Blog 3

Question

McLuhan says that the book is an extension of the eye, but it's also obviously an externalization of memory, and with the invention of the printed book, "[t]he private, fixed point of view became possible and literacy conferred the power of detachment, non-involvement"" (50). He compares this phenomenon to what the invention of the vanishing point (or forced perspective) did in painting during the Renaissance (52), and then argues that "[t]he instantaneous world of electric informational media involves all of us, all at once. No detachment or frame is possible" (52). Discuss -- with examples -- how the user interfaces of video games you're familiar with either support or work against McLuhan's assertion, and why.

Bam! Boom! Ping Ping! Lights dance quickly and superstitiously in my dorm room. Music and the screams from my enemies blare into my ears like an army of trumpets. "Die horde! Die!" I yell into my headset as I move my character along the battleground. Then, suddenly, the music stops and a picture appears on my screen. It's the victory screen! My team has won!

In most video games there are some type of connection between gamer and game. However, the degree of connection and information can vary to an astounding degree. 

As I mentioned above; worldofwarcraft is very connected or involved with the gamer. The interface involves a kind of first person-third person view and has the person follow story lines, dungeons, and battling other players with the use of the mouse and arrow buttons. It even allows for players to either chat with a headset or type into chat rooms while online. This allows for an additional sense of involvement from the player and persuades you to almost feel as if you are in the game.

Some people shouldn't play though......    

Some video games can involve the gamer to the point that it can change the story line in hundreds of different ways. In the Dragon age series by Bioshock the game has you create a character and follow a basic plot line, however as the game progresses and the character gets stronger you can change the story line with your choices that are given to you through the dialogues between the computer players. 

Not all games that are engaging to the gamer are in this first person mood however. In the online game League of Legends, the software has the gamer view a map of their choosing and direct their characters against the other player's characters. The goal of the game is to destroy the other person's Nexus or energy source for their base.

Finally, even the odd ball games that will not give you a back story or explicitly tell you your objective of the game, can be engaging. In some cases they are more involving because you are trying to figure out what to do. In the game slender man the objective is to run around the map and collect "notes" left by a little girl. While you are doing this though, a creature called Slenderman chases you. If you can not get notes at a certain amount of time he will creep closer and closer....until....he gets you! The game doesn't tell you this though and you must run through the game a time or two to figure it out. (If you play this with a friend they will have you play in a dark room with headphones and the music up really loud....). 

So, all games are involving but not all games will involve the gamer the same way. WorldofWarcraft and Dragon use the first person/third person view and allow you to change the story line of your character albeit in different ways. League of legends exemplifies strategy games and how players can be involved with a bigger interface. Oddball games like Slender-man show that the less traditional games with the weirdest interface, controls, and plot can STILL connect with the gamer. These games connect and involve with the gamer in different modes and views, bit they all will connect with the gamer.