The Changing World
of Electronic Games
THE first modern
computer game, Spacewar, was created in 1962. The game's objective: fight off
asteroids and enemy spaceships. Countless similar games eventually followed.
When more powerful personal computers became widespread in the 1970's and
1980's, computer games became increasingly common. There were adventure games,
quiz games, strategy games, and action games. One type of strategy game, for
example, requires the player to plan and manage the growth of cities or
civilizations. Many games simulate sports, such as ice hockey and golf.
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There are games
that are praised for being educational and entertaining. In some, you can try
to land a jumbo jet, drive a race car or a steam engine, ride a snowboard, or
travel around the world. However, some action games, such as those called
shoot-em-up games, are often criticized because of their violent content. A
common objective for the player is to choose a weapon and then shoot and kill
different human or nonhuman enemies.
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On-Line Games - A New
Trend
The land of Britannia has about 230,000 citizens. They are people
of all sorts - soldiers, tailors, blacksmiths, and musicians. They wage war,
build cities, open shops, get married, and die. Yet, this particular Britannia
does not exist in reality. It is a virtual medieval world, a place where
network players compete and interact with one another simultaneously - a form of
computer game, called an on-line game, that has become increasingly popular and
is expected to be the "next big thing" in computer gaming. Launched in 1997,
Ultima Online - which includes the fantasyland Britannia - was the first
Internet-based game. Since then, many other Internet games have arisen, and
more are in the works.
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What is different
about this type of game? The various characters you meet in the game are
controlled, not by a computer, but by other players acting simultaneously over
the Internet. Thousands of people can participate in the same game. For
example, Ultima Online is said to have had players from 114 countries
participating at the same time. The popularity of these games may depend a lot
on the social contact involved. Players can chat with each other and thus feel
that they are part of a global community.
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Big Business
Role-playing games
became popular in the 1970's with the game Dungeons and Dragons. Since then,
they have developed into a multimillion-dollar industry, embracing board games,
trading cards, interactive books, computer games, and even live-action games in
which participants act out adventures. Apparently, there are more than
six million regular players in the United States and hundreds of thousands in Europe. In France many high schools have clubs for
role-playing games, while in Japan they are the most popular type of video
games.
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The electronic-game
industry is very optimistic about its future. By 1997 the annual income from
the American computer- and video-game industry reached $5.3 billion, and
the worldwide sales were at least $10 billion. This trend shows no signs of
losing momentum. The market is expected to increase by 50 to 75 percent
during the coming five years.
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Every day,
according to Forrester Research, over a million people log on to
different Internet-based games, and it is said that interest in on-line games
will increase with the spread of broadband, a type of high-speed Internet
connection. Children who have grown up playing computer games show no sign of
stopping when they get older. One long-time player says: "Playing computer
games has become a way of associating with friends from all over the world."
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Violence and the
Occult
Role-playing games
differ widely, varying in both form and content. Even so, violence is present
in many, if not most, of these games. In fact, in the imaginary universes that
these games create, violence is often an integral part of advancement - or
survival. Another concern is that magic often figures prominently in these
games. Oftentimes, players can become sorcerers or other personalities with
magic powers. Obstacles or enemies are then overcome through occult means.
Reportedly, one popular game "allows players to take the role of either Angels
or Demons in the service of Archangels or Demon Princes . . .
Sacrilegious overtones keep it amusing." One computerized game even allows a
player to become all-powerful simply by typing the word "Satan."
Illusion or
Reality?
Many youths are
drawn to these games as an escape from reality. But is it healthy to immerse
oneself in a world of fantasy? French sociologist Laurent Tremel comments: "The
real universe, dominated by uncertainty about the future, . . .
contrasts terribly with these virtual but very realistic universes, where you
finally master the rules and where you can model a character to resemble either
what you are or what you would like to be." Mental-health expert Etty Buzyn
further observes: "In playing, youths have the impression that they are leading
a dangerous life, remaking the world, but in reality, they are not measuring up
to any real risk. They are fleeing from society and its limits."
Ultimately, such
escapism can only lead to frustration, since the realities of life lie just
beyond the end of the game. These realities must eventually be confronted.
Really, no amount of success or adventure in an imaginary role will ever make
up for failure or mediocrity in real life. The smart thing to do is to confront
life's realities - head-on! Sharpen your perceptive powers by facing real-life
situations.
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