Wednesday, 2 March 2011

Gamer Culture

Nowadays there is a video game for any type of player. It is apart of everyday life. It doesn't matter if you are a housewife, grandfather, or level 60 warlock, there is a game for you. It has gotten so big that we have to think of gaming as a culture with so many sub-cultures within it. The three major consoles being xbox 360, playstation 3 and nintendo wii.
Years ago gaming wasn't this integrated into everyones lives, but now it is a force to be reckoned with. Universities are teaching classes on this subject. Stony Brook has a class, which I'm currently enrolled in this semester. It teaches you to think critically of games. From the meanings of embodiment, to feel a certain sense of identity by means of extension or projection with the character you use. Simply put, some people like to play role playing games and they feel as if it is them on the screen doing the challenges. Other concerns we look at deal with the girl gamer. More specifically in connection with strong female characters like Lara Croft. The connotations that come along her being too sexy. Entire articles and conversations dedicated to discussing just this one character. Moreover, how do women project themselves as gamers is a big discussion.
Sports games are also very big. Tournaments being held for cash prizes whenever a new madden game comes out is a big deal for a lot of sports gamers. Being ranked on xbox live is an honor they proudly wear on their chest. All my brothers and friends play nba 2k11 for hours on end. It gets very competitive, to the point where controllers get broken out of frustration. Gamer culture is even extended to the older generations that grew up without these games. Nintendo Wii broke that barrier with its interactive play technology. Using your body to stay in shape as the controller was such a great idea that all the major platforms across the board have adopted some type of total body technology. All of this speaks to the amazing major technological advancements we are seeing in the present and further in the future.

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