Game Studies

Games occupy an intricate part in the contemporary society. Initially, gaming was only undertaken in reality, implying that individuals mostly engaged in games which necessitated a physical encounter with one another. Later on, however, the advent of the internet gave rise to virtual reality which in turn endorsed virtual or online games that are presently the most popular forms of gaming. Such advancement has made it possible for even some of the physical games to be played via computer means, for example, chess and card games. Similarly, games have contributed both positive and negative effects on individuals` lives. For some, gaming is a form of gainful employment which enables them to generate large amounts of money while for others, it ends up being an exorbitant and addictive affair which pilfers every single fortune they make. This research will focus on video games as an aspect which has infiltrated the world of gaming by evaluating how the practice explicates what we value, how we think and who we are.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Order now

What we value

Video games have become very popular to a majority of individuals in the modern society. They are more elaborate, intricate and exciting compared to other gaming experiences which people have been used to indulging in. one of the significant elements pertaining to this aspect of gaming is the ease of mastery that they come with which supersedes that which individuals are capable of when engaging in real-life professional counterparts such as, tennis and soccer (Juul 34). Most of the people who indulge in video games tend to exhibit specific elements such as those pertaining to what they value. For example, the solitary element which comes about with such engagement is undeniable. On one hand, the player can decide to play the game individually. With the current advancement in technology, however, it has become possible for individuals to engage the gaming experience collectively with other participants. Besides the online experience makes it possible for such people to connect virtually with other players from other parts of the world.

People value gaming aspects which tend to make them victorious. When playing some of the video games, the user tends to endure a series of defeats in the initial stages. With constant mastery of the rules of the game, however, the individual`s ability becomes developed and they end up winning some of the games; an aspect that tends to uplift their morale. In this case, individuals` ability to engage in gaming is established by their exposition of what they truly value. In the course of gaming, valorization of possible outcomes is an inevitable occurrence (Boluk, Stephanie and Patrick 314). This occurs where some of the outcomes emanating from the experience may tend to be either negative or positive. In most cases, people are interested in focusing on the positives since when participating in the activity individuals are seeking for something that will make them feel more at ease.

Video games attest to the true value of people in the ordinary world. For some, gaming is just a means of relieving their stress, however, for others it is an aspect which really matters especially when money is involved. In this case, social evils are revealed to an extent that people are willing to hack a game or utilize the cheat code in a bid to emerge victorious (Juul 34). Gaming rarely depicts honesty in individuals. This is an experience whereby the most cunny of all gets to emerge the winner. It is a negative aspect which can later be translated in other aspects of life. For example, one may seek to apply the same underhandedness in crucial matters that necessitate truthfulness. It would, therefore, be true to assert that some forms of video games tend to corrupt the moral values of individuals. If winning is all that matters, then there is no limit to what people will do in order to emerge victorious.

The transposability of the gaming experience makes people less creative and also, the same values they tend to acquire from the video games tend to stick (Juul 48). When the games are unchangeable, people become professionals by doing the same thing continuously. This implies that if an erratic event occurs it may become impossible for such individuals to adapt to the change since they are used to the monotony of experiences. Moreover, the variability of different gaming experiences tends to develop varying attributes among different people since there is nothing specific which defines what is permissible or not (Boluk, Stephanie and Patrick 315). In that case, gaming platforms tend to use whatever aspect they can to engage the user irrespective of whether it engenders a positive or negative influence on their personality.

People value something that illuminates what could be expected in the even that they choose to engage in a certain activity. For example, The America`s Amy: Operations game was released by the United States Army with an intention of popularizing recruitment of personnel into the army. It is a form of military entertainment that succeeded in appealing to the general public and one can clearly observe that up to a million users had subscribed to the game within the first half of the year since its initiation in 2002 (Bogost, "The Rhetoric of Video Games" 129). Moreover, there are various sets of military codes of honor which participants are supposed to adhere to. This is an element that the experience is capable of offering insight to prospective military individuals on the experiences they are likely to encounter in the course of their work if they choose to join the Army. Besides, it succeeds in appealing to the assertive nature of individuals.

More often than not, individuals hold the perception that video games bear specific unique ethos (Bogost, "The Rhetoric of Video Games" 119). The players, nevertheless, have cultural values which are endearing to them. Some games tend to create an experience for the users which goes beyond the ordinary. Animal Crossing, for instance, represents repetitive ideals such as the consequences of acquiring goods and long-term debt (Bogost, "The Rhetoric of Video Games" 119). The game also manages to engender moralistic tendencies that govern the ideals of individuals, thus succeeding in drawing to attention relevant aspects in the contemporary world. Through this kind of video games, participants are able to learn about their values especially in regards to monitoring finances, and this may, therefore, further enable them to become socially responsible in real life scenarios. Moreover, some video games also have aspects which are considered to be childlike and are, therefore, suitable for children. In such a case, people who participate in these kind of gaming experiences are considered immature. It becomes imperative for them to adopt behavioral values considered to be a reserve for the mature people.

How we think

There is no doubt that all video games are emphatic on procedurality (Bogost, "The Rhetoric of Video Games" 122). This implies that they tend to encourage the participants to follow a specific procedure. Some of the means are extremely complex to an extent that they necessitate a lot of thinking. The resonance that comes with such engagement, therefore, tends to be beneficial in assisting the user to organize their thought processes in a similar way when engaging in other activities. In this case, it can be easier for people to resolve complex issues with ease. Moreover, owing to the nature of video game scenes, whereby some aspects presented tend to be striking to the user and others end up being petrifying, it is possible for the players to encounter harrowing scenarios in the real world. Video games influence how people think to an extent that they can manage to do something which they initially believed was impossible.

Themes of power and fantasy infiltrate the thought process of gamers. For example, games such as Marine of Doom whereby the player is expected to subdue demons in an attempt to save the world necessitates that one has some specific attributes which make it possible for him to overcome the tribulations presented in the game (Boluk, Stephanie and Patrick 316). Moreover, less visionary individuals dare to dream and envision prospective success as a result of viewing video games. In other games, however, there is a tendency to go beyond virtual reality to present a scenario that is strikingly identical to the ordinary world. As a result, the player`s thought process is modelled to view certain representations in the model world in a dynamic manner. A good example of such a game is Animal Crossing. In this case, aspects such as labor and debt are presented in ordinary daily occurrences (Bogost, "The Rhetoric of Video Games" 123). One can, hence, discern the significant influence that games are capable of creating on individuals` opinions.

Within a school setting, it is generally perceived that video games should be used pedagogically. This implies that they are to be utilized as a means of substituting educational forms, in which case they must bear an element of insightfulness and thought. The videos can supplement lesson plans and accentuate factual learning since it is apparent that individuals` thinking is best provoked by something they hold dearly (Bogost 136). It would, therefore, be prudent for the educators to adopt video games as forms of learning since they have the capability of creating a remarkable learning experience for the users. Moreover, the games can be used as an expressive means of learning for the students, meaning that in the event that they participate in such forms, it becomes possible for them to become more creative beyond any learning capabilities presented by ordinary teaching methods. Besides, the social aspect contributed through the engagement of students in groups as they perform different game tasks is a major reason why their use ought to be popularized in schools.

Video games are thought of as an art that has the ability to influence individuals. The notion of "game-art", therefore, offers an insight on how this could be possible since there is an assertion that games can be utilized natively as art (Bogost, "How to do things with Videogames" 9). Take Braid, for instance, a game created by Jonathan Blow. In the initial scene of the game Tim presented as a character is set to rescue a princess. The stunning feature displayed by this game is the ability it offers to the gamer to return back to the past and redo some of the mistakes made (Bogost, "How to do things with Videogames" 12). Moreover, other aspects such as the character been offered the ability to pair with a female counterpart, change the color of their hair or accelerate their movement are all elements of art. Also, Rod Humble`s The Marriage, is a game which one can think of as a representation of how marriage works and, therefore, qualifies as an example of how art is represented in gaming. It is, thus, apparent how effective video games are in inciting individuals` thoughts and also, they tend to define how people think.

Gaming can be extremely lucrative or ruinous to individuals` thought processes (Caillois, Katie Salen and Eric 124). For example, when people participate in a game in exchange for money, their winnings contrast with many other peoples` losses. This can have the ability of distorting their thought processes leading them to become incapable of acting differently in the real world. The gamers may tend to view life events in a similar manner, whereby they have to do everything possible to win regardless of whether it is morally right or wrong. Games, therefore, act as a litmus test on people`s thoughts and actions. Also, whenever games are used as a source of amusement, they tend to define the extent to which individuals can go to when seeking to attain ha...