My proposal for our final games study project will be to do a new games journalism piece on The Sims 2. I would like to write the piece from the view of the character I design and their “life” through the game. Their pursuit of a job, building a home, making friends, having kids and all the other situations they are presented with. I think this will be a different view from even a ‘normal’ new games journalism piece because it’s not only the role of the games, but from the actual character.
Along with this writing part I would like to make a collage of my character. I’m not sure if it would be digital or like drawing art work; but nonetheless, a creative collage piece.
Although my paper will mostly be writing, I do intend to do quite an elaborate creative part. I think for my project an appropriate amount of the paper would be about 1500-2000 words, as well as the collage. Any feedback and thoughts are much appreciated on how to add or change this idea!!!
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Monday, November 2, 2009
Addiction
When I began reading the article, “The Human Cost of MMORPGs” I didn’t know what to make of it. Not that I thought it was a joke but I surely didn’t believe it was real. After taking this class I have realized there is so much more to video games than just sitting in front of a screen playing a game. It’s a whole experience of learning the characters, following and developing a storyline, appreciating the graphics and getting lost in the experience of the game. But, “a 15-year old boy collaps[ing] and [going] into convulsions after playing World of Warcraft, an MMORPG, for a 24-hour stretch of time” (Invictus)?! What does this mean?! What does this say about the culture of video games and what it’s doing to America’s youth? An even better question, what kind of stigma will be placed on these games after this accident?
This incident that happened is obviously very unfortunate but I think the bigger issue here is the factor that people becoming addicted to these particular games like they are drugs controlling their lives. I could see how this could become a huge issue effecting not only the gamer whose life is controlled but their families, their work environments, their relationships, etc. just like any other addiction.
But what’s the solution for this?! Taking these games off the market doesn’t solve anything because it a multi-million dollar business and it’s not a problem that affects that even the majority that plays them. Putting a rating on them won’t solve the problem either. This may help some younger kids from purchasing the game but this doesn’t really solve the addiction problem because these gamers are plenty old enough to play them. I don’t know if there really is a concrete solution to this problem only ideas and help groups. That’s the problem with addiction of any kind. It’s about controlling the problem but when you can’t it become impossible to manage.
This incident that happened is obviously very unfortunate but I think the bigger issue here is the factor that people becoming addicted to these particular games like they are drugs controlling their lives. I could see how this could become a huge issue effecting not only the gamer whose life is controlled but their families, their work environments, their relationships, etc. just like any other addiction.
But what’s the solution for this?! Taking these games off the market doesn’t solve anything because it a multi-million dollar business and it’s not a problem that affects that even the majority that plays them. Putting a rating on them won’t solve the problem either. This may help some younger kids from purchasing the game but this doesn’t really solve the addiction problem because these gamers are plenty old enough to play them. I don’t know if there really is a concrete solution to this problem only ideas and help groups. That’s the problem with addiction of any kind. It’s about controlling the problem but when you can’t it become impossible to manage.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Game Review 3
I never realized how many new games were released on a daily basis. Obviously there are the “big” games for XBOX, PS3, Wii, and etc. kind of games; but there are dozens of new flash games released each day. There is such a huge demand for these games and gamers look forward to playing these on a daily basis. After looking around and doing some research for new games this week I have found there is quite a wide range of flash games. There are many based on the “big” games; only more condensed, with less detailed graphics. There are some games that take a few minutes to play and others that you can sit in front of the computer and play all day. Then there are games that are brand new, but based off versions of older games.
This week I reviewed the flash game called, Ocean Bubble. This game was nothing fancy but still quite challenging and a bit frustrating at times. What made this game fun was that it reminded me of playing Tetris. I used to LOVE playing that game on the computer! The idea and goals of this game was the same; with a few minor changes.
The game began with a blank fish tank. Once you began, 3 bubbles stuck together in the same triangle shape came down from the top of the tank every time. However, you didn’t know what colors were coming. The point of this game was to get 4 bubbles in a row to earn points, and once you made a connection of at least 4 bubbles it popped them and created more room for you to make more connections. On one side you are given a countdown of points you need to earn, as you pop bubbles and earn points the countdown obviously goes down. You know you will be moving to the next level as you get closer to 0. At the beginning of each level you move up the countdown gets bigger and bigger.
Another trait that changes as you get higher in the levels are the amount of different bubbles you are given. In level 1 you have 4 colors and by the time you finish all the levels you have 6 different colored bubbles. However, I never finished the final level because I couldn’t seem to pass level 6. The other part that made this game get more difficult was that as the game continued through the levels you began with more and more rows at the bottom of the tank. This seems like a factor that wouldn’t highly change the difficulty level of the game. However, it’s quite the opposites. By the time I got to level 6 there were 5 rows of bubbles already there at the bottom of the tank, making it nearly impossible to make it past this level. I played this game for almost 2 hours and became so frustrated trying to beat it.
Part of what bothered me about this game was the fast that you couldn’t begin again from the level you couldn’t beat. Every time I lost in level 6 I had to start back at level 1. I know this is the point of the game but being as though it was not a real intense game you’d think they’d have given you a few lives. Part of why I found this so annoying was because it took so long to get past all those levels to just lose, I’d have like to have been able to practice it a bit.
A really annoying part of this game was the fact that timing wise this game was quite delayed. To move the groups of bubbles down the screen you used the arrows to change positions, move it faster and from right to left. When you moved the arrows it took a while for the bubbles on the screen to move. Because you only had a small amount of time to move the groupings around it was difficult to always tell where it was going to land because of the delay. In some of these cases, I’d miss making a connection because it’d ending up flipping at the last minute.
Overall, I’d say this game was a pretty good one. I had a lot of fun playing it and it kept my attention for a couple hours and probably would have continued but I realized I needed to write my paper. I don’t think it’s anything I would buy, even it was offered in a longer version, but I’d say try it, as it’s just a fun simple game that keeps you busy and challenges your mind.
This week I reviewed the flash game called, Ocean Bubble. This game was nothing fancy but still quite challenging and a bit frustrating at times. What made this game fun was that it reminded me of playing Tetris. I used to LOVE playing that game on the computer! The idea and goals of this game was the same; with a few minor changes.
The game began with a blank fish tank. Once you began, 3 bubbles stuck together in the same triangle shape came down from the top of the tank every time. However, you didn’t know what colors were coming. The point of this game was to get 4 bubbles in a row to earn points, and once you made a connection of at least 4 bubbles it popped them and created more room for you to make more connections. On one side you are given a countdown of points you need to earn, as you pop bubbles and earn points the countdown obviously goes down. You know you will be moving to the next level as you get closer to 0. At the beginning of each level you move up the countdown gets bigger and bigger.
Another trait that changes as you get higher in the levels are the amount of different bubbles you are given. In level 1 you have 4 colors and by the time you finish all the levels you have 6 different colored bubbles. However, I never finished the final level because I couldn’t seem to pass level 6. The other part that made this game get more difficult was that as the game continued through the levels you began with more and more rows at the bottom of the tank. This seems like a factor that wouldn’t highly change the difficulty level of the game. However, it’s quite the opposites. By the time I got to level 6 there were 5 rows of bubbles already there at the bottom of the tank, making it nearly impossible to make it past this level. I played this game for almost 2 hours and became so frustrated trying to beat it.
Part of what bothered me about this game was the fast that you couldn’t begin again from the level you couldn’t beat. Every time I lost in level 6 I had to start back at level 1. I know this is the point of the game but being as though it was not a real intense game you’d think they’d have given you a few lives. Part of why I found this so annoying was because it took so long to get past all those levels to just lose, I’d have like to have been able to practice it a bit.
A really annoying part of this game was the fact that timing wise this game was quite delayed. To move the groups of bubbles down the screen you used the arrows to change positions, move it faster and from right to left. When you moved the arrows it took a while for the bubbles on the screen to move. Because you only had a small amount of time to move the groupings around it was difficult to always tell where it was going to land because of the delay. In some of these cases, I’d miss making a connection because it’d ending up flipping at the last minute.
Overall, I’d say this game was a pretty good one. I had a lot of fun playing it and it kept my attention for a couple hours and probably would have continued but I realized I needed to write my paper. I don’t think it’s anything I would buy, even it was offered in a longer version, but I’d say try it, as it’s just a fun simple game that keeps you busy and challenges your mind.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
New Games Journalism-Sequence
New games journalism is simply ANOTHER way of reviewing and choosing a good video game for you personally. There is no right or wrong way as to how these articles should written but rather there are different options for gamers to read about them. I don't think there is any reason for people to argue and decide which is 'better' but rather which method best helps you choose a game. In the past video games were reviewed/ described by what actually made the game. The graphics, the storyline, audio, etc; which are all things that can/would help a person decide if the game was worth it to buy them. With new games journalism the emphasis is more on the experience of the game. What did the player feel while playing the game, what were his experiences, what was their personal experience? Even though these questions are all subjective, it's one more way for a gamer to decide if it's worth it for them to buy the game.
For my final project in this class I would like to write a new games journalism piece on my favorite video game. I have been playing the Sims for many years and find the game fascinating and entertaining. I love creating people, their personalities and then guiding them through the life I’ve created for them. The idea of escaping your life by creating and living another one is a great place for the new age journalism. I want to put an even bigger twist on new age journalism and write about the person I have created through the game. Not only is the reader of the review getting an understanding of how I felt playing the game; but also one can follow the character I have created so they can get a better idea about the things my character did and how they may have felt as well. Here are 2 sample paragraphs that would come from new age journalism pieces. 1. Is from my point of view review and 2. is from the point of view of my character in the actual game.
1. As I begin my new game and begin to design my new family, I decide to only create one character this time. I want her focus to be on making money so I can build and buy a big, “tricked out” house. I create my character to have an outgoing personality, to make lots of friends and get good promotions, and also her main aspiration will be fortune. After I have created my brown haired, greened eyed Sim I decide it’s time to build a modest, inexpensive home for her to live in until she saves up some money. I build a house on a small hill and create a square house on top of a higher foundation. Because it’s so high off the ground I add stairs and some minor landscaping. Inside I make a kitchen, bathroom, bedroom and living room; although there is not a lot of money to fully furnish it like I would like to. I do make a nice kitchen because my Sim’s main aspiration is to become a famous chef.
I move my Sim in and the game begins. My Sim decides she wants to check out a few things in her new home. There are curious bubbles above her head. I let her explore of a bit until I have her walk outside to pick up the paper. I click on the paper and select for her to choose a job. She walks out greets the mail lady and begins to look at the available jobs. The best one that meets my Sims aspirations is the job flipping burgers at the local restaurant. Although this job only pays $160.00 a day it’s a good job to start at to get promotions in the cooking profession.
2. I look in the mirror and see that I’ve been constructed as a middle aged woman with long brown hair and a funky, wide nose. I have green eyes and it looks as though I’m the only person in my family. Well apparently I’m going to have a pretty boring life without any family, but hopefully I’ll live in a highly populated area and make lots of friends. My first task as a Sim will be to get a job. I walk into my average house, which is not fancily decorated, and look for my computer. I see after looking at the fridge, the couch and the one rug I see that I do not have a computer. So I then walk out the front door, down the stairs and out to the front yard. The mail lady has just delivered the paper so I’m in luck. After a quick hello, I set down and begin looking for job ads. I settle on a job flipping burgers at the local restaurant for $160.00 a day. I accept this job because one day I aspire to be a chef in my own restaurant.
These are two different kind of new game journalism articles but both accomplish the same thing. The reader can get a feeling of what it’s like to experience playing this game. One can experience the game through the eyes of the player or the character itself. What makes a good review of a game is having many different points of view from all sides of the table. With any decision, the best decision is an educated decision. To get points of view from fact as well as from opinion would help with any decision, especially in a decision as to whether or not a particular game is for you or not.
For my final project in this class I would like to write a new games journalism piece on my favorite video game. I have been playing the Sims for many years and find the game fascinating and entertaining. I love creating people, their personalities and then guiding them through the life I’ve created for them. The idea of escaping your life by creating and living another one is a great place for the new age journalism. I want to put an even bigger twist on new age journalism and write about the person I have created through the game. Not only is the reader of the review getting an understanding of how I felt playing the game; but also one can follow the character I have created so they can get a better idea about the things my character did and how they may have felt as well. Here are 2 sample paragraphs that would come from new age journalism pieces. 1. Is from my point of view review and 2. is from the point of view of my character in the actual game.
1. As I begin my new game and begin to design my new family, I decide to only create one character this time. I want her focus to be on making money so I can build and buy a big, “tricked out” house. I create my character to have an outgoing personality, to make lots of friends and get good promotions, and also her main aspiration will be fortune. After I have created my brown haired, greened eyed Sim I decide it’s time to build a modest, inexpensive home for her to live in until she saves up some money. I build a house on a small hill and create a square house on top of a higher foundation. Because it’s so high off the ground I add stairs and some minor landscaping. Inside I make a kitchen, bathroom, bedroom and living room; although there is not a lot of money to fully furnish it like I would like to. I do make a nice kitchen because my Sim’s main aspiration is to become a famous chef.
I move my Sim in and the game begins. My Sim decides she wants to check out a few things in her new home. There are curious bubbles above her head. I let her explore of a bit until I have her walk outside to pick up the paper. I click on the paper and select for her to choose a job. She walks out greets the mail lady and begins to look at the available jobs. The best one that meets my Sims aspirations is the job flipping burgers at the local restaurant. Although this job only pays $160.00 a day it’s a good job to start at to get promotions in the cooking profession.
2. I look in the mirror and see that I’ve been constructed as a middle aged woman with long brown hair and a funky, wide nose. I have green eyes and it looks as though I’m the only person in my family. Well apparently I’m going to have a pretty boring life without any family, but hopefully I’ll live in a highly populated area and make lots of friends. My first task as a Sim will be to get a job. I walk into my average house, which is not fancily decorated, and look for my computer. I see after looking at the fridge, the couch and the one rug I see that I do not have a computer. So I then walk out the front door, down the stairs and out to the front yard. The mail lady has just delivered the paper so I’m in luck. After a quick hello, I set down and begin looking for job ads. I settle on a job flipping burgers at the local restaurant for $160.00 a day. I accept this job because one day I aspire to be a chef in my own restaurant.
These are two different kind of new game journalism articles but both accomplish the same thing. The reader can get a feeling of what it’s like to experience playing this game. One can experience the game through the eyes of the player or the character itself. What makes a good review of a game is having many different points of view from all sides of the table. With any decision, the best decision is an educated decision. To get points of view from fact as well as from opinion would help with any decision, especially in a decision as to whether or not a particular game is for you or not.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Review 2
I shamelessly have to admit that I am officially addicted to this new game. Released on October 13, 2009, Picma is a puzzle full of numbers and ‘painting’ pictures that keeps your mind thinking. The original name of this type of game is called, Nonograms; also referred to as paint by numbers type of mathematical game. The point of the game is to color in the correct cells in the grid to unveil a picture according to the numerical cues at the top of each row and column.
What I liked best about this game was the range of levels that one could play. At the easiest level there were square boxes ranging from 5 X 5 to 50 X 50 at the hardest level. The easiest level was simpler because you could figure out where to start much more straightforward. You didn’t have to think far ahead because there were only a few options to choose from. If the numbers were 2/2 at the top of the grid, you knew you would have to start with filling in 2 squares, leave one space, then color in another 2 squares; therefore, not making the puzzle too ‘puzzling’ and quick to solve. You know there is only one option because in the beginning level you are using one color and when there is only color if there is a more than one number listed for the column there must be a space between them. However, on the higher level if you have a column of 15 squares with 3/4/2/1 all listed in different colors there are numerous results you could come up. To begin with, when you have different colors listed they can touch together, so it may not be as easy to interpret where the spaces are to go. Therefore, you need to determine where you color in your squares based on the rows going down the side.
Another aspect of the game that changed as the game became more difficult was the detail of the pictures. In the first level you colored the squares to create pictures like a castle, a cactus, a water drop, and etc. things that we have all seen easily drawn in a program like Paint. As the levels continue, the details in the pictures also become more vivid. You begin to reveal pictures with 2 and 3 colors like a martini glass, a dragon, to an hourglass, and etc. The creativity of the pictures gets more complimented; therefore, become even more difficult to solve.
Trying to place the colors in the correct square was not the only thing you were trying to accomplish with these puzzles. You also wanted to solve the puzzle in as little amount of time as possible. The time started as soon as you clicked on the game and ended when the puzzle was completed. Before you began the puzzle it showed you the amount of time that it should be completed in. The time was a realistic time to beat however, there was one tricky part. Every time you clicked on a square to color in and it was not supposed to be it added a minute to your time. So if you clicked on the wrong square 5 times, then you automatically added 5 minutes to your score. So on the more difficult levels, which required thinking ahead and using math, it was very easy to see your time go from 3 minutes to 10 minutes quite quickly.
One of the helpful aspects of this game was that you could use an X to mark a spot you knew for sure you were not going to fill in. This was very helpful again on the more difficult levels because you could use process of elimination to mark out the squares you wouldn’t use.
The best part of this game was after you solved all the puzzles they provided, 60 in total, you could design your own puzzle. It was fun to create and solve your own. The ironic part of this was that even though I was the one that designed the puzzle, it was extremely difficult to solve. I had made my puzzle on a 30 X 30 grid and put so much detail into it that it took me so much longer that the other puzzles to solve.
Overall I'd say:Try it! This game was fun to play but I don't think I'd spend money to play it on anything but free on my computer. It kept me busy and I got more addicted as I played, but at the same time I wouldn't give up rent money to buy the full version of the game. However, if you really enjoyed puzzle and thinking games, Picma may be right up your alley.
What I liked best about this game was the range of levels that one could play. At the easiest level there were square boxes ranging from 5 X 5 to 50 X 50 at the hardest level. The easiest level was simpler because you could figure out where to start much more straightforward. You didn’t have to think far ahead because there were only a few options to choose from. If the numbers were 2/2 at the top of the grid, you knew you would have to start with filling in 2 squares, leave one space, then color in another 2 squares; therefore, not making the puzzle too ‘puzzling’ and quick to solve. You know there is only one option because in the beginning level you are using one color and when there is only color if there is a more than one number listed for the column there must be a space between them. However, on the higher level if you have a column of 15 squares with 3/4/2/1 all listed in different colors there are numerous results you could come up. To begin with, when you have different colors listed they can touch together, so it may not be as easy to interpret where the spaces are to go. Therefore, you need to determine where you color in your squares based on the rows going down the side.
Another aspect of the game that changed as the game became more difficult was the detail of the pictures. In the first level you colored the squares to create pictures like a castle, a cactus, a water drop, and etc. things that we have all seen easily drawn in a program like Paint. As the levels continue, the details in the pictures also become more vivid. You begin to reveal pictures with 2 and 3 colors like a martini glass, a dragon, to an hourglass, and etc. The creativity of the pictures gets more complimented; therefore, become even more difficult to solve.
Trying to place the colors in the correct square was not the only thing you were trying to accomplish with these puzzles. You also wanted to solve the puzzle in as little amount of time as possible. The time started as soon as you clicked on the game and ended when the puzzle was completed. Before you began the puzzle it showed you the amount of time that it should be completed in. The time was a realistic time to beat however, there was one tricky part. Every time you clicked on a square to color in and it was not supposed to be it added a minute to your time. So if you clicked on the wrong square 5 times, then you automatically added 5 minutes to your score. So on the more difficult levels, which required thinking ahead and using math, it was very easy to see your time go from 3 minutes to 10 minutes quite quickly.
One of the helpful aspects of this game was that you could use an X to mark a spot you knew for sure you were not going to fill in. This was very helpful again on the more difficult levels because you could use process of elimination to mark out the squares you wouldn’t use.
The best part of this game was after you solved all the puzzles they provided, 60 in total, you could design your own puzzle. It was fun to create and solve your own. The ironic part of this was that even though I was the one that designed the puzzle, it was extremely difficult to solve. I had made my puzzle on a 30 X 30 grid and put so much detail into it that it took me so much longer that the other puzzles to solve.
Overall I'd say:Try it! This game was fun to play but I don't think I'd spend money to play it on anything but free on my computer. It kept me busy and I got more addicted as I played, but at the same time I wouldn't give up rent money to buy the full version of the game. However, if you really enjoyed puzzle and thinking games, Picma may be right up your alley.
Genres in Video Games
Again, in this week’s discussion we can compare the parallels of video games to films. It’s amazing how much we are finding these two entertainments to be so much alike.
In video games, I do believe it’s a good thing and possible to classify them into different genres; however, this is an exorbitant task that requires numerous classifications and many overlaps. The problem arises deciding what categories should be used. Do you place games based on audience, consoles, graphics, etc? The article, Genre and Video Games, discussed the following list of genres; “Abstract, Adaptation, Adventure, Artificial Life, Board Games, Capturing, Card Games, Catching, Chase, Collecting, Combat, Demo, Diagnostic, Dodging, Driving, Educational, Escape, Fighting, Flying, Gambling, Interactive Movie, Management Simulation, Maze, Obstacle Course, Pencil and Paper Games, Pinball, Platform, Programming Games, Puzzle, Quiz, Racing, Role Playing, Rhythm and Dance, Shoot ’Em Up, Simulation, Sports, Strategy, Table Top Games, Target, Text Adventure, Training Simulation, and Utility.” I find this list to be incredibly complete and compressive list; but then we are faced with the issue of overlap and what if there is a new game and it doesn’t fit into this listed genres?
Therefore, when it comes to categorizing video games into genres, we need to leave a lot of room for adaptations. It’s impossible to set a certain number of genres and forever stick to them. As new games are released and new types are developed, there will be new genres added.
With an every growing, ever expanding matter as video games we not only need to look at individual games but I think many games are going to fit into more than one genre. For example, one of my favorite games, Ths Sim’s, fit into genres such as, simulation and role playing. So how do you decipher which one it belongs to?
I truly do not know the answers to these questions or even what may be the best way to go with it, but I do know that they are important to look at. Each type of genre needs particular ‘guidelines’ that games need to follow to fit in. There also needs to be an understanding that new genres will be added and many will fall into multiple.
In video games, I do believe it’s a good thing and possible to classify them into different genres; however, this is an exorbitant task that requires numerous classifications and many overlaps. The problem arises deciding what categories should be used. Do you place games based on audience, consoles, graphics, etc? The article, Genre and Video Games, discussed the following list of genres; “Abstract, Adaptation, Adventure, Artificial Life, Board Games, Capturing, Card Games, Catching, Chase, Collecting, Combat, Demo, Diagnostic, Dodging, Driving, Educational, Escape, Fighting, Flying, Gambling, Interactive Movie, Management Simulation, Maze, Obstacle Course, Pencil and Paper Games, Pinball, Platform, Programming Games, Puzzle, Quiz, Racing, Role Playing, Rhythm and Dance, Shoot ’Em Up, Simulation, Sports, Strategy, Table Top Games, Target, Text Adventure, Training Simulation, and Utility.” I find this list to be incredibly complete and compressive list; but then we are faced with the issue of overlap and what if there is a new game and it doesn’t fit into this listed genres?
Therefore, when it comes to categorizing video games into genres, we need to leave a lot of room for adaptations. It’s impossible to set a certain number of genres and forever stick to them. As new games are released and new types are developed, there will be new genres added.
With an every growing, ever expanding matter as video games we not only need to look at individual games but I think many games are going to fit into more than one genre. For example, one of my favorite games, Ths Sim’s, fit into genres such as, simulation and role playing. So how do you decipher which one it belongs to?
I truly do not know the answers to these questions or even what may be the best way to go with it, but I do know that they are important to look at. Each type of genre needs particular ‘guidelines’ that games need to follow to fit in. There also needs to be an understanding that new genres will be added and many will fall into multiple.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
New Games Journalism
New games journalism is simply ANOTHER way of reviewing and choosing a good video game for you personally. There is no right way or wrong way as to how these articles should written but rather there are different options for gamers to read about them. I don't think there is any reason for people to argue and decide which is 'better' but rather which method best helps you choose a game. In the past video games were reviewed/described by what actually made the game. The graphics, the storyline, audio, etc; which are all things that can/would help a person decide if the game was worth it to buy them. With new games journalism the emphasis is more on the experience of the game. What did the player feel while playing the game, what were his experiences, what was their personal experience? Even though these questions are all subjective, it's one more way for a gamer to decide if it's worth it for them to buy the game. What makes a good review of a game is having many different points of view from all sides of the table. With any decision, the best decision is an educated decision. To get points of view from fact as well as from opinion would help with any decision, especially in a decision as to whether or not a particular game is for you or not.
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