For one of my course, I am reading Reality is Broken: Why Games Make Us Better and how they can Change theWorld by Jane McGonigal. The book has a comprehensive study on gaming,
something that has taken the media world as far as to a virtual reality that
gamers can set apart from the real world. I think this is similar to Gleick’s
idea about randomness and information and how it is harder to differentiate the
two.
Being a person who enjoys video games of all kind, I look at
MMO type games as an escape from everyday lives. I have many friends who spend
a lot of money every month buying accessories, skins, and extras for their
characters, champions or avatar. This doesn’t affect them in the real world but
the players have developed a special bond to the game that can’t really be explained.
A person can develop their character to become stronger by grinding out the
time or money to become stronger at the game. Many people think that the idea
is very absurd that someone would be willing to pay real life currency for
pixel work; however it is a form of escape for them and it is the same thing as
buying video games and music in real life.
This interesting view reminds me of the reading we did
because, looking at some videogames; Eve Online is a game that players spend
hundreds of dollars and can potentially make even more, or Team Fortress 2 Hatcraze. When we connect reality with virtual world, it’s hard to differentiate
what information is real, random, or relevant.
Currently, I am playing Final Fantasy XIV A Realm Reborn and
League of Legends with my friends online. Both games has a very large player
base that peak over millions. I’m not the only one that sits on my computer for
10 hours a day playing videogames; there are others like me.I’ve made friends
in both games that I have never met in real life. This kind of transition of
media is affecting my social ability because now I feel that it’s easier to
talk to people through video games or chat rather than real life. Perhaps it’s
because I’m afraid of people judging me, as when I’m online, I am completely
anonymous.
No comments:
Post a Comment