How has your favorite video game affected you?
February 24, 2012 by Kyle · 3 Comments
My favorite video game would have to be NBA 2K12 or any of the NCAA football games. In my cases it all depends on if I win or lo0se, if I win then I am very social and out going but if i have a hard lose then I tend to get mad and try to play again until I get that feeling of confidence back up! I fell like it depends on the type of game if it makes me less social or more social. I feel that if it is a sports game I tend to be more social but if it is a battle type of game I find myself focusing on the game a whole lot more because there is so much going on in the game that I have to pick up on!
Article Paper One
February 20, 2012 by Kyle · Leave a Comment
Elisabeth Hayes writes a fantastic article on Gender and Gaming. Women, Video Gaming & Learning: Beyond Stereotypes talks a whole lot about why people stereotype gamers and why women aren’t appreciated for playing video games. Hayes goes through and gives points of society is doing wrong and what society thinks of gamers and women playing them also. A main thing she talks about is the battle of sexes and why women get viewed differently than men. She brings up why both sexes play different games, what it means to play like a girl and what it means to play like a boy. She throws things at you that you would have never thought on your own makes you think about what your playing and why you play the games you do. I think in someway a game you play reflects the person you become and it shapes you in some way. Hayes concludes her article with four main points that stood out to me; avoid stereotypes, dont assume all women are alike, provide scaffolding for new gamers, and do consider overall game design, not just particular elements in isolation. Hayes writes a great article on how people think gamers are viewed and what people and designers should do to change the stereotypes and make the gamer world a better place.
Chapter 5 and 6
February 13, 2012 by Kyle · 3 Comments
When you think all the ways you can socialize by using Facebook, its crazy! You can chat with somebody, write on their wall, poke them, or play a game with them. Now when your playing a game with somebody it does a lot of things for you and the other person. It brings back your relationship with that person if you haven’t seen them for awhile, or keeps a relationship going. It is also nice to be competitive with your friends. It is also more fun because your not just only talking to somebody you are engaging into a game with them. You are having fun and connecting with each other. Now if you win this game you will feel a lot of pride because you beat your friend and also if they don’t respond to the game request or don’t make their move for awhile then you will learn to have patience. Games are a great way to reconnect with somebody without formally greeting them. It is much easier to just invite them to a game instead of say “hey, how have you been?”.
Halo is a great game. It has certain goals that you will do anything to reach, and once you do you feel like your on top of the world. That why these games sell so well. They make gamers feel more connected to the game by doing things like the 10 billion kills club. I know when I feel more connected to a game and am doing good in a game I want to play it non stop.
Reading Reaction Chapter 5 and 6
February 13, 2012 by Kyle · 4 Comments
Stronger Social Connectivity:
In chapter 5 Jane McGonigal brings up the idea of how people are becoming more connected through social things, such as Facebook. Facebook brings a lot of social interaction to the outside world, whether it is just talking to friends, creeping on crushes or keeping in contact with mom and dad. McGonigal talks about the game Lexulus on facebook and how many moms are playing their son or daughter for an easy way of communication. Everyone gets on facebook 30 plus times a day, so in sense your going to check your notifications and game requests. This gives you a better chance of communicating with your parents because its something that you do and plus it brings a little bit of competitiveness into the picture also. This also brings patience into action because if your mom is slow on checking facebook, you have to wait for her to get onto play so it teaches you a little bit a patience, but also you may be addicted it you are refreshing the page every minute. All in all playing Lexulus gives you a lot of things to look forward to; talking your loved one, a sense of pride, and some embarrassment because of how you talk to your mom on the chat. Lexulus brings a different aspect to facebook that I never really thought of. When I play Words with Friends or Hanging with Friends, in some sense i ask my friends to play because I know I will be able to talk to them easier.
Becoming a Part of Something Bigger Than Ourselves:
When the Halo 3 players finally reached 10 billion kills in the campaign everyone started to feel a greater accomplishment and that they finally meant something to the game. Becoming apart of something like that brings oneself to a whole other level because not everyone can say they helped reach the 10 billion kills. Sense Halo brought this major thing to life more and more games are trying start something where there is a bigger picture to help someone or achieve something personally. McGonigal uses NCAA 10 when she is talking about online dynasty and how you want to choose your favorite or alma mater and bring them to the highest level you can. I like the quote she uses “Every game you play will help your school’s cause.” Then she goes on to say “its about being of service to larger cause – one you already care about.” This is so true in the life of a gamer, if you care about how your record looks or how your character acts then you are living the life of becoming bigger than yourself because of the level of care you have for the avatar or game.