For this project, I've really struggled to think of something to do that will be both amusing to me and worthwhile to anyone who lays eyes on it. At first I was thinking about doing a comic book where two characters get trapped in the world of video games and must traverse through several well-known game locales to escape. While that would probably turn out really cool, I have to be honest with myself. As much as I've struggled this semester, am I really going to find time to do a project that would require planning, writing, storyboarding, more writing, editing, drawing, more editing, and publishing? Between sickness and ruthless employers I've found it difficult to even get to class, so I think I should do something a little less work-intensive. Not to say I'll do something stupid and quick, because that would be both unfair to Dr. S and embarrassing to me.
So what to do?
How's this strike you (phantom readership that you are)? How about I write a play? In this play, I will have one character, which will embody every anti-video game Jack Thompsonite Family Advocacy group stereotype I can think of. This character will be whimsically transported (maybe) to a land in which video games are reality and the most well-known VG icons will eventually prove that video games...well, they're not so bad, right?
Right.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Dragon Age:Origins
Enchantment?
Enchantment!
So says Sandal, a "soft-skulled" (his own father's words) dwarf character in Bioware's latest opus, Dragon Age: Origins, and it serves to describe the game pretty accurately. From the moment the player chooses his race (between human, dwarf, and elf) and class (warrior, rogue, or mage), the game whisks him or her away into a fully realized fantasy world populated with memorable characters and horrifying monsters.
The game will be played differently every time through. The volume of choices the game presents to the player is staggering, and there is rarely a clear division between right and wrong. The only guide the player usually has is his or her own moral standards. The game does a wonderful job making the player feel involved in the telling of the story. The main quest involves the player's character joining the Grey Wardens, an elite group of protectors tasked with defending the land of Ferelden from the Blight. Every 400 years or so an evil entity referred to as the Archdemon conjures an army of undead demonic soldiers to wreak havoc, and as a Grey Warden, the player is driven to raise an army of humans, dwarves, and elves to repel this Blight. Obviously that isn't as easy as just asking them, and the player can expect to perform many quests and tasks to secure the favor of the various races. Each duty the player is asked to perform is varied and interesting though, so, unlike some Western role-playing games, I never felt like I was just going through the motions for story progression and better loot.
The mechanics of combat in DA:O are also very fluid and responsive. Each battle feels brutal and intense as the player and his party of companions (four total, including the player, at any given time) hack and slash through skeletons, demons, wolves, and other staple fantasy enemies. There are many different weapons, abilities, and spells for the party to choose from to keep things interesting, so it never felt to me I was repeating the same combat again and again. Sometimes, the combat can be very difficult, and the composition of the player's party can be crucial. Obviously the player can only control one character at a time during combat, so the very useful tactics system is important. The tactics system allows the player to dictate the actions of his or her companions by setting certain behaviors to be performed in specific situations. For example, the healer can have a tactic that prompts her to heal a party member when he or she is at less than 50% health. This system is not nearly as complicated as it seems and makes combat much more satisfying than constantly switching between characters.
I suggest this game be purchased by anyone and everyone. Because it is a Bioware product, though, there is a fairly large helping of wonderfully gory violence that may put off some players. Also, the romantic options that Bioware has become famous (infamous?) for are present here, giving players the option to have relationships with several companions, both male and female and of all three races. If these things aren't deal breakers (and I really hope they aren't) I command you to buy this game.
Enchantment!
So says Sandal, a "soft-skulled" (his own father's words) dwarf character in Bioware's latest opus, Dragon Age: Origins, and it serves to describe the game pretty accurately. From the moment the player chooses his race (between human, dwarf, and elf) and class (warrior, rogue, or mage), the game whisks him or her away into a fully realized fantasy world populated with memorable characters and horrifying monsters.
The game will be played differently every time through. The volume of choices the game presents to the player is staggering, and there is rarely a clear division between right and wrong. The only guide the player usually has is his or her own moral standards. The game does a wonderful job making the player feel involved in the telling of the story. The main quest involves the player's character joining the Grey Wardens, an elite group of protectors tasked with defending the land of Ferelden from the Blight. Every 400 years or so an evil entity referred to as the Archdemon conjures an army of undead demonic soldiers to wreak havoc, and as a Grey Warden, the player is driven to raise an army of humans, dwarves, and elves to repel this Blight. Obviously that isn't as easy as just asking them, and the player can expect to perform many quests and tasks to secure the favor of the various races. Each duty the player is asked to perform is varied and interesting though, so, unlike some Western role-playing games, I never felt like I was just going through the motions for story progression and better loot.
The mechanics of combat in DA:O are also very fluid and responsive. Each battle feels brutal and intense as the player and his party of companions (four total, including the player, at any given time) hack and slash through skeletons, demons, wolves, and other staple fantasy enemies. There are many different weapons, abilities, and spells for the party to choose from to keep things interesting, so it never felt to me I was repeating the same combat again and again. Sometimes, the combat can be very difficult, and the composition of the player's party can be crucial. Obviously the player can only control one character at a time during combat, so the very useful tactics system is important. The tactics system allows the player to dictate the actions of his or her companions by setting certain behaviors to be performed in specific situations. For example, the healer can have a tactic that prompts her to heal a party member when he or she is at less than 50% health. This system is not nearly as complicated as it seems and makes combat much more satisfying than constantly switching between characters.
I suggest this game be purchased by anyone and everyone. Because it is a Bioware product, though, there is a fairly large helping of wonderfully gory violence that may put off some players. Also, the romantic options that Bioware has become famous (infamous?) for are present here, giving players the option to have relationships with several companions, both male and female and of all three races. If these things aren't deal breakers (and I really hope they aren't) I command you to buy this game.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
There's Too Much Video Game in My Sex and Violence
Comparing the video game industry with the film industry is complicated, and not unlike comparing apples and hand grenades, but I think much can be gained from looking at the levels of controversial elements, like sex or violence, contained in each. Obviously there is more of both offered in cinema, but I think the main reason video game sex and violence is scrutinized more is because it's interactive. In the Grand Theft Auto series, or GTA, it's possible to control the sexual actions of the protagonist. That level of interactivity is just not possible in film.
So what's the problem?
According to some people, the ability to participate in "sex mini-games" or play a game in which you kill lots of stuff (otherwise known as more games than anyone can count) is devestating to a child's emotional well-being, but others believe that “a moderate amount of violent game play is unlikely to hurt you.”
I think the controversy stems mainly from the fact that according to the modern social consciousness, video games are essentially toys used primarily by children under the age of 18. Obviously if children were the only demographic that indulged in video games, the sex and violence so prevalent in the medium would be disturbing. It'd be like an episode of Sesame Street featuring mass-murder or sexual deviance. But the truth is, people of all ages and genders enjoy video games.
There's another truth going on simultaneously, however. Money. The video game industry earned $11.7 billion in 2008, which is more than the film industry. The sex and violence in the GTA series generated $924 million in revenue for its developer, Rockstar Games. Obviously people bought the game, and since most children 18 and under don't really have enough of their own disposable income to spend on a console and a copy of the game, where does the money come from?
Mom and Dad, usually. People like this lovely fellow seem as though they fail to recognize the connection here. Let's say a developer creates a video game laden with sex and/or violence. They release it to booming sales. Why wouldn't they make their next game exactly the same? If parents really want the evil video game corporation from infiltrating the goodness of their homes with their digital filth, they should probably stop buying it. Now obviously not all parents regard video games as a technology age pariah. Some feel this way. But really, such extreme violence and sexual content really shouldn't be just handed to kids by their neglectful, or ignorant, or distracted parents. Also, the parents cannot blame the industry or the retailers. The various governments of the world have put laws in place to require the industry to develop safeguards for minors. Some governments are more understanding about the whole situation than others, of course. Also, many global retailers have taken measures to ensure they do not sell mature-rated games to minors.
The moral of all this is that the video game industry is in it for profit, bottom line. Sex and violence lead to bigger profits. Yes, children don't need to experience it at a young age necessarily, but the problem lies more in the home than it does in the market. If parents want the industry to stop, they should stop unwittingly buying violent games, and pay more attention to what their children do to occupy the vast expanses of nothingness that fill a young person's day.
Oh, and another thing about violent video games: they tend to be a hell of a lot more fun.
So what's the problem?
According to some people, the ability to participate in "sex mini-games" or play a game in which you kill lots of stuff (otherwise known as more games than anyone can count) is devestating to a child's emotional well-being, but others believe that “a moderate amount of violent game play is unlikely to hurt you.”
I think the controversy stems mainly from the fact that according to the modern social consciousness, video games are essentially toys used primarily by children under the age of 18. Obviously if children were the only demographic that indulged in video games, the sex and violence so prevalent in the medium would be disturbing. It'd be like an episode of Sesame Street featuring mass-murder or sexual deviance. But the truth is, people of all ages and genders enjoy video games.
There's another truth going on simultaneously, however. Money. The video game industry earned $11.7 billion in 2008, which is more than the film industry. The sex and violence in the GTA series generated $924 million in revenue for its developer, Rockstar Games. Obviously people bought the game, and since most children 18 and under don't really have enough of their own disposable income to spend on a console and a copy of the game, where does the money come from?
Mom and Dad, usually. People like this lovely fellow seem as though they fail to recognize the connection here. Let's say a developer creates a video game laden with sex and/or violence. They release it to booming sales. Why wouldn't they make their next game exactly the same? If parents really want the evil video game corporation from infiltrating the goodness of their homes with their digital filth, they should probably stop buying it. Now obviously not all parents regard video games as a technology age pariah. Some feel this way. But really, such extreme violence and sexual content really shouldn't be just handed to kids by their neglectful, or ignorant, or distracted parents. Also, the parents cannot blame the industry or the retailers. The various governments of the world have put laws in place to require the industry to develop safeguards for minors. Some governments are more understanding about the whole situation than others, of course. Also, many global retailers have taken measures to ensure they do not sell mature-rated games to minors.
The moral of all this is that the video game industry is in it for profit, bottom line. Sex and violence lead to bigger profits. Yes, children don't need to experience it at a young age necessarily, but the problem lies more in the home than it does in the market. If parents want the industry to stop, they should stop unwittingly buying violent games, and pay more attention to what their children do to occupy the vast expanses of nothingness that fill a young person's day.
Oh, and another thing about violent video games: they tend to be a hell of a lot more fun.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
