The Social Dimension of Fun

From the readings thus far, I have realized that everyone’s own perception of what is fun is unique to them and changes with time, but at the very least fun provides enjoyment to us all. Koster’s observation that we lose interest in a game when it teaches us all it has to offer can be salvaged in the regards to solo playing. If I am the only player and I have completed the game and there are no other alternatives, then, yes, I will lose interest. The Strongbad games are good examples. They were simple and silly in nature, but I wanted to play for nostalgic reasons. They were fun; however, once I understood how to win and won multiple times, I lost interest and stopped.

Video games do offer learning experiences for both youth and adults, and the games’ increase in complexity over time has also increased the player’s ability to learn faster and comprehend more information at once. Civilization 3 and Times Attack proved that school subjects can be effectively taught and retained through video games; although I would argue that traditional learning is just as important. With increasing technology, video games will offer more social interaction and physical motion: two arguments against playing video games. In the future, will we be able to do almost anything without turning off our systems and stepping outside?

From what I've read so far, I think it's pretty fascinating that we all have different interests in video games but can still find common ground (like Left 4 Dead 2) to create active discussion on the course blog.
It was a great relief for me to read that so many others think that video games are educational. I don't think I'm crazy anymore, well, maybe just a little. But It's comforting to know that video games offer so much potential for young gamers. I still think it all depends on what type of games we play--games like Civilization 3 are going to be a little more educational than a game like Call of Duty. But, the main thing to consider is the fact that these games hold so many people's interests for extended periods of time.
I also have to admit that it's a major relief to find some other female gamers out there. It's not that I didn't think they were out there, it's just that most of the people I hang out with either hate video games and are girls, or love video games and are boys. Go figure.

Jessie, there are a ton female gamers out there, so you are not alone. What do you think of some of the Nintendo games specifically marketed for females, such as Cooking Mama or Gardening Mama? Do you think that they will have a negative effect on female gamers in the future?

While games are more fun when there is a social side to them, singleplayer games, such as Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, create an illusion, immersing you in a wide world of multiple societies, towns, and monsters. Depending on whether or not a person likes RPG's, they might view the experience as equal to the social nature of a multiplayer game. Much like the computer controlled survivors in Left 4 Dead 2 having a hard time deciding whether to save a player or just stand there doing nothing, it all relies on the believability of the AI.

http://blogs.setonhill.edu/CodyNaylor/2010/01/the_social_dimension_of_fun.html

http://blogs.setonhill.edu/ElizabethSwartzwelder/2010/01/true_but_not_always.html

http://blogs.setonhill.edu/KeithCampbell/2010/01/what_is_fun.html

Susan, while I agree with you that there are plenty of female gamers out there, I'm not talking about the ones who enjoy games like Diner Dash and Cooking Mama. Although I enjoy those games as much as the next gal, I also enjoy 1st person shooters, action games, RPGs, etc. I have a harder time finding girls who like Halo than ones who like Cooking Mama.

Thanks, Jessie. I enjoy both types, and it is actually harder in my family to find someone to play Cooking Mama with me.

I have extreme mixed feelings with it all. On none hand I have now realized how MUCH we really do learn from video games, and maybe all those times our parents told us that playing video games isn't good and blah blah blah, maybe they were wrong. We really do learn from many things we don't even realize we learn things from and video games is one of them. However, I do, somewhat agree with Koster. I have found many times that I got bored with games, HOWEVER, a lot of the times it was because I couldn't figure it out and didn't feel like trying anymore, but I almost always went back to it again. So really, I'm not sure what I'm thinking about it all haha.

I have extreme mixed feelings with it all. On none hand I have now realized how MUCH we really do learn from video games, and maybe all those times our parents told us that playing video games isn't good and blah blah blah, maybe they were wrong. We really do learn from many things we don't even realize we learn things from and video games is one of them. However, I do, somewhat agree with Koster. I have found many times that I got bored with games, HOWEVER, a lot of the times it was because I couldn't figure it out and didn't feel like trying anymore, but I almost always went back to it again. So really, I'm not sure what I'm thinking about it all haha.