Video games today not just child’s play

Walking down the halls of Hedrick, it might be surprising to
find that most residents are accustomed to the sound of echoing
gunfire. “Counter-strike,” an online computer game that
pits teams of armed terrorists against equally well-armed
counter-terrorists, has become the “killer app” for a
generation enjoying the perks of T-3 lines and exceedingly ample
amounts of time.

While some people would dismiss this “fad” as a
glorified waste of time, the influence of this cyber-trained
generation will be felt for years to come. Besides the obvious
cultural impact, video games represent a misunderstood art form, a
viable sport and a valuable educational tool in the study of
society. This ain’t Pong anymore ““ video games deserve
respect as being more than child’s play.

A recent study from the University of Illinois found that
two-thirds of college students said they played video games
“at least once in a while.” That’s an awful lot
of students buying video games. Overall, video games are a $10
billion a year industry.

It is this prevalence that allows video games increasingly to be
used as a lens through which we can observe human interaction. The
stereotypical view of a wide-eyed nerd at his computer, locked in a
dark room for hours on end is a remnant of the past. The major
systems are a bastion for social interaction and a common sight in
any house in the United States. Any computer game worth its monthly
fee connects users to thousands of other players in a fully
interactive online world. Games such as Everquest act as complete
worlds where the story is written by the players as they go along.
Players can freely choose to wander off on their own or join a
group of friends to advance to higher levels. “Towns”
are commonly busier than a weekday in Westwood and filled with
traders, merchants, fighters and even the occasional nut talking to
himself in a corner.

This very-human interaction is the focus of new fields of study
that combine aspects of communications, sociology and political
science. Already, there is a full four-year video game college,
DigiPen, that trains a generation weaned on Mario to help create
the next generation of online worlds. This technical application is
now being matched by social explorations as colleges begin to
realize the test lab can extend to the online world.

A new proposed minor here at UCLA involves observing these
“artificial realities,” perhaps hoping to gain a
glimpse into our anthropological beginnings. This is life imitating
art, all while just playing around.

The newest games sport picture-quality graphics and are
programming marvels that require years of development and
Hollywood-style budgets. For those who have seen a sunset in Hyrule
(reference to Legend of Zelda, Nintendo64) or the physics-accurate
gunfire and injury models from the latest first-person shooter,
there is no denying the presence of artistic perfectionists behind
the code. The lack of a brushstroke is more than made up for by the
eye-candy of games such as Metroid. The development of these lush
environments and seamless animations can be called nothing less
than the premier digital art form of the 21st century.

But to call video games merely “art” would be an
insult to the medium. The interactive nature of games and the
increasing multiplayer focus warrants more. The better definition
might be “sport.”

While it may be hard to believe for some people, mouse-clicking
games require just as much practice as your traditional round-ball,
round-hoop, rocket-science sport. Hand-eye coordination, reflexes
and mental awareness are just as relevant in Madden 2003 and
Warcraft 3 as it is in your Saturday morning intramural game.

In other countries, gaming has already been accepted into the
mainstream as a skill-oriented profession. Korea is an extreme
example of a place where games such as Starcraft are played by
millions, with the best as famous as star actors.

And Americans, never satisfied with a close-second, are closing
in on Korea’s fanaticism. The Cyberathlete Professional
League holds regular tournaments, where the best from all over the
world compete for a chance at hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Television networks such as the Gameshow Network have started
broadcasting games nationwide. Slowly but surely, gaming is gaining
ground as more than just a fun diversion. Like it or not, the next
time you turn to ESPN, instead of your usual boxing fiasco or news
of a 49ers loss, you may be seeing the likes of Tillerman (Warcraft
3 champ) and Johnathan Wendel (Quake 3 god).

Even with these social, aesthetical and “physical”
attributes, to some people video games will always be considered a
child’s diversion, and “Doom’s” greatest
influence has been Columbine, and “Counter-strike” is
the wasted potential in the world.

But for the rest of us, video games are much more: a social
gauge, a technological marvel, a skill sport and even a good
time.

Moon is a second-year psychology student. E-mail him at
jmoon@media.ucla.edu.

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