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Joseph
Mrs.Felix
English
11/13/15

VideoGamesarenottimewasters
Videogames,widelyheardfromaroundtheworld,ifanyonehasneverheardofthesethingsisif
heorsheliterallylivedunderarockforthepast30years.Videogameshavebeenmostlylookedasa
wasteoftimeandmoney,butthatsnotreallythetruthfromthatstandpoint.Videogamescannotonly
bringentertainmentbutanumberofdifferentexperiencesandculturalreferences.Iwillarguehowmuch
videogamesputintoart,culture,sharingideas,helpingpeoplesocialize,andthesizeoftheindustryasa
whole.
Firstwewillstartwiththebusinessaspectofthisargument,suchasadeveloperoradeveloper
company,startingwiththeamountofdevelopersthatmakethesegamesaroundtheworld.Startingin
theUnitedStatesalone,theresover650developersmakinggamesandover150inCanadaand
Englandandtherestoftheworldvariesbetween10050(bestcitiesforvideogamedevelopmentjobs).
JustbythePlainnumberswecanseethatthere'sanoutstandingnumberofjobsingamingandwith
moreandmoreindependentdeveloperscomingoutitwillkeepgrowingbiggereachyear,andcreating
morejobsasyearspassby.
Immersionandthethoughtprocessofaplayer


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AllDevelopersuseideascreatedbytheteamtomaketheirgamesworldcomealiveandtrytobeas
immersiveorascreativeaspossible.Onewayadevelopercanimmerseaplayerandmakeanexciting
worldcanbethroughadifferentperspectiveoranewgamemechanicthathooksaplayerinwithgreat
effect.Gettingtheplayerhookedisonethingbutkeepinghimorherinthemomentiswheresoundand
musiccomeintothemixtomaketheplayerfeelhoweverthedeveloperwantsthemtofeelandwhat
kindoftoneandvibetoconveythatfeeling(DarrenKorb).AnexampleofimmersionisinPortalthe
playerisasilenthumaninsideatestingfacilityandatpointsthehighlyintelligentmachineGLaDOStells
Chell,whoisthemaincharacterintheseries,abouthowworthlessandpatheticsheis.Thus,makingthe
playerfeelworthlesspatheticandisolatedwithacoldpieceoftechnologymockinghimorher,yetthe
mechanicsandgameplayaresochallengingandoutoftheboxthinkingthattheplayerwillfeelthe
isolationbutnotbeturnedawaybytheroboticoverseerscomments.

WorldwideCulture
VideogamestakeinspirationfromalltypesofculturefromaroundtheworldfromEgyptianmythical
creatures,tofamousmoviequotes,toeverydaylifeinacountry.Thereareplentyofinputsaboutculture
inlotsoficoniccharactersandnoniconiccharactersingameshowaboutwelookintooneof
gaming'smostinfamousvillainsBowser.Justbylookingatthefirebreathingturtlewecannotice
hesacombinationofadragonandaturtleandanyonecanguesswhatculturehasdragonsof
courseimtalkingaboutChineseculture.IntheartofFengShuithedragonturtleisusedfor
threethingsattractingwealth,advancingacareer,andneutralizingthenegativestarsenergy(Tchi
Rodica).Thelastonemayconfusesomepeoplewhoaren'tuptodatewithmariogamessoill
explainthatfirst.InthevideogameBowsersinsidestoryattheendofthegamebowserfaces


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thedarkstarwhichisanevilstarthatisverypowerfulandbowserfightsthisstaranddestroysit
savingpracticallythewholeworld.ThewealthofBowserineveryMariogameBowser'scastle
isfilledwithcoinseveninsupermariobros.3mariopiratescoinsfromBowser'sflyingships
eveninsupermario3dworldbowserhasatrainmadeofgoldcarryinggoldcoins,soIwould
sayheisprettywealthy.bowserisjustscratchingthesurfaceofcultureingamesbuthislinksto
thedragonturtleinfengshuiisverystrongandinteresting.Cultureisoneofthemostimportant
thingsintheworldbecausewelearnallabouthowothersusedtothinkandhowwethinknow
andwecangetlotsofinspirationfromculturefornewideasorart.
theartworkputintogames
visualartworkisoneofthemostimportantthingswhenmakingalonglastingsuccessfulgamebecause
withoutsomethinglookinggoodfortheplayerimmersionistotallythrownoffoftheexperience
andtheplayerwillbecompletelysickofthegameveryquickly.Almostalltheartinvideo
gamesissomewhatrelatedtoinfographicswhichmeansconveysinformationtheplayerneeds
toplaylikeahealthbarorifsomethinglooksevilorgood,andthegraphicsneedtobein
harmonywithwhatshappeninginthegameatasystemiclevelortheplayerwillbeoffputina
badway(EddyBoxermanandAndyNealen).Whenwelookatthesegameswelookat
infographicsanddevelopersusethemeverywhereandcaneventellawholestoryjustby
lookingatafewpictures.Itstrulyliketheysay1pictureis1000wordsandwithpicturesthe
developersuseeverythingintheirpowertomaketheirgamesimmersiveandmaketheplayer
careforthegamecharacter'sworld.Bypeopleexperiencingthesegamestheycanfind
inspirationfortheirownworkandlearnhowtoconveyemotionsintheirownartworkoreven
talktotheirfriendsabouthowtheylikehowthedevelopercreatedsomethinginadifferentway.


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Thegamesweplaymakeusmoresocial

Thinkofafavoritetvshownowthinkofhowmanytimesthesametvshowhasbeenthemaintopicofa
conversationitsthesamewithvideogames.inavideogametherewillbesomeone'sfavorite
someone'sleastfavoritewhyheorshelikesordislikesthem.wetalkaboutgameslikewetalk
aboutpeopleandwhensomeoneelseknowswhattheotheristalkingaboutitcouldbethebest
thingeverbecauseheorshehasbeenthroughthesameexperienceastheother.Even
sometimeswholegroupsofpeoplearemadefromthisexperiencethisnewworldexploredby
thepeoplewhohaveplayedthegame.inasurveydonebyUSATodayThosewhodoplay
gamesappeartobemoreengagedinsociety,thesurveyfinds.Forinstance,gamersarefar
morelikelytoconsiderfriendsimportant(57%vs.35%nongamers)withnearlythreefourths
(72%)sayingthattheygamewiththeirfriends..Thestereotypicalgamerisprobablyafat40
yearoldlivingintheirparentsbasementwithnosociallifeandlivingonmassproducedjunk
food.welllikemoststereotypesthisisntentirelytruejustlookingatthenumbersyouseethe
cruelwayofdescribingagamerisjustwayincorrectanddoesthesepeoplenojusticeforwhat
theywanttosay,soifanyonesaysthatgamershavenolifejustknowthereismoretoitthan
whatitseems.

Afterallofmyreasonsfeelingandfactsthisistheend.Nowthatyouthereaderandanylistenersout
thereknowthattheresmuchmoretoagamethencoollookingcharactersorneatgameplay
gamesareaformofstorytellinglikeanybookshowormovie,andtheynotonlybringmore
peopletogetherbuttheyshowhowtheauthorthinksandfeelsandinputtimeandmoneyto


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makeeventhesmallestdetailsmatter.gamescanbringpeopleandfriendstogetherandhave
everyonedosomethingthatislikeuncoveringagreatbookthattheyarein.


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WorksCited
BestCitiesforVideoGameDevelopmentJobs.
gameindustrycareerguide
.N.p.,n.d.Web.11
Nov.2015.
TheCreativityofIndieVideoGames
.
PBSVideo
.PBS,4Sept.2012.Web.10Nov.2015.
Snider,Mike.Survey:VideoGamersMoreSocialandMoreSociallyConscious.
USAToday
:n.
pag.Print.
Tchi,Rodika.DragonTurtlesUseinFengShui.
abouthome
.N.p.,n.d.Web.10Nov.2015.