After getting my first computer when I was 6th grade, the first game I got into was Neopets (good old days…). Neopets is a virtual pet website. The graphic was not 3D unlike virtual world websites, such as Second Life, but it was 2D. I don’t use it now, but it was very easy to navigate back then. The pets were not ordinary, and they consisted of dragons and monsters (see the picture below). You earned points by playing games, and you used the points to feed/dress your pet. I guess I continued to use this site back then because I was pretty lonely. I just came to US, I didn’t speak English, and both of my parents worked. Thus, it did fulfill my loneliness and kill some time. I don’t play it now; however, this doesn’t mean my life is full of life right now, I guess I grew out of the game. Another game that I got into was those room decorating apps. I enjoy designing, and I always imagine what my ideal office or bedroom would look like. So that was fun… But I grew out of them quickly as well. This doesn’t mean I am currently super rich and have my ideal rooms. So the question is why? Even though there are so many gamers out there, and for someone who knows various appeals of games, why am I not a gamer?
In Proteus Paradox, the author explained various reasons why gamers play games. These reasons consist of having a sense of progress, getting social recognition, being powerful, understanding and dissecting rules, and using it for escapism (p. 30). Moreover, applying operant conditioning, players are motivated by rewards given in the game (p. 39). They also play to achieve and socialize with other people (P. 74). I think these reasons are general enough that they also apply to why people use social media. In social media, people can get social recognition by getting numerous likes or retweets. They can also escape from real lives by joining fan communities. For me, social media appeals to me more because it is more realistic (?!) and apply to my life. One of the reason why I stopped playing games online is that I realized that these points are not real, and I could’ve spend these hours producing something tangible. It could be also that these virtual worlds and/or video games do not immerse me because maybe they do not have narratives or aesthetics that engage me. I tried Second Life for a study, and I didn’t like how characters looked. Also, it didn’t have an actual story for me. People craft their stories online, but I didn’t know what my story was in this place. It’s not that I don’t like games, but I’m not engaged enough to call myself a gamer.
However, this doesn’t mean that I don’t see any benefits of virtual worlds and video games. There are so many! I can especially how these platforms can also enhance current education so students can have more fun with their educational materials. I was especially intrigued by an article that explained how one professor used Angry Birds to teach students about physics. Now, that’s a creative use of gamification. I think in the end, if virtual worlds and video games can expand more to other areas, such as education, to affect people’s real lives, there would be more gamers.
In Proteus Paradox, the author explained various reasons why gamers play games. These reasons consist of having a sense of progress, getting social recognition, being powerful, understanding and dissecting rules, and using it for escapism (p. 30). Moreover, applying operant conditioning, players are motivated by rewards given in the game (p. 39). They also play to achieve and socialize with other people (P. 74). I think these reasons are general enough that they also apply to why people use social media. In social media, people can get social recognition by getting numerous likes or retweets. They can also escape from real lives by joining fan communities. For me, social media appeals to me more because it is more realistic (?!) and apply to my life. One of the reason why I stopped playing games online is that I realized that these points are not real, and I could’ve spend these hours producing something tangible. It could be also that these virtual worlds and/or video games do not immerse me because maybe they do not have narratives or aesthetics that engage me. I tried Second Life for a study, and I didn’t like how characters looked. Also, it didn’t have an actual story for me. People craft their stories online, but I didn’t know what my story was in this place. It’s not that I don’t like games, but I’m not engaged enough to call myself a gamer.
However, this doesn’t mean that I don’t see any benefits of virtual worlds and video games. There are so many! I can especially how these platforms can also enhance current education so students can have more fun with their educational materials. I was especially intrigued by an article that explained how one professor used Angry Birds to teach students about physics. Now, that’s a creative use of gamification. I think in the end, if virtual worlds and video games can expand more to other areas, such as education, to affect people’s real lives, there would be more gamers.