Remember the old days where we used to sit around the Nintendo 64 and play the adventurous Super Mario Bros. video game? Well, the definition of a "video gamer" has completely evolved over the past twenty years. The new technology and electronics created by geniuses in our world has opened new and endless possibilities for gamers everywhere. The dormant way of life has switched to a social networking community of people all over the world. This capability to dive in to the video game world so easily allows for diversification. For example, one is able to log on to the internet and access a game for free. It may be simple, but it is a video game none-the-less. Therefore, people of all ages, races, and classes can be intertwined in this alternate reality.
The business world for video games has become more competitive, and mainstream video games labeled by EA sports and other large video game companies are flourishing in this century. Citizens all around are itching for the next game to come out. Will it be up to par or better than the last?! These companies will exploit the game the best way they can. By installing the marketplace on Xbox, they are able to accumulate a revenue, which is important for this profitable business. Would you consider video gaming a sport? I think I actually might because of the way it has changed over time.
We must ask ourselves how the world will be like in twenty years. Will everyone be speaking through means of technology or face to face? How will gaming be more developed than it is now? Those kinds of things we cannot predict but only be ready and openminded for the years to come. Change is always occurring. It is inevitable.
I want to expand off of one of your points: “Would you consider video gaming a sport.” This is a very interesting question to ask, and one that should be addressed, especially with the outbreak of sports games and even motion gaming. Personally, I believe over the past 20 years, video games have progressed in such a way as to allow playing them to be considered a sport. But it all comes down to how one defines sport.
ReplyDeleteAccording to freedictionary.com, sport is defined as “Physical activity that is governed by a set of rules or customs and often engaged in competitively.” So let’s break this down — first off, physical activity. A controller doesn’t allow for much of this apart from hand movements or require much strenuous activity, but hand-eye coordination should not be taken for granted. It is a make-or-break attribute for athletes ranging from some of the less physical sports like golf to the contact sports like football and basketball. And it requires strict discipline and practice in order to be developed.
So yes, it is physical; however, people debate whether it is physical enough. In fact, golf and NASCAR have been criticized by many for being called a sport. Call it a grey area if you will, there is no solid stance on this issue; it all comes down to people’s opinions. But with the development of motion gaming, it will be interesting to see if opinions and viewpoints will begin to change on the matter.
Now, let’s move on. Are there a set of rules or customs involved in gameplay? Yes. This can be in how the game is designed to be played, or even in how the player decides to play it. Basically, certain objectives must be done in order to advance, and there are various ways, depending on the player, in which this can be done. And as to whether they are competitive, even one-player games have competition by offering high scores and leaderboards. In fact, back in 2006, the Global Gaming League tried to push for competitive gaming to be offered in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing: (http://money.cnn.com/2006/05/31/commentary/game_over/column_gaming/).
You may not agree with my point of view, and you are not alone, but video games are evolving. And as Serafina said, it is good to be open-minded because change is inevitable.