Kart. My Dad and I would play for hours on end, dodging bananas and throwing shells at each other. This helped our relationship a lot, because I wasn’t very good at physical games or sports that my Dad tried to play with me. Mario Kart was the one thing that we could enjoy together. I remember many long nights, staying up with him, playing Super Mario Kart.
A few years later, a new video game system came into my life: the Nintendo 64. I received it one year for Christmas. That was the best Christmas ever. Not only did I get the N64, but I also got a bunch of games for it, including one of my all time favorites, Golden Eye. For some reason that Christmas, we celebrated it at my Grandmother’s house, and we also ended up spending the night there, so I was tragically unable to play my brand spankin’ new console. I slept with it that night, but I was so excited I probably didn’t get very much sleep. Once I got home, I played it for the rest of that Christmas vacation. Unfortunately, the N64 was too intense for my Dad, and he didn’t like playing Mario Kart 64, so I played games with my sister instead. My Dad bought me sports games, but I didn’t really care for those and stuck to games like Donkey Kong 64 and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (the good games).
When I was ten years old, my parents got divorced. My Mom forced my sister and I to lie to the judge and say things that helped her get full custody of us. We had to move out of the house I grew up in to a tiny house outside of Flint. It was only a two bedroom house, and my Mom and sister used both bedrooms, so I was forced to stay in a cramped “bedroom” whose ceiling was so low I couldn’t stand up without having to hunch over. This room became my sanctuary, where I spent many years hiding from my Mom, playing videogames. Some summers, I would only come out to drink or use the bathroom. My Mom was not a pleasant person to live with, and my videogames gave me an excuse and way to hide from her. One good memory during this time was when I met my best friend, Bryce. He lived down the road from me, and his house was close enough that I could ride my bike to it in the summer while my Mom was at work. It was there that I was introduced to a new videogame system, the Nintendo GameCube. Super Smash Bros. Melee was our favorite game to play together, and I got very good at it. So good that other kids in class became my friends only because I was good at that game. I was a shy kid, so anything that helped me make friends was great.
Over the next few years, I owned (pwned) many different video game systems such as the Xbox, Gameboy Advance, Nintendo Wii, and the Nintendo DS. The most important “videogame system” was when I hand-built my very first computer, the summer before my senior year of high school. It took me several years to convince my Mom that computers were something that people used for school work and needed on a daily basis, so this marked my entry into the 21st century. My friend helped me choose the different components to the computer, and I assembled it myself. I was very proud of my computer, and it opened up a whole new world of gaming to me.
I almost exclusively play PC games now. One summer, I became quite “addicted” to World of Warcraft and spent a few weeks straight in the basement trying to get my new character to level 70 so that I could raid with Bryce. I was also able to go to LAN parties held at a friend’s house, and could play online with people that I knew. I slowly started accumulating a decent collection of PC games.
I don’t have much time to play video games anymore, but being able to quickly open a game on my computer between homework assignments (like this one), helps me to relax and not feel overwhelmed. Right now, the games I play are: Left 4 Dead, Command and Conquer Generals: Zero Hour, Counter Strike: Source, Team Fortress 2, the Half-Life Series, Portal, Age of Empires, Command and Conquer 3, and Call of Duty 4. My favorite type of game is FPSs (First Person Shooters), but I’m getting better at RTS (Real Time Strategy) games.
Even though I don’t have a lot of time to play videogames anymore, a quick half-hour game at the end of the day helps me to get my mind off of whatever happened earlier, and just relax. When I was younger, I had to use videogames to try to escape the realities of my messed up life, living with my Mom. Now, I can use videogames as a way to escape, de-stress, and let go of the things that sometimes go wrong in my life. They are a temporary escape for me now, not an attempt at a permanent escape.
I didn’t have a very close relationship with either of my parents, but videogames were one way I was able to connect. My introduction to videogames was through my Dad. My Dad enjoyed playing the NES, and I’d often sit with him and watch him play Super Mario Brothers. As I grew older, he let me play as well. I must not have been very good at it, but he was usually willing to let me sit there with him and try. My Dad was also a big hockey fan, and one of his favorite games was Blades of Steel. At the time, graphics in that game were superb; but when I play it now, it looks like rectangles throwing a square around. The game also featured one of the very first examples of voice recording in a videogame. I always got a kick out of hearing the refs yell “FACEOFF!” The fact that you could fight every two seconds was also very exciting to me (I was six years old).
One of my fondest birthday memories was my seventh birthday, the day I received my Super Nintendo Entertainment System. The SNES came with Super Mario World, which instantly became my new favorite game. At first I was having difficulties, because the controls were a bit more complex than those of the NES. When I started playing Super Mario World, the only jumping move I would use was the one that made the character spin in the air, which would break various blocks, but was a much shorter jump than the normal one. I was stuck in the game for awhile because of this, but once I learned how to jump normally, things were much easier. My Dad didn’t want to play the SNES with me until my parents bought me Super Mario Kart. My Dad and I would play for hours on end, dodging bananas and throwing shells at each other. This helped our relationship a lot, because I wasn’t very good at physical games or sports that my Dad tried to play with me. Mario Kart was the one thing that we could enjoy together. I remember many long nights, staying up with him, playing Super Mario Kart.
A few years later, a new video game system came into my life: the Nintendo 64. I received it one year for Christmas. That was the best Christmas ever. Not only did I get the N64, but I also got a bunch of games for it, including one of my all time favorites, Golden Eye. For some reason that Christmas, we celebrated it at my Grandmother’s house, and we also ended up spending the night there, so I was tragically unable to play my brand spankin’ new console. I slept with it that night, but I was so excited I probably didn’t get very much sleep. Once I got home, I played it for the rest of that Christmas vacation. Unfortunately, the N64 was too intense for my Dad, and he didn’t like playing Mario Kart 64, so I played games with my sister instead. My Dad bought me sports games, but I didn’t really care for those and stuck to games like Donkey Kong 64 and The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (the good games).
When I was ten years old, my parents got divorced. My Mom forced my sister and I to lie to the judge and say things that helped her get full custody of us. We had to move out of the house I grew up in to a tiny house outside of Flint. It was only a two bedroom house, and my Mom and sister used both bedrooms, so I was forced to stay in a cramped “bedroom” whose ceiling was so low I couldn’t stand up without having to hunch over. This room became my sanctuary, where I spent many years hiding from my Mom, playing videogames. Some summers, I would only come out to drink or use the bathroom. My Mom was not a pleasant person to live with, and my videogames gave me an excuse and way to hide from her. One good memory during this time was when I met my best friend, Bryce. He lived down the road from me, and his house was close enough that I could ride my bike to it in the summer while my Mom was at work. It was there that I was introduced to a new videogame system, the Nintendo GameCube. Super Smash Bros. Melee was our favorite game to play together, and I got very good at it. So good that other kids in class became my friends only because I was good at that game. I was a shy kid, so anything that helped me make friends was great.
Over the next few years, I owned (pwned) many different video game systems such as the Xbox, Gameboy Advance, Nintendo Wii, and the Nintendo DS. The most important “videogame system” was when I hand-built my very first computer, the summer before my senior year of high school. It took me several years to convince my Mom that computers were something that people used for school work and needed on a daily basis, so this marked my entry into the 21st century. My friend helped me choose the different components to the computer, and I assembled it myself. I was very proud of my computer, and it opened up a whole new world of gaming to me.
I almost exclusively play PC games now. One summer, I became quite “addicted” to World of Warcraft and spent a few weeks straight in the basement trying to get my new character to level 70 so that I could raid with Bryce. I was also able to go to LAN parties held at a friend’s house, and could play online with people that I knew. I slowly started accumulating a decent collection of PC games.
I don’t have much time to play video games anymore, but being able to quickly open a game on my computer between homework assignments (like this one), helps me to relax and not feel overwhelmed. Right now, the games I play are: Left 4 Dead, Command and Conquer Generals: Zero Hour, Counter Strike: Source, Team Fortress 2, the Half-Life Series, Portal, Age of Empires, Command and Conquer 3, and Call of Duty 4. My favorite type of game is FPSs (First Person Shooters), but I’m getting better at RTS (Real Time Strategy) games.
Even though I don’t have a lot of time to play videogames anymore, a quick half-hour game at the end of the day helps me to get my mind off of whatever happened earlier, and just relax. When I was younger, I had to use videogames to try to escape the realities of my messed up life, living with my Mom. Now, I can use videogames as a way to escape, de-stress, and let go of the things that sometimes go wrong in my life. They are a temporary escape for me now, not an attempt at a permanent escape.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
The Hardcore Gamer Subculture and Pure Pwnage
"Subcultures are groups of people who have some practices, values and interests in common and who form through their interaction a distinct group within a larger culture," (IGS 25).
The "hardcore" gamer is a subculture of the videogamer culture. These people have been heavily stereotyped in modern culture. One of my favorite internet shows, Pure Pwnage, examines the hardcore gamer subculture.
Pure Pwnage is described as a “mockumentary;” it is filmed in the style that a documentary would be, but it is based on fictional characters. The show focuses on a pro-gamer named Jeremy, who can’t hold down a real job and lives with his mom. He spends almost all of his time playing games, and has been doing so since he was 2 years old when he “toaly pwned pong.” Because he has been living in the basement his whole life, he doesn’t know how to socially interact with people and taught himself how to speak. Jeremy is very skilled at the games he plays, and if he loses a game, he instantly starts to freak out. In one of the episodes, Jeremy tries getting a job as a game tester:
The show is basically poking fun at hardcore gamers, and Jeremy is an exaggerated version of the stereotypical hardcore gamer.
Last summer, my friends and I went to Toronto for a screening of Pure Pwnage’s newest episode at the Bloor cinema. When we entered the cinema to wait for the show to start, we were practically blinded by all of the Nintendo DS’s and PSP’s in the crowd of people. To our surprise, nearly everyone there fit the bill as the stereotypical hardcore gamer. They were all hardcore gamers exactly as they are portrayed in Pure Pwnage. It seemed strange that they all liked the show when it was them that it was making fun of. It seems to me that they idolize the show and the character of Jeremy, because it comically portrays the subculture that they are a part of, and it has a way of bringing them together.
Hardcore gamers are different from casual gamers because of the excessive amount of time and skill that is involved in playing videogames, and the competitive nature of these gamers. The casual gamer is playing these games just for the enjoyment; hardcore gamers would still play for enjoyment, but put in a lot of time and effort to complete every aspect of the game. The hardcore gamer subculture is unique because the majority of it can be found online, but Pure Pwnage helps to bring this subculture together and accurately displays it in their internet show, which is why it is so popular among hardcore gamers.
www.purepwnage.com
The "hardcore" gamer is a subculture of the videogamer culture. These people have been heavily stereotyped in modern culture. One of my favorite internet shows, Pure Pwnage, examines the hardcore gamer subculture.
Pure Pwnage is described as a “mockumentary;” it is filmed in the style that a documentary would be, but it is based on fictional characters. The show focuses on a pro-gamer named Jeremy, who can’t hold down a real job and lives with his mom. He spends almost all of his time playing games, and has been doing so since he was 2 years old when he “toaly pwned pong.” Because he has been living in the basement his whole life, he doesn’t know how to socially interact with people and taught himself how to speak. Jeremy is very skilled at the games he plays, and if he loses a game, he instantly starts to freak out. In one of the episodes, Jeremy tries getting a job as a game tester:
The show is basically poking fun at hardcore gamers, and Jeremy is an exaggerated version of the stereotypical hardcore gamer.
Last summer, my friends and I went to Toronto for a screening of Pure Pwnage’s newest episode at the Bloor cinema. When we entered the cinema to wait for the show to start, we were practically blinded by all of the Nintendo DS’s and PSP’s in the crowd of people. To our surprise, nearly everyone there fit the bill as the stereotypical hardcore gamer. They were all hardcore gamers exactly as they are portrayed in Pure Pwnage. It seemed strange that they all liked the show when it was them that it was making fun of. It seems to me that they idolize the show and the character of Jeremy, because it comically portrays the subculture that they are a part of, and it has a way of bringing them together.
Hardcore gamers are different from casual gamers because of the excessive amount of time and skill that is involved in playing videogames, and the competitive nature of these gamers. The casual gamer is playing these games just for the enjoyment; hardcore gamers would still play for enjoyment, but put in a lot of time and effort to complete every aspect of the game. The hardcore gamer subculture is unique because the majority of it can be found online, but Pure Pwnage helps to bring this subculture together and accurately displays it in their internet show, which is why it is so popular among hardcore gamers.
www.purepwnage.com
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Videogames or Video Games?
There has been a lot of debate about how we should refer to our favorite pastimes in writing: "video games" or "videogames."
Personally, I believe they should be referred to as videogames, one word. The reason for this is that when writing video games, it gives me the impression that there are many different types of games, and this happens to be a "video" game. While this may be accurate, it does injustice to what a videogame really is, or can be.
Videogames are also deserving of its own unique term or classification, instead of describing it as a game and what type of game it is. "Video games" and "board games" are both games, but videogames are different in that they have had a huge impact on our society in how we think and interact, and there are studies of the effects that video games have on us.
People debate what to call videogames. To me, "videogames" is the term we should all use. Videogames have become an integral part of our pop culture society. If the word "blog" (which used to be short-hand for web-log), has made it into the dictionary, then I say "videogames" definitely should, too. No offense, but "videogaming" is a lot more popular than blogging.
Personally, I believe they should be referred to as videogames, one word. The reason for this is that when writing video games, it gives me the impression that there are many different types of games, and this happens to be a "video" game. While this may be accurate, it does injustice to what a videogame really is, or can be.
Videogames are also deserving of its own unique term or classification, instead of describing it as a game and what type of game it is. "Video games" and "board games" are both games, but videogames are different in that they have had a huge impact on our society in how we think and interact, and there are studies of the effects that video games have on us.
People debate what to call videogames. To me, "videogames" is the term we should all use. Videogames have become an integral part of our pop culture society. If the word "blog" (which used to be short-hand for web-log), has made it into the dictionary, then I say "videogames" definitely should, too. No offense, but "videogaming" is a lot more popular than blogging.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
First Time Blogger!
This is my first attempt at blogging, so it may take me awhile to get the hang of it.
I created this blog for a class I am taking at U of M Flint called Analysis & Criticism of Video Games. My blogs will mostly consist of discussing new video games, the culture that surrounds video games, and basically anything that is video game related.
I'm sure this will prove to be an interesting experience for me and I look forward to sharing my thoughts with everyone.
I created this blog for a class I am taking at U of M Flint called Analysis & Criticism of Video Games. My blogs will mostly consist of discussing new video games, the culture that surrounds video games, and basically anything that is video game related.
I'm sure this will prove to be an interesting experience for me and I look forward to sharing my thoughts with everyone.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)
