Annotated Bibliography Stephanie Lewis Brandman University Author Note This research is being submitted on May 18, 2011 for How Video Games can be Educational. Squirt, Kurt (2003) Video Games in Education International Journal of Intelligent Simulations and Gaming This journal article argues that video games are a very popular and influential medium for a many reasons. However, video games can elicit powerful emotional feelings such as fear, power, aggression, wonder, or joy. It describes how video game designers create these emotions by balancing many components, such as character traits, game rewards, obstacles, game narrative, competition with other humans, and opportunities for collaboration with other game players, Understanding the dynamics behind these design considerations might be useful for instructional technologists who design interactive digital learning environments. Further, video game playing occurs in rich socio-cultural contexts, bringing friends and family together, serving as an outlet for adolescents, and providing the “raw material” for youth culture.
Module 08 – Cultural Competence in Video Games Author Note Cultural Competence in Video Games Cultural competence can be a wonderful inclusion when developing video games. It can help bring out the design of the game and make it stronger. The concept of cultural competence within a video game is to make something within the game behave such as something in real life would, and define to the player the cultural differences between different groups of society throughout the world. Including cultural differences and objects within a game usually helps draw consumers toward the game because it is a sense of reality. During this time and age, most people like reality.
Steven Johnson is the author of several books on the intersection of science, technology and personal experience. Johnson knows about the cognitive benefits of video games because he was an avid video game player and has seen firsthand not only the fun in it but its beneficial factors as well. He recalls “I’d wager that I spent somewhere shockingly close to a thousand dollars buying assorted cheat sheets, maps, help books, and phone support to assist my usually futile attempt to complete a video game.”(488) Johnson’s background, and avid video game playing days gives him the credibility he needs to go on to make an
Grand Theft Auto IV: A Materialistic Representation Staying home while playing video games is a way to relax, and in some cases, people preferred that way. Video games can bring people to the fantasy world that they dreamed of. If you asked a person what kind of video game they played, most probably the answer is Super Mario Brothers or maybe Pac-man. As time passes by, the technology is becoming more sophisticated and video game programming becomes one of the biggest industries today. Game makers and publishers make a lot of money by creating video games that can appeal to many audiences.
NINTENDO’S DISRUPTIVE STRATEGY: IMPLICATIONS FOR THE VIDEO GAME INDUSTRY Executive Summary Nintendo is a Japanese based corporation founded in 1889 and its original purpose was producing playing cards. It changed its name from Nintendo Playing Card Company to Nintendo Company Limited in 1963. Since then, Nintendo has been creating video games and gaming systems that have become tops in the industry. There were many new players came to the market in the 1980s and early 1990s, which intensified the industry competition. With the increasing popularity of personal computers, gamers were no longer limited to playing their favorite video game titles on proprietary consoles.
Video gaming systems entertain people of all ages. To compensate for the broad variations in interest level, maturity, skill, and finances, there are many different systems to choose from. These systems differentiate quite a bit so it is important, before buying, that you understand each system’s capabilities and determine which will best support your playing style and needs. The two most popular gaming consoles sold today are Microsoft’s Xbox 360 and the Nintendo Wii. Although similar in appearance, it may surprise you to learn just how different these two consoles really are.
Personally I was in the console camp for many years, but have migrated over to PC gaming and enjoy it so much more. However there is more to this than gaming, PCs are better than consoles in many different areas. For many years I was a proponent for console gaming systems, they provided hours of entertainment, easy plug and play, and simple multiplayer connectivity. It was always fun to get some friends together, load up some multiplayer game, and play the night away. The costs involved were another factor in choosing a gaming console over a PC.
As the gaming industry is continually evolving and expanding, there is a question that is equally evolving and expanding. Parents are constantly asking if video games cause violence in children. As readers continue on there will be examples that support this theory, examples that dispute this theory, and at the end of it all a personal opinion. According to Anita Hamilton the author of Video Vigilantes “about 10% of all video games on the market, Grand Theft Auto is rated M for mature by the Entertainment Software Rating Board, a self-regulated group created by the gaming industry, and is recommended only for players ages 17 or older. Yet there is no law preventing retailers from selling M rated games--including other hot titles like Halo 2, Half-Life 2 and Doom 3--to kids”(Hamilton 61).
The Xbox 360 and Playstation 3 are two popular, expensive video game consoles. Many gamers always prefer one over the other, depending on their opinions. Although these systems have very similar qualities, they are also different. These qualities all include their graphics, games, and their online gaming formats. The similarities between the two consoles are significant, but the differences are also important.
Sony Playstation 3: Game over? Sony based its seventh generation game console the PS3 on a revolutionary hardware platform including several Cell chips capable of running 256 Gigaflops, which greatly increases, storing capacity, speed and quality of images. Therefor it allows high definition gaming, browsing the internet via a WLAN connection and includes a Blue-ray Disc player. The average game user is a twenty-four years old, experienced user with income. They usually bought the previous generations of the Sony playstion because of its technical sophistication.