Tech students discuss fine points, nuances of Gaming

The video game industry is a multi-billion dollar investment. It exists as the newest artistic medium for some people, while others find it similar to a competitive engagement, like a sport. However, many perceive video games as a "nerdy," masculine activity. For today's gamers, both casual and hardcore, this statement can be both offensive and incorrect. Nowadays, one can find other, more accurate statements that explain the popularity and pop culture phenomenon of video gaming.

"Video games give people the ability to do that which they can't in reality. They let me interact in a world not bound by the rules I'm used to. They let me express myself in ways that aren't possible in regular everyday life," said Josh Adair, gamer and first year undecided engineering major. For gamers like Adair, gaming is both a hobby and a way of life.

While the most popular game titles for the common person may still be Super Mario Bros. and Pac-Man, gaming has evolved in ways so that experiences like Josh's can be felt at any moment a game is played. Instead of two-dimensional levels resulting in a fight with a gigantic evil turtle, video games often explore emotions and stories that inform, persuade and challenge the player.

With greater processing power and graphical capabilities, games have not only gotten fancier, but developers have also used these technologies to create more convincing experiences that involve the gamer in humane subject matters. For example, the Halo series from Bungie Studios requires the player to work in the fight to save humankind.

In Halo 3, the player can find intimate situations with characters in conflict. These trends have existed for a long time, and classic role-playing games (RPGs) like Chrono Trigger and the Final Fantasy series have explored archetypal beliefs and myths and created entire worlds based on the collection of fiction.

A serious reflection of the adeptness of games to address the humanities can be seen in the soundtracks of games and how these soundtracks, which have been composed by professional musicians and conductors, accompany the rising and falling action inherent to the plot of the game. Video games have reached a level of credibility similar to the film industry. Voice acting, script, music and cinematic direction all have extreme significance in the success of almost all games.

While the communication of ideas is a commonly understated importance in gaming, some other trends and stereotypes arise from the gaming community. One with a certain amount of truth is the idea that women do not game as frequently as men.

"Stereotypically, guys like to be in control of things," Adair said.

While his statement might ring true for certain males, psychologists have found that men have a greater inherent capacity for visual and spatial skills and abilities than women. Though this difference may deter women from initially playing a game, further tests have shown that women can in fact catch up to men in spatial challenges.

Still, many female gamers are proud of their position. They muse at the surprised reactions sent by men when they meet a "gamer chick."

"Not many girls play video games, and the few that do usually like to hide it," said casual gamer and first-year Management major Lina Rojas. While the stereotype that females do not game as much as men, there are examples that disprove that hypothesis.

Another major misconception about video games occurs in the influence of violence in gaming. Many enjoyable games include an element of violence. Granted, there are a few genres that do not (i.e. racing games, sports games), but a good number of games typically have a great deal.

First-person shooters (FPS) and action adventure games based on violent actions typically perform the best in the market.

For example, two of the most commonly played games are in the Halo and Grand Theft Auto series.

Both have gameplay heavily inclusive of guns and bloodshed, which raises the question: does video game violence translate into real violence?

In psychological studies, it has been shown that there is a direct correlation between the use of video games and stress, but that does not necessarily imply a violent reaction.

In a recent issue of the Official Xbox Magazine, a contributing physician Dr. Frederick Chen claims that there is no proven relationship between violent acts in the real world and the use of video games.

In fact, there are many that argue that gaming actually relieves stress instead of incurring it. No real violence occurs from the use of video games, but since people can enact their fantasies in games, video games have been used to express socially anomalous ideas.

One must also realize with that argument that painting, writing and filming, among other activities, have been used to express violent and often socially taboo ideas. According to much study and research, at the very most video games cannot be blamed solely for violent actions if viewed as an art form.

While gaming is still a rising medium of expression and a greatly misinterpreted activity, the welcome for gaming is growing.

While "hardcore" gamers used to be pariahs in social groups, many have found a place among others or among those that can at least respect the dedication in gaming.

If video gaming follows other notable forms of entertainment, like books, films and music, then the industry of gaming will become an art for both the creators of the game and those who study games.

Competition gaming has arrived and taken the gaming community by storm with teams that compete in Major League Gaming and Cyberathlete Professional League, among others.

While there exists a massive stigma on the world of gaming, slowly, but surely, the craft of video gaming is becoming more acceptable in industry and entertainment.