It is so interesting to watch the lecture that Jane McGonigal gave about how gamers can save the real world in the future. I totally agree with her when she analyzed the reasons that could make epic wins possible in online worlds. McGonigal said people feel they are being trusted, they enjoy the sense of accomplishment when they achieve the mission, and they are keen on positive feedbacks every time they achieve next level. However, in my opinion, I think the main difference between online games and the real world is that the failure in game world doesn’t really matter while it does in real life. People are fearless when they play online games and they are not afraid of making wrong decisions, and if they can do the same thing in real life, which is impossible, their potential could be inspired. But how could we make it possible in the real world that people are less scared of failure? Is that possible that we always give people second or even multiple chances?
Hi Bean! You gave really insightful comments about McGonigal’s presentation. You ask the question, how people could make real life as fearless as in a virtual game, and in my opinion, I think the only way for that to happen is if they have enough courage to do things that they aren’t afraid of doing. Or if they feel like they do not have anything to live for, they would always go for that epic win. I know some people that are quite fearless, and I ask them their secret, they would always say ‘YOLO’, a term, meaning ‘you only live once’. These people are not attentive to the consequences, or they do not mind dealing with the consequences. I am sometimes this kind of person, because I always think of second chances that occur, but second chances aren’t always available, so I am only fearless when doing things when I know I have multiple chances in doing things.
Hi, Bean! It is really interesting to read your discussion about this presentation and I feel the same way as you point that there are so many different between real world situation and online game condition. I agree with your opinions that in the virtual world people are less scared about failure, since they can get multiple changes to go for the “epic win” no matter how many mistakes they made before the final victory. However, this is not true for the real world condition, where competence is intensive and chances are ready for someone that are well prepared for the challenges. Thus, there won’t be too many choices for us to choose or extra chances for us to make up the previous mistake. Thus, even we have the same positive attitude in real world as we perform in online games, the outcomes won’t be the same. Just as alinadang’s point about “YOLO”, that we can only live once in the real life and there won’t be too many second chances for us to get the final win.
Actually when I play computer games, espectially online games, I don’t think too much about being a hero or being respected by other players in game. I have a target to reach to the highest level or obtaining the best gears. I’m pretty good at distinguishing the real world and syber world, and when I achieve something in game, I feel the happiness but not that kind of happiness of achievement. So about what Jane said in her presentation, I disagree with her on this point. When a guy become the best in game and look at his real life as a loser, he will become twice as sad as before.
It was fun to read your reflection on this week’s topic. Probably I myself was never crazy about games, or I was never good at playing games, I had a hard time understand why great game players would save the real world in the future. One thing I have to admit was that usually great game players were smart in some way. But just like what you mentioned, “People are fearless when they play online games and they are not afraid of making wrong decisions, and if they can do the same thing in real life, which is impossible, their potential could be inspired. But how could we make it possible in the real world that people are less scared of failure”, it raised big question whether we can compare games with real world situation.