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relaxation

The idea of a zen video game is interesting, as many other classmates have said, because the so called relaxing game is not really relaxing at all. But somehow... it works. I found this was the case when I played WoW. I was so on edge while I played. Literally on the edge of my seat as I tried finishing quests and killing creatures in dungeons and such. But after all was said and done, after I finished playing for the evening, I felt better... more relaxed than when I had started playing. The zen video game does not necessarily relax you while you play, but once finished, you feel more relaxed. As said in the book, the game may start out frustrating, but soon enough the process becomes relaxing. I think this holds true with most video games, whether they be played on a computer, a cell phone, or a xbox/playstation/etc. The simple interaction with the game takes a person away from reality for a moment (or a few hours)... a great relaxation method in my opinion

#kelseyhappel

Real-Life Training

After doing the readings, I've actually begun to notice some of the ways games like WOW reflect real life and do teach us things. For example, the fact that you have to do certain things to earn money is very similar to real life where you have to work or perform tasks (like chores... which quests sometimes feel like) to earn money. Then it also teaches budgeting (how you spend the money). Its a parellel to life. Even the decisions you make on which skills to learn mirror real life. For example, you can spend your time learning different skills, depending on what you want to focus on, much like what happens in college and highschool with class selection. And that's just WOW. Other RPGs are the same way, and even strategy games reflect this subliminal education. Its actually pretty impressive to say the least. On top of that, I know for a fact that games are also used professionally to teach skills. Wargames are used by the military to test response times and strategy, Flight Simulators are used by pilots and astronauts to teach emergency situations and the basics of flying before the pilot ever leaves the ground so they are well equiped to handle whatever happens. There are even games in the medical field that teach doctors how and where to cut under certain procedures, giving them skills and experience only hundreds of actual surgeries and hundreds of patients would give them. It's even funny to think of simulations like that as games when they teach such lifechanging and important things.

#dhruvnathwani

Video Games and Life

As I was reading How to do Things With Video Games, I could only thing of how many niches games have tried to fill lately. It reminded me of a story from a while ago about World of Warcraft. Apparently, in the game there was a virus that a character could get while fighting a boss. Normally, the virus went away either when you beat it or when you left the field. But due to a glitch, the some players glitched out of the area with the virus and was able to spreading it around the real world. Blizzard tried to quarantine or kill the virus, but it kept spreading. It was eerily like a real life epidemic. It was after the fact that scientists began looking at it as a virus study. It wasn't perfect but it worked to teach new ways to stop the spread of viruses in real life. This is a lot more serious than using a video game to help get the best deal on groceries, but it isn't unique in helping improve world health. It has happened before and will happen again. It's only a matter of time before people realize the massive man power put into these virtual universes that could be put to use.

Video Games & Terrorism

When I received Microsoft Flight Simulator 2002 as a gift some years ago, I found myself thoroughly enjoying the game's realism. However, there was one thing it seemed to lack- crashes. Planes would simply bounce when they hit the ground like a rubber ball, instantly having their lengths and widths become parallel to the ground and proceeding forward at the same speed they were going when they hit the ground. There was also an option to simply have the simulation end when the plane crashed. While I'm not completely sure why this feature exists, the purported reason for it is that after 9/11, some believed that having realistic crashes would somehow aid terrorism. This notion seems very strange to me- what would the crashes add to the simulation that would aid a flight-training terrorist any more on top of the existing simulation? This resembles the TV show 24 removing a direct shot of a plane exploding in its pilot because it aired soon after 9/11. It seems we take the concept of terrorism too seriously, to the point where we even fear it in fiction.

#ben livingston

Video game thoughts

the first chapter that stood out to me was the chapter on kitch, and how we wish we could show off the fruits of our efforts in the game. It is important to us to have something of an artistic value as an end product in games, one that comes to mind in particular is The Sims, the entire game's excitement for me was building the dream mansion, but once this was complete, there is no way of showcasing your product and to be proud of your hard work. Games on Facebook are popular. Because you can post games on your wall, but those are only silly Facebook games. If some sort of "showoff" software existed for other games like WOW, it would be highly successful. As I had mentioned on my notecard, instead of video games relaxing us from a hard day,I think we are simply relaxing us from the hardship that is lives just being too easy! Since no longer we have the need to go out and plant or hunt or kill enemies, a dullness in our everyday comforts exists. By planting virtual crops and raising virtual sim babies, we are giving ourselves that extra responsibility, that luckily doesn't involve us getting out of our chair, to fill the void of easiness in our lives with the help of games.

I am vengeance, I am the night, I am relaxed

Like most of my classmates, I appreciated the chapter on relaxation and video games. It reminded me of the beginning of the semester: I had two biology tests on the same day twice. Think about it, and, meanwhile, all I wanted to do was play the game I had been playing all semester, Batman: Arkham City. It was a safe haven for me when I was swamped with work. It did in fact create this zen like experience for me that Bogost talks about. It's relaxing through the repetition on beating up thugs, finding Riddler trophies. Additionally, it became a "lean back" game for me as well. Regrettably I even found myself playing this particular video while talking to my girlfriend on the phone. Shhhh.

The title is like Batman's catch phrase by the way. I am a nerd.

#stevemccalley

music and games

I found the chapter on Music quite interesting. Bogost initially gives a quick history of music, pointing out that in years past music and literature were so tightly interwoven as to be inseparable. Video games have changed the way we interact with music (or it can). The example Bogost uses to illustrate this concept is Guitar Hero. Guitar Hero allows the player to experience and examine the “abstract patterns” of music. He concludes by stating that music and video games offer “their listeners and operators an expressive experience within the framework of melody and rhythm.” Essentially, the game has the ability to alter the way in which a player thinks about music—that is pretty remarkable.

#Hannah Provencher

Repetition & Relaxation

I told myself I was going to be super productive today. Bomb threats cancelled all of my classes. I was going to knock out at least half of one of my final papers. What did I spend the entire morning doing?

Playing Angry Birds.

I thought I'd just play one round, but I found myself addicted and unable to stop. Before I knew it it was 2:30 and the most productive thing I'd done all day was eat a salad for lunch. It was personal when the green pig would give me a goofy smile and say LEVEL FAILED! It was a time sucker, but it was one of the few times in the past three weeks that I haven't worried about bomb threats. I felt relaxed. It acted as a distraction, an escape. It may not be the "zen" game as described in How To Do Things With Videogames, but it has similar qualities to those described on pg. 92 ("Frustrating...at first, the process...can be remarkably relaxing.") The motion of flinging birds at structures is repetitive enough to relax. And Angry Birds isn't a completely mindless game, it does require strategy.

#HannahYu

Chillaxin' with Videogames

“To relax through a game requires abandoning the value of leaning forward and focusing on how games can also allow players to achieve satisfaction by leaning back.”

I think reading this in chapter 13 made me have a flashback to WoW, which was at first was far from a relaxing experience. Almost every time I played it I was on edge. The concept of a Zen game is weird to me, but I think the point is that any game can transcend that of a plaything to a sort of therapy depending on the person. For example, I must admit that I’m a pretty big fan of the Wii – mostly because of Michael Jackson: The Experience. Even though the game requires me to move and interact, I’m usually pretty chill when I play. It’s like a stress reliever. This might not be the case for someone else who’s uncomfortable dancing or claims to not know how to. Additionally, it’s important to remember that playing a videogame is a learning process. In order to be able to do it in a relaxed state, you must be fairly advanced. It’s the equivalent of reading. At first a child may not do it for fun because it’s “too hard” or “boring”, but once they get the hang of it, they’ll realize the places it can take them.

#evalavida

Video Games and Relaxation

I really liked this reading. It was pretty much straightforward, and I also like it when video games have connections and relevance to the real world. My favorite chapter was 13, the chapter about relaxation. I thought it was interesting that Bogost said video games, "are a 'lean forward' medium," (Bogost Ch. 13). I feel like the stereotype for people who play lots of games is that they sit around for hours not doing much but playing the game. But, compared to other media, video games definitely require more input from the user. I found it funny that the "Zen games" and games that are supposed to relax were actually not relaxing. I've played Cloud and did NOT find it relaxing. The story was depressing and the game itself was frustrating, confusing, and glitchy. The games Animal Crossing and Harvest Moon, on the other hand, are very relaxing, and also two of my favorite games. They're repetitive, the music is soothing, there aren't any bright flashes of light, and the stories are happy! I would use all of those things if I wanted to make a relaxing game. I have actually fallen asleep playing those two games. They're the perfect examples of Zen games I can think of--no stressful tasks, no player-player interaction, no loud sounds or bright lights. Relaxing games combine repetition with a soothing of the senses to allow players to "lean back" and enjoy the tranquility!

Video games and emotional investment

Reading about Bogost's "How to do Things With Video Games" made me consider what I actually think about when playing games. There's one game in particular that made me think about how much I actually became invested in the characters in it, much like a book--Final Fantasy X. The game forces you to interact with the characters in a way where you control the fate of the world. It makes you confront issues that are similar to some political/religion issues we face in our world today.

At different points in the game, I became genuinely invested in some of the characters and got feelings much like I would reading a book like Harry Potter or The Hunger Games. I couldn't wait to see what was going to happen next. I couldn't wait to see what challenges lie ahead for the heroines. It's interesting to wonder why I would get invested in a video game character, but I did. And I think that's what makes games like this classics.

#scottkromko

Texture

One chapter I found interesting in How to do Things with Videogames was chapter 11, "Texture." It was exciting to me that the author talked about the game Go, as it's a game I like that few people seem to know about. I've played it both with a real board and stones and on the computer, and as the author points out the tactile elements are lost in videogame versions. Being able to actually touch the stones and play with them while thinking about moves adds another element to the game, as does the care that needs to be taken when placing a stone on the board. Since on the computer one merely clicks the spot they want to move, I feel that the game seems more detached in these versions. At the end of the chapter the author talks about the possibility of simulating these elements and adding texture to a videogame version, such as being able to play with the stones in a virtual hand. I never thought about a computer version of Go existing with these elements, but it's really fascinating to me as these suggestions demonstrate how texture could be further emphasized in videogames.

#shannonk

Work and Video Games

Video games, with the addition of motion control, add an different environment that they can be used on. I know from my countless hours on the internet that some jobs, like ColdStone Creamery, are training workers using video games. But how does this affect the training. For some it may be beneficial. The worker gets an interactive working experience rather than sitting watching a video. They are able to learn quantities of the items needed without wasting any of the product. They can learn to work with speed and precision before serving a single customer. It is hard to say though if this type of training makes a good worker. What if the person is just good at the game and the skills do not translate over and can an employee take a company seriously if they train them with video games.

#zache

Empathy

I can't help but feel that this chapter was a missed opportunity. What video games have unique to them is the main character becomes a proxy of the player (some games like rpgs mostly). Through the main character, the player shapes the game world and its characters. The player learns about the characters. He or she might love, hate, admire, pity them, etc. The player might be surprised that he or she actually likes this certain companion despite having disagreeable characteristics. The player might learn about their history and culture and draw similarities between the virtual world and the real world. The player would act or react to events in the game that ultimately decide the fate of his or her companions that may result in bouts of laughter, cries of victory or tears. After all, the player has spent the last thirty or more hours adventuring and growing with these companions. If the game is presented well enough, the player could do some deep reflecting upon a single question. And when the player has stopped playing and when he or she least expects it, the player might experience a similar or analogous scenario in real life and might gain new perspective in the event. To me, this is what video games can teach us about empathy. These are not somebody else' friends and rivals. These are YOUR friends and rivals.

#longpham

That's so kitsch

Merriam-Webster defines kitsch as, "something that appeals to popular or lowbrow taste and is often of poor quality." Bogost defines kitsch as "an art urging over sentimentality, focused on the overt application of conventions, without the particular originality..." (83). I don't know if it's just me (note: I have never heard the word "kitsch" before How To Do Things With Videogames) but both of these definitions sound a wee bit negative. And it pains me to see that Diner Dash falls under the category of "kitsch." Diner Dash is not so kitsch. Diner Dash is quality game, dammit. OK — maybe it's not quality in the sense of high-quality graphics and mind blowing actions. But if Diner Dash is a kitsh game, why isn't World of Warcraft. Both of them focus on hard work — hard work that yields success. As I type and think simultaneously, I admit I'm finding flaws in my argument. Diner Dash and WoW are not one in the same — and yes, I understand that Diner Dash is pretty one dimensional — wait on customers, put in order, pick up food, deliver food, clean table, pick up tips. I guess it does fall under the "click-management" games. Kind of like Farmville, which I also had a short-lived, but passionate romance with. Maybe kitsch is my niche. I don't know if I like that.

#TeganHanlon

How To Do Things With Videogames

In his book How To Do Things With Videogames, author Ian Bogost applies what individuals can learn from gaming consoles to the banalities of everyday life. I particularly liked Chapter 12, in which Bogost explains how exercise and videogames overlap, sometimes called “exergames.” “When we playWii Sportswith one or two friends or family members, we re-create micro-environments that mimic the golf course of the bowling alley” (113). Games like Dance Dance Revolution,Track and Field for Wii, Tiger Woods Golf, Kinect Soccer, and others give players a chance to get off of the couch and get moving. Of course, these activities are no match for going outside and running a mile, playing a real game of three-on-three basketball, or walking an 18-hole golf course. However, they cleverly correct the human issue with exercise: it’s boring. We need music, interaction, and oftentimes people need to be constantly entertained. This is what “exergames” provide.

Bogost turns the issue of videogames making us lazy or obese on its head. Instead, he suggests, exergames might actually serve to motivate us. These games, if we perceive them as fun, can create individual habits in its users. Further, perhaps the games will inspire people to participate in the real, outdoor activities and not just through a television screen. In my own life, technology breakthroughs have motivated me to be active. On my iPhone, I have a Nike+ app. After purchasing the corresponding chip for my Nike-compatible shoes, I can now track distance, calories burned, pace, and set my own running playlist to motivate me. Technology, though often thought of us a deterrent to exercise, can actually help us become more physically active.

#kellyflanigan

I'd have to say that I agree with about half of the quotes Shields used for his "memoir." At times, I was like, Oh! This makes total sense, like everything he was saying about memory and how it is not always reliable to tell a true story. But other quotes... I just don't know what he was trying to get at? Example as follows:

149: "All the best stories are true." -- Reynolds, Only the Truth Is Funny

Okay... WHAT?! I almost have nothing to say about this clip due to the fact that it is so ridiculous. I just completely disagree. How can all the best stories be true? I mean, some great stories are true, but I am a huge supporter of fiction writing and the stories that come from it. Series like Harry Potter, The Hunger Games, and Twilight (no.. I don't like Twilight... just using it as an example) are all fiction-based.. and they clearly have had no trouble making it off the shelves. And books aside, what about movies?! Is it safe to say that what he is saying is that only documentaries are the best? Because we all know that when a movie is even based on a true story, they should really say, "we are loosely basing this movie off of one detail from a real-life event." So all of these Academy Award winning films.... aren't actually the best?

I don't know. I just think this quote makes no sense.

#kelseyhappel

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