To be completely honest with you guys, when I saw that we had to do this weeks blog’s on video games I was chhhokedddd. Haha, as I said before in one of the first blogs I did, I am not a big fan of video games (minus of course Guitar Hero). So when I started reading the article “The Soprano’s Meets EverQuest Social Networking In Massively Multiplayer Online Games” By Mikael Jakobsson I was more intrigued that I thought I would be!
I came to realize that a video game is not always an individual playing a monster like character that shoots green shit at other monsters; I came to understand that video games and the characters that you create in the game are the main deciding factor for their “status” in the community. This struck me as very ironic because that seems to be how society is today as well. For example, you watch all the “mass media” (television, internet, movies etc…) and people come to associate that to attain a certain “status” in our society today, there are certain factors and expectations that one must live up to.
This may seem strange, but this works especially when you go into a different society, or in this case a different virtual community then the one you are from. If you don’t know the etiquette of that particular society, you are given a certain stigma that may or may not stay with you all the time. This is very interesting to me because it seems that the “real world” we live in and all the expectations that are here, carry on into the virtual world of video games. The mass media seems to be getting to EVERYTHING for how people and the things they do SHOULD be done. Haha I hope this makes sense… whose to say! haha.
The article also talked about how you have to be careful when you are going to invite other virtual gamers into your community; their reputation and connections should be examined before hand. This is actually mind boggling to me because that is sooo much like society today. Like a work place for example; the employees hired are the representatives of the company. CEO’s and managers etc… will not hire people who will contribute to giving their company a bad reputation. No one wants to be associated with someone who has a bad reputation because in our world people may or may not think the same of you! This is crazy how in video games there are so many social factors that you have to watch for to protect your own identity and self-concept.
The mass media seems to be taking over everything; more so then I had originally thought. It least with Guitar Hero all you have to do is play the music notes, but again I guess that if someone looks at the score card and sees that you absolutely blow at the game, it won’t exactly make that person call you to be on their team! No matter where you go you are judged on invisible characteristics and status’. Oh my… It seems to be that the more and more things that the media advertises, the more and more repercussions there are on the people within that society.
To end on a sweeter note (haha no pun intended) here is my brother’s guitar that I use to play Guitar Hero (and just to let you all know, I don’t have the worst score! hahaha):
I guess whatever we create, it is eerily similar to our present. Apparently humans have little or no imagination.
But the way us non-gamers used to and sometimes still do view gamers is the way any schoolchild will look askance at a schoolmate who is slightly different than the “norm”, who does not conform. So we’re also doomed to repeat our pasts.
Humans are so pathetic. On the other hand, there are people who invent wondrous things, make amazing discoveries and fight the wrongs of the establishment like Josephine Cochrane (the dishwasher), Marie Curie and Susan B. Anthony, respectively.
Maybe there’s hope for us yet. I hope so.
Great post.
Thank you for your reply!
I agree that people have given society great things… handwashing dishes blows!!!
I do agree with you about how people who don’t play video games view people who do play video games. It’s like everyone who does a different activity then you is looked upon as “weird” in that individuals eyes. Society I think needs to change especially when this is happening to the younger children because that tormenting can really affect someone later on in life!
Good Comment!