What is a game?

Today, games are considered the most popular medium of new media. However, we have to ask, what really is a game? Jane McGongial 's 'Reality is Broken' takes a in depth look into what a game really is. Ask yourself, do you really know what a game is? Our typical definition is a activity we participate in for amusement. Jane McGongial  sees a game as four traits; goals, rules, feedback system and voluntary participation.(McGongial  2011: 21) McGongial  believes a game is more than a technology entertainment for gamers instead game producers have created a unique structure for how we experience the game. (McGongial  2011:20-21)

As we know, each game has a goal. It can be to simply collect a item or complete the game story. Sports game have a goal, to score as many goals as possible to defeat the opposite team. Board games such as monopoly, goal is to make as much money as possible forcing other players to become bankrupt.  McGongial  believes "the goal provides players with a sense of purpose" (McGongial 2011: 21)

Games have a set of rules which act as limitations to what the gamer can do to achieve the goal. Rules "unleash creativity and foster strategic thinking" (McGongial  2011:21) Rules set the boundaries of activities which the player can do within the game. A game simulates the brain into thinking of new ways of achieving the goal.(McGongial  2011:21)

Within games the gamer is constantly faced with feedback which they enjoy. Each level or phrase gives us feedback via points, scores or level bars. Without feedback we would be lost within the game. "feedback serves as a promise to the players that the goal is definitely achievable, and it provides motivation to keep playing" (McGongial  2011: 21)

Finally, to play the game the gamer needs to accept the goals, rules and feedback. Through this multiplayer games will be enjoyable and stress free. "a game at will ensures that intentionally stressful and challenging work is experienced as safe and pleasurable activity" (McGongial  2011:21)

Bibliography

McGongial, J (2011) Reality is Broken: WHy Games Make Us Better and How They Can Change the World, Penguin Press HPC

Gaming as a System

McGonigal states that "when you strip away the genre differences and the technological complexities, all games share four defining traits: a goal, rules, a feedback system and voluntary participation" (McGonigal, 2011, P21)

From this McGonigal tries to explain that in this presence everyone is playing a game in one sense or another. A game can consist on something physical challenge's such like football or hockey which have a more hands on approach, or on the other hand games can also consist on more mentally challenge's such as chess or even computer based games which have more thought and focus put into them.  Though these are not the main characteristics of the game, as they are all developed and built up from the four traits; goal, rules, feedback system and voluntary participation. Where the rules potentially set the guidelines to reach the goal, hence this is the aim of the game resulting in the participation, and finally the feedback operates in letting the user know how far along they are in the game. For example, football main goal is to try and get as many shots past the goal keeper that the other team, where the rules would be only to shoot within the box and only allowing 11 people on each time, resulting in participation due to competitiveness and then a feedback system at half time applying the improvements and their progress through the game.

 These are more less known as a 'Fiero'; as McGonigal defines this as a "craving for challenges that we can overcome, battles we can win, and dangers we can vanquish" (McGonigal, 2011, P33). Showing that subconsciously this is the reason for playing 'games' as it gives it more excitement to the goals and feedback along with the rewards, therefore it can allow our daily live to become more interesting, by using the game process to engage the users and keep them entertained as well as even solving problems, such like gamification. Therefore this shows that yes the 'game system' could be applied to helping out reality processes in today's society like education or retail, but as these aspects don't have a aim there is no use for voluntary participation resulting in a fall through of the 'game system'.

Bibliography

McGinigal,J. (2011) Reality Is Broken: Why Games Make Us Better and How They Can Change The World (The Penguin Press)

Compared with games, reality is too easy

“Compared with games, reality is too easy. Games challenge us with voluntary obstacles and help us put our personal strengths to better use.”(McGonigal, J.,(2012) p.g.22)

When McGonigal says this because she identifies how games can fill a need in our life that reality can't. She says that reality is too easy because games challenge us to make us better for example Starcraft 2. This game is similar to age of empires and you have to learn to play it to get good. You have to have a strategy ready for each game so you know exactly what to do and one mistake could cost you the game. Teamwork is essential in this game if you want to win if you aren't in the right mind set you will lose. Games are a different form of work because you need to work on your skills in games like Dota and league of legends and you will only get better if you put the work in

"When you strip away the genre differences and the technological complexities,
all games share four defining traits: a goal, rules, a feedback system, and
voluntary participation.".(McGonigal, 2011, p21)

What McGonigal says here is that no matter what the game is it will always have the same elements.
 A good example of this would be Dota 2, it is a MOBA (Muiltiplayer Online Battle Arena) game where you have to work together with  your team to accomplish a goal and that goal is to destroy the enemies base and ancient so two teams of five fight for this by following certain rules. The strategies change every game and at the end of every game there is a feedback system where you rate your match and you can commend your team with four choices or you can report your team or the enemies team for breaking the rules.

Games provide something that mundane tasks of everyday life cannot they provide us with feedback, tell us how well we are doing and they give the gamer a sense of pride which can also be called fiero but the more flow a game has the more fiero it will have for example Tetris which is a infinite game that just keeps going until you lose but finite games are games that you just play to win.

Bibliograpghy

McGonigal, J., (2011). Reality Is Broken: Why Games Make Us Better and How They Can Change the World, Penguin Press HC, (P.19-34)

The Gaming Way

BLOG WEEK 6

The chapter, “What exactly is a game?” (1) In the book, Reality is Broken written by Jane McGonigal she goes into detail in how we view and how gaming itself is perceived. With games nowadays there is something for everyone, games ranging from Barbie games for younger girls to play on their Nintendo 3DS all the way up to games with massive scales and endless free roam abilities like GTA and Assassins creed.

To the average person, video games may seem like a waste of time, something to get a kick out of while you’re bored, as they are often stereotyped as “nerdy” and unsocial. But it’s far from it, Jane McGonigal looks into the smaller details and how playing video games can not only help you socially but mentally. A lot of games require teamwork, through the use of Xbox live for example, you can communicate to others around the world, from living next door or at opposite ends of the globe. By doing this you gain social skills that will help you in the real world, and at the same time having a hell of a good time.

Sometimes it feels like video games have an addictive drug in it, “When you do fall off, you feel the urge to climb back on.” (1) This sums up video games perfectly, something always pulling you in that “hooked” feeling you get when you start to really enjoy a game, is what gamers strive for.

REFERENCES

Jane McGonigal (2011). Reality is Broken. New York: The Penguin Press. 19-34.

The Video Game

Jane McGonigal attempts to portray video games as far more complex and beneficial as they have previously been recognised. Traits such as teamwork, satisfaction, dedication and a sense of our own ability allow us to associate a higher level of value with video games.

One point McGonigal alerts us to is that thousands of members of society have stemmed away from traditional pastimes, and dedicate hundreds of hours to the world of digital gaming. Previously, an infamous association of gaming has existed, with people assuming that it is a simple time wasting exercise. However, because masses now consume videogames, they possess a growing influence on our social life, giving them more significance than previously they held.

When McGonigal states “gameplay is the direct emotional opposite of depression.” We note the dangers of escaping to a digital world. (McGonigal, 2011: 23) While video games provide the player “with a sense of purpose”, (McGonigal, 2011: 21) we must also be aware of the dangers of this addictive pastime.

“A game is an opportunity to focus our energy, with relentless optimism, at something we’re good at.” (McGonigal, 2011: 22) Here, McGonigal brings our attention to the fact that there is a sense of achievement granted to the gamer, while the physical act completed has been at the interface of a a keyboard or controller, satisfaction is granted when the gamer beats a challenge, or another player.

Bibliography

McGonigal, J., (2011). Reality Is Broken: Why Games Make Us Better and How They Can Change the World, Penguin Press HC, (P. )

Remediation- Repurposing

“The contemporary entertainment industry calls such borrowing “repurposing”: to take a “property”from one medium and reuse it in another.(Bolter. 2000, P45.)

When Bolter talks about this he is talking about is like making popular films from books to make it easier for the viewers consume it in a seamless way so that its easier for the viewer to engage in the movie


Repurposing old content is used a lot in today's popular culture some examples of these would be with Disney and reusing the same animations an just redrawing different characters. This can be seen in the link below.

Another way the old footage has been used can be seen in the newest episode of doctor who where they reused old footage of doctor who that had been found and merged it into the new episode linking all of the doctor who episodes into one big one. The footage shown has footage from all of the different actors that had played the character of the doctor and shown it throughout the episode.This can also be seen below.

Doctor who is a good example of a show that has gone so far an has spread through various media platforms. It started as a television show and spread through the media and now has its own movies, books, spin-offs, charity episodes, merchandise, books and audio books.

There were also games created from the show to help viewers feel like they were bringing the story to life and playing as the characters. Remediation is here because everyone of these mediums are all trying to tell the same story by reusing the content and following the demands of new media platforms.

“Repurposing as remediation is both what is “unique to digital worlds” and what denies the possibility of that uniqueness.” (Bolter. 2000, P50.)

Another movie that would be a good example would be 'Transformers 3' and 'The Island' where the same footage of the island had been used in transformers but the bits of metal had been replaced with robots from transformers in the scene and put into the film.

Bibliography

Bolter, J.D, (2000) Remediation: Understanding New Media, New Ed. MIT Press. (p20-50)

Disney copy paste- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vh84g8rC2oA

transformers 3 scene from the island- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H7kcqB3thJM

The Reality of the Virtual World

BLOG WEEK 5

In this weeks reading by Bolter, It was about “The Logic of transparent Immediacy”. Bolter quotes “Virtual Reality is Immersive, which means it is a medium whose purpose is to disappear” (1) by saying this he is referring to being submersed in things such as video gaming, and PC games. For some people this is a way of life, and would have a different persona or personality in a different world, a way to be who you want to be without being held back, I way to freely express yourself and be represented in a way you want.

Bolton also speaks about a “Transparent Interface” that exists in another “world”, a world similar to life, almost as a second life if you will, as an example there is a PC game called “Second Life” which allows gamer to act in any way they desire. Bolter talks about how it should feel naturalistic, But as technology has grown and boosted in recent years, the possibilities for game designers is almost endless, having the ability to make things even more natural or go down the opposite route.

In class we watched a video on how one gamer lived, and how his life revolved around himself in a “virtual Reality” In ways it had changed his life in the real world. He loved the way he could be just like he wanted, no boundaries. This of course being one of the main attractions and addictions to video games.

As games and the virtual world can now trigger emotional attractions and intise the player, it has been more and more “natural” and makes it even more like the world we live in.

REFERENCES

Bolter, J.D (2000). Remediation: Understanding New Media New Ed. unknown: unknown. 20-50.

Virtual World

"Virtual reality is immersive, which means that it is a medium whose purpose is to disappear" (Bolter, 2000, P22)

Bolter explains that today's users carry out a disappearing act, whilst interacting with virtual reality game; as the users will be spaced out from their reality daily lives, and will be zoned into their very own virtual presence, as we as the users interact with all different technologies. This interplays with Bolter's theory on 'Transparent Interface', where  "the user will move through space interacting with the object naturally" (Bolter, 2002, P 23), as this will allow the users to enter a environment and interact in which they think is physical.  This plays of on the "denying the mediated character" (Bolter, 2002, P23), relating to the progression on interface designers developing on a inter-less face interface, which could be possible due to the development of 'Transparent Immediacy'. Showing that Bolter's Transparent Interface consists on the concept of interfaces being used with out the guidance of buttons, where the users can have a immediate connection to the medium, in which they feel that they are in control. Therefore, this clearly shows that the drivers of the virtual world are out to persuade and manipulate the users in such a way they begin to questions their own beliefs, as well as reality.

As the development of new technologies develop, it will allow Immediacy to interlink with the growing sectors with the media industry, as it will become more and more consistence to our daily day lives, resulting on use depending on it within a unhealthy way. For example; media platforms like a book or a game can all be linked up with a emotional side, showing why the virtual world should be experiences  within the reality of completing or daily day to day tasks.

Bibliography

Bolter,J. D (2000) Remediation- Understanding New Media (MIT Press)

The Transparent Interface - Bolter, Remediation

The concept of the “transparent interface” is one concept Jay Bolter discusses in Remediation. It is the concept of a usable interface without buttons or icons.

Bolter states “The transparent interface is one more manifestation of the need to deny the mediated character of digital technology altogether.” (Bolter J, 2000: 24)

It is hard to imagine an interface which features no dragging or clicking. The idea of the “Transparent Interface” could be a device which receives its input from the natural movement of the user’s body. This type of interface could allow a designer to deftly manipulate a 3-D object, without being committed to constant keystrokes that access multitudes of tools.

The “Transparent Interface” exists in a virtual reality, in which the “user will move through the space interacting with the objects "naturally," as she does in the physical world.” Now that the definition of the transparent interface has been established, we can examine Bolter’s statement about “denying the mediated character”. (Bolter J, 2000: 23) Here, Bolter refers to the user’s desire for computer interaction to be a ‘natural’ act. Traditional computer interfaces feature tools and icons which aim to give the user the ability to easily access and operate them. As technology has developed, however, the process of ‘naturalising’ the act of interacting has become extremely streamlined. ‘Ease of Access’ is a large portion of what software designers consider when devising complex systems. This has caused the concept of the “transparent interface” to emerge. An interface which branches away from the conventional “immediacy of touching, dragging, and manipulating visually attractive ideograms.” (Bolter J, 2000: 23)

It is possible to derive the meaning of ‘denying the mediated’ as being an attempt to merge ourselves with the mediated, becoming a cyborg which accepts its electronic parts as ‘natural.’