Writing about videogames feels like a daunting task for me. My own experiences with videogames seem to be rather limited compared to the experiences of my peers. As I was growing up, my family always had a gaming system of some kind in our home. Our earliest system was a Super Nintendo, followed by, a Nintendo 64, a Play Station II and finally a Nintendo Wii. While I have enjoyed playing performance and trivia games like “Sing Star,” “Dance, Dance Revolution,” or the “Buzz” trivia game that we have for the Play Station, I’ve never really developed an interest for action, combat or other types of videogames. Because of my lack of experience in the world of gaming, I was a bit worried that James Newman’s, “Talking About Videogames” would be beyond my scope of understanding or interest. Thankfully, I was wrong. Although I know very little of the storylines or rules of the games mentioned, I can identify with the concept of video gaming as a social culture, and although I don’t consider myself a gamer, I have been exposed to many of the elements that Newman mentions in his writing and can identify with their value.
Newman observed that the creation of multi-player games, “where all players are co-present in a given space”(463) has made video gaming a more socially interactive experience rather than a solitary one. I easily identified with this because my only gaming experience has been with multiplayer games where I’m competing with friends or family, and not playing alone. Even games that we own that are single player are usually played with others giving suggestions or strategies to the single player.
Newman also indicates that people talk about videogames in much the same way that people may discuss the storyline and characters of a television show or movie. I’ve witnessed my own sister and friends engaged in conversations about Link from Zelda or about levels in Super Mario World. More than once I’ve listened to friends’ and family members’ discussions concerning predictions, tips, and criticisms of the latest game they are obsessed with. I also have friend who is involved in a gaming group, leading to further social interaction and discussion.
As well as discussion, video games have created a magazine culture. The closest I’ve come to awareness of this was leafing through my sister’s old “hints” magazine for Zelda for the old Super Nintendo! Things have really changed since then. In addition to hints, today’s gaming magazines feature articles about current and future games, as well as opportunities for gamers to write in and share hints and successes and ask questions or make comments about games. I think the most important point of the section on the “magazine culture” of video games is that, according to Newman, they “provide considerable reassurance that other like-minded gamers exist” (469). That reassurance must provide a feeling of connectedness among gamers.
Of the online gaming culture, I have no experience, but I can understand and appreciate it as another way for gamers to feel connected to one another and validated that what they are doing is worthwhile. Because people are able to communicate about the games they are interested in via microphones while playing, or through blogs or chat rooms they can share moves or hints, and voice opinions about the quality and content of the games they enjoy.
Works Cited
Newman, James. “Talking About Videogames.” A Media Studies Reader. Editor: Williams, Kevin. 2010, University Readers Inc. and Taylor & Francis Group. P.463-483.
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