Trends in Gaming, Today: Interactive,
‘Reward-oriented,’ Simplistic, Escapist, Cathartic.
Arevalo, Marco Antonio G.
Long lines are inescapable in the
Philippines. The University of the Philippines (UP) is jokingly and ironically,
appropriately called the University of Pila
(Pila meaning Line or Queue). People,
Filipinos especially, nowadays when they are idle, resort to unsheathing their
gadgets and start fiddling with their devices. It is common sight to see people,
after standing a few seconds in line feel bored and immediately remedy it with activity
via their gadgets. Whether it through texting, calling, chatting or reading,
people of this modern age have been subconsciously fighting against this state
of insipidness. One of the more prominent ways, people have fought this state
of non-activity or dullness is through gaming.
The
prominence of gaming as a means to fight boredom can be attributed to the radical
change brought by the advent of smart phones, and tablets; both are essentially
powerful handheld devices. These gadgets have revolutionized the interaction of
people with technology by making gadgets more ergonomic in design, lightweight,
and to some extent sleek and aesthetically pleasing. It is for those reasons
that owning powerful and sometimes trending of the latest devices have been
attributed to prestige, wealth and status symbol. Technological advancements such
as the now ubiquitous touch screen have provided an interface where the person
is further immersed in applications or games. The array of companies producing
such devices has made owning gadgets easier. Gone are the days where the only
the richest monopolize ownership of gadgets. People of different backgrounds
and social classes are able to purchase these gadgets at cheaper prices because
of the competitive market and therefore they share experiences with each other
when it concerns gadgets. Touch screen/pad technology has enabled people interact
with the game itself, making the game more immersive and interactive.
Previously, a ball or laser in the mouse read hand movements, clicks or
gestures to move a single cursor or pointer on the screen.
The
change from single cursor mouse to multi-touch capability is best juxtaposed
through the well-known tower defense game, Plants vs Zombies (PvZ) and its
sequel Plants vs Zombies 2: It`s about Time. The premise of the PvZ games is
simple, to establish a defense against hordes incoming of zombies. In the
original PvZ, using a single cursor, one must gather sunlight, the game`s
energy currency, in order to buy plants necessary for building one`s defense.
In more difficult levels, the amount of moving objects on the screen becomes
overwhelming, that keeping up requires faster mouse movement, clicking or both.
This drawback or challenge to some PvZ players is alleviated by the advancement
of touch screen interfaces which allow multi-touch gestures. Thus players are
able to play the game more effectively. They are immersed into simultaneously micromanaging
tasks ranging from planting anthropomorphized fighting plants to defeating
comically-themed zombies.
These
interactive games can be purchased through App Stores such as the iTunes store,
Blackberry store, and Android Market.
Once can browse through a multitude of applications and games, some of which
are offered for free or at the very least for a small price. The ownership of a
smartphone has allowed people to partake of freebies which ultimately nurture
the increasing content and variety of services within the device.
Some
games are aimed strategy. Prominent games such as 2Fuse, Candy crush, 4 Pics
and 1 word, 94 seconds: category word game and their variants require strategy,
planning and hand-eye coordination. The premise of 4 Pics, 1 Word is to deduce
a word by associating 4 different pictures. The word is then built using a set
of randomly sequenced letters, which contains the answer. When an answer is
wrong, a bleep is heard. Essentially, there is a auditory or visual indicator
for incorrectness and conversely correctness. When one is able to get a correct
answer, corresponding points are awarded. And these in-game currencies are used
to unlock different features. The award-winning Angry Birds series of games
best display the arrival of in-game currencies. The game was founded on the premise
of using a given set of ‘angry’ birds as projectiles, as such in these earlier
versions, people needed to strategize where to strike. Higher points and star
levels are awarded to fewer projectiles thrown, with maximum damage. This basic
premise is sustained in the entire series, the more recent ones, however differ
from their earlier versions. Newer versions such as Angry Birds Star Wars and
Angry Birds Star Wars II use in-game currency to customize which projectiles
are thrown. The player can now choose when
to use a themed characters` skill, which themed character is thrown and to an
extent, in which order they are thrown. People now have more control on how the
game is played, how damage is dealt. Still the basic premise is there, and that
customization is possible for a price.
Similarly,
games now include achievements, usually in the form, titular awards recognizing
the attainment of certain levels or states, or the unlocking of specific
features or combinations. These titles are accompanied by ‘monetary’
compensation, in the form of in-app currency, which depending on the player can
further their progress in the game. Temple Run and Temple Run 2, and Minion
Rush are games which adequately display how in-app currency helps the player.
The 3 games, mentioned are founded on the idea that the player controls a
running character. The character then has to avoid obstacles on the path,
gather coins and claim power-ups. The distance of the run, the amount of money
and bonuses collected determines the amount received by the player in the game.
In Temple Run, power-ups which provide headstarts or bonuses during a run can
be purchased at an increasing amount. When a player reaches a certain
threshold, such as 2000m, it is recognized as an achievement which has its
proportional in-game returns.
One
of the reasons, people might be playing these games is that real-time
investments or efforts do have an immediate return. Thus people are demoralized
by this lack of rewards and so people lean towards the notion of ‘instant
gratification’ which games can provide. When people are queued, the idleness is
considered subconsciously as non-productive. Time is being wasted. Because
people are unable to leave the line, people need to feel a better sense of security
or productivity. Perhaps, this is the reason, people are delighted to achieve
such titles, though in reality, these attainments are ephemeral and do not have
tangible returns.
The
latest trend in gaming, is embodied by one of the most recent gaming addictions
of 2013, Flappy Bird. The premise of this game and its many variants, born
after its discontinuation, is to control the flight path of an oddly-shaped bird
and navigate it through treacherous pipes. In these games, one can detect a return
to the simple. There is a return to the simple single command button. The trajectory
of the bird is dependent on the timing and single-button pressing. Among the
mentioned games, it is apparent that Flappy Bird is the simplest in terms of
controls and even design. The character itself is very simplistic. The non-avian-looking
bird appears pixelated thus limiting its design. Games during the 90s, as
represented by the iconic Super Mario games then, featured characters which appear
pixelated because of the limitations of technology then. Technology has advance
further that pixelation is viewed as hallmark feature of 90s games.
Flappy
Bird`s premise of avoiding projectiles in order to gain a higher score is so
simple that its simplicity could be inferred to be the source of people`s
addiction towards the game. People compare their high scores with each other
and, even at the least for that moment, people commend and recognize the person
for their skill. As much as the game is about skill and timing, there is still
an element of luck involved in its simplicity. That and the fact that there are
no other returns does beg the question, “why then continue to play such a game?”
To answer that, people, Filipinos today, are subjected to a capitalist
consumerist competitive society where in achievement is about climbing higher
on the social ladder. The concern with this mentality is that in climbing up,
people are indirectly being pushed down. Similar to Flappy Bird high scores, people
are comparing themselves with each other. This comparison, which is amplified
by ego, jealously and the desire to impress amplifies the desire thus deforming
it to an addiction.
Another
way of attacking the idea of playing such games is that the games act as a
release.
The
player is able to purge their negative emotions by hammering the single command
button, or by avoiding obstacles, smash obstacles with thrown avian projectiles
or annihilate monsters using plant themed weaponry. The stress brought about by
the lack of success is purged by providing success in this virtual world. And
though there are no tangible, or monetary returns, people do still return to
these ‘free’ games for some level of catharsis.
Games
in general, create sensations or initiate responses which might be the reason
why people prefer gaming over stillness and eventual boredom. Because of this
alternative life experience, how the person views the world, becomes at least
temporarily dependent on what or where they wish to immerse themselves. The
smorgasbord of games provide the person a larger array of alternatives for
their present reality. This alternative reality can possibly, and momentarily
feed a person`s unfulfilled desires or provides an ‘instant gratification’ of
sorts. Though not physically, Filipinos, or people in general are able to escape
the feeling of being delayed, being queued, which they perceive as
inconvenience. These ‘free’ games have brought people, a sense of choice,
control and achievement that they may not experience in their daily lives,
which is why it is preferred in times of vulnerability.
Trends in Gaming, Today: Interactive,
‘Reward-oriented,’ Simplistic, Escapist, Cathartic.
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