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.

I found the video very interesting. I saw the conection, and was able to see how it conected with playing the online game. When playing WOW I noticed that we get to complete quests for someone to get back something they lost to a bad guy, or to help protect your people from those invading. In that way you are their hero, you are helping them in a way they can't do them selves. Being a hero is an extrodinary thing, for someone to be considered that way. As you grow up you have heros. I don't think that you have to do something extrodinary to become one, it all depends on how you look at it.

The Hero's Journey

I found Joseph Campbell's The Power of Myth to be enlightening, I guess I had never given thought to how people arrive at becoming a hero before. I thought hero's were born that way. But now I see that sometimes it's unknown till that person is on a spiritual journey and faces certain circumstances that lead him to ultimately becoming a hero, sacrificing himself for the good of someone else, or having the courage to venture out of his norm for unknown territory to learn and have new experiences. He probably never thought he had that in him until he was faced with it. It wasn't till he brought up Star Wars that I seen the connection with playing online games like WOW. How we set out on a quest to help whom ever it is willing to offer us the promises of rewards and along the way find ourselves helping out anyone in need and feeling good that we are helping our "realm" in doing so.

Heros

I found it interesting, in the video, that a mother was considered a hero. She changed anothers life and gave it a choice so she is considered a hero. I think that mythology in reference to the video is very purtinant to the online gaming world. Each character has the chioce to accomplish something that makes them of worth and changes that game or each character stumbles upon something that makes them change who they are. This can be a battle, a challenge, a mission or just getting lost. Each of these things call for character adaptaion and that is what they talk about in the video as being what makes a hero. It can be by chance or it can be by will. I think that the who reason to engage in a game is to make something of the avatar that was created. Nobody wants to just create a character and have it be in the background. The whole point is to be better, to change and make a name for the character- become a hero. I think that the hero of many faces is right on: we all want to find something to believe in and those things change and take the form in which we believe them to be.

Deep Thoughts

So far this week we've really run the gauntlet and pushed the envelope in terms of what games can do. We've read the research on Ethical communities being formed online, Games as Learning tools, Psychosocial effects of gaming and the universal quest that underlies the heart of this genre.

Today we take a little break from the high and mighty realm of theories and analysis to reflect on our experience in general and share it with each other.

Before that I'd like to comment briefly on the reading. The brief article from the Higher Ed. website had some great insights and shed light on the other reading. Because we are studying these games and the people in them we are to some extent separated from them. I hope that some of you have had some genuine fun this week in addition to merely answering questions, playing and reading.

For next Monday please e-mail your completed journals. Also look at the assignment for Monday posted in the reading. I'll be away Fri-Sun. for my wife's two baby showers in central NY. If you have questions I'll try and respond to them Sunday night or Monday morning.

I'll leave you with a quote to ponder for next week.

"I am a person whose believes that there are some things in life too important for us to give up just because achieving them might make us uncomfortable."