Games in Society Nick Sims

ConcernsBenefits Excess Playing Time – a may result in sleep deprivation, or losing their jobs or developing health problems. Do only the extreme cases become reported? Hand-Eye co-ordination – encourage people to use different combinations of buttons in response to different incidents happening quickly on screen. Cost – video games are expensive. Can younger players afford to buy games? What are the implications? However, is this unfair – DVDs can be of an equal price and supply only 3 hrs of entertainment. Brain Training – i.e. Dr Kawashima’s Brain Training™ - all platforms can develop brain training skills. Separation from reality – people who have committed crimes due to the influence of a computer game. Could the same be said for films and TV programs? Thinking and strategy skills – taking on the role of a military commander or creating whole civilisations – skills handy for the real world. Education – people’s intelligence dropping due to no longer being able to follow complicated instructions. Future impact – games may replace films. Social isolation – some players may lose social skills. Players now have access to online communities. Multiplayer and family games have gained popularity. Impact on app developments – games interfaces are becoming much better, i.e. people can chat via games through applications such as Skype.

FactorEffects HealthRepetitive Strain Injury Lack of Exercise Eye Strain Use of soundFast pace music makes players feel excited whilst gloomy music can make players feel scared. ExpectationsSurprise is always fun especially if you are not expecting an event to happen. LevellingThis is crucial – the longer you play a game the better you will become. You can customise your character for each level. FunIf a game is fun, you will want to play it for longer. Educational valueYou can learn from a game without realising it – Civilisation is a game that teaches the player about historical civilisations. High scoresThe need to beat your previous score. Competitive gamesCan be fun and exciting. Peer pressureThe need to be the same as everybody else and want the game yourself – word and mouth is a powerful method to sell games.