The Subculture Of Board Game

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.

But what is the motivation for buying and playing games? How can the increasingly-high popularity of video games be explained? The most predictable and basic answer is because it is fun. Empirical evidence (Griffiths and Hunt, 1995) suggest that ‘fun’ is cited for more than 75% of times as the main reason for playing games. But if we look on a deeper, psychological level, it is not fun that attracts most players, but reasons far more complex. Similarly to slot machines, video gaming provides the thrill, the adrenaline, and the excitement or anxiety, from the process (gaming), and from the ultimate result (winning or losing). It can thus be attractive for people who seek to experience new feelings in their life or do not experience them enough in their real life. Griffiths and Davies (2005) pointed out

Author A.B. Harris declares a call to action in his article “Average Gamers Please Step Forward” published in 2012 as he talks about the how gamers shouldn’t settle for how the Entertainment Software Association put the average gamer into a box, Harris (2017) declares that the average gamers are far more credible and intelligent than the perceived demographics suggest (pg.503). He starts to build a bond between himself and the reader by connecting himself with the audience and asserting himself as one of them who all want the same thing, to “change the mainstream” (Harris, 2012, p.506) and show non-gamers they are more than over-sexed male adolescents with a penchant for violence (Harris, 2012, p.504). Harris uses his personal values and experiences

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

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.

The film Second Skin provided a large coverage of the effects of massive multiplayer online games on the players and the people around them. This film was used to shed light on what actually occurs in a gamers’ life and their perspective on their “hobby”. The point that jumped out the most would be the fact that excessive gaming can be as addictive as drugs and as a result can have mental and social repercussions. The fact is that online gamers find it difficult to draw the fine line when a game is for passing time and when it officially becomes a problem.

The gaming subculture brings a lot of people together. They bring people together through the gaming world. Gaming started when video games first came out, either on computer, console, or arcades you have to physically walk to. The games consisted of hard levels, which was purchased within the game, to keep gamers hooked and spending money. They referred to them as “expansion packs”(Henry). These packs add content encouraging players to

To start with, gaming is a sizable industry of significant economic importance. More importantly, video games have great potential to be a tool for learning. Educational games combine entertainment with learning and are increasing in popularity (Lenhart et al, 2008). Additionally, video games connect those within similar communities or across the world in positive ways. Technology has made it possible to enjoy this hobby with individuals from almost anywhere in a matter seconds. While video games are a product that primarily serve to entertain and make profits for companies, one of their latent functions is to connect and socialize with

Being a far cry from the stereotypical “geek culture” it originated from. The concept of “gamer” has undergone a major metamorphosis. Nowadays, the gaming demographic includes almost everyone under the sun who owns a computer or mobile device. The proliferation of these devices and increasing complexity of games have broadened the purpose and role of a gamer. Henceforth, it is far from

In particular the video game industry has been commanded by a mostly male eccentric community, but in the past two decades, women have been encroaching on the alleged “private” life of the male video gamer’s community and they are petrified they are going to lose a unique time to get away from their lives and women in general. “It’s a $27.5 billion industry, but the modern video game industry had a humble beginning.”(CNBC, 1). The video game industry was thought up by an engineer named Ralph Baer in 1966. Moving forward over the years video gaming was established from the ground up by male computer scientist and engineers. The first video game released publicly was set loose upon the public at Andy Capp’s Tavern in Sunnyvale, California. The game was made by two men, one of the men was Nolan

When you hear the words Fantasy Role Playing Game (FRPG) or Dungeons & Dragons (DnD) there is a certain level of nurtured bias that is applied to the people who are interested in these things. If you were to paint a picture of someone who plays this type of thing I’m sure that person would have glasses, be overweight, and probably have difficulty socializing as a normal person. However, you might also see those same people as having above average intelligence and probably have a good job. The stereotypes surrounding FRPGs are generally negative with positive undertones, most likely because of a lack of general information regarding the FRPG community and those who take part in it. Having played some FRPGs myself, I can say without a doubt that I wouldn’t bring up the fact that I play DnD to say, a pretty girl who I’m attempting to court. However, maybe the fact that I’ve played FRPGs is helping me court this woman, or perhaps even make friends and socialize better than I had before. This essay will concern itself not with just the negative stereotypes and proving or disproving them. But with the culture and impact of FRPGs as a whole. I believe FRPGs in the United States have a positive impact on the social development of young adults.

With the video game culture taking over the youth of the nation it’s easy to forget where the beginning of this colossal enterprise started. With the lack of video games in the past the original family games started with classic board games resembling Monopoly and life. These timeless games gave birth to their own culture that allowed players to become immersed in fantasy worlds. This included the creation of games like Dungeons & Dragons which would spawn its own generation of gamers. Recently the popularity in these fantasy, and strategy based games has been growing. The reasons that is drawing groups to participate in an archaic form of gaming is unclear. It’s imperative to understand why this subculture gaining in popularity, and how it’s attracting people with the lure of mages and spells. During my initial visits to my filed location I have observed how the building was laid out, some of the unspoken rules of the community, and how different groups of board gamers frequent the location. Without knowing what to observe first during I decided that I would get a good idea on how the building was laid out.

Gaming has been a way for adolescents and adults to escape reality and pass the time. It not only provides them with a recreational hobby, but also allows them to connect and communicate with those alike. The field of gaming is constantly growing and allowing new opportunities for creative ideas. There is such a large variety to choose from, making it a truly diverse and engaging world. The question of whether video games can be addictive is left unanswered because many articles and studies provide evidence that supports both sides of the debate.

Almost everyone, everywhere has a hobby. While it is typical to find adults with the same hobbies they had during their childhood days there is also the likelihood that over time many adults would have switched hobbies. Reflecting on my life over the past three years made me realize that I’ve changed hobbies thrice due to relocation, accessibility and cost. Like me, many adults are now turning to video gaming as their preferred pastime, because of its distinctive features from other competing interests. With many hobbies to choose from to help combat stress, playing video games is a worthwhile hobby because, the player has the freedom to choose games based on personal values, it can be done indoors with or without company, it is inexpensive, and it keeps the body sufficiently active while guaranteeing fun.

    Video games have been getting a bad reputation. Video games have been blamed for contributing an excessive number of acts of violence or animosity for quite a long time. What the media misses is that video games have many advantages we haven't found in some other media, such as watching TV. Society should quit fearing video games and rather begin anticipating how we can best utilize them to improve ourselves and our kids. Any individual who doesn't comprehend why needs just investigate our general public. Studies have shown that 90% of teenagers in the United States play video games. 70% of heads of family units play video games, as well. That shows that the majority of teenagers and young adults play some sort of video game. Society is changing and non-gamers are in effect deserted.