Productive Players : Online Computer Games

Have you ever wondered how so many people can play video games for hours? Or how gamers can connect to people in the “virtual world” and learn life lessons? In the book, Reality Is Broken: Why Games Make Us Better and How They Can Change the World and the article “Becoming Part of Something Bigger Than ourselves” by Jane McGonigal says “the single best way to add meaning to our lives is to connect our daily actions to something bigger than ourselves and the bigger, the better” (446). In 2009, McGonigal’s best video game, SuperBetter, went viral. The popularity from the video game increased gamers to battle health challenges like depression and anxiety. Mcgonigal's video game also increased better communication skills between friends, family,

Video games have become as pervasive an aspect of our society as television, with many people spending more time playing video games than watching television. There are many perspectives with which to gauge videos games’ effect on society, from a functionalist, conflict or interactionist perspective. (Schaefer, 2011) Each of these sociological theories can provide a different view of video games, how they affect society and the subcultures that develop around them.

The increasing popularity of video games has raised some concern in society. The question as to whether or not this concern is justified has been raised a multitude of times. However, it is reasonable to believe that video games’ impact on society is not a negative one as there are many beneficial aspects to gaming, there is no solid proof of issue with video games, and they are enjoyable.

Though gaming has its drawbacks, it also has many benefits to cover them. If controlled, gaming is extremely useful and with the amount of gamers in the world today, it proves that it is not just for children or for teenagers. There are millions of adult gamers that understand the importance of gaming in the under the existing circumstances of the world. Individuals that have studied gamers believe that gaming in today’s

The author of this essay, is not intending to persuade the reader to feel a type of way. What he is expressing ideally are his opinions on said games. Yet, one is somewhat persuaded, because of how he speaks, clarifies, and uses rhetoric in his writing. It really makes someone want to stop what they are doing and get on the nearest gaming system. In fact, it is consolidating to know that he isn’t characterizing the game as just a game, but an aesthetic and an art. Tom Bissell questions himself, “To what part of me do games speak, and on which frequency (361)?” We all would like to know the answer to this question, because there have been so many games, some good and some awful. However, we as a world continue to try and try again. Some of the appeals that Bissell uses in his argument were emotional and descriptive. Basically, in the entire article he described to the audience in intimate detail the world of

For this week’s topic, the course begins to explore internet subcultures with a focus on the “gamer.” While video game playing and similar practices have developed into a legitimate entertainment medium with narratives, art design, and addicting gameplay, the industry creates a sense of community. However, continuing similar cases of “trolling” on the internet, gamers are often subject to various forms of harassments such as disruptive gameplay, verbal assaults, and hateful messages.

I started off the presentation by drawing from Royal’s (2008) article on Framing the Internet: A Comparison of Gendered Spaces. I explained how the Internet is not as equalizing as it seemed in it’s early days, as it in fact represents much of the same gender issues we see in the offline world. Royal’s article emphasizes this point, so I used it as a jumping off point for my case study. I think this was a useful way to begin discussion on the gendered spaces of online video games because it is important to understand and

Video gaming has explosively risen in popularity since their creation in the 70s. In Mark Griffiths’ 2010 essay, “Online Video Gaming: What Should Educational Psychologists Know,” the concept of addiction is explored in the relatively new context of video gaming. Griffiths, a well-known researcher in the area of the psychological effects of video gaming, attempts to establish his credentials by highlighting his “two decades of research… examining offline video games…[and] more recent research examining online video games,” which should reinforce his expertise in his field of study. With his research findings, Griffiths, wishes to address concerned parents of online gamers. He uses an ethical appeal to character to calm the hysteria around

Unless you plan on moving to Antarctica or some other desolate and culturally barren wasteland such as Gainesville, escaping the influence of media represents a complete impossibility. Manifesting as everything from the songs on your smartphone to the books in your backpack, media represents a holistically encompassing force that influences individuals’ personality, values, and behaviors in profound ways. In my life, I have interacted with many different types and forms of media, making the process of selecting the subject matter of my media history narrative a difficult one. Ultimately, I decided to write about a single mode of media, videogames, for the simple reason that no other class has ever afforded me the opportunity to discuss the significant but rarely formally acknowledged cultural presence that soaks up so much of my free time. This paper will discuss the place of specific video games in my life and analyze the unique values, issues, and themes connected with each one.

This article basically tries to convince those business-savy readers that videogames can have a point and can be useful in practical situations. Her broader audience could be large organizations who can actually facilitate the making of these games and get them to a larger

It is clear that the online gaming industry is legal under international law and in the case of these documents it is also clear that the rule of law was not allowed to slow down a rush to try to win the war of public opinion.”

Since the dawn of new age media, its effects on society have been a subject of widespread debate. The American Psychological association has come to the conclusion that watching Bugs Bunny or The Three Stooges leads to a public which craves aggression. A public which has been exposed to blood and gore by means of gaming consoles such as Sega genesis, Nintendo 64, Mircosoft’s Xbox gaming systems, and the oh so dreaded Play Station. There is no doubt that these fantastic creations have shaped the world around us in many ways. Counter cultures arising around the world seemingly overnight. In the beginning of the video game universe, in November of nineteen seventy-two, there was the ground breaking new system supporting “Pong” from Atari incorporated. Which ushered in a new age of computer engineering revolving around a world of gamers hungry for more.

The legal issues faced by the video game industry include trademarks, copyrights, licensing, online ownership, revenue recognition and demands of

Although video games have become more and more popular as time changes, it still has to face the criticism, ‘media panic’. Meida panic happens when a new media appears; people will have a highly emotional discussion about it (Drotner, 1999).

Development in technology brings many things that people don't have many years back. One of these things is online gaming that is provided by the internet.