Blog Post #7: EOTO 1- What I Learned About... Video Games

Introduction

During the EOTO presentations, I was extremely fascinated by many of my classmates’ inventions that they were talking about. It seems like a lot of them were similar in terms of having historic setbacks and celebratory moments that ultimately allowed all these inventions to become as prominent as they are in today’s society. However, one invention that really intrigued me the most was the history of video games. Now, I do consider myself to be very a very active gamer (when I have the time to play which is almost never) so perhaps that’s why I really connected to this topic, but what I heard during the presentation of video games had me intrigued and I actually learned a lot of stuff about the history of video games that I did not know before. I always had general information about any consoles from the 90s and above like the PlayStation and Sega, but I didn’t really ever know what the first console was or where video games started until I heard this presentation. Come to find out there are actually different people considered to be the ones who were the first to make a video game. Some think it may have been a digital version of tic-tac-to created by A.S. Douglas and others think it may have been Spacewar made by Steve Russell when he was at MIT. There was also a console called the Odyssey which after seeing pictures of it I can’t even believe it was a playable console! It’s crazy to think that people in the 70s and 80s looked at this like we look at our PlayStations and Xboxes today. The Atari was then another console that helped advanced the gaming industry which then translated into the PlayStation and Xbox coming to fruition as game consoles and those two along with the Wii would end up dominating the video game industry in the early 2000s. I remember playing a PS2 for the first time roughly around 2005/2006 and I immediately became attached to it. Some of the first games I played were Mortal Kombat, Madden, NBA Live, and OutRun. I never had the chance to play Xbox til around 2009 so I never really felt the urge to switch from PlayStation to Xbox simply because I was so comfortable with my PlayStation. I enjoyed hearing about the pros during the presentation of each main console (PlayStation, Xbox, Wii) Xbox gained a lot of recognition for its Halo games and PlayStation ended up making a name for itself for its storage and overall game quality and then Wii was well-known for its unique interactivity that could be experienced when using the console.

The Role Video Games Has Played In Our Society and Its Connection to Television

Furthermore, it was interesting to hear the immense role video games has played in our society today. Lots of people love playing video games (Me being one of those people) and there’s so many games, consoles and ways to play it nowadays that it makes for an interesting topic of discussion when it comes to its reputation in society. Video games rose to become another source of entertainment for the greater society as it came out after things like the television and radio came out. Its interesting to think about how video games actually compares to the invention I researched which is television. The two essentially go hand-hand-hand as you do most times need a TV if you are going to play video games. The probability of getting addicted to a video game is just as high as getting addicted to a TV show. Both are controversial sources of entertainment for that reasons alone. However, they are still often the most popular and consistent sources of entertainment because how fun and applicable it is to everybody. Whether its play Just Dance on the Wii or watching a classic Pixar movie, both video games and television are sure to bring tons of joy on a persons face. Both essentially serve as that much needed escape from the real world which we all need at some point. I know for me personally, whenever I am playing video games, everything else around me erases out, and I am just focused on playing the game and having as much fun as I possibly can. The same exact thing can also be said for my experience with television.

Cons of Playing Video Games

Oftentimes, people look at gamers and anyone who plays video games as someone who may be anti-social or lazy. It’s extremely unfortunate that this is the stereotype that gamers get associated with, but at the same time it’s understandable because lots of research does show that video games can have detrimental effects on yourself if you play them too much. Perhaps the most notable con is the violence that can be presented and engrained in the mind of someone who plays the wrong kind of video games. Games with guns and other type of weapons can translate to bad thoughts mentally and emotionally and there have even been some school shootings that have been traced back to reports coming out stating that the shooter played a lot of video games with guns and other forms of violence in it. Then of course there is the idea of addiction being such a huge problem when it comes to play video games. Both of these cons were mentioned in the presentation, but I really feel like addiction is such a major conflict within the world of video games and its sad to see some people not living their life to their fullest because they are glued to a game all day. I'll admit there's been a few weekends, summer days, and holidays where I spent almost the entire day playing video games, but doing it on a consistent basis is a little too much. It works a whole lot better when gamers are able to monitor how much they play and not go overboard, however with video games that is easier said than. Especially with games that have levels or missions, it can be extremely difficult to find a perfect time to stop playing. Nevertheless, the problem of addiction in video games can lead to other issues too like obesity, lack of social skills, and more.

Listed below are some more cons to playing video games...

• Creates psychological stress
• Isolates people from their families
• Can limit academic integrity
• Playing lots of video games means playing more games and spending more money

Pros of Playing Video Games

On the other hand, video games do present some very solid pros for those who do play it and I was happy to see that they were included in the presentation about video games because there really are some positives to playing video games. It’s kind of funny though because the first thing I thought of when I saw the slide listing the pros of playing video games, I couldn’t help but think of anyone thinking that this was a stretch of pros being made. Think about it… a list of why playing video games is actually a good thing… that can’t go well right?! WRONG!!! It actually can go 110% right!!! Video games do indeed teach great hand-eye coordination especially if you play the right one. My favorite video game to play is NBA2k and they actually have incorporated hand-eye coordination drills within the game that allows me to enhance my skills in that department. In addition, by playing a game like NBA2k that is global and actively played by millions of people across the world, I am able to be a part of a gaming community and play against all different kinds of people. Video games really can bring unity as the first friend I made in middle school was because we were both really into NBA2k. Video games can bring up great points of discussion, especially sports games simply because you are playing something you also can play in real life and the advanced technology that is featured in every sports game nowadays is through the roof and creates for a fun and ultimate experience for the gamer. I completely understand why shooting games are controversial, because they’re not realistic and it teaches those who play it especially if they’re young and their brain isn’t fully developed, that doing that kind of stuff in real life is ok. Video games really just boil down to how you take advantage of it and personally playing sports video games growing up allowed me to learn the rules of these sports and get myself familiar with various professionals sports leagues like the NBA, NFL, and MLS

I also have to say that the rise of ESports is something that I’m also glad was mentioned during the presentation of gaming. Especially since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, ESports has started to take over as a prominent part of the sports world. I remember during the beginning stages of the pandemic when no sports were on, the main event on ESPN on Friday nights would be the NBA2K league. It was super cool to see my favorite game being played in a league format live on television with actual commentators working the game. It gave video games a professional setting and got to show people that it does take a lot of talent and skill to make it as a gamer. Despite this though, the debate of whether ESports is actually a sport or not still exists. Personally, I think it’s a sport as it takes practice, dedication, and fight to succeed in it. I think the problem is that since video games are not real life, people feel the urge to dismiss it and not look at it as something that is valuable or money-making worthy in our society. However, video games are meant to be a source of entertainment and a way to clear your head and should be treated more seriously and well-respected. I cannot even stress how many times I was having an off day and I turned on my PlayStation to play video games and instantly felt better. It’s a fantastic way to relax and with more opportunities being presented for E-Sports with some universities even offering scholarships to ESports athletes, I think it’s something that’s on the rise and will bring a new life to the video games industry (no pun intended). 

Listed below are some more pros to playing video games...

• Improves decision-making speed
• Sparks an interest in specific subjects
• Builds social networks
• Can replace a worse habit like smoking or drinking

Conclusion

To conclude, video games are a driving force in our society and actually can and have made an immense impact on people’s lives. With technology continuing to grow by the day, the opportunities to be apart of the video games industry professionally is going to increase. The rise of E-Sports and social media will also help with that. To think that it all possibly started with something like a digital version of tic-tac-to to feature virtual reality being a thing nowadays within video games as well as online party chats on certain consoles, I would say the invention of video games has succeeded immensely and the future of it is nothing but bright. Game developing companies like Sony and Microsoft are extremely skills at finding new ways to keep its consoles fresh and unique. The great thing about video games is that there's tons of variety to choose from. It would be hard for someone to make the excuse "Oh, I don't know if I can find any video game that I want to play." Typically, if someone is playing a video game, then they are trying to have a good time. Video games present a lot of unique outlets to us in society which is super cool. Overall, video games and have and will continue to expand its presence in society through its impact its had on their positive, current, and future users.