As part of this module, we must write a dissertation on any topic we like, as long as it is in relation to gaming of course!
If I am being honest, it is not something I have been looking forward to starting. This is due to the fact that I feel like I wouldn't have enough to talk about. But after reading through my previous post I have come up with a few ideas.
The main idea that I would like to focus on is Online Gaming. This is something I have never taken part in, not sure if it was due to the fact that I didn't find it that appealing or because I didn't have any broadband at home. But I find it fascinating to see that so many people are part of this environment. I think it would be interesting to find out why they have been drawn to it and to differentiate between the casual online gamers and the serious online gamers. What sets them apart? Is it the environment they chose to play in or is it due to the player themselves? I also feel that I can introduce a number of topics which I have already mentioned in previous posts such as learning and community. The social factor, which is an obvious characteristic of online gaming will play a huge part in this investigation. It should be interesting :)
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Death of the Console?
Is it true to say that the gaming console its on its way out and online gaming is taking over? This was a concept brought to my attention in today's lecture. The main reason for this suggestion was due to the fact that storage on the web is becoming more and more popular as it allows anyone to access data stored from anywhere in the world. If games took this approach, then any gamer could access their saved game without having to be in the comfort of their room. I think it is fair to say, that this is a good idea, it makes sense, but would gamers enjoy it as much?
I find that the environment I am in reflects on how I enjoy the game. Being in the same environment every time I play the game allows me to become more engrossed in the game. I think it has something to do with the familiarity of the place. When playing a game, I am not familiar with the environment within the game, but knowing that I am familiar with the environment outside of the game allows me to focus my full attention on the game which adds to my enjoyment of it.
A thought just occurred to me, I said above that being able to access your game online anywhere is a good idea. But maybe it isn't? Take for instant the young gamer, who spends all there time in front of the television playing till they can't keep there eyes open any more. Parents can hardly drag them away for dinner let alone anything else. So when a trip away is planned it is a time for the family to spend together without the distraction of an Xbox or PS3. Most children known that taking a console on board a plane is not going to happen and have come to terms with the fact that they are going to have to last a week without any gaming. But if games are now available online, all over the world, this quality time with a family is going to become, once again a challenge for parents. Maybe this isn't a fair statement to make, you could argue, isn't it up to the parents to decide when and where their children can play games and yes, I suppose it is.....this could lead to a whole other discussion so I will stop there. The point I am trying to make is that, is it really necessary to make games available online? Would the purpose of this be so that the dedicated gamer could continue their game no matter where they are? Or would it be purely as another way of playing games without having to purchase a gaming console?
Either way, I do not think that the gaming console is on the way out. As one of my classmates mentioned, Ireland does not have good enough broadband to support this idea and the likelihood that in the near future our broadband coverage will have greatly improved looks dim.
I find that the environment I am in reflects on how I enjoy the game. Being in the same environment every time I play the game allows me to become more engrossed in the game. I think it has something to do with the familiarity of the place. When playing a game, I am not familiar with the environment within the game, but knowing that I am familiar with the environment outside of the game allows me to focus my full attention on the game which adds to my enjoyment of it.
A thought just occurred to me, I said above that being able to access your game online anywhere is a good idea. But maybe it isn't? Take for instant the young gamer, who spends all there time in front of the television playing till they can't keep there eyes open any more. Parents can hardly drag them away for dinner let alone anything else. So when a trip away is planned it is a time for the family to spend together without the distraction of an Xbox or PS3. Most children known that taking a console on board a plane is not going to happen and have come to terms with the fact that they are going to have to last a week without any gaming. But if games are now available online, all over the world, this quality time with a family is going to become, once again a challenge for parents. Maybe this isn't a fair statement to make, you could argue, isn't it up to the parents to decide when and where their children can play games and yes, I suppose it is.....this could lead to a whole other discussion so I will stop there. The point I am trying to make is that, is it really necessary to make games available online? Would the purpose of this be so that the dedicated gamer could continue their game no matter where they are? Or would it be purely as another way of playing games without having to purchase a gaming console?
Either way, I do not think that the gaming console is on the way out. As one of my classmates mentioned, Ireland does not have good enough broadband to support this idea and the likelihood that in the near future our broadband coverage will have greatly improved looks dim.
Community
Recently we had a discussion about massively multiplayer online games (MMOG) and how they create the sense of community. The most popular type or genre of MMOG is massively multiplayer online role playing games or more commonly referred to as MMORPG. These games require the player to create a character they wish to play as and then lets them explore the world. Through their exploration they meet other online players who they can interact with. Many of these MMORPG have quests within the game. Players receive rewards for completing quests, these rewards vary from being given gold or increasing their skill level.
The MMORPG we discussed in class was EverQuest. This games is set in a fantasy world and is said to have been inspired by Dungeons and Dragons. In the game the player can interact with the other online players through role-playing, joining a guild or duelling.
It is in joining a guild where the sense of community appears. In some ways the guild can be seen as your online family. You are a member of a group, a group of people who have agreed to help each other out. I have never played EverQuest so I do not know how it feels to be accepted into a guild. But I can imagine that it gives the player a sense of belonging. They have been chosen by a group of people to become “one of them”. I believe that it is this sense of belonging that is the reason so many people continue to play MMORPG. If it wasn't then why choose an online game over your stand-alone off line game?
The MMORPG we discussed in class was EverQuest. This games is set in a fantasy world and is said to have been inspired by Dungeons and Dragons. In the game the player can interact with the other online players through role-playing, joining a guild or duelling.
It is in joining a guild where the sense of community appears. In some ways the guild can be seen as your online family. You are a member of a group, a group of people who have agreed to help each other out. I have never played EverQuest so I do not know how it feels to be accepted into a guild. But I can imagine that it gives the player a sense of belonging. They have been chosen by a group of people to become “one of them”. I believe that it is this sense of belonging that is the reason so many people continue to play MMORPG. If it wasn't then why choose an online game over your stand-alone off line game?
Unit Operations
Unit Operations is a term introduced by Bogost. To be honest, I found it difficult to get my head around the concept. I am still not sure if I understand what he is proposing but this is what I took from it.
Bogost uses unit operations to describe how every medium can be broken down into separate units so that intellectual mediums can be compared to technical mediums and critiqued. When I say intellectual mediums I am referring to mediums such as poetry, literature, etc.
In relation to technical mediums, he introduces us to the term called Object Technology. This states that when a developer is developing a program, they create separate components which can be reused.
By looking at unit operations and object technology it is clear that both take the same approach, breaking down components of a system into smaller units so they can be examined and reused in other mediums.
It is by using this approach that the analysing of video games takes place. Both the technical and non-technical aspects can be examined and compared to other mediums. With unit operations it enables us to see how the smaller parts of the game relate to other mediums which we could not see when view the game as a whole.
Bogost uses unit operations to describe how every medium can be broken down into separate units so that intellectual mediums can be compared to technical mediums and critiqued. When I say intellectual mediums I am referring to mediums such as poetry, literature, etc.
In relation to technical mediums, he introduces us to the term called Object Technology. This states that when a developer is developing a program, they create separate components which can be reused.
By looking at unit operations and object technology it is clear that both take the same approach, breaking down components of a system into smaller units so they can be examined and reused in other mediums.
It is by using this approach that the analysing of video games takes place. Both the technical and non-technical aspects can be examined and compared to other mediums. With unit operations it enables us to see how the smaller parts of the game relate to other mediums which we could not see when view the game as a whole.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Wargaming
Why is war gaming so popular? Is it the fact that the aim of the game is to run around killing people? Something, which appeals to the majority of the male population. Fair enough, being able to let your anger out through the game by killing a few people is fun at the beginning. But isn't it just the same thing over and over again. It is this repetitiveness that I find unappealing. But somehow it has managed to keep the attention of many players. Is it the feeling of having control and power, defeating your opponents and commanding an army that drives each player?
Another question to ask is, does war gaming promote war? Or is it just purely a form of entertainment? What about the game America's Army? This was one game which was developed to influence people to join the army. It was designed as a training program and claims that playing the game will give you a greater understanding of what being in the army is all about. But is this possible? Can a game really give the player a true sense of what it would be like if they were actually in that environment. I don't think it can, how can a game prepare you for a war. It seems to me that this game was brought out to entice people to join the army, giving them false expectations of what it is really like, it allowed them to experience war without the consequences. So is it safe to say that in some way, America's Army promoted war? It presented war in a false light. It used the entertainment factor of the game to recruit players while claiming that it was purely a training exercise, but can what one learns in playing a game based on war be of any benefit when faced with the real situation?
As mentioned in a previous post, I believe that one can learn many things from playing games. Such as learning processes rather that valuable knowledge and that these process can be adapted to be used in real-world situation. But when it comes to the topic of war and war games, I don't feel that even the processes learned throughout the game will be of any benefit when faced with an actual war. Which brings me to the conclusion, that war games don't really have any other purpose other than providing another form of entertainment in games. Not that there is anything wrong with being purely focused on entertainment, but if this truly is the case, it makes the reasoning behind creating the game America's Army questionable?
Another question to ask is, does war gaming promote war? Or is it just purely a form of entertainment? What about the game America's Army? This was one game which was developed to influence people to join the army. It was designed as a training program and claims that playing the game will give you a greater understanding of what being in the army is all about. But is this possible? Can a game really give the player a true sense of what it would be like if they were actually in that environment. I don't think it can, how can a game prepare you for a war. It seems to me that this game was brought out to entice people to join the army, giving them false expectations of what it is really like, it allowed them to experience war without the consequences. So is it safe to say that in some way, America's Army promoted war? It presented war in a false light. It used the entertainment factor of the game to recruit players while claiming that it was purely a training exercise, but can what one learns in playing a game based on war be of any benefit when faced with the real situation?
As mentioned in a previous post, I believe that one can learn many things from playing games. Such as learning processes rather that valuable knowledge and that these process can be adapted to be used in real-world situation. But when it comes to the topic of war and war games, I don't feel that even the processes learned throughout the game will be of any benefit when faced with an actual war. Which brings me to the conclusion, that war games don't really have any other purpose other than providing another form of entertainment in games. Not that there is anything wrong with being purely focused on entertainment, but if this truly is the case, it makes the reasoning behind creating the game America's Army questionable?
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Learning in Games
Can we learn anything from games?
There are many games out there which have been directly focused on game-based learning. It is obvious that we learn from these games as there sole purpose is to teach the player the subject associated with the game, whether it be maths, sorting, matching, spatial reasoning etc. These games are usually directed at kids between the ages and 3 and mid-teens. So what about the rest of us? Are there any games out there which we learn from?
A number of games have been brought out for adults, that are regarded as being educational games. They are more commonly known as "Serious Games" because they are games developed with education and dealing with real world problems in mind rather than pure entertainment. Some example are "Food Force", "Democracy" and "Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing". These games have done well, but have sold no where near as many units as games which are purely focused on entertainment.
So the question now is, do we learning anything from games where there primary purpose is to provide pure entertainment? I believe we do. The learning experience is not as obvious in these types of games as in serious games, but we still learn. Every game gives the player a number of tasks to complete in order to move to the next stage. It is up to the player to figure out how to do this. Whether it be to find a NPC or collect items, it all involves a process. The knowledge you acquire within the game may not be used directly in real life. But the way in which you acquired this knowledge, the process, can be applied again and again to real life situations. Doesn't this mean that we are learning from the game?
There are many games out there which have been directly focused on game-based learning. It is obvious that we learn from these games as there sole purpose is to teach the player the subject associated with the game, whether it be maths, sorting, matching, spatial reasoning etc. These games are usually directed at kids between the ages and 3 and mid-teens. So what about the rest of us? Are there any games out there which we learn from?
A number of games have been brought out for adults, that are regarded as being educational games. They are more commonly known as "Serious Games" because they are games developed with education and dealing with real world problems in mind rather than pure entertainment. Some example are "Food Force", "Democracy" and "Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing". These games have done well, but have sold no where near as many units as games which are purely focused on entertainment.
So the question now is, do we learning anything from games where there primary purpose is to provide pure entertainment? I believe we do. The learning experience is not as obvious in these types of games as in serious games, but we still learn. Every game gives the player a number of tasks to complete in order to move to the next stage. It is up to the player to figure out how to do this. Whether it be to find a NPC or collect items, it all involves a process. The knowledge you acquire within the game may not be used directly in real life. But the way in which you acquired this knowledge, the process, can be applied again and again to real life situations. Doesn't this mean that we are learning from the game?
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