Video games are a staple to the media industry in today’s society. In fact, people are “spending more money on games than on movies and music combined at a staggering $21 billion” (ABC News, 2015). Technology has evolved so rapidly that video games can be played anywhere, and hundreds of new apps and video games are being launched every day. Compare that to the 1980s and ‘90s; people took time out of their day to sit down and play video games when only a few games came out per month. With video games becoming more integrated into people’s lives, the question remains, have developers and gamers really come that far, or have they taken more steps backward than forward in recent years? The video game industry needs to take a step back on how they produce games because a dependency on high-definition graphics, microtransactions, and lack of diversity are not the way to go. In the video game industry, it has come to a point where visuals and graphics are put on such a high pedestal that people can overlook the gameplay. A quick conclusion that gamers make far too often is that if a video game looks good, then it must have a good story and gameplay! The gaming community places so much emphasis on graphics, often when a video game trailer launches, that it is the only thing talked about. It is this fixation of hyperrealism that high-end companies like Sony and Microsoft latch on to so much so that stylized games are becoming nonexistent. Companies no longer want to invest in
Edmund was challenged with creating a game that was, well, challenging for fans. He decided to recreate his classic, Super Meat Boy, for mobile phones, which is an intensely challenging game. He found this solution by recreating a game that was challenging enough, but that also properly rewarded the players, unlike the majority of mobile games (Rose, 2012). As a gamer and a student of the gaming industry I feel blessed to have learned this lesson before working on my own games. I now know that you need to research what games exist in the area you are creating in, not only so another game isn’t copied, but to ensure that the game being created does justice to the people playing the games. I discovered through Edmund’s success that I don’t have to create a game that only exists to make money infinitely, but a onetime cost of a worthy game is just
In the last 30 year the video game industry has vastly changed. From pixelated games to having 3D graphics. From going to the arcade and using a quarter for paying games to having a microphone to talk to friends from around the world. While there are many differences there are also many similarities.
Video games are progressively becoming a crucial medium today, despite the light connotation of its initial categorization. Today they are a business that produces billions of dollars and employs engineers and artists alike in an art form connecting interactive games, to virtual societies where millions of people dwell. However, like all human products, our same emotion, flaws and injustice show in the games, with the impression of hatred, racism and stereotypes that are our everyday background. What are the creators of these video games real intentions in the desire they produce in the human?
Tom Bissell presents an article in 2010, to college students of which is “Why Video Games Matter.” Bissell isn’t intending for the argument to be about video game criticism, the history of the gaming, or an assessment of anything. On the contrary, he wants to articulate his own opinions and thoughts on what playing games feels like, why he plays them, and the questions they make him think about. Being a gamer myself, I have also endured the struggles of what being obsessed with a video game feels like. It is understood that when first purchasing a video game, all one thinks about is getting home and popping it in the console, disregarding everything else that is happening in the vicinity.
Video games are a fast growing form of technology. This issue has to be discussed because of the two confronting sides that embark it. Because of the issue video games have to either continue growing as they are or they have to be stopped completely or a settlement between the two parties has to be
Video games are a profound art form, incorporating trades and mediums that span the artistic spectrum and beyond. To refute this is to ignore decades of rich history, disregard hours of artful labor, and discredit the immeasurable devotion of many whom worked to perfect this art form. Although video games may not suit every individual’s tastes, one cannot claim with credibility they possess no artistic merit.
Due to this “possibility space,” people can not only imagine different scenarios, but they can be involved in and create them. Gamers expand their people skills learning “creativity, community, self-esteem, and problem-solving” because they are able to “create and interact with elaborately simulated worlds, characters, and story lines.” Thus, video games have become a vehicle for self-expression. Moreover, in the near future, these games will adjust themselves in accord with who the players are and what they like. “And more than ever, games will be visible, external amplification of the human imagination” (279-283).
Video games are an ever-growing franchise that is constantly undergoing change. Ever since the dawn of video games, new consoles, games, developers, and teams have come together, fallen apart, triumphed, and failed. What is it that has allowed some to thrive where others failed? Several different factors have changed and influenced the world of gaming, including the history that is continuously being written, the people who have built the games behind the scenes, and, of course, the actual video games themselves. Numerous video games have been more successful than others, but identifying what components set the successful apart from the unsuccessful is something definitely worth observing.
The video game industry is a multibillion dollar a year industry, so it isn't hard to understand why they go through great strides to protect their image. They provide entertainment to all ages, genders, nationalities, and ethnicities. Contrary to the opinions of the industries opponents, video games are not destroying our youth, they challenge, educate, and provide an escape from an oppressive world.
Video games have come a long way since Pong rid children of their quarters in 1972. In the past few years, a dramatic shift in the publics’ view of games has occured. What was once considered a kid’s toy capable of turning brains into mush is now enjoyed by the average age of 35 (Essential Facts). In recent times, another paradigm shift has begun for gaming: the road to becoming an art form. Today, museum curators from across the globe continue to accept video games into their collection, adding to its legitimacy. However, just as movies struggled to be considered art in the 1970s, the path for video games has not been smooth sailing. Many critics, such as the late Roger Ebert, have been increasingly vocal about their reasoning for why a
In today’s society video games have a large influence on people. We also might be driven to the point of where we are dependent on them. In fact, being so engulfed in video games could help children become more focused.In fact, parents would probably disagree and say that video games wouldn’t be essential to learning because it would probably be considered a waste of time for children and time-consuming. Parents would also disagree with the content of what is in the game, but there is a great possibility that video games could actually make us smarter. Steven Johnson explains that the games we are used to playing can improve our visual intelligence and that it would be good to learn new strategies through gaming. Video games should be an
Although relaxing fun and addicting, do they damage the brain, affect your temper, or even damage your nerves effecting your ability to see or exercise? Many people have differing opinions on this subject. I personally think that video games can greatly impact your lives in a positive manner, but they can also destroy your lives. Videogames altering your intelligence making you less sophisticated, or time consuming making people over weight? The advantage of playing video games can be proven in its ability to enhance learning, hand-eye coordination, and can help to reduce feelings of stress and anger.
Many video games use visuals to mentally immerse gamers into a virtual world filled with seemingly living, breathing people, animals, or cities. According to Michael Samyn and Auriea Harvey, game designers for Tale of Tales, video games increasingly develop into a true medium of artistic expression (Lamb). In just forty years, video games transformed from an abuse of the new computer for entertainment purposes into a sophisticated form of popular art. The development of video games recently produced results that arguably equal other similar, representational arts. Video games share many qualities with other forms of art, but they are also artistically significant in their own way. “This seems to be something
Video games in today’s society have become very popular. Every new game that comes out to be played and conquered by the average gamer has its own category. There are several other types of genres of games that people play but because of big hit titles and the new popular game systems like the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3, people become more interested in a game that is well known than a game they have never even heard of before. Every game has its own storyline and own way of how it unfolds and where the game ends according to game play. Some of the biggest reasons people sway to certain genres of games is because of the game titles released under them and the demand of people who want a good game under that category. The top three most
A large gap exists between the public's perception of video games and what the research actually shows. The following is an attempt to separate fact from fiction.