Simply blogging about games and trying to get my students to think on these subjects. Anyone who wants to read and leave comments or thoughts on why we’re drawn to play games, or rather video games. What do you personally feel you get out of it?
This is not meant to be a judgement in any direction, but meant to open up a discussion for my students to analyze and use their noggins.
cheers
Daev
Just one thought, a.o. i disagree with that games are more immersive than other media.
The stories you can get out of excellent books are way more interesting than anything i’ve been told in video games. The visual experience in a good looking movie is way more spectacular than in video games and jumping around in a concert and poging with the crowd next to you is again way more intensive than listening to music whilst sitting in front of a desk. And we haven’t even started to talk about looking at the stars, climbing in the mountains and trying to stay alive, sex or experiences you can get from drugs.
@taumel Yeah, maybe immersive is not the correct word. What if we said it’s most addictive media?.. just as coffee is the most addictive substance in the world(just kidding), games might just be the most addictive media. I don’t think any music or tv show can hook people as much as some videogames. Like that asian dude that died playing… world of warcraft, or something.
Oh, and please lets agree in not considering drugs as ‘media’. Doesn’t the word media, in this case, refer to any medium people use to communicate data to other people? You could say drugs are the media a person uses to communicate with himself, but lets keep it simple, right? n___n
I think books can.
This is also related to how humans senses work. For instance music could be less addicting under such a point of view because less people play an instrument which is exhausting and physically hurts after some time or you just can’t listen to music this long before it gets on your nerves. It’s usually more intensive but best enjoyed in short doses. Then there come movies. Books are something which you can read through the whole day and night as well. Games can be played on a similar timespan or even longer, depending on the type of game.
Btw i might have an immersive gaming experience for you. Well it’s less gaming and more controller related. Anyway you take your favourite rumble device, like your Xbox 360 controller, hold it (those ends pointing torwards your thenars) against your forehead, temples top of your head and turn the motor(s) on. After a few seconds you should feel that you’re relaxing and that some part of your head is kind of drifting away, it also can tickle. I’m not responsible for any misuse or problems this might cause. You do this at your own risk.
People still spend far more time watching TV than they do playing video games, so you may want to rethink that position:)
Time spent - well, cumulative hours for the human race spent watching TV are sure to be far higher. But gamers will spend as much or more time gaming than many people do watching TV. And you have to factor in that gaming is a largely exclusive pass-time whereas TV is often background or at least one of several things people are doing.
I agree with taumel on immersion. For media, a good book draws you in to it’s world to a degree few if any games can. A good movie is much more immersive while it lasts. Music can evoke emotions much more effectively than most games. For games, sport is the most important thing in the world for players and fans while it’s in play. Or look at the money and prestige associated with games like poker or chess.
What do video games offer then?
They’re about you. Most people don’t play football or act in movies. They are specators only in these other things. But in games, winning or losing may depend on you. You can feel like you achieved something, not that someone you support did.
Alter-ego. In a game you’re not yourself. You can project yourself into another world but act as much or as little like your ordinary self as you please. If you’re a nice person and want to play a Paladin, you can. If you’re a gentle midget but occasionally want to imagine yourself a linebacker or heavyweight champion, you can do that too.
They’re lasting. Movies end. Books end. Sports matches end. Quite quickly in fact. And often they’re not the same second time, or on the TV. Or when you know the outcome. Video games last a lot longer, if not indefinitely online.
They’re easy to access. You can pick up and play any game, any time. Sure, you can do that with TV. But with variable quality. If you watch it a lot it’s likely there are only certain shows that really have your interest… while the rest is just filler. You already saw the reruns many times and great shows don’t come along often enough. Video games, you have 24/7 access to the good stuff.
They’re social, but not too social. If you want to have friends over and play 4 player you can. If you want to go online with thousands of others from across the world, you can. If you just want to do some gaming on your own, you can. If you want all your friends to know what you just found on your farm AGAIN (leave it, Alric, it’s not worth it), you can. The game will still work and you’ll still have opponents in every scenario. And you don’t need to organize a trip out or take your slippers off at any point.
They’re diverse. Video games bring in elements of so many other areas. They include music, and some of it’s very good. They tell stories and let you imagine them. They let you meet and compete with others. They let you sing, dance, play fantasy football or save the world. Increasingly, there’s something for everyone - not just in the subject, which any form of media can be about - but in the activity itself.
Fundamentally, when you’re reading a book, you’re reading. Whatever movie you’re watching, you are sitting in front of a screen. They paint a picture for you but you aren’t taking any mental or physical action… you are absorbing. In a video game, you are doing. In this way video games bridge the gap between traditional media and traditional games.