Gaming as we know it has evolved over the past few decades.
For college students, it has become more than just a way to pass time and relieve stress during assignments. From primitive light-based graphics games like Tennis for Two to his upcoming blockbuster sandbox game Grand Theft Auto VI, what was once a niche hobby has become a media It has turned into a major field. Titles range from deep, story-rich games like God of War Ragnarök to teaming up with friends in Team Deathmatch in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. There are also less stressful and relaxing games like Animal Crossing. Players collect resources to decorate their island.
There's a game for just about anyone. The question is, what effect does this type of interactive media have on the minds of young players?
Through gaming, many young players experience a sense of community in multiplayer modes in titles like Destiny 2 and World of Warcraft. Multiplayer games are games in which players form groups (sometimes called clans) to complete missions together, converse, and effectively forge bonds that can only be rivaled by those born of blood. and foster a sense of community. People can meet and make friends with people from all over the world, or even bond with people they already know in real life. Either way, the players are all connected, and exposure to a variety of personalities can reduce anxiety about talking to strangers.
Dr. Colin Cross, a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics Communication and Media Council, shared how children are connecting online with games.
“It helps keep them connected and allows them a social outlet,” Cross said of young gamers. “Many games have a creative aspect to them that can be really interesting and great for some kids.”
However, this connection caused conflicts between the people. There's a stereotype that gamers yell obscenities and racial and homophobic slurs into microphones in order to get angry or provoke backlash from opponents or peers.
Some video games are blocking voice chat entirely in an effort to quell harmful waves and foster a more inclusive environment. Sadly, this also applies to clans. A clan is an organized group of players in a multiplayer game that unites to accomplish various goals in the game. While some of them are kind and approachable, they can foster elitism and cliques with high-scoring approval requirements and troll-like behavior that amounts to cyberbullying.
Aaron Daley, a game animation professor at California State University, Northridge, and a game developer and founder of the on-campus Game Development Club, shared his thoughts on harmful behavior in games.
“I think a lot of people can say, 'Well, let's just drop this, because in an hour they're going to be out of my life forever,'” Daly said.
Competitive games like League of Legends have enhanced multiplayer elements, which has allowed the esports community to grow rapidly over the years. Esports is a competitive game where people form teams, get drafted, and even play in global tournaments with prizes up to millions of dollars at stake. .
“People are using it as a way to de-stress and escape from reality…In the last five years or so, it's helped people make a living,” Daly said.
Esports, like other sports, brings out emotions in people and some players become combative towards other competitors. In 2018, during the Madden NFL 19 tournament, a man who had recently lost the tournament returned with an AR-15 and killed two people before turning the gun on himself. Although video games themselves are not at fault, an overly competitive environment can create an atmosphere of anger and conflict among many players, especially when money is involved.
“It's clear that not everyone who plays a first-person shooter or is exposed to excessive violence in video games becomes a school shooter,” Daly said.
Gaming is serious business for some people. Live streams are a direct result of the collaborative nature of gaming. People can watch live streaming of matches that highlight the skills and candor of their favorite players and personalities. It's the same as watching professional athletes train, comedians trying out routines, or just chatting with their peers.
Streaming has also become big business, with many brands and games collaborating with online personalities to promote their products. The epicenter of this phenomenon is his Twitch, his platform for frontline gaming livestreams.
“I think students should only get into streaming and esports if they like the methodology,” Daly said. “It’s the same argument that people want to be famous actors or YouTube stars, but they don’t know what it’s like to be a famous actor or a YouTube star.”
Even though there are many positives, streamers are a completely different animal when it comes to standards and conventions.
“When you allow your child to watch Twitch, you're basically letting them hang out in someone else's living room,” Cross explained.
Streamer Kai Senat's meet-and-greet in New York went awry after many young fans rioted trying to meet him. Today, streamers are considered celebrities with legions of fans who are ready to fight for them or parrot their opinions.
Streamer XqC, known for playing Overwatch, recently sparked controversy after his stream reacted to war footage between Israel and Hamas with the same excitement he had when watching a trailer for a Marvel movie. When X's colleague calls him out on this, he responds by showing him a duffel bag full of money.
Recently, a World of Warcraft streamer known as Asmongold criticized American female game design as inferior to Korean-made characters. Take Stellar Blade as an example: streamers prefer sexualized heroines over realistic-looking women. Fans have spread his comments online, calling them misogynistic, sparking a toxic debate.
In some cases, being so absorbed in a game or fandom can lead to neglecting personal, social, and academic responsibilities.
“Some people end up dropping out of college because they can't stop playing games and can't concentrate on anything else,” Cross says.
There is a line to be drawn when consuming these products, especially when the games come with entry fees and purchasable items, and some people spend all of their savings to purchase them. These in-app purchases, known as microtransactions, can be predatory, as they make it easy to drop big bucks for faster progress or unique cosmetics.
The popular game Fortnite has microtransactions that only add cosmetic changes that don't benefit the player, while other games like EA Sports FC 24 include random packs of playable characters. It feels like you are actually replacing the hardware. Earn some cash at a soccer-themed casino.
“It's total nonsense to buy a skin for your character, but it increases your social credibility in the field, so people are more willing to spend that amount of money,” Daly said.
Over the past few decades, games have changed as much as humans. Like everything in life, there are positives and negatives. The gaming industry provides people with jobs that can take them to unexpected places. Through his work, Daly became a virtual production supervisor and Unreal Engine developer alongside his mentoring.
“I work in television and film, and I make a good living using game technology to craft storytelling in a way that I think is a really engaging process,” Daley explained. Did. “Basically they're making a game and projecting it onto a giant TV screen behind the actors.”
Daley has worked on projects including the recent live-action film Avatar: The Last Airbender and the popular Disney+ series The Mandalorian.
Video games can be a stepping stone for those chasing their dreams. From winning millions of dollars in tournaments to creating the backdrop for the latest Marvel movie, the possibilities are endless.
“I think my students have an incredible passion for games, and one of the things I always try to teach them is to have a love for the game itself and the work it takes to make a game. “It's about trying not to kill the spirit of the game by letting that happen,” Daly said. “When you make a game, it can be a lot of work. More work goes into the game than most people think to make sure it's bug-free. Generally speaking, if you choose a life of game development, it should eat into your gaming time, not your social life.”
