Video games affect emotions
Picture this: In 2004, eight computer games were sold per second every day for the whole year.
This is why Ken McAllister, an associate professor of rhetoric at the University of Arizona, spoke to Utah State students Thursday afternoon on why those studying humanities should pay attention to computer games.
“Computer games are now shaping the question of what it means to be human,” McAllister said. “Economics alter human lives in many ways … there is a lot of money to be made [in computer games].”
By computer, McAllister said he meant the underlying technology of games. Computers fall in this category, as well as an X-Box and even cell phones that have game technology. Pretty much any kind of video game one can imagine would fall into this category.
McAllister spoke to mostly English students about the underlying cultural issues that video games deal with. He said it’s something important for students to realize – especially humanities students.
“Caring about people and their cultural complexities” is how McAllister described humanities students.
“Games are now the main medium to explore these issues,” he said. “Games are the most powerful form of teaching humans have.”
Showing a clip of the background story on the game Munch’s Oddysee, McAllister showed how most of the games on the market today have back stories that deal with real human issues.
Just one example of this is found in the infamous game Grand Theft Auto, which he said is about a man who is sucked back into the seedy underworld of crime after his mother dies.
McAllister also said that computer games are increasingly functioning as a mass medium.
At least one gaming company puts out games that use today’s headlines. Gamers can play games about Korea, Abu Gharib prison in Iraq or play the hunt for Osama bin Laden. These games can comment on real-life evens, McAllister said.
But studying video games, contrary to popular opinion, is not all hard work.
“One of the advantages to doing game research is that when I sit down to my X-Box, I’m doing research,” he said. “Much to my wife’s chagrin.”
About 50 students present at
the lecture.
-aedmunds@cc.usu.edu