Gaming Is Good For You- by Anjum Razaq

Gaming has never been more popular. With thriving social media websites like facebook and rise of the smart phone games are now more readily available and consumed. Yet even with this shift there is still a negative attitude towards gaming. Many people who consume these games don’t see themselves as gamers, for them gamers are the stereotypes:

·         a fat loner slacker eating Cheetos in his mothers basement playing MMORPG’s all night

·         a sweet teenager being corrupted by all the violence and filth by games such as Grand Theft Auto

·         a socially inept psychotic man who is so immersed in gaming that he can longer tell reality from fantasy (Anders Brevik)

Why is it that in an age when Angry Birds is the most downloaded game ever and Farmville has addicted tens of millions around the world that these stereotypes still persist?

ios gaming has changed the gaming landscape, but negative stereotypes still persist. Why?

Gaming is thought of as a juvenile activity, a waste of time and at worst and a dangerous mind altering addiction. Apparently playing violent games will turn you into a killer (if you believe Fox news). We know that games can influence your mood, making you joyful, scared or contemplative but I believe games themselves do not make killers; rather it’s the predisposition of some people who have addictive personalities or inherent traits. In all serious studies of computer game violence, real world violence in Western countries has decreased as computer game sales have increased. In fact it could be said that computer games help people let off steam and so decrease levels of violence. I have played Street Fighter or Punch Out on numerous occasions when I am stressed and I am sure that there are go-to games that other people play to release their tensions. We must get the message out there: games can be good for you!

In fact some games can be incredibly good for you, helping to improve numeracy and literacy, expand emotional and physical intelligences and help to solve real world issues. Jane McGonigal is a big advocate for games that can promote change. She has frequently spoken around the world about how games can change reality. If people are emotionally, socially and mentally engaged then they will invest time into games and these could help solve real world issues. In fact gamers were even used to assist in solving an AID’s problem that had eluded scientists for a long time, ‘Citizen Science’ if you will. The gamers may not have understood the science but they knew how to deal with a variety of variables and data as many games (especially MMORPG’s) depend on the management of these to really proceed.

In a world where many things are beyond our control games offer a safe haven as they have set rules, they reward play through achievements. We may not get that promotion at work but in games as long as you invest time you will progress. It is this intrinsic reward system that has hooked the millions of World of Warcraft fans. The ability to create, share and innovate is a human trait and many games tap into this, games are a part of who we are, it may be digitised but the message is still the same: Games offer community, they provide rewards and used appropriately games can save the world.

Currently I am using a variety of simulations from www.gamesforchange.org to ask my children to solve a real world issue. I will present the work here later and offer my thoughts on how it went.

What Games Teach You- by Anjum Razaq

I am a teacher and have been for over 8 years now. I chat to people and when we get onto the topic of hobbies I notice that when I mention the fact that I like computer games many get a surprised look in their eyes. A look of  ‘But you’re a fully grown man... why are playing games!’ look. Then they invariably change the topic and probably walk away thinking I am a man-child or ‘eccentric’. It’s never really bothered me all that much, after all my passion is games whilst other people like watching ‘Pop Idol’, ‘Britain’s Got Talent’ or soap operas. I got married recently and my wife (who is also a teacher) asked me, ‘Why do you like computer games so much?’

To be honest I found it hard to get into words why I like computer games but giving it some real thought the best I can come up with is that computer games are immersive- you control what is going on rather than being a passive bystander, there are choices to be made and adventures to be had. In the humdrum adult world life is filled with bills, chores and work, we develop routines and many of us live for the weekend. Computer games provide endless possibilities and spark up our imaginations.

I remember watching Jean Cousteau’s wonderful Belle et la Bete (Beauty and the Beast) years ago and at the beginning of the film he starts off with a wonderful quote which breaks the Forth wall:

Children believe what we tell them. They have complete faith in us. They believe that a rose plucked from a garden can plunge a family into conflict. They believe that the hands of a human beast will smoke when he slays a victim, and that this will cause him shame when a young maiden takes up residence in his home. They believe a thousand other simple things.

I ask of you a little of this childlike sympathy and, to bring us luck, let me speak four truly magic words, childhood's "Open Sesame": Once upon a time...

Games are like the ‘Once upon a time…’ that Cousteau speaks so eloquently of. In computer games there are worlds to explore and the possibilities of what might be out there are endless.

La Belle et la Bete... a beautiful film that asked you to harken back to your innocence as a child- where ​anything was possible.

Who didn’t gasp in wonder the first time they came upon the expansive Hyrule Field, or escaped from a fiery plane wreckage into a capsule to find a decaying art deco underwater city, or discover a robot who has waited centuries in a Derelict Factory to be found.

The Legend of Zelda- Ocarina of Time. Who didn't gasp in wonder at the sheer scale of Hyrule Field?​

Some people grow out of games as they feel more in control of their lives. When you are a child it’s easy to see why computer games appeal; they cast you as a protagonist who can save the world or defeat some unfathomable evil. But when you are older you have real responsibilities, you don’t need to level-up to feel in control of circumstances. You can progress in your personal life and work so going to Termina to stop the moon from crashing into the world seems less appealing.

I think that those people who didn’t grow out of games are those individuals who still believe the world has a sense of wonder and mystery. With Google Earth we can see the entire world at a click of a mouse; many mysteries in the world are solved. But I believe us older gamers are those who are still intrigued by what is out there… a Loch Ness monster, the Abominable Snowman or Eldorado. Common sense and technology would say no but it’s nice to believe they just might be out there, waiting to be discovered. A new game is like this, a whole world to explore and in it all things are possible.

​The Mysterious Cities of Gold. My favourite childhood cartoon that followed a group of adventurers looking for the fabled city of El Dorado

However not all the games I play are like this? There are games that are ‘quick fixes’, no world to explore just systems to figure out. Some of my favourite games include Plants vs Zombies, Doodle Jump, Tetris and Space Invaders Infinity Gene. These games reward trial and error, discovery, ingenuity and problem solving.

Computer games have the ability to absorb, challenge, engage, surprise and intrigue like no other medium can. At their best computer games can transport you to another world and engage you like nothing else in this world. Computer games are not just complex programming; they are characters, stories, battles, mysteries and worlds. They are more than the sum of their parts, they are projections that need you to become fully realised. In a world that is becoming more jaded and cynical maybe computer games are the only bit of magic and relief we have where we are not just passive consumers but rather actors, masters of our own destiny...

Gaming and Me- by Anjum Razaq

Why do I play games? Why is it so important to me? Speak to people in the gaming community and you’ll hear a variety of reasons but for older gamers like me you’ll probably hear them say that games are ‘art’ and like other art forms it can be appreciated. Maybe this is a response against feeling judged to have, what is traditionally thought of as ‘a childish hobby’, I don’t know. It doesn’t help when the media constantly speak about gaming in negative terms, a form of entertainment which encourages violence and depravity. Whether games are an art or not can be discussed at another time but to be honest when I started gaming I didn’t sit there thinking ‘Wow, this is art… look how cultured I am’.

So why my interest in gaming? Well to understand we have to go back a little to when I first experienced ‘games’. I first played on arcade machines in classics like Pacman and Donkey Kong but my first home experience was on the ZX Spectrum when I was 6 years old.  However my first deep game experience was with my oldest and best friend who was given a NES with Mario Bros. 1 for his 9th birthday. I went to his house and ate lots of junk food and we played the game for over 8 hours straight. When I got home that evening I promptly vomited, but my eyes were truly opened to the world of gaming.

This was the cassette I had for my Amstrad... epicness was contained inside!​

I got my own first computer for my 10th birthday, getting a second hand Amstrad CPC 464 (this was in 1991 when the Amstrad was already well into obsolescence and the Megadrive and NES were in ascendency). I played that computer for many years and still have it now in storage, but the game that truly immersed me and engaged me was ‘Fantasy World Dizzy’. It is now considered a classic and rightly so. It featured state of the art graphics for the time and a simple story of rescuing your family, a bunch of eggs called ‘Yolkfolk’, from the evil King Troll. I remember loving the fact that it had an inventory system where you could hold only 3 items at a time, so each new discovery of an item felt truly wonderful yet at the same time offered a dilemma. My brother and I played that game for months on end and I remember vividly the moment we became stuck (this was a time before walkthroughs and guides) and my brother discovered that the rope could be used on the crocodile to close his mouth, so we could jump across to another part of the world.

This part of the game had my brother and I stumped for months

I think this was the first time that this joy of discovery really hit me in computer games, the fact that there was an immersive world which you could explore and by using your wits and guile could slowly unravel. A lot of other games at the time were very simple quick game fixes but this; this world was another thing all-together.

In recent years Dizzy has had a little revival due to iOS gaming (Prince of the Yolkfolk has been released on the app store) and frequent mentions in the many Zero Punctuation review videos, where he refers to it as “the best game ever” but clearly taking a well aimed snipe at those who look back through the rose-tinted eyes of nostalgia.

​Old skool game design... I love this hands on approach

In recent years ‘Geek-chic’ has become a part of popular culture, with celebrities purposely seeking to present this image but back when I was a kid being a ‘geek’ was not a trend, it was just a way of being. I loved the ‘Fighting Fantasy’ novels, watched ‘Knightmare’ on TV and my favourite series was ‘Mysterious Cities of Gold’ (it still is). I wasn’t bullied and didn’t feel like an outsider, gaming wasn’t the world I went to shut out the world. Instead it immersed me and engaged me and brought me and my friends together. I felt a real sense of community in gaming and even now, when I meet a fellow gamer there is an instant connection of something shared.

Gaming is a deeply personal experience for me and as I have grown older I have definitely become more discerning and particular with the games I play. Due to time constraints of work and marriage gaming isn’t as big in my life as it used to be but it is just as important, for me it is a big point of identity. That is why when thinking about creating an educational ICT and Games Based Learning blog, Simon and I wanted to look at the various aspects of gaming. Rather than just being a ‘this is what we are doing using computer games’ we wanted to create a forum of ideas and discussion, not just about educational aspects of gaming but gaming as a whole. I saw this poster on the internet and don’t know who created it (if you know who created this please let me know and I will credit them here) but would like to use it here as for me in encapsulates what gaming is. I hope you will join us for this journey and contribute.

Wreck It Ralph and gaming in the mainstream- by Anjum Razaq

Computer games have been in the mainstream for a while, even surpassing Hollywood in terms of revenue in recent years, but for me the biggest indicator of gaming success is that Disney has made a film containing many of the characters and tropes associated with the gaming world. This may sound like a nonsensical argument but let me explain. ‘Wreck It Ralph’ is the film and whilst I haven’t seen it yet, it is great to see a film which embraces what was initially a subculture. Back in the 80’s and 90’s when gaming was still a niche hobby it was unthinkable that there would be a big budget film from one of the most respected studios aimed at game fans but also the general public alike. Never did I imagine that characters from the games I was playing would be plastered across billboards across the world. In preparation for the release of Wreck It Ralph in the UK, Disney commissioned artist Aden Hynes to turn one of my favourite places in the world, Brick Lane, into 8 Bit Street. Gaming ‘cultural capital’ (these are non-financial social assets that promote social mobility beyond economic means e.g. education, intellect, style of speech, dress, and even physical appearance etc) has changed over time. This is in part due to the proliferation of new gamers due to mobile gaming, but also various other factors such as the increased accessibility to games (browser, downloadable and disc based), increased multimedia presence in this internet age and also due to the simple fact that the children who grew up in the gaming boom are now adults and are more aware of gaming. Games are now a part of popular culture and the biggest example for this I can give is that my dad recognises Mario, he doesn’t know the name but he knows that he is in a computer game character. Wreck It Ralph gives a nod and a wink to the geek in all of us.

In the vein of geekness, let’s test out your gaming ‘cultural capital’. Can you identify the characters and the games they come from in these Wreck It Ralph posters?