Although I believe Jane McGonigal made some interesting and valid points during her Ted Talk, I would have to disagree with the general argument that more time spent playing video games can and will change the world. While her theories of blissful productivity, social fabric, urgent optimism, and epic meaning are compelling, and experienced by gamers, I simply do not believe that video games are enough to make inspiring changes. One of my reasons for this is because many people play video games as an escape. Many of the most popular games in the gaming industry, such as Halo, World of Warcraft, Call of Duty, and many others, are extremely prevalent because they are purely fiction. The gamer can relax into blissful productivity because there are no real consequences and he or she does not have to deal with real life during the hour spent playing. A video game that is based on saving the world is no longer a fictional escape. It is a real problem that the gamer has to think about.
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In my opinion, games may change people’s life in some ways. For example, when people play LOL, they have to cooperate with the whole teams. So in other words, games enhance people’s team spirit and communication skills, and when people win the game, they can feel more confidence.
Although I mostly agree, you have to consider that her approach was about allowing people to come together in a creative space and be put in situations where they have to figure out ways to cope. This opens up an idea exchange between ordinary people, and I think that people can and have developed some evolutionary ideas. I think that is the part that makes the most sense to me. It’s like a classroom with a more diverse group of people fighting for survival in a virtual world.
Also, some people believe zombies are a reality, yet they still play zombie games to fight for survival and have the best zombie apocalypse plan. It isn’t entirely about escaping from events that they don’t think are possible.
I definitely agree with you that video games are not as blissful and inspiring as Jane McGonigal made them out to be. Like you said, video games are used as an escape by gamers, a way to get out of real life for an hour or two. Most often video games are played alone, or with one other person, and playing them does not allow for a lot of interaction in real life between the people playing. To me video games are a way for people to stop being themselves for a little but. Gamers are able to create their version of the ultimate character and make them do anything they want, which most of the time is things they would not be able to do or experience in real life. I think that playing video games once in a while is not a bad thing, but they definitely do not need to be incorporated into daily life because they have no real benefit other then allowing the gamer to escape real life and relax for a little.
Katie, I completely agree with you. I think that the shooting in Santa Barbra justifies our points here. The young man, like others, for some have a problem separating the gaming world and reality. The young man who opened fire killing people, would escape to World of War Craft. As you say in the in your post “there are no real consequences” in a game but in real life there are serious consequences, including peoples lives. I just find it interesting that we are discussing this topic right now when it is extremely prevalent in the news, with extremely negative effects.