American Studies 334

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A short lesson in basic Swedish!

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Blogify the World: Gun Violence

Today I read and heard the news about the ongoing gun violence in Chicago and how innocent teenagers are becoming victims in gang cross fires. It is terribly sad and a true tragedy when things like this happens, and the worst thing is that it does not only happen once. It has happened multiple times, only in the last few days. Once again, the debate about guns is a hot topic. When I was flying home from Sweden a couple of weeks ago I watched “The Secret Millionaire” on the plane and this episode was taking place in Chicago. The millionaire was visiting an organization called Kids off the Block, which is an after-school program which aims to keep adolescents from involvement in the wide-spread gang organizations. I surely think that programs like this one do help a lot, but I think that the real problem is that guns are very easily accessible and that leads to problems with gun violence. According to the Second Amendment an individual have the right to keep and bear arms, mainly for self-defense. This was adopted in year 1791, more than 300 years ago and considering that our society have changed significantly since then, I also think that something that was decided 300 years ago should be reconsidered and re-evaluated in order to better fit into the society we live in today.  

Watch short news videos on: http://www.cnn.com/video/?hpt=hp_c3#/video/us/2013/02/18/tsr-rowlands-teen-dead-after-obama-speech.cnn

[danni89]

Blogify the World: Red hair in school

Today I read about a girl in a middle school in Utah who got suspended from school because of her hair color. This sounds very, very alien to me since we do not even wear school uniforms in Sweden. Apparently she violated the rules by dying her hair in, what seems to me, a completely normal hair color. I have seen people with much more extreme natural hair color than this girl. What would they have done with those children? Suspended them from school for life? I can see many positive things with the use of school uniforms. Children don’t have to feel the pressure to wear nice, expensive clothes and uniforms can create a feeling of companionship with your classmates even though I personally do not like the idea of having school uniforms. I think that this school has taken it one step too far, the hair color of students is not something the principal of a school should have anything to do with. I even think it is discriminating to not allow this girl to come to school because of her hair color.

  See the short video on: http://www.cnn.com/video/?hpt=hp_c3#/video/us/2013/02/14/pkg-red-hair-gets-girl-kicked-out-school.kutv

[danni89]

Man On The Street

Daniella: Thanks for meeting up with me Luca; I would like to ask you some questions about your attitude towards video games. For how long have you been playing? Luca: Since I was 5 or 6, when my dad introduced me to games. I started out with sports and logic games, but nowadays I mainly play FPS games. 

D: Can you explain to me, who doesn’t play video games at all, what is so appealing in a FPS game? L: Many FPS games are designed for the player to be in control of what is surrounding the main character and even the surroundings around them. This is not always the case in real life, so it offers you a way to escape reality. In the game world you are often not accountable for your actions like you are in real life so you can try things you would never do in real life.

D: What impacts do you think games have had on society? L: Both positive and negative. They lead to technological development and are good for the economy; they can be used in education and may bring people together. On the other hand they may affect people in negative ways and some people may have difficulties separating the “real world” from the virtual world.

D: What do you think future video games will look like? Will they continue to evolve? L: They will look even more realistic, like in a movie. You will be playing the main character and I don’t think there will be a need for commands while playing because your brain will be directly connected to a processor that is able to process your thoughts and apply them to the game, sort of like Matrix style.

D: If you compare video games to writing, painting and film, do you think games are a type of art? L: Compared to reading or movies, video games allow me to interact and in some ways affect how the story unfolds. That is something we haven't been able to do before and could therefore be seen as a new form or type of art. If for example writing qualifies as an art, I think that video games would also do so. You write books and manuscripts for movies in the same way as you program and write the coding for a game. I also heard about an exhibition that was held in Stockholm a couple of weeks ago pertaining to video games. It presented snapshots of all different types of video games represented through multiple other forms of art, such as paintings, statues and embroidery. These types of creations are what we usually think of as art and evidently video games can also be a type of art.

D: With most types of art the creator often wants to convey a message to the audience. Do you think this is the case with video games too? L: Using video games to convey a message is a very effective strategy due to their popularity. But considering the impact video games may have on individuals as well as society I think that it is necessary for game designers to understand that the messages they convey will be heard and therefore the creators of games have a responsibility towards the public since they in many cases functions as role models. 

D: Thank you very much for your time Luca, it was very interesting to listen to your opinions about video games and your attitude towards games.

[danni89]

Ascholarsayswhat? Reality Is Broken by Jane McGonigal

In “Reality Is Broken” by Jane McGonigal, she talks about a Quest to Learn and incorporation of video games in education. She writes that “there’s a growing disconnect between virtual environments and the classroom”.

With this I think that she means that we are not being stimulated in a classroom in the same way as we are being stimulated mentally while playing a video game. Games allows for interaction in a more extensive way than lectures. By incorporating video games you can work towards self-directed goals and replace the negative stress associated with grades with the positive stress and the urge to achieve the tasks in the game.

Do you think that using games or missions as a means of fulfilling course goals is reducing the stress associated with our current grading system? 

[danni89]

Oh Yeah? Reality Is Broken: Flow

In class today we discussed the first part of Jane McGonigal’s book "Reality Is Broken" and the key concept of the first part of the book which was “flow” and how it can make us happy. Sean’s comment about how it is possible to apply the concept "flow" to diving really made me understand what McGonigal means when she talks about "flow". "Flow" is seen as a state of mind, where you are just at the edge of achieving a goal. This state reminds you of a state of biological stress which includes increased heart rate, sweat production and nervousness. These feelings are exactly what I feel if I am facing a moment where my actions during the following seconds will decide whether I succeed or fail with the certain task. In many sports, as well as in games, there is a clear goal with established rules to follow in order to achieve the goal. You will be provided with constant feedback and this is not always the case in real life. The concept of "fiero" also fits into this discussion, since in a state of flow you will constantly achieve and experience "fiero" in a positive feedback loop. This will trigger hormonal responses in your body and it will ultimately lead you to becoming a happier person. Whether this results from playing games, from sports or other actions may not matter. The key point is that "flow", and knowing that we have the possibility to achieve our goals, is something that makes us happy.

[danni89]

Critique It! Frasca Analysis of Far Cry 3

Frasca is interested in the relationship, the similarities and differences between games and narrative and is discussing that in his article “LUDOLOGY MEETS NARRATOLOGY: Similitude and differences between (video)games and narrative”. In this paper he introduces the term ludology as being the "discipline that studies game and play activities". By using the concepts of Frasca, this text will contain a Frasca analysis of the game Far Cry 3, released in 2012.

Far cry 3 is an adventure game and a First Person Shooter game (FPS) with Role Player Game (RPG) features. We often play games, but, there is a difference between play and games. Plays do not have rules while games do have rules according to most dictionaries. According to Frasca, there is another difference between game and play. This is that you are able to win or lose a game, something that is not possible in a play (Lalande, 1928), and therefore Far Cry 3 would be considered a game according to Frasca.

The ludus process, i.e. the game itself, has a beginning, a development and a result (triumph/defeat). Far Cry 3 starts out as Jason and his friends are being kidnapped on a Pacific Island. Jason escapes and finds some peaceful natives who teaches him the “way of the warrior” and supply him with guns and vehicles in order for him to save his friends from the pirates. The ultimate goal of the game is to save his friends and destroy the criminal organization on the island.

Frasca looks upon adventure games as a particular ludus that is made up by many different “puzzles”, which throughout the development of the game has to be solved in order to reach a result of the game. The problems you may run into while playing Far Cry 3, besides the pirates, may be of natural character (wild animals in the jungle) or environmental character (collapsing caves/temples). In order to win Far Cry 3 you have to become a true warrior by completing quests and explore new territories. If you fail to complete these tasks you will not be able to complete the game. And the possibility of defeat is one of the main criteria for being classified as a game according to Frasca. In order to win, you also have to follow a defined set of rules, also a concept that according to Frasca defines a game. These rules include killing only enemy foes and helping the native warriors.

If you observe Far Cry 3 as an external viewer while someone else is playing the game, it might very well appear to you as a type of narrative, but without interaction from the player, there will be no plot to follow. 

Resources:

Lalande, André. Vocabulaire technique et critique de la philosophie. Paris: Librairie Félix Alcan, 1928.

Frasca, G. (1999). Ludology meets narratology: Similitude and differences between (video)games and narrative.. Retrieved from http://www.ludology.org/articles/ludology.htm

[danni89]

Blogify the World: Name changes

Yesterday I found a webpage that I haven’t seen before called The Local where you can read Swedish news in English and which I found interesting. One article caught my attention right away and the headline was “CV name-change leaves foreign student reeling” and it tells us about a foreigner trying to find a job in Sweden. By sending CVs where he changed his foreign-sounding name to a more Swedish name he heard back from the employers but never when he used his real name. I think that this is unacceptable and should not be occurring in one of the most developed countries in the world. There are a lot of very well-educated immigrants in the country and many of them has to accept jobs that they are over-qualified for. I have a friend in Sweden with a non-Swedish name and he used to work for a company that called their customers in order to sell their products. When the person used his real name nobody would buy or even consider listening to him, while when he was using a taken name he was able to sell the products. I think this is unacceptable and discriminating and people has to be more open-minded and allow for all citizens, whether immigrants or natives, to keep the fundamental right of keeping their own names. 

[danni89]

Liveblog it: February 8th

10.36- Madison tells us about Matlab.

10.43- Seems to be a good program for people who needs it. I am glad I am done with calculus!

10.45- We start talking about today's reading.

10.48- Designers often design games with rules and goals to convey a message while the players understand the game through the rules and goals

10.53- Playing a game in a city containing terrorists and civilians. It is like a simulation of war, with audio.

10.57- The only thing you can do in the game is to decide whether you would want to shoot or not. But, if you don't shoot, you are not playing the game.

11.00- The rules of the games are designed in a way so that the message gets through.

11.04- We are talking about if the rules of a game and if they are limiting the players. 

11.08- I think that with all art, video games included, can be perceived different by different people.

11.15- Sean talks about Sicart's statment that meaning is derived in the interaction between the audience and the creator.

11.20- Class is over! 

[danni89]

Ascholarsayswhat? Against Procedurality by Miguel Sicart

In the article Against Procedurality by Miguel Sicart I read the following: "while we often think that rules always limit behavior, the imposition of constraints also creates expression" (Bogost, 2007).

By this I think that they mean that rules and laws do not always limit us to do whatever we would like to do but they also inspire us and bring out our creative side by focing us to think "outside the box". The rules can provide us with a framework to work with and to expand our ideas and our creativity within this allowed "space", applying both to games and society as a whole. 

Do you think that an infinite amount of choices and total freedom would be better for your creativity? 

[danni89]

Liveblog it: Feb 6th

10.35- Can’t connect to the internet, I really hope I can liveblog today since I brought my 20 pound computer to class...

10.36- Sean talks about videogames and film and about the historical connection between them.

10.37- Starts going over the key concept of the reading: “Interactive Cinema”

10.41- Comaprisons of film and games. We cannot change outcome of films/they are linear. Games are interactive and we may affect/change the outcome.

10.45- We are going to take a look at the games discussed in the reading.

10.48- Picking groups, feels like being back in elementary school :)

10.50- We are gonna play games during class time!

10.53- We are playing Small Worlds. The "world" of the game is unfolding as you walk through the game.

10.55- We reached a new world. The graphics is better in this world.

11.03- The game is very simple but still addicting and I really want to know what is going to happen in the end (if there is an end).

11.04- We are discussing whether the game has an end, can we die, how many worlds are there?

11.08- Ended the game. It started out saying "There is too much noise" and ended with "Silence"

11.16- Discussing games as a whole class. Linear games doesn't really have an option.

11.20- I think the game "Once Chance" seems to be representing how it is in the real world. A type of cause and effect.

11.22- I think that game really highlights the true values of the person playing it. Class is over! 

[danni89]

Oh Yeah? Convergence Culture: Spoiling Survivor

The concept about spoiling that Jenkins is writing about made me think about the relationship between the audience, the production team and in this case the spoilers. It has become a sport for the audience to find out the secrets prior to them being aired at the show and the production team has to guard their information as if it was a treasure someone would want to steal. Preventing spoilers to leak out or to prevent information to be found out by the enthusiastic fans is probably a very difficult, if not impossible, task for the production team. The other day I watched another TV-show, Top Model, which is similar to Survivor since it also includes elimination of a participant every week. When watching the show yesterday I was thinking about what I read in Jenkins book and tried to figure out who was going to be eliminated before the episode was over. By looking at the outline of the episode and the participants they were focusing the most on I was able to figure out the outcome of the program halfway through the show. The work the spoilers are doing while they are trying to figure out the outcome of these shows is kind of like a type of detective work and maybe the time and the effort they are putting into this could be redirected into other areas, such as crime investigation etc. They could analyze videos form surveillance cameras in order to contribute with their knowledge to the society.

[danni89]

Blogify Your Life: Summer vs. Winter

Right now I am in Sweden to compete at our nationals in diving which will be held next weekend. The trip here took me 33 hours and it is so different here when compared to Hawaii! It is minus 20 degrees Celsius (after four years in the US I still haven't even tried to understand the Fahrenheit system...), there are snow storms and people are skating and skiing everywhere! These two places are so different and I have been thinking about how that affects the people and their lives. The summers here are beautiful and people are happy and they are spending time in their gardens with friends and neighbors. But in the winter you hardly see anyone and it is dark and grey most of the time. The summer is my favorite season but I really do miss skiing and the snow when I am in Hawaii. I guess I get the best of both worlds and I am so grateful for that!

[danni89]

Blogify your life: Dramadramadrama

I do not watch that many TV-shows but one of favorite ones to watch is the Bachelor. Since I do not have a lot of drama in my life I enjoy watching how the women competing for the bachelor are behaving. Every season they all seem to be nice in the beginning but as time goes by and the numbers of intrigues are increasing they all become real competitive and mean. I always wonder if these types of shows bring out the worst of these women or if these shows attract women that are not the brightest ones… Anyhow, I enjoy watching it and it adds some drama to my daily life. Maybe there is a little drama queen somewhere inside me after all! But after all, I would rather have the drama on screen so that I can turn it off when it is too much to handle.