Effects of Online Games
The Story of Online Gaming & Its Effects on Children
This week’s readings discuss the effects, misconceptions, and research related to “Gaming.” Much of the information known to the general public about playing video games is based on anecdotal evidence where emotions often skew facts. In the first readings, “Playing Video Games,” we learn about the complexities of online gaming in comparison to traditional video games. The establishment of internet gaming allows individual play as well as international play. Also with online gaming, the number of players can be from one person to thousands at the same time. A person can play a simple game like chess or a more complicated game such as Star Wars Galaxy: An Empire Divided. As complexity increases its impact on the gamer can increase as well, creating an attachment between the game and the gamer. From this first reading we also learn that there is a struggle for gaming companies to attract the casual gamer who doesn’t spend hours online. Because many of the users are serious users who spend hours online daily.
There are many characteristics describing gaming, but what is it about these games that motivate players to play. The readings present a number of reasons. According to the authors, Chen and Voderer, gamers fit into certain categories: the competitor, explorer, collector, achiever, joker, director, storyteller, performer, and the craftsmen. Each of these types of players has a specific goal for playing games, motivating them to spend hours staring at a screen. For example the explorer plays “to experience the boundaries of the play world.” At the same time there are players who play to escape from the harsh realities of their life and change into a “respected” character that in the fantasy world is a hero. Unfortunately some people feel compelled to escape into these fantasy worlds because of depression and oppression daily. Children all over the world seek love and peace from video games, in order to
This week’s readings discuss the effects, misconceptions, and research related to “Gaming.” Much of the information known to the general public about playing video games is based on anecdotal evidence where emotions often skew facts. In the first readings, “Playing Video Games,” we learn about the complexities of online gaming in comparison to traditional video games. The establishment of internet gaming allows individual play as well as international play. Also with online gaming, the number of players can be from one person to thousands at the same time. A person can play a simple game like chess or a more complicated game such as Star Wars Galaxy: An Empire Divided. As complexity increases its impact on the gamer can increase as well, creating an attachment between the game and the gamer. From this first reading we also learn that there is a struggle for gaming companies to attract the casual gamer who doesn’t spend hours online. Because many of the users are serious users who spend hours online daily.
There are many characteristics describing gaming, but what is it about these games that motivate players to play. The readings present a number of reasons. According to the authors, Chen and Voderer, gamers fit into certain categories: the competitor, explorer, collector, achiever, joker, director, storyteller, performer, and the craftsmen. Each of these types of players has a specific goal for playing games, motivating them to spend hours staring at a screen. For example the explorer plays “to experience the boundaries of the play world.” At the same time there are players who play to escape from the harsh realities of their life and change into a “respected” character that in the fantasy world is a hero. Unfortunately some people feel compelled to escape into these fantasy worlds because of depression and oppression daily. Children all over the world seek love and peace from video games, in order to