Patrick's New Media 206 Blog

“Similarly, the experience of a game that makes an instantaneous and exact response to your touch, or of a computer that is itself always consistent in its response, can take over.” Some gamers (such as most of the people featured in this article) crave the level of control they can achieve by perfecting their gaming skills.

When I read this, I was instantly reminded of a passage I read in a blog my friend has been diligently keeping. The post focuses on Jeff’s image of himself as a “big” person; big personality, big voice, and specifically, a physically big person. He explains how he craves progress, and finds it more readily available in the video games he plays than in other aspects of his life, such as exercise. The particular quote is near the end, and is as follows:

“I’m a sucker for progress . . . That exhilaration I feel in knowing I’ve made progress towards something, that I’ve accomplished a goal is really what I’m after, and usually, with exercise I don’t get that. But I do with videogames.  A few hours of button pressing, and my silly little on-screen man gets a shiny new sword . . .” 

Like many of the people in this article, Jeff gets an instantaneous response when he plays games. He can make progress, albeit in a virtual space. He’s constantly striving to reach the next “checkpoint,” and he’s noticed that it’s difficult to find that instantaneous kind of motivation in other aspects of his life.

“I don’t always know where to find this same feeling in many of the aspects of my life, especially with things like exercise and eating healthy. It’s much easier to stimulate my pleasure centers now with a tasty treat, than to attempt to sate them with the far-off promise of confidence and self-worth, locked away behind many a locked door, which I only have a chance to open with a great deal of will-power and motivation. “

In “Video Games & Computer Holding Power,” a comparison is made between the promise of progress and perfection to that of exercise or “molding the body.” Once people begin to notice an actual change in their appearance, they’re motivated to continue. Jeff reflects on this in his post:

“I remember vividly a time when I could see the silhouette of a 6-pack showing through my stomach, some feeble outline that hinted at the idea that there were abdominal muscles buried beneath my jiggling belly. And I’ve never been more motivated to work out in my life.”

Both video games and exercise have holding power, but I think games give a more instant result, which many people crave. Games can make you feel in control by promising a goal and showing you your progress as you go, in some cases quite literally with a “progress bar.” However, this obviously isn’t the case with other aspects of life.

I don’t play video games, and prior to reading this (along with the Edge of Art chapter on Deep Play) I did not know that the US Army actually has official video games. I can see how they are used as recruitment tools, and they must be effective, because I know how popular many of these games are. It is a little strange to see a medium that is usually meant for entertainment and escapist purposes being used as a recruitment tool.

I also interested in the passage that dealt with how “story-telling (and fear) can lead people to support things they otherwise would not.” I can see how this is very true. Often times we will forgive a major character for evil deeds when they are done for the “greater good,” or when the character is shown  as ultimately a hero, as the article points out. I think that many examples of this can be found in modern television. In the show “Breaking Bad,” the main character is struggling high school chemistry who resorts to cooking and dealing meth in order to secure his family’s financial future when he is diagnosed with terminal cancer. Throughout the course of the series, he does all sorts of things of terrible things, including murder. However, through the way the story is told, we still forgive him and empathize with him. Like no quarter states, “Despite his character flaws, readers tend to want him to get away with murder. In the end, forms of redemption operate in both stories that deemphasize the violent acts committed by the central characters.”

3. What happens when a game breaks out of representations of violence (Grand Theft Auto) and actually engages (executes) violence (Tekken Torture Tournament)? In what way does representation sensitize or desensitize us to violence vs in what way does play (real enactment) resensitize us? When children play do they ever resort to violence? Can you describe its possible uses?

When a game breaks out of representations of violence and engages the player, it helps them “get a glimpse of how games affect us.” It also provides a tangible response to actions made by players in the game. In other words, “the body is now responsible and vulnerable.” Representation can distance us from the violence in the game, but re-enactment can bring us back, especially in the case of Tekken Torture Tournament.

a. Gamers want games that are deeply immersive and engaging. Some game developers want to create games that highlight the relationship between gamers and games, and show how games affect the players. Games like Tekken Torture Tournament cause real consequences for actions within the game.

c. The “Tactile Gaming Vest” is an example. The vest is worn by a player, and produces a response whenever the player is hit by bullets, knives, or explosions in the game.