Have you noticed there is a surprising overlap between early epic (quest-based) video games and Victorian Gothic novels?
If you’re unfamiliar with the Gothic genre, think Dracula or Frankenstein. They usually involve some dark -- often supernatural -- force that lurks below the surface. They’re the stories that make you feel a little uneasy; they’re the stories where the world is just a little bit dark.
No, epic video games are not all about vampires or zombies (although they might be!). It’s not in the content that epic video games overlap with Gothic novels, it’s in their shared nostalgia for an idealized past.
Showing posts with label John C. Beck and Mitchell Wade. Show all posts
Showing posts with label John C. Beck and Mitchell Wade. Show all posts
Friday, April 9, 2010
Thursday, April 1, 2010
“We have to start making the real world more like a game”
This is the revolutionary but easily overlooked statement Jane McGonigal makes during her Ted talk on how gaming can make a better world.
“We have to start making the real world more like a game”
Notice that she doesn’t say, “We have to start using gamers’ skills in the real world,” or “we need to figure out how gaming relates to real world activities”.
No. She says we need to start adapting our society to compliment the values and beliefs of gamers.
It’s not about bringing gamers into the real world; it’s about bringing the real world in line with gaming.
“We have to start making the real world more like a game”
Notice that she doesn’t say, “We have to start using gamers’ skills in the real world,” or “we need to figure out how gaming relates to real world activities”.
No. She says we need to start adapting our society to compliment the values and beliefs of gamers.
It’s not about bringing gamers into the real world; it’s about bringing the real world in line with gaming.
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