Almost done

Season’s greetings gamers,

                As the new days of May bless us with abnormally cold weather, I have become more accustomed to spending my time indoors. After the countless hours of research on game addiction, I have conditioned myself to cut down on gaming. Conditioned, may be a bad word for the situation because I still do play in my free time. The word scared is more appropriate for now. When I turn on the console I see the broken lives of the past addicts and picture how I could have turned out. I feel that I myself have gone through an intervention during the time I have spent researching the topic.

                I really like that I could connect my project to my interests in real life. I feel that the quality of the paper and the effort I put into the paper would have all changed if I had to look up something that did not interest me. I can use this knowledge to make sure that the people I care about do not make the poor life decisions and fall into the grasps of this addiction. What I disliked about this project was the time frame of everything. This may be specific to me, but I had to work on this project parallel to my AP exam. When I had to focus on studying for AP chemistry, I had to make finishing touches to my project. Those last days before both the test and the deadline for the paper became very stressful and I received less sleep than I would have wanted to.

                To my mother, the amount of video games I play currently and is excessive in her opinion. My response is that it really is a normal amount. From the questions I found online to see if a person is an addict I fall into only a couple categories. I talk about the game outside of the gamine world to my surroundings. I have lost a little bit of sleep being preoccupied with the game. There are many more things that I do not do to reassure myself that I am not an addict. I have not forgotten to eat because I was playing a game. I have never lied about how much I play or become emotionally different from when I am playing the game.

                My personal belief is that video games are a helpful past time and that if it is monitored can be very beneficial. When I just sit down and concentrate on the task ahead whether it is taking down the enemy base or managing a castle, the game relieves me of my everyday troubles. I feel it is a good thing for everyone to just relax and get away from the stress they are feeling.

                Signing out,

                MHB

looking ahead

Bonjour readers,

                As I approach the finish line of my project I have come to the conclusion that I actually need to take a side in my project. Are video games good or bad? As a gamer myself and through the countless hours I have put into a game(s) I personally will have to say no. I believe that with proper moderation of how much a person puts into the game, they can be as harmless as a fly. They provide a sense of accomplishment when I beat a certain level or beat the game in general. It gives me a quick solution to some of the answers I have pondered on for years. Games have given me a place to fit in and excel in an activity that others may not be good at. For all these reasons I have played and continue to play games.

                From a parent’s point of view I can see why video games have become something like a drug. When I come home from school I will agree that my first thoughts do not go to the school work I need to complete, but rather to the level I need to beat. Video games have become a distraction from the school work that kids have to complete because playing a game seems a lot more fun than a tiresome exercise over Calculus. My mother has even blamed the fact that I wear glasses (mostly contacts) entirely on the video games. My argument back was about genetics and how I inherited the blessing of bad eye sight, but right now I have to swallow my pride and say it might have been affected by the moment si stare into the television screen.

                One thing about this senior project that has changed me is that I have become more aware. I see my friends play the games and I think to myself how the relationship between them and the game system will end. I wouldn’t call it being worried for my friend it is just that my outlook on when and why we play games has changed. I believe that with this new generation of technology and text messaging, a game life has started to become a norm for kids of all ages. They are constantly together with a mutual goal in mind of beating the game.  With game companies now experimenting with new ways to keep players in the game and informed about their surroundings, the gaming world looks all the more appealing. I feel that sooner or later humans will fall into a world that is completely surrounded by computers. People will no longer need to leave their houses and all jobs will be on the internet world. If anyone has watched the Pixar more Wall-E I feel that the possibility of that world is not so far out of reach.

                Tune in next time,

                MHB

We need a Product?

Greetings everyone,

                I have decided to take upon myself to create a final paper of all the research I have gathered. At first I was thinking of doing some sort of documentary like product where the facts will be neatly placed and synchronized with fitting music. I later realized I have neither the skill nor the voice to create a below average documentary. So my final solution and fate has pointed its finger toward a research paper. It will fallow what I believe to be a basic research paper, where all the facts will be laid out and the evidence given so that the reader can then take and educated opinion on how serious game addiction really is.

                I have completed an outline for my paper so that I do not stray in what I am saying. I find it that the hardest part for me when I write a paper is that I lose focus and start talking about other things. This is bad in general so I started with an outline that gave me the general idea I need to complete in a paragraph and the evidence that fallows it. I feel I am prepared and that I am ready to just sit down and let the fingers dance on the keyboard. I have over the amount of information need, thanks to the two books, and that the only problem now is to choose which information to use and where it should go.

                My Product connects with the learning activities because it uses what I have acquired from the learning activities directly. I do not need to think about how to use the learning activity because it is already part of my research and has provided me with multiple quotes. I really still wish I had an interview so that I have an opinion on the subject so that this project is not just my thoughts completely. I feel this will only lead to me being biased and only providing what I think is right (or should be said) instead of the whole truth about the subject.

                All that is left now is for me to find the time to sit down and just focus on finishing the product. This may be a problem because I would like to focus this weekend on my upcoming AP exams. Balancing my classes and running has never really been a problem for me, but this last semester has shown to be a real ordeal. After the AP exam I have all of Monday and Tuesday to finish this and make it the best I can possibly make it.

                Thanks for tuning in,

                                MHB

Reading is Learning

Welcome knowledge seekers,

                I read my first book from cover to cover for my senior Project. The book title was Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games By R.V. Kelly 2 which is a non-fiction book about the wide world of MMORPG gaming. It was a little dry to just sit down and read it, but it was fairly informative on answering many of the questions I had in the beginning of the project. I cannot say that it is the most interesting read and that everyone would enjoy the book, but if a person is interested in learning more about why we play games I definitely recommend it.

                The book starts off with a summary about the whole book in general.  It gives a little detail on why we play games, how the games have been created, how they have evolved from common childhood games, and some dangers the comes from games. The author explains in great detail of the culture that the gaming community has. Inside this synthetic world, there are rules, norms, taboos, and stereotypes just like in the real world. The game itself builds its own type of community and players fallow those unwritten rules. For example, there is an in game economy system where players can trade items they have received in the game for some sort of money. There is a global economy inside the game that revolves around the items that can be traded in the game. Now just like in the real world, there are scammers or theft between players to either get items or money.  These real world problems surface themselves inside the game world which makes it hard for some people to leave their computer when the two worlds are so similar.

                I found it very interesting how the author changed my mind on the thought of gaming. The author explained that games are not just for enjoyment, but has second purposes for many people. The fact that these game worlds act as a stress relievers and give people everywhere an escape form their real world problems. This is one reason why it is so hard for an avid gamer to just “turn off the game.” Some real world problems the author mentioned would not have crossed my mind. People such as handicapped individuals or mentally challenged people will all have a new life guaranteed in this game where no one will know they are different from the rest of the gamers.  Players in the gaming world all mask their identity with an avatar so individuals can recreate themselves how they wanted themselves to be seen. In some way it throws away the thought of looks is everything and gives people to know another person in a more connectable way.

                All in All I enjoyed this book very much and recommend it to anyone who is interested in the subject of gaming. I learned many new things from this book and I am excited to keep researching on this subject.

                Signing out,

                MHB

Check in for project

Salutations readers,

                For the most part, I have spent the majority of my time conducting research on the topic of game addiction. I have learned what qualifies as an addiction and how people can be cured from it. I also know the seriousness of some of these addictions and what brings people into playing a Video game. One type of video game that interested me the most was the concept of an MMORPG (massively multi-player online role playing game). This type on games includes the most addicted players that will risk their own health to continue and play.

                An MMORPG is a game that allows the player to create and avatar (sometimes known to be called their second-self) to roam the wonderful world in the game. These avatars vary in appearance and roles that they play in the game and there are usually infinites of options such as clothing or abilities that make it so every avatar can be different. Once a person creates the avatar that they like, they can enter the game world and enjoy countless amounts of hours playing to get their avatar to a higher status. To grow on the internet is not that much different from how we grow in reality, the more a person spends doing a certain activity they gain experience and can perform the same act better than before. This system is built on the EXP (experience) and status or stronger abilities are all dependent on EXP. Now so far there isn’t much difference from reality and this game world except for the fact that a person who once gains this experience will never lose it. This is one reason why people continue to play games. No matter how many time a person dies in the game or messes up in an activity, they will never lose the EXP they worked so hard to get. Unlike the real world where a fatal mistake like bribery can lose you your job, the game world will never set you back.

                A huge question that is still buzzing in my mind is how did these types of games become so popular? Was just advertising that was successful or was spread by word. Was it just the fact that humans were looking for new ways to entertain themselves and this was the solution? My project has not really changed from the beginning except for the fact that I have dug deep into the historical aspect. I have not looked much at modern issues we have with game addiction and how they have differed. I know that in 2006-2009 there have been multiple stories of death because of the lack of ability to pry away from the monitor or screen.

                So far I still plan on continuing my research and I am still looking for contacts on possible interviews. I would like to also finish reading this book about the start of MMORPG’s and then look into therapeutically research on addiction.

                Sincerely,

                MHB

Games up for addiction

Aloha interest seeking companions,

                For my senior project I am conducting a study of video games and the addiction kids and adults hold on them. Video games for decades have been the center of entertainment for people of all ages and to the horror of the parents the joy in many lives. My project will revolve around how video games came about into this world and why they are so addicting. Many brave souls have concluded that after playing a few hours of “gaming” they are not addicted and can quit at any time, yet after multiple weeks have past they find themselves playing the same game. I would like to know the back ground of why some games are more addictive than others and what are some ways of curing this addiction.

                This project is still in the stages of an embryo where I have a general idea, but there are still millions of things to know on the topic. I would like to hit some general points in this project so that I can know further on my quest to find the truth. My first most pressuring question would be, why is this form of entertainment so addicting? What brings people back to playing such video games when in general every plot line or game style has been used before? My biggest example would be games such as Call of Duty or Halo. There is no real difference in the playing style of each new version of the game to the next, yet they continuously have high sales on the week a new product is released. A second question would be what causes the addiction in the first place? I would like to know deeper about why a human come back to a game every time. Is it like a drug where they need to have a dose of games every day? Or is it really a state of mind where people just play games because they choose to play a game and not need it. Will this continuous dose of games change a personality? Can it make a normal kid into a violent killer or a normally cautious person into an adventurer? If there is a qualification limit to someone how is addicted? Something like playing 5 hours of video games a day is enough to be an addict or is it more extreme? The question would be what are the most addicting video games we hold today? Will it be games such as world of war craft or a more international game such as the final fantasy or supersmash brothers? What if I were too addicted to one of those games? What is the remedy to get myself out of it? There has to be a cure for everything, so one of my goals is to discover the magic potion for gamers.

                The only reason why I would have selected this topic is because I love videogames. Handheld, computer games, Xbox, you name it and I probably played it. I love the feeling of winning a hard level or talking strategy with friends about how to beat a level. There has come a time in every man’s life where they need to leave their comfort zone and my time may be approaching. My mother has brought it to my attention that she believes that I am an addict for video games. Of course, I full heartedly disagreed with a passionate argument about how they don’t affect my health. After the brawl I realized that much of my evidence have been from personal experience and are not proven so here is my time to shine.

                I plan on reading and researching the history of video games and how they came to the world we live in. I would like to interview a psychiatrist to see if they have had a patient who was addicted to something and how they become un-addicted. I would like to know the difference between drugs and games and if they both affect the brain in a similar way. I shall search the debts of the ocean to find my golden answer and report back with a nugget or truth.

                If there are any kind souls who would like to join me on my quest I would gladly appreciate the help. Anything related to the topic I will happily take and use in my final product of the project.

                Thank you for your time young interest seeker,

                                MHB (Makoto H. Bowering)