10.1 Electronic Games and Entertainment
Want to Get Away?
Video games have come a long way from using a simple joystick to guide Pac-Man on his mission to find food and avoid ghosts. A 2007 Southwest Airlines commercial demonstrates this by showing two friends playing a baseball video game on a Nintendo Wii–like console. The batting friend tells the other to throw his pitch—and he does, excitedly firing his controller into the middle of the plasma TV, which then falls off the wall. Both friends stare in shock at the shattered flat screen as the narrator asks, “Want to get away?”
Such a scene would not have likely occurred in the early days of home video games when Atari reigned supreme and the action of playing solely centered on hand-eye coordination. Players maneuvered a joystick to shoot lines of aliens in the sky, or they turned the wheel on a paddle to play a virtual game of table tennis.
But as video games became increasingly popular, they also became increasingly complex. Consoles upgraded and evolved regularly, and the games kept up. Players read Nintendo Power and shared loopholes and tips with their friends on how to get Mario and Luigi to the next level, and now they exchange their tricks on gaming blogs. Games like The Legend of Zelda and Final Fantasy created alternate worlds and intricate storylines, providing multiple-hour epic adventures.
Long criticized for taking kids out of the backyard and into a sedentary spot in front of the TV, many video games have circled back to their simpler origins and, in doing so, have made players more active. Casual gamers who could quickly figure out how to put together puzzle pieces in Tetris can now just as easily figure out how to “swing” a tennis racket with a Wiimote. Video games no longer provide a convenient scapegoat for America’s obesity problems; Wii Fit started an exercise craze offering everything from yoga to boxing, and Dance Dance Revolution estimates calories burned while players dance.
The logistics of video games continue to change, and as they do, gaming has begun to intersect with every other part of culture. Players can learn how to “perform” their favorite songs with Guitar Hero and Rock Band. Product placement in video games has equal prevalence to that seen in the film and television industries as seen in the popular Forza Motorsport or FIFA series. As the Internet allows for players across the world to participate simultaneously, video games have the potential to one day look like competitive reality shows (Dolan). Arguably, video games even hold a place in the art world, with the increasing complexity of animation and story lines (Tres Kap).
And now, with endless possibilities for the future, video games continue to attract new and different demographics. Video games have become more accessible than ever. Social media websites like Facebook offer free video game applications, and smartphone users can download apps for free or as little as a dollar, which means players can put video games into their pockets. Who needs a cumbersome Scrabble board when the game’s available on a touch screen anytime, anywhere?
Video games have become ubiquitous in modern culture. Understanding them as a medium allows a fuller understanding of their implications in the realms of entertainment, information, and communication. Studying their history reveals new perspectives on the ways video games have affected mainstream culture.
