The online gaming was not what i expected it to be at all, my ideas and thoughts about what i was going to be playing was totally wrong. The times i played it i only planned on being on the game for at about an hour at a time but three hours later and i was still finding it hard to leave things as they are. It is something that i think i might be playing every know and then after this class has finished. It definitely isn't what i expect it to be in a good way, and i don't really understand why it has such a different opinion by people. The graphics and how easy everything is to understand was my favourite bit because it just seem to make the game easier to pick up and to play for hours at a time. For some reason i thought that people just did the same thing over and over again and that's why i was a bit foreign to games like this but now i have seen the other side i completely understand how and why people are addicted to online gaming.
Friday, January 15, 2010
The Hero Inside of You
It is true that as society has advanced, our need for a hero-- and thus many traditional oppurtunities to become a hero-- has become less and less. While it is also true that the hero may take many forms, there is a natural drive to push oneself, to evolve in some way, to take the journey to a new level of one's mental, emotional and spiritual state. Earlier in our society, out of necessity and tradition most young people undertook some form of a hero journey without fail.
It makes sense that engaging in gameplay can be a way of fulfilling that instinct, of inspiring that feeling. People spend a great deal of time and energy playing these games, and are often very emotionally invested also. As we have discussed at length, gaming is a real experience, and is considered an alternate reality by some schools of thought. If this is the case, it follows that the missions and quests completed have indeed become an experience for the gamer, essentially allowing th em to have embarked on that particular kind of hero transformation.
It makes sense that engaging in gameplay can be a way of fulfilling that instinct, of inspiring that feeling. People spend a great deal of time and energy playing these games, and are often very emotionally invested also. As we have discussed at length, gaming is a real experience, and is considered an alternate reality by some schools of thought. If this is the case, it follows that the missions and quests completed have indeed become an experience for the gamer, essentially allowing th em to have embarked on that particular kind of hero transformation.
Playing WOW
I can't say my time playing WOW was bad. I actually had an enjoyable time playing the game, which I really didn't think I would. I didn't care for somethings in the game which my fiance did explain to me, but I still did like it. I didn't mind having to attack things but when it came to them just coming up to me, I wasn't that good at the game in that aspect. However I really enjoyed the graphics, and the quests were really fun. I can't say I wont play after this week, every now and then I may still play it. It still doesn't completely live up to what everyone says yet, I still really don't understand how its that great yet. I but I really did enjoy my time playing the game, and my fiance got some laughs out of it!
Impressions of Gaming
I decided to play "Second Life", which is a game which encompasses a virtual world. After creating an Avatar, characters are allowed to visit many virtual destinations, and interact with other avatars. People can become whoever they want, and buy items with "Linden" dollars, the form of currency used.
As a novice gamer, I wasn't so sure about this game....but I caught on quickly. My avatar was created, and I started exploring the worlds.
I was a little insecure about the idea of interacting with others; I am suspicious of people online, since I don't know their real identity. But so far I haven't really interacted with the other avatars, or had any problems with other players.
The only problems I have with "Second Life" is that it requires high-speed computers; my computer doesn't meet the minimum requirements of the game, so I was shut down a few times. Other than that, I have been having fun with the game!
As a novice gamer, I wasn't so sure about this game....but I caught on quickly. My avatar was created, and I started exploring the worlds.
I was a little insecure about the idea of interacting with others; I am suspicious of people online, since I don't know their real identity. But so far I haven't really interacted with the other avatars, or had any problems with other players.
The only problems I have with "Second Life" is that it requires high-speed computers; my computer doesn't meet the minimum requirements of the game, so I was shut down a few times. Other than that, I have been having fun with the game!
Heroes
The video about the Hero's Journey spoke of the metaphors in pop culture (like Star Wars) and the general meaning of a hero's journey.
First we should define heroes- they are the people that sacrifice themselves for the good of others, complete an amazing feat, or stray outside the realm of the "expected" and "average" to contribute positively to society. When I think of heroes, I think of Olympic athletes (they all face more adversities and pain in training than most normal people), mythological figures like Hercules, spiritual figures like Jesus, and everyday people who stepped forward to help others and sacrifice their own well-being and comfort.
Metaphorically, the heroes journey, no matter what the circumstances, are all based on the universal quest of enlightenment. In video games, the goal may well be to reach the last level, and to conquer the last enemy....but according to Campbell, the last enemy is always something we prize- our mind.
Our ego is much like a dragon; it guards the illusions we hold dear, and in return imprisons us in our own limited and disordered thinking. Many self-help gurus speak of the "Power of Now".....but instead of this, we all trap ourselves in our thoughts. The hero in all of us wants to conquer this enemy, and the last triumph, the defining moment of the hero, is the disowning of the ego. Jesus and the Buddha embarked on journeys of spiritual awakening and were tempted by three different temptations, which represent the ego. In Star Wars, Luke is tempted by Darth Vader to "go to the dark side", which is a metaphor for giving into the ego. By using "The Force", Jesus, the Buddha, and Luke Skywalker managed to achieve something few realize.....the knowledge of the pure goodness at our core, and the wisdom to dispel our darkest egoic tendencies. The true hero is the one who learns these truths....so in the end, we can all be heroes.
First we should define heroes- they are the people that sacrifice themselves for the good of others, complete an amazing feat, or stray outside the realm of the "expected" and "average" to contribute positively to society. When I think of heroes, I think of Olympic athletes (they all face more adversities and pain in training than most normal people), mythological figures like Hercules, spiritual figures like Jesus, and everyday people who stepped forward to help others and sacrifice their own well-being and comfort.
Metaphorically, the heroes journey, no matter what the circumstances, are all based on the universal quest of enlightenment. In video games, the goal may well be to reach the last level, and to conquer the last enemy....but according to Campbell, the last enemy is always something we prize- our mind.
Our ego is much like a dragon; it guards the illusions we hold dear, and in return imprisons us in our own limited and disordered thinking. Many self-help gurus speak of the "Power of Now".....but instead of this, we all trap ourselves in our thoughts. The hero in all of us wants to conquer this enemy, and the last triumph, the defining moment of the hero, is the disowning of the ego. Jesus and the Buddha embarked on journeys of spiritual awakening and were tempted by three different temptations, which represent the ego. In Star Wars, Luke is tempted by Darth Vader to "go to the dark side", which is a metaphor for giving into the ego. By using "The Force", Jesus, the Buddha, and Luke Skywalker managed to achieve something few realize.....the knowledge of the pure goodness at our core, and the wisdom to dispel our darkest egoic tendencies. The true hero is the one who learns these truths....so in the end, we can all be heroes.
Playing World Of Warcraft
Playing World Of Warcraft was really fun. I didnt really expect it to be good or fun at all but it was different and it was fun learning how to play a new game. I thought it was cool how you can pretty much create your own character and just run around. The only fear that I had going in to this game was learning how to play it. I didnt really think that I would be any good at the game and I would just always get killed. The thing that really made me mad was after you die how you can find the angel or your corpse to come back alive. When one of the prairie dogs would kill me and I would find my corpse and come back to life and then the same dog would kill me as soon as I would come back to life. My misconceptions for the game were turned around about the game because I thought only like "Geeks" played this game but I kind of liked it.
Film/Game Correlation
I found the film to be quite interesting, just in general. What I thought was neat was how philosophical, in a sense, it was in regards to the world fictional media.
To correlate with the game I'm playing, being Warhammer online, I would say the story or plot of the game as well as the characters and setting seem to be most relevant to the film. For example, the plot for the game is based around some positive humanistic qualities, such as courage, bravery, sacrifice, and dedication. The general story, from what I have been able to gather, is a group of people fighting to save and protect their land against a fierce group of warrior-like people who are "relentless" in their efforts to cause destruction. In addition to this, especially from what I saw in the film, I believe that the game can teach people these humanistic qualities. Furthermore, as noted in reference to Star Wars, the movie covers aspects of psychology and philosophy. I believe this pertains to my game also. The most apparent aspect of psychology relating to the game, as it is based around war, would be meeting the basic need(s) for survival. In relation to philosophy, the game brings up the question of morality, as well as the meaning of life.
To correlate with the game I'm playing, being Warhammer online, I would say the story or plot of the game as well as the characters and setting seem to be most relevant to the film. For example, the plot for the game is based around some positive humanistic qualities, such as courage, bravery, sacrifice, and dedication. The general story, from what I have been able to gather, is a group of people fighting to save and protect their land against a fierce group of warrior-like people who are "relentless" in their efforts to cause destruction. In addition to this, especially from what I saw in the film, I believe that the game can teach people these humanistic qualities. Furthermore, as noted in reference to Star Wars, the movie covers aspects of psychology and philosophy. I believe this pertains to my game also. The most apparent aspect of psychology relating to the game, as it is based around war, would be meeting the basic need(s) for survival. In relation to philosophy, the game brings up the question of morality, as well as the meaning of life.
Experience
I did have fun learning to play the game! I can't say that I will be paying for it any time soon but it was an enjoyable assignment. I did find myself getting tired of playing when all I had to do was kill kobalt vermin and workers and eat apples but I did not expect anything less of myself. I like to move fast and this game needs to be taken in strides. I was frustrated because I could not get off the path without dying but I learned by talking with people that because of the level I am at that is the case. I think I did well for me not playing video games at all and knowing nothing about the game in the beginning. I was able to search out people and ask them details about the game and take that information to help me play.
Playing WOW
Starting out I had a few misgivings on playing WOW. I was nervous that I wouldn't get the idea of it all.The thought of being obligated to play every night was daunting to me. But this week I have to say playing became more enjoyable by the day. I found after a hard day at work, that playing was my way of unwinding, relaxing and getting into a whole new mind set or "world". I found I was worried for nothing, that it is not that hard, and it is fun figuring out how to complete some quests and increase my levels. I realize that I'm guilty of letting my fears of the unknown talk me out of opportunities, so I'm glad this wasn't one of those times and now I can say that I have "some" experience with MMOG's.
Eduacation and gaming
I think this is a good point that is raised one that i think is correct, although you will never see an example exactly the same as in an online game, but there is sometimes ways to relate things to the online world. I think that why online games are so popular is because they are a cross between reality, and the make believe. I can't see there being every day problems that you face in the real world being helped by the online world, but every now and again I can see this working. However; the other way around I think is more common, there will be tasks in the online games that require you to use a bit of know how and school is the best place to pick that up. There has been a number of times that I can think of when I have been playing FIFA online and done a pattern of play that I learned in practise to break a team down that I had been struggling to score against. I was playing an online game last week and I remember that it was asking mathematical questions to get past a certain stage, I wouldn't of been able to get the majority of them right without the education i have had.
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