When the developers of Pong, the first commercially successful video game, finished creating their digital masterpiece in 1972, they could have never imagined the impact that video games would eventually have on American culture. Video games have become so ingrained into our daily lives, regardless if its on console, computer, or handheld devices. In fact, an estimated 155 million people in the United States play video games on a regular basis (Campbell). However, as video games became more visually complex and included more detail oriented content, regular users of games started to play longer hours, forming deeper connections with their virtual characters. This type of behavior exhibited by gamers began to raise a lot of parental red-flags, as the time spent interacting within the virtual game world rose drastically among children and teens. Eventually, gamers were becoming overly enthralled within the virtual world they were traversing and were labeled as video game addicts.
Pong (1972)
According to a report from Mental & Physical Health, "video game addiction can be defined as excessive and compulsive use of computer of video games that result in social and/or emotional problems; despite these problems the gamer is unable to control this excessive use." (Pallesen). Currently, in the United States alone studies have revealed that roughly 3 million people are addicted to playing video games on a regular basis (McElroy). As video games have become more complex in their featured content and graphical display, it really comes as no surprise that some gamers are exhibiting compulsively addictive behavior stemming from the games they play. Certain video games categories like MMORPG's, such as World of Warcraft, rely on gamers to play long hours in order to complete menial tasks, such as building a virtual house. However, due to the compulsive behavior exhibited by the gamers, they feel the need to grind it out, no matter how menial the task is in their fantastical world. As a result of gamers addictive behavior, they neglect family, friends, work, and school; just as any other addiction works.
Just try & drag them away...
Of course, not all gamers can be categorized as video game addicts. Many gamers only interact with their gaming platforms for several hours a week and sometimes they don't even use it for gaming, but streaming and other applications being offered, as well. Instead, addictive behavior is most often displayed in the more "hardcore" gamer. Hardcore gamers, typically prefer games that offer them a sense of complexity and depth to the story, which helps to completely transport them into a virtual world of fantasy. Most often times, hardcore gamers are playing games for hours at time in order to combat their real world issues, like low self-esteem or extreme loneliness. In this sense, hardcore gamers use video games as a platform to escape from their issues, which is considered to be a trait of other addictions like gambling. As a result of displaying traits similar to other addictive behaviors, hardcore gamers are the most in danger of developing strong addictions to the games they play.
the prototypical Hardcore Gamer
Although video game addiction hasn't been officially recognized as a psychological disorder by the American Medical Association, I personally believe that millions of Americans suffer from video game addiction in our current virtually-obsessed culture. Many children, teens, and even adult gamers form deep dependencies on video games. Partly due to the fact that it affords gamers the ability to escape from reality into a world of virtual reality. As a result, these types of more hardcore gamers will feel the need to grind and grind on certain missions or tasks until the early hours of the morning everyday. However, as with all type of entertainment, especially virtual entertainment, the amount of time one spends playing video games needs to be balanced with other non-virtual activities. If more hardcore gamers were to balance their intake of gaming, hopefully we can start to see a reduction in gamers exhibiting addictive-like behaviors. And eventually, start to feel more comfortable being involved in the real world versus a realm of fantasy.
References:
Video Game Addiction. (n.d.) Retrieved November 27, 2015, from http://www.video-game-addiction.org
Campbell, C. (2015, April 14). Here's How Many People Are Playing Games in America. Retrieved November 27, 2015, from http://www.polygon.com/2015/4/14/8415611/gaming-stats-2015
McElroy, G. (2009, April 20). 8.5 Percent on U.S. Youth Addicted to Video Games, Study Finds. Retrieved November 27, 2015, from http://edgadget.com
Pallesen, S., Meen Lorvik, I., Hellandsjo Bu, E., & Molde, H. (2015). An Exploratory Story Investigating the Effects of a Treatment Manual for Video Game Addiction. Psychological Reports, 117(2), 490-495. dos:10.2466/02.PRO.11c14z9
Over the past
decade, technologically based learning systems have infiltrated our K-12 school
systems throughout the United States. In fact, nearly fifty-five percent of
teachers use video games in the classroom to help teach students (Meyer). Many
of these learning systems use a video game based platform to help teach young
students a variety of fundamental skills, like problem-solving and creative
solutions. Incorporating educationally based video games into the regular
curriculum has become an effective tool for helping to motivate students to
cognitively become better learners. Some of the more popular educational video
game programs, like Khan Academy, are
played using a computer, however, many other handheld devices are starting to
come out with educational video games, like My Word Coach, which was released for both Wii and Nintendo DS.
Oregon Trail (1985)
Although
educational video game programs, like those featured in Khan Academy, have become more popular in school systems in the
recent years, learning skills through a video game isn’t a new educational
phenomenon. In reality educational based video games have been featured in the
United States since the 1980’s, which helped to introduce students to learning
fundamental skills, like math, history, typing, and problem-solving, through
video games (Heick). One of the most popular early educational video games was a survival
based game called Oregon Trail, which
was released in 1985. Even though, the educational content and graphics were
limited, due to the technologies of the time, games, like Oregon Trail,
helped to expose the true value video games can have in the classroom. As
technology continued to advance, so did the educational video game into the
realm of the 21st century. Although educational based video games
have undeniably received a facelift thanks to the rapid development of modern
day video game technology, has the educational content of these games or can it
be considered only as an aesthetical change?
Engaging Students with Video Games
Today, video
games are being incorporated into the classroom like never before, as not only educationally
based video games are featured, but more entertainment based massive
multiplayer games have started to be introduced to students, as well. Video
games are also being offered to students not as a learning tool, but as a
motivational reward. According to a statement from a middle school teacher at
Wheatley Educational Campus in Washington D.C., “It motivates the students to
continue to move forward with mastering concepts, because its all about content
and mastery.” (Meyer).
MinecraftEdu
Currently, one
of the most popular video games being adopted into learning environments
throughout the U.S. is Minecraft. Due
to Minecrafts rapid adoption rate
into standardized curriculums, developers of the game even created a more
educational based version under the title, MinecraftEdu.
MinecraftEdu releases the students into a blocky three dimensional online
world, in which allows them to use a variety of fundamental skills, like math
and science, in order to help them build and explore their surrounding in the world.
Video games, like Minecraft, which were developed initially for
entertainment are most certainly changing the look of the what is considered to
be an educational game, but many of the fundamental skills the students learn from
the games have largely remained the same. Simply incorporating skills, like
problem-solving and simple arithmetic, because they have proven to be necessary
skills every student needs to learn. So, due to the educational video games
lack of incorporating new skills into their user interface, do video games
offer any real educational merit or are they a waste of time because they just
teach a base level of the same old fundamentals?
Personally, I
believe the use of video games in classrooms can be an effective tool for
helping young students to learn certain skills, like math and problem solving.
I also believe that by engaging students in a reward based system can be
extremely beneficial for helping the students become more productive, in terms
of the material they need to learn in order to play the games. Exposing
students, especially the younger K-8 students, to video games in the classroom
can also be a valuable resource for helping students to become more accustomed with
the modern technologies of today. Although the video games being adopted into
the curriculums certainly carry some semblance of educational merit, not every
game can be put into the same category and certainly have no place in the
classroom. Although entertainment based games, like Call of Duty and GTA V,
still need the player to exhibit similar skills featured in their educational
labeled counterparts, the violent and controversial thematic content featured
in such games display no educational merit what so ever. Nonetheless, I believe
that educational video games in schools are here to stay just as long as they
present students with learning a variety of fundamental skills, which are
necessary to every student’s education.
References: Carson, E. (2014, September 16) MinecraftEdu: From the Gameroom to the Classroom. Tech Republic. Retrieved November 26, 2015. Heick, T. (2012, September 12). A Brief History of Video Games In Education. Teach Thought. Retrieved November 26, 2015. Meyer, L. (2015). 4 Innovative Ways to Teach With Video Games. The Journal, 42(5), 20-24.
In 1971, the public was introduced to the first arcade-style video game cabinet console. At the time, this futuristic-looking arcade console housed an immense amount of electronic components alongside a 13-inch black and white television display monitor. The video games that were typically played and enjoyed by the public during this period of infancy for the console were often simple objective based games, like Pong or Pac-Man. However, as time wore on game developers continued to press into new territories, merging the realm of video games into the world of realism and eventually controversy. And in 1993 with the release of Mortal Kombat, the first realistically life-like video game to incorporate violence, the video game would forever become synonymous with violent behavior in children and teens.
Mortal Kombat
Video game violence has also become a controversial issue constantly in the thoughts of public consciousness due to the rise in tragic events, like school shootings. In each case, from Columbine in 1999 to Sandy Hook in 2012, it seems that each of the shooter's had some connection to violent video games, such as Doom. This seemingly obvious correlation between the people who engage in violent games and these unspeakable acts of violence has brought many politicians and parents to criticize developers for incorporating such violent themes and elements into their games. Thankfully, these acts of extreme violence are not common occurrences, however, a majority of gamer play violent video games. So, is it fair to denounce the violence in video games as being a primary culprit in promoting violence or aggressive behavior among the youth of today? Or do violent video games actually influence certain types of aggressive acts in children and teens? Although the predominant viewpoint of violent video game being held by a majority of society is resoundingly negative, I don't agree with this assumption being put forth that the violent themes portrayed in video games leads to more aggressive behavior in children or teens. In fact, I don't even believe that the violent content is even the one to blame for promoting aggressive behavior in youth. Instead, I think the aggressive behavior being displayed by avid players of such games stems from a sense of competitiveness.
Political cartoon exposing the link between violence and video games
In a recent study, they discovered that youth aggression was due more likely to the overall competitive nature of the game, suggesting that acts of aggression being displayed outside of games can be traced back to certain competitive actions that have been largely accepted by society (Adachi & Willoughby). For example, the game Mario Kart is suppose to be a simple racing game, in which features everyone's favorite Nintendo characters from past to present. However, due to the competitive nature of the game, players have grown accustomed to performing acts of aggression, like shooting, smashing, and crashing into other players, in order to "take them out." This sense of aggression emanates from the players developed attitude towards competitive activities, which is: "Win by any means necessary!" When a player is in this competitive state of mind, I believe is when their behavior becomes most altered into a state of aggression. As their willingness to win takes over any civil instincts to simply play the game without the urge to commit violent acts to feel like their, competitively, the best.
The Competitive Outlook of Rick Bobby and many Others
In reality, aggressive nature is an innate quality in everyone, whether we choose to actively show it off or not. And there are certain activities, like sports and video games, which tend to transform this innate nature into aggressive behavior. However, I don't believe that exposing players to violent content in video games automatically results in aggressive behavioral issues in every gamer. In fact, studies have revealed that even in this day and age of extreme video game violence, youth violence has decreased cross-nationally, not risen (Ferguson). Instead, the players sense of aggression from their internal competitive nature, which arises more frequently when interacting with exceptionally competitive games. Therefore, I believe society should stop the complete condemnation of violent content as the only aspect of video games to cause children or teens act out violently, and instead begin to focus on the competitive nature of gamers in general as a primary suspect leading to such behavioral issues in youth.
References: A Timeline of Video Game Controversies. (2010, October 31). Retrieved November 13, 2015, from http://ncac.org/resource/a-timeline-of-video-game-controversies/ Ferguson, C.J. (2014). Is Video Game Violence Bad?. Psychologist, 27(5), 324-327. Adachi P., Willoughby T. Demolishing the Competition: The Longitudinal Link Between Competitive Video Games, Competitive Gambling, and Aggression. Journal of Youth and Adolescence. July 2013; 42(7):1090:1104. Available from: Academic Search Complete
This past Thursday night, thousands of serious
gamers across the United States waited in anticipation for the midnight release
of one of the most successful game franchises in recent memory: Call of Duty.
As the clock struck midnight, thousands of fans rushed into video game stores
across the nation seeking a physical copy of the latest installment in the
series, Call of Duty: Black Ops 3. While waiting in line till midnight for a
video game may seem foolish to some, the massive culture of gamers have come to
embrace such events with open arms. Midnight releases, allows for gamers to
start playing before the more recreational gamer even wakes up the next
morning.
Although the most popular game franchises, like
Call of Duty and Halo, still have the ability to generate a massive turnout for
midnight releases, the recent rise of digital marketplaces offering the same
options to their customers have started to cause a declining trend in the
amount of midnight releases being done each year. This is due to the digital
marketplaces popular means of content distribution, which affords its customers
the ability to download the latest titles directly to their system in the
comfort of their own home. As the distribution of content through digital
marketplaces continues to evolve, what is the future of the physical game
medium? Will gaming culture come to abandon this older means of content
playability? Or will the physical game continue its predominance over the the gaming
marketplace, as it always has?
Xbox Live Marketplace
Microsoft was the first console developer to launch
a digital marketplace through their Xbox platform called Xbox live in 2002.
Initially, the game content being distributed over online marketplaces was
restricted due to lack of connection speeds and size limitations stemming from
the consoles internal memory card. However, now due to modern technology, the
digital marketplace has been developed to include a wide array of content for
distribution, such as music, movies, television shows, and video games. As the
infrastructures continue to improve gamers access to a variety of content in
the digital marketplace, the more serious gamers are relying on them to
purchase content digitally versus physically from retail stores. According to a
report from Super Data Research Inc., in North America alone last year, digital
game marketplaces took in $11.8 billion dollars in revenue (Hawkins).
As revenue figures continue to increase year over
year, so does the amount of serious gamers converting to buying digital games
every month. "Most growth in space came from existing players buying more
full games digitally, as average monthly full game spending jumped 39% to
$132.46 million" (Hawkins). I believe this trend in monthly
revenue growth from digital marketplaces stems from the accessibility of
content afforded to every gamer with an internet connection. This makes it
easier to access any title the customer wants, whenever and wherever they are.
Faster internet connection speeds has also been a contributing factor causing a
rise in popularity among digital games, due to its ability to download games at
extremely high rates of speed. Due to these affordances provided by the digital
marketplace, gamers can stay at home, avoid long lines at midnight releases,
simply press download and relax, wait for a short period of time and
play.
So then, with the digital marketplace providing so many affordances to
gamers, does the physical game even have chance? According to an article on
Business Finance News, "physical software sales have been facing
hindrances in seeing growth return. October showed that the growth had
declined to -3%, while the quarter ending in October coming at -4.9%,"
(Pritchard). And with numbers projects to be even worse by the end of
2016, it seems like the physical format of video games has started its decline.
Eventually, its possible that the physical game form will no longer exist and
video ames will be solely distributed in the form of digital content. However,
for now I believe the physical game is here to stay. Problems with
internal memory hardware in consoles still provide restrictions on the
amount of content one can download and store. And switching between hard drives
is really the same task as switching physical game discs. Also, if game
developers were to completely move to a digital platform, they would be
excluding a major portion of their customer base, which would in turn hurt
their immense streams of revenue. Game developers would need to
provide some sort of universal system of access to the content available
on the marketplace, in order not to exclude any patrons from their intended
purchase. However, a viable system to do such a task just hasn't been
developed yet. Therefore, although the digital marketplace continues
to grow in popularity and accessibility, the physical and digital
game will continue to co-exist side-by-side, at least for right now.
References: Hawkins, Z. (2015, November 3). An Increasing Number of Gamers Buying Full Games Digitally. Retrieved November 7, 2015.
