Com 201 Media Essay

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COM 201
Media Essay 2
11/16/12

Video games seem to be an essential part around my friends’ circle. Unfortunately, I have never been one of them, but since my brother is a huge fan of video games, I can say I grew up around a video games’ world. As I remember, my brother played video games in every minute and second. I believe you must wonder why I could insist not to play. The truth is I was too afraid to be addicted to those games. I knew I was like my brother. I have seen all the consequences being addicted to video games bring. So I never played the same games several times and this is how I controlled myself. Hence it is much easier for me to observe how people interact with video games and it can also satisfy my curiosity about why people are so addictive. Therefore, I asked two of my girlfriends and my brother to help me to conduct this research. I ask them to play Halo 4, which is a new game they have never played. Two of my close friends, Cecilia and Kay, are from Hong Kong and we all study in UW. I have known them since I came to US and we always hang out together, so I believe I know them pretty well. As I know, one of my girlfriends is a fan of apps games and she likes to try new games. And my other friend is not a big fan of video games, but she sometimes plays games on her iPhone such as Texas Poker, which she recommended me to play. Of course, there is no doubt that my brother should be one of the participants as he is a “gamer”. I feel a little bit excited about the chemistry reaction will generate with this combination of gamer. I observed my friends and my brother played the games for at least 2 hours and I felt like watching a live TV show because it was much more interesting than I thought. So when they started playing it, I noticed that my brother showed the most confident of playing the game. He was quite and calm. He could figure out how to use the weapon on his own effortlessly. It seemed that he was going to win this game. I guess it was because he had good experience of playing video games. It was easier for him to pick up a new game. So even though it was a new game, it would not be a challenge for him. On the other hand, the reaction of the two girls was so different. Cecilia was the most active and interesting one. She complained a lot and yelled like “Where the hell am I? OMG, am I dead? What the hell is this? Should I shoot it? ” And Kay was the only one who responded her the most. Also, she loved to engage with her own body motion, which was cute to me when I sat aside looking at her. She sometimes moved along with the desire direction of character and talked to herself. She looked like playing in a real game, but I could tell she was the one who did not care the win or loss in the game. Compared to Cecilia, Kay was a more stable player. She asked rational questions and commented sometimes, such as “Is there a weapon on the floor I can pick up? Am I curing myself?” in order to enhance her abilities in the game. Moreover, she was the coordinator in the game. She not only kept Cecilia on track and taught her how to use the weapon but also discussed the strategy with my brother to fight back. From how they interacted within the games, it reflected their characters in some way. Since Cecilia is an optimist and a talker, she laughed and talked a lot during the game. And my brother is a “gamer”, I could see his unwillingness to lose in the game in his face. But I guess he is right, who would like to lose? Therefore, Kay was a go-between who acted as an intermediary or messenger between Cecilia and my brother like what she usually does between Cecilia and me in the reality. That’s why I believe people somehow can learn to collaborate through video games.
After the two hours was over, I interviewed them with the question I prepared. They all agreed that it was a fun game, so I asked them the first question, “What about this video game was fun, and why?” The first response I got is “fun and excited!” It was so cool for them to feel like a hero and save the world. This game exactly provided a great opportunity to release their pressure from the reality. Turn the Xbox on and put in the disk and you will be carried off into a distant land where humankind's last hope for survival rests with you. It only takes a game console, a TV and a shooter game to feel like everything is under control and waiting for “an epic win” when they achieve the "world-saving missions". All there is the excitement of the killing, the rush of victory and loads of fun. In the second question, I asked if they gain any satisfaction in order to keep playing the game. The answer was “Yes. I get fascinated with the first person shooters because it makes me feel all powerful and able to do anything.” Actually that is true. Hardly anyone will want to run around with a real gun, hunting for enemies and risking to be shot from the back. But games like Halo provide a safe way to explore the talents as a soldier and give a new insight on the art of warfare. Finally, I asked what would be the reason they like this game. And Kay told me, “Since life is ordinary and the daily tasks are dull, I desire for some excitement in my every day routine.” Sometimes the need to dive into a world where every day problems do not exist is alluring and exciting. The ability to become someone else, someone you will never be, to live out a life full of danger and mystery, is offered by video games to all people. But even if it's just for one hour or a few minutes it makes feel alive and able to do absolutely anything. Based on my observations and interviews, I think medium theory is the best to explain the interaction with the video games. Nowadays, as the technology of video games is growing so fast, it can influence a lot of people. Gaming starts to become a media to deliver message to the player, which can be good or bad. This is why video games should be a learning tool. In this assignment, I can see playing video games actually learn more than I expected. First, playing video games provide a good way for us spending more time to communicate with our friends and family. From my observation, Cecilia, Kay and my brother play a different role in the game. They need to learn to cooperate with each other in order to win the game. It takes a lot of trust between them. It is like they make a commitment to each other for playing this game. They all have the same goal – win. Thus, playing a game actually can build up bonds, trust, and cooperation. I believe if they can adapt this kind of team spirit to real life, it must help to improve their interpersonal relationship and stronger social relationships in the future.