Lab+1

Aarseth introduces his article with a clever proposition about the differences in old mass media versus the new mass media, more specifically, computer games. Old mass media such as TV shows, novels and movies formulate large homogenous audiences, with individuals who share many of the same interests. However, what old mass media lacked was the integration of the “aesthetic and the social” which computer games were able to fabricate through various means such as multiplayer games. Take for example games such as World of Warcraft. Not only is WoW a highly addictive and entertaining game, it has also erected a large community because of its multiplayer feature. In contrast, individuals with interests in similar movies and novels have to establish their own clubs or meetings in order to socialize with one another.

Aarseth sprightly discusses the idea that games are not a fixed entanglement of entertainment, but instead an engaging virtual reality where users are forced to make decisions and act upon those decisions – with the addition of images and sounds to increase the sense of reality so as to make the virtual world appear even more realistic. Aarseth argues that computer games are simulations that change the way people think and communicate. There is no doubt that this argument is true. Depending on what computer game users choose to play, users are required to think in certain ways whether it is in a strategic, problem-solving manner (in games such as Age of Empires) or in a much faster yet still calculated way (in games such as Quake, Wolfenstein etc.).

The possibility of creating a new field where individuals are given the ability to study computer games is a phenomenon that has not exactly taken place yet in most high schools or universities. Aarseth explains that incorporating video games into the study of mass media may not actually be a good idea. Since mass media focuses on the “visual aesthetics”, the distinctive features of computer games may be lost. It is quite deplorable that considering the fact that the computer game business is a billion dollar industry, there is no actual field of study to conduct basic research on computer games.

Works Cited Aarseth, Espen. "Editorial, Game Studies 0101." Game Studies - Issue 1001, 2010. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Sept. 2010. .