Chapter 14 – Saving the Real World
Conclusion
McGonigal wraps up her book’s final chapter by actually providing some worthwhile examples of games to help the real world. Unlike in the past, some of her ideas are realistic enough to actually influence the real world in the future. Her games in this chapter put certain interested individuals into situations where their objective is to try and find solutions for future scenarios. One of the examples is based on a scenario where the world runs out of oil and it is the player’s responsibility to think up ways to improve living in this situation. It wasn’t extremely far reaching, and in the beginning, many people thought up really dark responses and imagined the worst outcomes. However, as time went on, optimism started to take over and players started coming up with really beneficial ideas of ways to adapt and manage living in situations without oil. One crucial difference between this and McGonigal’s other experiments, is that the game is not meant to make life more fun. These are games whose purpose is to engage people so that they are more willing to put effort into a serious task. It is what is called a Serious Game.
Over the course McGonigal’s book is mainly dominated by the Gamification theme and most of her ideas are based around making life into a game. As has been mentioned before though, though some of her ideas in this field are a little too unrealistic. Later on, McGonigal brings up more Serious Games as she speaks more about the future of our planet and here some of her ideas really shine through. In her experiments, it is clear that there have been many successes when it comes to using games for inciting collaboration, simulating future scenarios, and for situational prevention. Some people really seem eager to try and make a difference. There is something interesting to be said about this observation. Whenever McGonigal tries too hard to make life or games fun, it just doesn’t seem like it would be appealing. However, when her games contribute toward a real life result, she seems to get quite a good response. I’m reminded of an old educational game called “Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego.” This game was extremely popular despite the fact that it was educational. Other companies put forth numerous attempts at educational games as time went by, but none even came close to the popularity. It was almost like an accident.
As I see it, not all games are what one would call fun. In reality though, they don’t have to be to be engaging. The players and participants in McGonigal’s serious games worked hard at what they were doing, trying to make life better in a fictional situation that could very well have been real. What they were doing was engaging for them and from their point of view might even be described as fun. McGonigal’s main mistake may have been in trying to make the whole world fun. Fun is in the eye of the beholder and there is nothing out there that is fun for everyone.
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Monday, November 14, 2011
11/14 Reading Response 8.0
Chapter 12 – Missions Impossible
Chapter 13 – Collaboration Superpowers
McGonigal’s 12th Chapter brings up a new genre of games called Social Participation Games. It’s an interesting idea to try and give gamers the sense of an epic win through a real world task. The two games introduced first, The Extraordinaries and Groundcrew really caught my interest. The Extraordinaries is a great example of a way that the gaming attitude can be used to provide real good in the world. The defibrillator example was a cool idea and has proven to be successful. The Groundcrew idea was also cool to think about but it has some major problems. It sounds all amazing in theory, but in reality it’s a privacy nightmare. The game’s first function is to show to the player every single person in the vicinity who has a wish to be fulfilled. The people with wishes can also see all the people around them who are available for tasking. It’s basically a radar for wishes. The idea is innocent enough but knowing that kind of information seems a bit dangerous. Sure everyone wants their wishes to come true and there are times when a helping hand is really appreciated. I mean, who wouldn’t want to be able to get a latte when they really need one? People are still broadcasting their whereabouts for the world to see as soon as they connect to the network. The scale can’t even be compared to McGonigal’s Chapter 8 ARG example: the Check-In game “Foursquare.” Still seems like a Mission Impossible or at least improbable.
Chapter 13 of Reality is Broken doesn’t bring any really controversial ideas to the table. It more emphasizes again that gaming encompasses many skills and gamers who put in large amounts of hours are on the fast track to mastering those skills. The focus of this chapter was on collaboration though and that is a clear pick. These days, every other game has some kind of collaborative function integrated with its online multiplayer. For example, Uncharted 3, which was released this month, has both a split-screen online function as well as a Cooperative Game mode all in addition to its already impressive online multiplayer. Uncharted has received honorable mention on simply its single player campaign in the past and now they have all these new systems to keep up with the trends of today. Modern Warfare 3, another of this month’s hot releases has brought back the popular Spec Ops mode where two players can work together to complete missions both online and in offline split-screen. Game developers have clearly realized that cooperative action is a hook for gamers and McGonigal’s idea to use collaboration more often in the real world actually seems like a smart decision.
Chapter 13 – Collaboration Superpowers
McGonigal’s 12th Chapter brings up a new genre of games called Social Participation Games. It’s an interesting idea to try and give gamers the sense of an epic win through a real world task. The two games introduced first, The Extraordinaries and Groundcrew really caught my interest. The Extraordinaries is a great example of a way that the gaming attitude can be used to provide real good in the world. The defibrillator example was a cool idea and has proven to be successful. The Groundcrew idea was also cool to think about but it has some major problems. It sounds all amazing in theory, but in reality it’s a privacy nightmare. The game’s first function is to show to the player every single person in the vicinity who has a wish to be fulfilled. The people with wishes can also see all the people around them who are available for tasking. It’s basically a radar for wishes. The idea is innocent enough but knowing that kind of information seems a bit dangerous. Sure everyone wants their wishes to come true and there are times when a helping hand is really appreciated. I mean, who wouldn’t want to be able to get a latte when they really need one? People are still broadcasting their whereabouts for the world to see as soon as they connect to the network. The scale can’t even be compared to McGonigal’s Chapter 8 ARG example: the Check-In game “Foursquare.” Still seems like a Mission Impossible or at least improbable.
Chapter 13 of Reality is Broken doesn’t bring any really controversial ideas to the table. It more emphasizes again that gaming encompasses many skills and gamers who put in large amounts of hours are on the fast track to mastering those skills. The focus of this chapter was on collaboration though and that is a clear pick. These days, every other game has some kind of collaborative function integrated with its online multiplayer. For example, Uncharted 3, which was released this month, has both a split-screen online function as well as a Cooperative Game mode all in addition to its already impressive online multiplayer. Uncharted has received honorable mention on simply its single player campaign in the past and now they have all these new systems to keep up with the trends of today. Modern Warfare 3, another of this month’s hot releases has brought back the popular Spec Ops mode where two players can work together to complete missions both online and in offline split-screen. Game developers have clearly realized that cooperative action is a hook for gamers and McGonigal’s idea to use collaboration more often in the real world actually seems like a smart decision.
Monday, November 7, 2011
11/7 Reading Response 7.0
Chapter 10 – Happiness Hacking
Chapter 11 – The Engagement Economy
There is a clear problem with some of the Happiness Hacks that are presented in Chapter 10. McGonigal wants to use games to change the world, but some of her methods are so abnormal, they might only be acceptable in North America. She seems to think that what works in one place will work everywhere else. But different cultures will most certainly frown on some of the more extreme games. The most obvious example is Tombstone Hold ’Em. Her idea to use cemetery games to make people consider the value of their lives has merit, but the logic behind it is flawed. In America alone, there are many people who will find the games to be disrespectful or distasteful. Outside of America there probably even more who will be appalled by the game’s frivolous nature. The majority opinion remains that cemeteries are places for mourning and composure, rather than sites for fun and games. That’s not to say that this exercise won’t provide a positive experience for people. But changing the world’s opinion isn’t going to happen overnight and until it does, a game like this might not affect more than small percentage of the population. Not exactly the world changing revolution that McGonigal envisions.
The story in Chapter 11 about the Guardian newspaper using regular civilians to help analyze data is a very interesting one. It is a good example of how people are more eager to put forth effort when the work is satisfying and has a clear reward. Referring to Wikipedia as a complex MMORPG is also an interesting take. The rewards for writing articles aren’t as clear as in other examples but the reward of knowing that other people are making use of your hard earned information is a satisfying one.
McGonigal also speculates that the greatest success will come when people will put in the maximum amount of effort without compensation of any kind. This is a very optimistic point of view since money makes the world go round and will always be necessary. However, who’s to say that we won’t one day find ourselves working hard just for the intrinsic rewards? It’s not impossible but it seems to be a prospect that is quite far off in the future. Gamers only make up a percentage of the population, but as long as they feel that they are having an actual impact on the present or the future, they will continue to work hard. Perhaps when everyone in the world shares the gamer mentality, some of these ideas will bear fruit.
Chapter 11 – The Engagement Economy
There is a clear problem with some of the Happiness Hacks that are presented in Chapter 10. McGonigal wants to use games to change the world, but some of her methods are so abnormal, they might only be acceptable in North America. She seems to think that what works in one place will work everywhere else. But different cultures will most certainly frown on some of the more extreme games. The most obvious example is Tombstone Hold ’Em. Her idea to use cemetery games to make people consider the value of their lives has merit, but the logic behind it is flawed. In America alone, there are many people who will find the games to be disrespectful or distasteful. Outside of America there probably even more who will be appalled by the game’s frivolous nature. The majority opinion remains that cemeteries are places for mourning and composure, rather than sites for fun and games. That’s not to say that this exercise won’t provide a positive experience for people. But changing the world’s opinion isn’t going to happen overnight and until it does, a game like this might not affect more than small percentage of the population. Not exactly the world changing revolution that McGonigal envisions.
The story in Chapter 11 about the Guardian newspaper using regular civilians to help analyze data is a very interesting one. It is a good example of how people are more eager to put forth effort when the work is satisfying and has a clear reward. Referring to Wikipedia as a complex MMORPG is also an interesting take. The rewards for writing articles aren’t as clear as in other examples but the reward of knowing that other people are making use of your hard earned information is a satisfying one.
McGonigal also speculates that the greatest success will come when people will put in the maximum amount of effort without compensation of any kind. This is a very optimistic point of view since money makes the world go round and will always be necessary. However, who’s to say that we won’t one day find ourselves working hard just for the intrinsic rewards? It’s not impossible but it seems to be a prospect that is quite far off in the future. Gamers only make up a percentage of the population, but as long as they feel that they are having an actual impact on the present or the future, they will continue to work hard. Perhaps when everyone in the world shares the gamer mentality, some of these ideas will bear fruit.
Sunday, October 30, 2011
10/30 Reading Response 6.0
Chapter 8 – Leveling up in Life
Chapter 9 – Fun with Strangers
Jane McGonigal’s 8th Fix is: Meaningful Rewards When We Need Them The Most. It introduces a series of games and systems that are made for the purpose of awarding points to people for different accomplishments. “Compared with games, reality is pointless and unrewarding. Games help us feel more rewarded for making our best effort.”
Two examples are games made to be played at airports and on planes: Jetset and Day in the Cloud. The justification is that there are millions of people in the world who hate flying and airports because they are frustrating. These two games give a person something to do to pass the time. It seems fairly successful at taking their mind off the fact that they are in a place that they don’t enjoy. However, this solution might only be appealing to people who have difficulty flying. Adding a point system to every activity won’t do much besides giving certain people a chance to enjoy it more. For others though, it might have the opposite effect. This begs the question, where should this kind of system be a priority? Where will it have the greatest positive effect? Avatars are a slightly different story. We have an instinctive desire to please them and attain success for their sake. In essence, we are like their parent figures. When they are pleased with us, we can tell and seek to keep them happy. When they are unsatisfied, we are often driven to try and appease them. Like McGonigal says, it is more subtle then a direct points system but can be just as effective.
McGonigal’s 9th fix is: More Fun with Strangers. “Compared with games, reality is lonely and isolating. Games help us band together and create powerful communities from scratch.”
This statement seems a bit too extreme. It almost seems to imply that people can’t form social connections in reality anymore. Obviously this is completely untrue. Games do help people reach out to one another and it may be a little easier than approaching and talking to someone in real life, but striking up a conversation with someone in real life is by no means a lost practice. There are people who are called introverted, reclusive or antisocial and McGonigal’s examples may make it easier for them to form social bonds. But these people could just have difficulty in approaching others or be quite satisfied with their own company and the company of their existing friends. I don’t believe that some community games are going to make people wholeheartedly embrace the real world and emerge from a virtual seclusion that has proven to be so much more adept at helping people form social bonds.
Chapter 9 – Fun with Strangers
Jane McGonigal’s 8th Fix is: Meaningful Rewards When We Need Them The Most. It introduces a series of games and systems that are made for the purpose of awarding points to people for different accomplishments. “Compared with games, reality is pointless and unrewarding. Games help us feel more rewarded for making our best effort.”
Two examples are games made to be played at airports and on planes: Jetset and Day in the Cloud. The justification is that there are millions of people in the world who hate flying and airports because they are frustrating. These two games give a person something to do to pass the time. It seems fairly successful at taking their mind off the fact that they are in a place that they don’t enjoy. However, this solution might only be appealing to people who have difficulty flying. Adding a point system to every activity won’t do much besides giving certain people a chance to enjoy it more. For others though, it might have the opposite effect. This begs the question, where should this kind of system be a priority? Where will it have the greatest positive effect? Avatars are a slightly different story. We have an instinctive desire to please them and attain success for their sake. In essence, we are like their parent figures. When they are pleased with us, we can tell and seek to keep them happy. When they are unsatisfied, we are often driven to try and appease them. Like McGonigal says, it is more subtle then a direct points system but can be just as effective.
McGonigal’s 9th fix is: More Fun with Strangers. “Compared with games, reality is lonely and isolating. Games help us band together and create powerful communities from scratch.”
This statement seems a bit too extreme. It almost seems to imply that people can’t form social connections in reality anymore. Obviously this is completely untrue. Games do help people reach out to one another and it may be a little easier than approaching and talking to someone in real life, but striking up a conversation with someone in real life is by no means a lost practice. There are people who are called introverted, reclusive or antisocial and McGonigal’s examples may make it easier for them to form social bonds. But these people could just have difficulty in approaching others or be quite satisfied with their own company and the company of their existing friends. I don’t believe that some community games are going to make people wholeheartedly embrace the real world and emerge from a virtual seclusion that has proven to be so much more adept at helping people form social bonds.
Sunday, October 23, 2011
10/24 Reading Response 5.0
Chapter 6 – Becoming a Part of Something Bigger Than Ourselves
Chapter 7 – The Benefits of Alternate Realities
Chapter 6 brings us Fix #6: Epic Scale. “Compared with games, reality is trivial. Games make us a part of something bigger and give epic meaning to our actions.” (McGonigal, Pg 98)
This whole chapter focuses on the importance of the epic factor in game construction. The word “Epic” is used to define something that far surpasses the ordinary, with emphasis on size, scale and intensity. Is that all it is though? People, not just gamers, use that term often to describe or define something that is amazing or awe-inspiring.
The fact is, people are drawn in by things that inspire awe and wonder. Games are powerful tools that create incredible interactive fantasies that we wouldn’t otherwise find in our daily lives. That is part of the hook. Reality, in a way has become all too mundane. There are simply precious few opportunities for people to be a part of something that is truly overwhelming.
Games however, allow for people to constantly be a part of something greater. No longer just another member of the human race, gamers participate in these immersive epic environments and set themselves apart by their efforts. With each day, something new is accomplished and the players can observe the progress that they have made for themselves and for their faction/team etc. The feelings and experiences that we want to get from life we can now get from games. Now if only we could turn life into a game so that it was a appealing and satisfying as it should be. But that’s impossible right?
In actuality, steps have already been taken to try and make life as appealing and satisfying as it should be. Turning life into a game seems like an impossible venture but that is what is being attempted. An example of this is the game called Chore Wars. In essence, the game has a person create an online avatar that gains experience points and levels up depending on how many chores the player has done. Different amounts of XP are dealt out based on the difficulty and time spent on the chore completed. Many people have displayed an interest in this game as it takes care of a tedious part of daily life while providing satisfaction for the person at the same time. Chore Wars clearly proves that people can be just as enthusiastic about the tedious repetition of a daily life cycle as they can about an epic adventure in a video game.
This example is only one of many experiments in making reality game-like. Which brings us to Fix #7: Wholehearted Participation: “Compared with games, reality is hard to get into. Games motivate us to participate more fully in whatever we’re doing” (McGonigal, Pg 125)
Chore Wars is a prime example of an Alternate Reality Game.
Alternate reality games (ARGs) are games that are played in real life, meant to be just as satisfying as other video games, but with the added bonus that they aren’t about escaping your real life for a more pleasing virtual one. The primary goal of these games is to try to provide entertainment while going about the same tasks as one would in a normal day. This encompasses everything from work and school to life at home. At this point, it would seem like the challenge is in finding which alternate reality games best raise our overall happiness and quality of life. If the games end up being a hindrance or distraction rather than help, then we really are back where we started.
Chapter 7 – The Benefits of Alternate Realities
Chapter 6 brings us Fix #6: Epic Scale. “Compared with games, reality is trivial. Games make us a part of something bigger and give epic meaning to our actions.” (McGonigal, Pg 98)
This whole chapter focuses on the importance of the epic factor in game construction. The word “Epic” is used to define something that far surpasses the ordinary, with emphasis on size, scale and intensity. Is that all it is though? People, not just gamers, use that term often to describe or define something that is amazing or awe-inspiring.
The fact is, people are drawn in by things that inspire awe and wonder. Games are powerful tools that create incredible interactive fantasies that we wouldn’t otherwise find in our daily lives. That is part of the hook. Reality, in a way has become all too mundane. There are simply precious few opportunities for people to be a part of something that is truly overwhelming.
Games however, allow for people to constantly be a part of something greater. No longer just another member of the human race, gamers participate in these immersive epic environments and set themselves apart by their efforts. With each day, something new is accomplished and the players can observe the progress that they have made for themselves and for their faction/team etc. The feelings and experiences that we want to get from life we can now get from games. Now if only we could turn life into a game so that it was a appealing and satisfying as it should be. But that’s impossible right?
In actuality, steps have already been taken to try and make life as appealing and satisfying as it should be. Turning life into a game seems like an impossible venture but that is what is being attempted. An example of this is the game called Chore Wars. In essence, the game has a person create an online avatar that gains experience points and levels up depending on how many chores the player has done. Different amounts of XP are dealt out based on the difficulty and time spent on the chore completed. Many people have displayed an interest in this game as it takes care of a tedious part of daily life while providing satisfaction for the person at the same time. Chore Wars clearly proves that people can be just as enthusiastic about the tedious repetition of a daily life cycle as they can about an epic adventure in a video game.
This example is only one of many experiments in making reality game-like. Which brings us to Fix #7: Wholehearted Participation: “Compared with games, reality is hard to get into. Games motivate us to participate more fully in whatever we’re doing” (McGonigal, Pg 125)
Chore Wars is a prime example of an Alternate Reality Game.
Alternate reality games (ARGs) are games that are played in real life, meant to be just as satisfying as other video games, but with the added bonus that they aren’t about escaping your real life for a more pleasing virtual one. The primary goal of these games is to try to provide entertainment while going about the same tasks as one would in a normal day. This encompasses everything from work and school to life at home. At this point, it would seem like the challenge is in finding which alternate reality games best raise our overall happiness and quality of life. If the games end up being a hindrance or distraction rather than help, then we really are back where we started.
Sunday, October 16, 2011
10/16 Reading Response 4.0
Chapter 4 – Fun Failure and Better Odds of Success
Chapter 5 – Stronger Social Connectivity
In Chapter 4, McGonigal presents Fix #4: Better Hope of Success.
“Compared with games, reality is hopeless. Games eliminate our fear of failure and improve our chance for success.”
Apparently gamers find most of their satisfaction not from the complete victory of conquering a game, but by the numerous failures it takes to get there. I’m not sure I totally agree. The studies and experiments may reveal that our bodies and brains react in the same ways, but can it really be said that we relish the actual failure?
Like McGonigal says, the fact that the failure of a game has no bearing on our real lives would definitely make it less of a blow to our ego, but failure in a game is still failure and I personally find it just as unacceptable as I would a failure in real life. However, the fact that gamers are free to retry as many times as they want must be a factor. They also are usually able to feel deep down that they have gotten better. If it’s not evident in a progress bar or percentage (such as in Rock Band) then they will at least be able to see that they got farther. Perhaps they find joy in the realization that they have not actually failed, but merely been temporarily set back. They know instinctively that they will do better next time or possibly even achieve the complete success that they have been going for this whole time. I think it is these factors that accompany failure that really make it fun for gamers. They simply outweigh the negative feeling of defeat.
Fix #5: Stronger Social Connectivity.
“Compared with games, reality is disconnected. Games build stronger social bonds and lead to more active social networks. The more time we spend interacting within our social networks, the more likely we are to generate a subset of positive emotions known as prosocial emotions.”
It’s completely true that reality is disconnected. As life goes on, it becomes harder and harder to communicate and spend time with friends we’ve made over the years. They change classes, move away, and suddenly the people who have walked beside you all this time are somewhere else on the road.
Facebook put a change to that. It wasn’t completely successful on its own though, since people still had to put time and effort into reaching out to their acquaintances. Games were the final factor. They are interesting and allow for easy-going communication with just about anyone. The conversation might not even be relevant but it is still time that puts you both back on the same page, even for a moment. Having changed schools and moved any number of times, I can say that keeping in touch is hard. On a university student’s schedule, trying to match up your day to someone else’s in order to find time to meet up and kick back is damn near impossible. It is much easier to just meet up with friends in an online game. Facebook brought about the advent of games that could be played on a person’s own time. It no longer mattered if both people were in the room at the same time. But it is just as easy to play games with other online friends live in a game like Call of Duty, chatting and laughing through Bluetooth headsets. People I have met through online games like that have become very good friends, due to the endless nights spent working together trying to prove our superiority. Our friendship and trust in he other’s skills allows us to connect through other games too. Friends like that last, even if you hardly ever meet face to face.
Chapter 5 – Stronger Social Connectivity
In Chapter 4, McGonigal presents Fix #4: Better Hope of Success.
“Compared with games, reality is hopeless. Games eliminate our fear of failure and improve our chance for success.”
Apparently gamers find most of their satisfaction not from the complete victory of conquering a game, but by the numerous failures it takes to get there. I’m not sure I totally agree. The studies and experiments may reveal that our bodies and brains react in the same ways, but can it really be said that we relish the actual failure?
Like McGonigal says, the fact that the failure of a game has no bearing on our real lives would definitely make it less of a blow to our ego, but failure in a game is still failure and I personally find it just as unacceptable as I would a failure in real life. However, the fact that gamers are free to retry as many times as they want must be a factor. They also are usually able to feel deep down that they have gotten better. If it’s not evident in a progress bar or percentage (such as in Rock Band) then they will at least be able to see that they got farther. Perhaps they find joy in the realization that they have not actually failed, but merely been temporarily set back. They know instinctively that they will do better next time or possibly even achieve the complete success that they have been going for this whole time. I think it is these factors that accompany failure that really make it fun for gamers. They simply outweigh the negative feeling of defeat.
Fix #5: Stronger Social Connectivity.
“Compared with games, reality is disconnected. Games build stronger social bonds and lead to more active social networks. The more time we spend interacting within our social networks, the more likely we are to generate a subset of positive emotions known as prosocial emotions.”
It’s completely true that reality is disconnected. As life goes on, it becomes harder and harder to communicate and spend time with friends we’ve made over the years. They change classes, move away, and suddenly the people who have walked beside you all this time are somewhere else on the road.
Facebook put a change to that. It wasn’t completely successful on its own though, since people still had to put time and effort into reaching out to their acquaintances. Games were the final factor. They are interesting and allow for easy-going communication with just about anyone. The conversation might not even be relevant but it is still time that puts you both back on the same page, even for a moment. Having changed schools and moved any number of times, I can say that keeping in touch is hard. On a university student’s schedule, trying to match up your day to someone else’s in order to find time to meet up and kick back is damn near impossible. It is much easier to just meet up with friends in an online game. Facebook brought about the advent of games that could be played on a person’s own time. It no longer mattered if both people were in the room at the same time. But it is just as easy to play games with other online friends live in a game like Call of Duty, chatting and laughing through Bluetooth headsets. People I have met through online games like that have become very good friends, due to the endless nights spent working together trying to prove our superiority. Our friendship and trust in he other’s skills allows us to connect through other games too. Friends like that last, even if you hardly ever meet face to face.
Monday, October 10, 2011
Update
Originally Chapters 2 and 3 were supposed to be done together as one post. I started 2 earlier though and I simply had too much to say so I put each one as its own response.
Happy Thanksgiving
Happy Thanksgiving
Reading Response 3.0
Chapter 3 – More Satisfying Work
The stats that McGonigal described concerning World of Warcraft in Chapter 3 were staggering in my opinion. Like all gamers, I am aware of the reputation that WoW has for being an addicting game. I am also aware of the massive following that it has. However, I was not prepared for the mind-blowing numbers that I read. The sheer concept of the human race spending 5.93 million years on a single video game is amazing. It just goes to show what an incredible system it is at keeping people interested and motivated. In the past having never played the game myself, I could only speculate on what about WoW drew the people in. Now, with McGonigal’s description, it is easier to see what makes the game so alluring. It produces a feeling of purpose and productivity like no other and most importantly, the feeling is lasting. Or rather, the game keeps its players working so hard, that the feeling seems endless because is constantly renewed.
Knowing nothing but WoW’s reputation and seeing people who spent the majority of their time playing it, I came to the conclusion early on, that I did not want to become one of many who were, in my view, a slave to the game. You could say I had a fear that the game would dominate my life like it had so many others. Okay that sounds incredibly dramatic, but I have experienced MMOs before and I know how addicting they can be. I even deliberately limited my exposure to the game so that I would not be compelled to find out more and satisfy my own curiosity as a gamer! In the end, after looking at the stats like McGonigal has shown, it’s hard to say I made the wrong decision.
There was also the monthly subscription to consider. I try to avoid subscriptions like those as much as possible. As a gamer, a player can find himself/herself completed engrossed in a game one week and then discover that they would rather spend the following days of the month sampling all the new titles that were just released. That kind of spontaneous change can lead to a spectacular waste of money and a large feeling of regret when you realize that you only spent 3 days in the month playing the game that you are paying for.
I don’t dislike WoW though, not by any means. It is a great success in the gaming world and I can appreciate how much hard work went into making it. It fulfills its purpose and is immensely rewarding which is what a game should be. If I ever try it, chances are, I will be enjoy it immensely and be swept away. At least until my trial ends.
The stats that McGonigal described concerning World of Warcraft in Chapter 3 were staggering in my opinion. Like all gamers, I am aware of the reputation that WoW has for being an addicting game. I am also aware of the massive following that it has. However, I was not prepared for the mind-blowing numbers that I read. The sheer concept of the human race spending 5.93 million years on a single video game is amazing. It just goes to show what an incredible system it is at keeping people interested and motivated. In the past having never played the game myself, I could only speculate on what about WoW drew the people in. Now, with McGonigal’s description, it is easier to see what makes the game so alluring. It produces a feeling of purpose and productivity like no other and most importantly, the feeling is lasting. Or rather, the game keeps its players working so hard, that the feeling seems endless because is constantly renewed.
Knowing nothing but WoW’s reputation and seeing people who spent the majority of their time playing it, I came to the conclusion early on, that I did not want to become one of many who were, in my view, a slave to the game. You could say I had a fear that the game would dominate my life like it had so many others. Okay that sounds incredibly dramatic, but I have experienced MMOs before and I know how addicting they can be. I even deliberately limited my exposure to the game so that I would not be compelled to find out more and satisfy my own curiosity as a gamer! In the end, after looking at the stats like McGonigal has shown, it’s hard to say I made the wrong decision.
There was also the monthly subscription to consider. I try to avoid subscriptions like those as much as possible. As a gamer, a player can find himself/herself completed engrossed in a game one week and then discover that they would rather spend the following days of the month sampling all the new titles that were just released. That kind of spontaneous change can lead to a spectacular waste of money and a large feeling of regret when you realize that you only spent 3 days in the month playing the game that you are paying for.
I don’t dislike WoW though, not by any means. It is a great success in the gaming world and I can appreciate how much hard work went into making it. It fulfills its purpose and is immensely rewarding which is what a game should be. If I ever try it, chances are, I will be enjoy it immensely and be swept away. At least until my trial ends.
Reading Response 2.0
Chapter 2 – The Rise of the Happiness Engineers
When McGonigal introduced gamer regret, I thought it was a silly notion. I have always thought games to be productive and on the contrary, I sometimes feel like I have wasted my time if I am not playing a game. This is the complete reverse of gamer regret, but being a member of the hardcore gamer demographic, I might not be the only one with this sentiment. As I stated previously, I hate being idle and I really do consider games as important to me as a job. I can’t even imagine feeling like I have wasted my time unless the game was monumentally crappy.
McGonigal next brought up the case of David Sudnow, the jazz pianist turned Breakout fanatic. In my opinion, it is not really surprising that his addiction subsided once he had effectively beaten the game. As a gamer, I take breaks to help maintain my focus lest I get bored with the game I am playing. Often I switch games every once in a while so as not to get put off the game completely. Whether I am switching to an online game to meet with friends, or to a single player game to get away from the intense environment, it’s important to not get too immersed in the game. When immersion is really high, people can start taking the game too seriously. This is especially true in the case of online games. There is more pressure to do well, and much more pride at stake. Rather than playing against a simple AI that can be defeated by good strategy, the player is now showing off the skills they have acquired to the whole world. Emotions flare and failure to perform to the best of one’s ability will inevitably bring about the ever common “Rage Quit”
Despite this downside, games are still valuable, and McGonigal’s words support this. Later on in the chapter, she identifies the 4 rewards that are most essential to our happiness.
First off, we want satisfying work, every single day. This is defined as work that is demanding but gives us a chance to see the impact of our efforts.
The second thing we want is the feeling of success. As McGonigal puts it, we want to feel the power that comes from showing off our skills and the knowledge that we are getting better.
Third, we want social connection. We want to share experiences and do things together with others.
Finally, the fourth thing we want is meaning, or rather “the chance to be a part of something larger than ourselves.” As McGonigal says, we just want to contribute and be part of something lasting that is essentially greater than ourselves.
Where can we find these rewards though? As stated, many in the world have been conditioned to try and find happiness through extrinsic rewards or external factors such as wealth, fame and beauty. In the end, the only group of people who seem to be unaffected by this, are the hardcore gamers. Gaming does not really benefit us in the material sense. As McGonigal says, gaming doesn’t pay us or help further our careers in any way. However, it does give us happiness and make our lives more rewarding. And in the end, that may be more important.
When McGonigal introduced gamer regret, I thought it was a silly notion. I have always thought games to be productive and on the contrary, I sometimes feel like I have wasted my time if I am not playing a game. This is the complete reverse of gamer regret, but being a member of the hardcore gamer demographic, I might not be the only one with this sentiment. As I stated previously, I hate being idle and I really do consider games as important to me as a job. I can’t even imagine feeling like I have wasted my time unless the game was monumentally crappy.
McGonigal next brought up the case of David Sudnow, the jazz pianist turned Breakout fanatic. In my opinion, it is not really surprising that his addiction subsided once he had effectively beaten the game. As a gamer, I take breaks to help maintain my focus lest I get bored with the game I am playing. Often I switch games every once in a while so as not to get put off the game completely. Whether I am switching to an online game to meet with friends, or to a single player game to get away from the intense environment, it’s important to not get too immersed in the game. When immersion is really high, people can start taking the game too seriously. This is especially true in the case of online games. There is more pressure to do well, and much more pride at stake. Rather than playing against a simple AI that can be defeated by good strategy, the player is now showing off the skills they have acquired to the whole world. Emotions flare and failure to perform to the best of one’s ability will inevitably bring about the ever common “Rage Quit”
Despite this downside, games are still valuable, and McGonigal’s words support this. Later on in the chapter, she identifies the 4 rewards that are most essential to our happiness.
First off, we want satisfying work, every single day. This is defined as work that is demanding but gives us a chance to see the impact of our efforts.
The second thing we want is the feeling of success. As McGonigal puts it, we want to feel the power that comes from showing off our skills and the knowledge that we are getting better.
Third, we want social connection. We want to share experiences and do things together with others.
Finally, the fourth thing we want is meaning, or rather “the chance to be a part of something larger than ourselves.” As McGonigal says, we just want to contribute and be part of something lasting that is essentially greater than ourselves.
Where can we find these rewards though? As stated, many in the world have been conditioned to try and find happiness through extrinsic rewards or external factors such as wealth, fame and beauty. In the end, the only group of people who seem to be unaffected by this, are the hardcore gamers. Gaming does not really benefit us in the material sense. As McGonigal says, gaming doesn’t pay us or help further our careers in any way. However, it does give us happiness and make our lives more rewarding. And in the end, that may be more important.
Monday, September 26, 2011
Reading Response 1.0
Chapter 1 Critique
What Exactly Is a Game?
I have often wondered about what the best way to define a game is and many of my classes have brought up discussions on that topic. Questions that always come up are: What is a game? What makes games fun? Why are games so addictive? Long debates would always follow these questions. However, according to the book’s first chapter, there is a very simple breakdown. I’ll admit I found it hard at first to accept such a short and simple explanation but I found that I agreed with it completely after thinking it over for a while.
A game is made up of 4 defining traits: A goal, rules, a feedback system, and voluntary participation.
A goal is the outcome that we gamers work to achieve. It provides us with a sense of purpose. The rules limit the ways we can achieve our goal. We are forced to think outside of the box and find new and creative ways to complete the job. This unleashes creativity and fosters strategic thinking. The feedback system lets us know how we are doing and how close we are to achieving our goals. According to McGonigal, it serves as a promise to the players that the goal is definitely achievable, as well as provides motivation for us to continue. Voluntary participation is when everyone knowingly and willing accepts the goal, the rules, and the feedback. This establishes common ground for multiple people to play together. The ability of the player to enter or leave the game when they want, allows them to keep their gaming experience enjoyable despite the challenges brought on by the game.
As a gamer myself, I can actually examine my own experiences and behavior and realize the truths of these statements. I see video games as my full time job and I work as hard at them as I would a job out in the real world if not harder. By McGonigal’s stats, I would be classified as an extremer-than-extreme gamer. Extreme was rated as the 5 million or so people who game around 45 hours a week. I easily surpass that number and spend the same amount of time in 3 or 4 days. Despite my immersion, I still have time (outside of school) to examine games as a whole and theorize about why they are so addicting.
If there is one thing I have realized about myself, it is that I hate to be idle. My mind prefers to be doing something at all times of the day or it will simply rage at the sheer time wasted. Games are the perfect solution. As McGonigal said, they provide an “invigorating rush of activity” that keeps us entertained as well as the most addicting feeling of success and pride when we succeed at a particularly challenging task. It is this rush that has probably had the greatest influence on me as a gamer. In my pursuit of this rush, I can honestly say that I have conquered more than 50 games to absolute completion. And I see no end in sight to my conquest.
What Exactly Is a Game?
I have often wondered about what the best way to define a game is and many of my classes have brought up discussions on that topic. Questions that always come up are: What is a game? What makes games fun? Why are games so addictive? Long debates would always follow these questions. However, according to the book’s first chapter, there is a very simple breakdown. I’ll admit I found it hard at first to accept such a short and simple explanation but I found that I agreed with it completely after thinking it over for a while.
A game is made up of 4 defining traits: A goal, rules, a feedback system, and voluntary participation.
A goal is the outcome that we gamers work to achieve. It provides us with a sense of purpose. The rules limit the ways we can achieve our goal. We are forced to think outside of the box and find new and creative ways to complete the job. This unleashes creativity and fosters strategic thinking. The feedback system lets us know how we are doing and how close we are to achieving our goals. According to McGonigal, it serves as a promise to the players that the goal is definitely achievable, as well as provides motivation for us to continue. Voluntary participation is when everyone knowingly and willing accepts the goal, the rules, and the feedback. This establishes common ground for multiple people to play together. The ability of the player to enter or leave the game when they want, allows them to keep their gaming experience enjoyable despite the challenges brought on by the game.
As a gamer myself, I can actually examine my own experiences and behavior and realize the truths of these statements. I see video games as my full time job and I work as hard at them as I would a job out in the real world if not harder. By McGonigal’s stats, I would be classified as an extremer-than-extreme gamer. Extreme was rated as the 5 million or so people who game around 45 hours a week. I easily surpass that number and spend the same amount of time in 3 or 4 days. Despite my immersion, I still have time (outside of school) to examine games as a whole and theorize about why they are so addicting.
If there is one thing I have realized about myself, it is that I hate to be idle. My mind prefers to be doing something at all times of the day or it will simply rage at the sheer time wasted. Games are the perfect solution. As McGonigal said, they provide an “invigorating rush of activity” that keeps us entertained as well as the most addicting feeling of success and pride when we succeed at a particularly challenging task. It is this rush that has probably had the greatest influence on me as a gamer. In my pursuit of this rush, I can honestly say that I have conquered more than 50 games to absolute completion. And I see no end in sight to my conquest.
Reading Response 0.5 - Reality is Broken
When I opened this book, I thought the introduction so intriguing that I pretty much had to start off with a commentary on it. Right now, I don't have time to do a full review on it so I will leave this post as a placeholder.
Saturday, September 17, 2011
Another Blog for School
This blog is specifically for the IASC 3P26 course at Brock University.
I found it interesting to look at my list and see just how many blogs I am managing right now. Even more surprising was how many had been created for school. I believe this blog will mostly be for responses to class readings. Nothing new there. Lets just hope this doesn't put me off working on my other blogs.
And with that...
I'm out.
CB
I found it interesting to look at my list and see just how many blogs I am managing right now. Even more surprising was how many had been created for school. I believe this blog will mostly be for responses to class readings. Nothing new there. Lets just hope this doesn't put me off working on my other blogs.
And with that...
I'm out.
CB
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