Tag Archives: respondents

Relaxing Video Games?

In class on Tuesday, we discussed Bogost’s chapter about “Relaxation”.  We even played that meditation game in class.  Can video games actually help someone physically relax?  I think that games can allow someone to relax who is feeling stressed out, similar to a stress ball to release frustration.  However, “Zen games” seem not to relax the body, but instead frustrate.  Holding your hands still, with your thumbs in the same place, and trying not to tilt your smartphone does not sound particularly relaxing to me.  Perhaps I’m just too active and need to keep moving and doing something while I play a game, or else I don’t feel like I actually am playing a game, but rather subjecting myself to something unpleasant.  It could just be me, but the game “Cloud” really did not seem fun at all.  It felt like I was literally outside watching clouds (in the boring sense, not the beauty sense).  When I first started up the game, I was confused as to what I should be doing, and it took me a good 10 minutes of flying around and doing nothing until I finally decided to see if I could choose a different level.

Personally, the only relaxation I feel in video games comes in the form of a game that I really cannot lose unless I do not try at all.  Unfortunately, most games made specifically to do this are incredibly boring, because there are no negative consequences for doing wrong things other than wasting time.  Games feel much less immersive if there is some sort of consequence for doing something wrong.  This is why dying in games is so effective; people who play games do not want to die.  If there is no goal to be achieved, in victory even, then there is nothing to the game at all.

The Relaxation Debate

I was thinking about the debate yesterday about using games as a form of relaxation and during class it seemed like a lot of people disagreed with Bogost that videogames can be relaxing.  An example of this was Bogost’s own game Guru Meditiation, originally designed to help people meditate.  Despite its goal, many people felt having to focus on being completely still and worrying about the Guru falling was more stressful than relaxing.

However, other students agreed that games can be used as mindless distractions.  These types of games are hard to categorize because they depend highly on how they are played.  Take Temple Run for example.  A person who is competitive and actively desires a high score will attempt to stay focused and attend to every turn and obstacle the game presents.  With ruined pathways and hurdles at every turn and a pack of demonic-looking guerrillas at the player’s back, this can be an attention-grabbing and even stressful experience.  However, if someone who is only looking to focus their attention on something other than the environment around them—a busy train, a long car ride, or even a long evening lecture—and not on the score, then the experience becomes much more simple.  The player tunes out the guerillas, reacts almost automatically to the obstacles, and feels only a slight inconvenience when his character plunges into the swampy water after a fatal mistake.  He may lose more, that doesn’t matter as long as he is distracted.  Psychologically, this involves the use of schemas and scripts, blueprints for automatic thinking that come from previous experience.  When our minds depend heavily on these mental shortcuts, very little conscious thought is involved.  A popular example of this is the idea that car accidents happen more often within close proximity of one’s house.  Because we become so used to driving the same roads day after day, we pay less attention to the things around us.  Most importantly, we are distracted from our environment.  However, distraction can also cause us to forget our troubles, separate ourselves from an awkward or stressful environment, and make time appear to move a little faster.  I argue that this phenomenon is ultimately a form of relaxation, albeit not in the sense of lounging by a pool in a ritzy resort in Cabo.

 

Let’s Talk About Porn

Today in class, Cole brought up the point that no one had talked about the “Titillation” chapter from Ian Bogost’s book, and that only several (I believe 20 or so) video games have ever attained the ‘Adults Only’ rating from the MSRP.  More importantly, he raised the question as to whether or not video games will ever get to the point of other pornography medias (such as movies and the internet), or will video game industries continue to strive for the coveted M rating system for their games.  I found this point interesting since pornography is prevalent in all other media types, with the exception of video games.  It makes sense that major video game industries would want to not release any titles with an ‘Adults Only’ rating, as it may sway loyal buyers, especially parents, away from the brand.  However, with pornography being a multi-billion dollar industry in the United States, it is interesting that video games haven’t tried to cash in.

One reason that video games may not have tried to release a pornographic game is that making a video game is much more complicated than making a real life pornographic movie in that it requires much more effort and programming; something that perhaps a whole team of developers would not want to be associated with, especially if they are established.  Also, putting money into a game that may or may not be a success, or rather not even be allowed to be sold, is another inherent risk of making a risqué video game.  However, I believe that pornography will start to spill over into video games (not that I am petitioning for it).  With the vast market of pornographic material already available in other media outlets, it’s hard to believe that video games will not soon be next.  It will take a ‘special’ group of developers, programmers, and a morally loose company to allow such a thing, but pornography will soon be available to play on your home consoles, so make sure to look out for your kids!

Reverence in Video Games

Following Colleen’s comment in class about the nature of the Tuesday blog posts, I also thought it was interesting that the posted subjects were mainly about art and music. In the first five chapters of How to do Things with Videogames, I was struck mostly by the chapter on Reverence. I think that Bogost’s use of the Manchester Cathedral as an example strengthened his argument that videogames can be used in a religious/reverent manner. His description on the use of the cathedral as a hospital and the use of fighting within it particularly emphasize this argument. What creatures could be so foul as to defile the religious sanctuary of a people?

Furthermore, I agree with Bogost in that the Church of England probably overreacted (maybe not the best term, but you get the idea) about the use of the cathedral in the game. While its use was not authorized, the game play applauds the building more than it harms the ideals of the church. The use of the cathedral is both an emotional and an historical device that strengthened Resistance.

Interruptibility

Looking and reading over mcovingt‘s post on Defining Hardcore and Casual Games, I could not agree more with the emphasis put on interruptibility in examining and considering how to define hardcore vs. casual games. Interruptibility is indeed a key factor. Where I diverge is if anything, often times interruptibility itself becomes so hard to define, and thus makes the casual vs. hardcore definition difficult to attain and blurred with each other. For example, though many of the more “hardcore” type games do demand a lot more time at once in terms of interruptibility, I think the pattern over the years is to blend and make things easier to do whatever they want with the game. For example, the use of the pause and save feature in campaign and single-player modes makes things a lot easier to interrupt with. I can find myself playing Assassin’s Creed and being extremely involved and focused in on the game, but having to pause, save, and come back the next day or so if necessary comes as easy for me and I assume would for most gamers as well. Does this aspect make it a more casual game? I don’t think so. The further development of the Auto-Save feature also helps with that. Knowing that I can leave at any time, regardless of how intense or engrossing the game is during gameplay, and still start right where I left off, adds a layer of complication to interruptibility. Even in online play, many games considered “hardcore” have menus in between matches that can take as much time to load up as the match itself. In a sense, adding more non-diegetic elements to the game make it easier to interrupt, but not necessarily any more casual.

In the same way, on the other side of the spectrum there are many games considered “casual” (Scramble with Friends, for example) that demand at least 2 or 3 minutes of your time and undivided attention in order to do well at or beat the game. In the way of interruptibility then, the game is harder to interrupt, so is it still considered casual? If anything, though certainly an important aspect indeed, interruptibility makes defining hardcore and casual games more difficult and harder to separate.

Music is Mandatory

I enjoyed that in our class discussion, everyone seemed to relate some sort of music from a video game to their own childhood experience. Musical tunes are more likely to stick in our heads over certain phrases or voices, due to their repetitiveness. When Professor Sample played Super Mario without showing visuals, the class was still able to clearly identify each individual movement and area by its sound effects and musical theme. As a child, and even today, playing a video game without the sound on creates a feeling that you are missing out on something. The soundtrack to a game is carefully thought out and is meant to be incorporated into the full game experience. Remove that experience and you remove one of our most commonly used senses from is often meant to be an immersive experience. From simple 8-bit style melodies of classic games to the full selection of popular music available on games like Guitar Hero and Rock Band, music has been connected to gaming so fully that removing it by pressing mute often seems rude to the designers. Removing the music is akin to removing the background of a game- impractical, inconvenient, and disrespectful.