Video Gaming Effects (Guest Blog: gamingaffectsociety)

            I like to think of the psychological effects that video games have on children is similar to a football locker room. Plenty of players psych themselves up before the match. They go into that huddle and shout at each other and do other manly things. They will stay psyched up for a little while, it may last until they hit the showers, maybe it takes until they get home and go to bed. The point is, the psychological effects do not wear off right away. Video games also psych people up and that is a testament to the potential of video games. They have managed to achieve a certain level of realism. People are able to connect with video games the same way they would with real life interactions. Real life interactions are not just aggression and rage so do not be concerned too much about video games, to truly emulate real life video game designers try to include the entire range of emotions.

            Most parents are worried about the psychological effects video games have on their kids. Most forms of media have some effect on people. Something to keep in mind is every time a new form of media comes out there is always an initial resistance and blaming of the new media as a source of problems. Despite all of the claims and studies saying that video games are causing problems, crime rate has been going down quite steadily over time.

            If you are worried about your kids having issues with aggression consider this. In less modern times, people may have punched bags, chopped wood, wrestled with friends, or found other outlets for their frustrations. Now if kids want to vent their frustrations they have video games. Video games give kids something they do not have in real life. It gives them control. Parents have control over their kids. They choose what the child does. One of the sources of frustration for the kid is that control is not fair. And it’s true, it's not fair. Children need parents, but that does not change the fact that it is still an unequal relationship. What video games offer children are safe outlets to unload the emotions left over from the relationships.

            However, even if it is a vent for their frustrations that does not mean it is healthy for them. Playing video games will boost a child's aggression levels temporarily. A study by Chris Barlett found that "...there was a significant increase in aggressive thoughts, feelings, and arousal from pre- to post video game play. This effect stabilizes after the initial increase in aggression...there is no additional effect of continued violent video game play" [1]. These studies basically say that there will be an increase in aggression but it will not get worse the longer you play. There are similar studies saying that this aggression does not linger.

References

[1]. Barlett, Christopher. (2009). How Long Do the Short-Term Violent Video Game Effects Last? Aggressive Behavior. Retrieved from http://videogames.procon.org/sourcefiles/shorttermplaying.pdf

Interview #2

This interview features Krischan Makowka, a staff member of Free Gamer. Free gamer is a blog that commentates about free software games. Like the other interview, the questions are similar with some additions.

·         What are your experiences with gaming?

I grew up with the early forms of gaming (C64, Amiga500, 286/386 IBM compatibles etc.) and got into the FPS modding scene at some point. Nowadays I play actually only a little and try to reserve some time for gaming related 3D modeling, however my job, which is totally unrelated, occupies most of my time.

·         Do you think the gaming population greatly increases when new technology becomes available?

Not really, gaming compatible mobile devices may have increased the hours played and increased the gaming population by a few casual gamers, but I think it mostly just increased the time spend gaming, especially of people that might have gotten out of the habit a bit.

·         Do you think video games help or hurt social interaction?

That depends, obviously it can introduce people into the gaming population, and LAN parties (which are getting sadly less common) were certainly a great way to get to know people back in the day. However games like World of Warcraft which occupy massive amounts of time (and the people you interact with virtually are mostly not know to you in real life) certainly take a toll on the remaining social life.

·         What are your thoughts of gaming industries promoting their products through various media?

No problem with that really, I am still a bit surprised when a see a big gaming commercial in the cinema or TV, but I don't see anything wrong with that. It's a business and they are doing advertisements like any other.

·         What is your opinion of gaming influencing learning capabilities?

This is actually a very interesting point. I think the new interactive technologies (gaming internet etc.) have a strong influence on the formation of everyones brains especially that of children. If it would be utilized right (and here the experience of developing open-source games is certainly much better than just consuming the next call of duty title) it could have a great overall effect on learning. However it also makes our brains somewhat incompatible with traditional learning methods, and I think you can see that in todays schools already, especially with boys. But here I think the schools need to adjust, as the technology is here to stay and be utilized.

·         Do you think gamers are more aware of struggles in the country, for example war and the national debt, than non-gamers?

No, and I would say the general gaming demographic is probably less aware (not necessarily due to gaming, but just being the 15-35 mainly male demographic). Open-source enthusiasts might be a bit different, as it certainly has a political/moral part.

·         How do you think society would differ if gaming cease to exist?

I would say this differently... basically gaming is still largly non-existant for the majority of society. Television etc. is a much more dominant force. However this is changing rapidly in the last couple of years (in tandem with the rise of the internet) and this is in my opinion a positive change for the most part.

References
(Krischan Makowka, Personal Communication, November 23, 2012)

Interview #1

            This post contains an interview with Scott DiMonda, the Editor-In-Chief of Platform Nation. Platform Nation is an organization focusing on gaming news through the support of writers and podcasters.

·         What are your experiences with gaming?

I have been gaming since the Coleco Telstar that I received as a Christmas present, (I was about 8) to today.  I did take a small hiatus from gaming for about 5 years and then I purchased the PlayStation and haven't looked back since.  I own all the major consoles and just have even gotten back into PC gaming. As some may know I even took my gaming to the next level and became a writer at Platform Nation, and worked my way to Editor-in-Chief.  I not only have the aspect from a gamer but as media that sometimes gets a look at things the regular gamer may not see.

·         Do you think video games help or hurt social interaction?

When non-gamers hear the words video games right away they think "Loser in Moms basement", but I like to tell them when was the last time you spoke to your friend while playing a game together that live in another state or even country. So in all I feel it helps social interaction.  The shy kid in school may be the kid you are playing Halo 4 multiplayer pulling off spectacular head shots and having a conversation with his team and not having to worry about the way he looks, the way he handles himself.  He may be the one that opens up while playing games and may be his or hers only means of conversation without being picked on.

·         What are your thoughts of gaming industries promoting their products through various media?

Some of the commercials that come out for games are the real seller of the games.  Let's take Call of Duty: Black Ops 2, that commercial is awesome, but doesn't simulate gameplay, but a lot of people will buy that game because of the commercial.  Video Gaming is a huge business and PR firms take full advantage of getting the exposure for their game, and with all the social media stations available they reach a different target with each one, so it is good.  I am not a Facebook user but I do use Twitter, so if they didn't promote via Twitter I may be left out of the loop.

·         What is your opinion of gaming influencing learning capabilities?

Depending on the game(s).  There are a lot of great games out there that can help people learn.  From reading the captions on the bottom of the screen for those that may not be good readers, to hand eye coordination, we are always learning and if more people realized some of the advantages of gaming may help some with learning disabilities out.

·         How do you think society would differ if gaming cease to exist?

If gaming was to cease to exist I think we would all have different hobbies and may go back to the traditional hobbies from the past.  From stamp collecting to coin collecting (which aren't big anymore, because we all use debit cards anymore and rarely carry cash so collecting coins is harder and stamps aren't big anymore because instead of sending a letter we send an email, so with technologies bar raising so does the way we communicate and act).

References

(Scott DiMonda, Personal Communication, November 12, 2012)

World of Gamers

            As stated in previous posts, gamers are everywhere. Now I will go in depth and explain what that means. Gamers are not from one specific country of some part of the continent, they are every country of the world. True, some countries have a greater population of gamers than others, but there is at least one in every part of the world. Some of what I will describe might interest you.

            With the world full of gamers, connecting with other players is common. According to an article of demographic factors, “By far the most popular reason was that Everquest is a social game (24.6%). Other popular favorite reasons include being able to group together with others (10.2%), being part of a Guild membership (10%). And the fact that there was no end to the game (10%)”[1]. Everquest is a game featured all over the world. The fact still remains that most gamers enjoy communicating and spending time with other players.

            When it comes to gaming online, each country has some weight of the population. According to the article, data was taken to determine the nationality of gamers that play the game Everquest. The results include…

1.      North America – 76.7%

2.      Europe – 20.0%

3.      Australasia – 2.8%

4.      Asia – 0.6%

The results seem accurate in terms of today’s gamers. Most players on any online game derive from America. The irony is that Asia has the highest population in the world, but has the least contribution in gaming. The problem could be the lack of technology in some continents, as America is more developed than Asia in terms of electronics.

            The world has gamers from all the continents with nearly the ideal purpose for gaming. Some have more gamers than others, but overall, there will always be a way to connect and know other cultures.

References

[1]. Chappell, D., Davies, M. N. O., Griffiths, M.D. (2004). Demographic Factors and Playing Variables in Online Computer Gaming. Retrieved from http://documents.univ-lille3.fr/files/espaces/pers/21/P4721/public/21/MMO1%2021.pdf

Lifestyles of Gamers

             Have you ever wondered what type of people play video games? Gamers come in different shapes, sizes, and forms. Gamers are unique in their own way. They can be anywhere from a teen in their room to a highly successful business executive in the office. They can even be internet online users. Take a look at some of the type of gamers that support society in the infographic. The data in the infographic is composed of data from the article “Lifestyles of Online Gamers: A Psychographic Approach.” Viewers will be surprised by how gamers live.

            Though the data may seem outdated, the fact is that the data only slightly changes every year. The lifestyles don’t change drastically and has continued to be around the same average. Even with other current infographics, the data almost duplicates the same results.

            The data also helps industries and advertisers how to promote products. As stated by the article, “The use of online games as advertising promotional communications tools also has the benefit of making it possible to implement viral marketing…However…Little academic research to date has been conducted on who adult online gamers are and what their attitudes and motivations are”[1]. If advertisers find the right type of people, they will be able to promote across larger regions.

References

[1]. Doyle, K. O., Lee, M., Youn, S. (2003). Lifestyles of Online Gamers: A Psychographic Approach. Journal of Interactive Advertising. Retrieved from http://jiad.org/article35

I'm Game

            I have gone through in past posts talking about the effects of how gaming has changed society. Now I want take a break to give my own experience as a gamer and how gaming has changed me. In the podcast, I will address opinions of some benefits of gaming and how other gamers may relate.

            I am involved in a group of the deep thinkers and strategists whom may share similar benefits of gaming. As stated in “Meet the Gamers,” “...game cultures promote various types of information literacy, develop information seeking habits and production practices (like writing), and require good, old fashioned research skills”[1]. From what you know about my thoughts, the next post will focus more as gamers as a whole.

References

[1]. Squire, K., Steinkuehler, C. (Apr. 2005). Meet the Gamers. Library Journal. Retrieved from http://website.education.wisc.edu/kdsquire/tenure-files/27-library-meet-gamers.pdf

Be Realistic

            Have you ever played a game that seemed so realistic that it felt like you were there? I have played my share of games to say some are real in many ways. I have played action-shooters based on war and the characters, the weapons, and environments seem to replicate real life. In one way or another, the games we play replicate some form of realism that impacts the society.

            Realistic gaming graphics is seen as a way to teach people. For instance, realistic gaming can teach about using technology. As stated in the article, “Social Realism in Gaming,” “…Because life today is so computer-mediated, gamers actually benefit from hours of realistic gameplay. The time spent playing games trains the gamer to be close to the machine, to be quick and responsive, and to understand interfaces”[1]. Gaming can actually be a teaching tool to understand how computers work.

Realistic gaming can be useful for the armed forces. “This was Ronald Reagan’s argument in the 1980s when he famously predicted that action videogames were training a new generation of cyber-warriors…Today it is evident that he was right: flight simulators, Doom and America’s Army (2002) are all realistic training tools at some level…”[1]. Training future soldiers for war is simple to the fact that with realistic games, soldiers will be familiar with the basis of combat and replicating the feeling of war. Realistic games that showcase environments will teach soldiers about terrain layout and have a sense of what the world looks like.  

Ever taken a good look at the colors and artistic style of some games? Another important use of realism is to emphasize aesthetics in art. “To find social realism in gaming one must follow tell-tail traits of social critique and through them uncover the beginnings of a realist gaming aesthetic…there are games that begin to approximate the core aesthetic value of realism…”[1]. Games are starting to become works of art that artists find them as inspiration.

            Gaming graphics have improved from classic 8-bit to HD three dimensional figures. As the graphics start to become realistic so to on how they impact us. Realistic games influence education, self-defense, art, and much more. When you play your next video game, take time to appreciate what you see.

References

[1]. Galloway, A. R. (2004, November). Social Realism in Gaming. Game Studies. Retrieved from http://gamestudies.org/0401/galloway/