How Smart Phones, Tablets and
Social Media made Gamers out of John and Jane Doe – How the Common Perception stays
the Same
Computer Gaming and its perception
changed and at the same time did not since its first
steps when gaming was both
scientific experimentation and only available to few people.
Today gaming is everywhere. In 2013 76% of all households in Europe had internet access, in Denmark even 87%[1]. Social media pages such as Facebook are not only used by adolescents and young adults, which traditionally are more likely to take part in gaming activities, but also increasingly by older generations.
Today gaming is everywhere. In 2013 76% of all households in Europe had internet access, in Denmark even 87%[1]. Social media pages such as Facebook are not only used by adolescents and young adults, which traditionally are more likely to take part in gaming activities, but also increasingly by older generations.
The same goes for mobile devices
such as smartphones. They do not only reach all age groups but also through all
social ‘classes’, relatively independent of income.[3]
As a reaction to market growth, game developers and companies seized the chance and developed games especially suited for those platforms. The development started as did the platforms – as good ideas on a small scale and rapidly exploding. Farmville (Zynga, 2009), Angry Bird (Rovio Entertainment, 2009) and Candy Crush Saga (King, 2012) are the most played and well known examples of games developed especially for mobile devices and implemented on social media. They did not, in fact, revolutionize or change the world of Computer Games, however, they changed the way gaming is perceived.
Being on the computer for hours and playing games used to be an eccentric and sometimes frowned upon hobby for an exclusive group of people often stereotypically portrayed as teenagers or young adults with socializing problems. While this stereotype still exists in some degrees, especially for specific games and activities such as expert competitive online gaming or LAN parties, it is broken down at the same time. The perception of the gamer is changing. The portrayal in the media goes beyond the cellar dweller playing shooter games, instead every now and then a successful grown up can talk about what she learned through gaming. It enters the cultural and educational sector as a possibility for an alternative way to educate children and young adults who now grow up in the ‘digital era’ or as a way to approach social conflicts through simulations. It seems gaming and computer games come out of their niche, however, the games the majority of people indulge in, especially on those platforms are simplistic, non-demanding and everything but sophisticated.
Still the problem exists that meaningful or serious gaming is to a large degree exclusive to on the one hand more sophisticated gaming devices and on the other to the more experienced gamer.
It is true that mobile devices opened up gaming to a broader audience and therefore changed the acceptance and understanding of and for gamers, however, it did not change the common misconception that computer gaming is only a leisure activity and games are not artefacts of cultural significance as these headlines proof:
As a reaction to market growth, game developers and companies seized the chance and developed games especially suited for those platforms. The development started as did the platforms – as good ideas on a small scale and rapidly exploding. Farmville (Zynga, 2009), Angry Bird (Rovio Entertainment, 2009) and Candy Crush Saga (King, 2012) are the most played and well known examples of games developed especially for mobile devices and implemented on social media. They did not, in fact, revolutionize or change the world of Computer Games, however, they changed the way gaming is perceived.
Being on the computer for hours and playing games used to be an eccentric and sometimes frowned upon hobby for an exclusive group of people often stereotypically portrayed as teenagers or young adults with socializing problems. While this stereotype still exists in some degrees, especially for specific games and activities such as expert competitive online gaming or LAN parties, it is broken down at the same time. The perception of the gamer is changing. The portrayal in the media goes beyond the cellar dweller playing shooter games, instead every now and then a successful grown up can talk about what she learned through gaming. It enters the cultural and educational sector as a possibility for an alternative way to educate children and young adults who now grow up in the ‘digital era’ or as a way to approach social conflicts through simulations. It seems gaming and computer games come out of their niche, however, the games the majority of people indulge in, especially on those platforms are simplistic, non-demanding and everything but sophisticated.
Still the problem exists that meaningful or serious gaming is to a large degree exclusive to on the one hand more sophisticated gaming devices and on the other to the more experienced gamer.
It is true that mobile devices opened up gaming to a broader audience and therefore changed the acceptance and understanding of and for gamers, however, it did not change the common misconception that computer gaming is only a leisure activity and games are not artefacts of cultural significance as these headlines proof:
“Violent video games 'make teenagers more aggressive towards other people' (and girls are affected as much as boys)” (Daily Mail, 2013)
‘Violent video games leave teens 'morally immature' (BBC, 2014)
‘Video games are as bad as heroin, according to UK newspaper’ (TechTimes, 2014)[4]
Most mainstream coverage is concerned with the negative aspects games allegedly have without illuminating the full range of games available or any positive aspects the respective games could have, let alone the numerous players not affected by those negative aspects being productive parts of our society.
Even though John plays Candy Crush Saga whenever he is commuting to and from work and Jane sits in front of her farm for at least an hour every night, they would neither call themselves gamers nor think for one minute that they would be in the same category with their neighbor who spends his Sundays playing Counter Strike Online (Valve, 2012) and of course they would not buy GTA V (Rockstar North, 2013) for their daughter – way too offensive, so the newspapers said.
Please keep in mind that this entry refers especially to European and US American markets, users, newspapers and cultural backgrounds and understandings.
References
Coughlan, S. (2014, February 6). Violent video games leave teens 'morally immature'. BBC News. Retrieved from http://www.bbc.com/news/education-26049333
‘Daily Mail Reporter’ (2012, October 7). Violent video games 'make teenagers more aggressive towards other people' (and girls are affected as much as boys). The Daily Mail. Retrieved from http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2214346/Violent-video-games-make-teens-aggressive-girls-affected-boys.htm
Koch, Cameron (2014, July 13). Video games are as bad as heroin, according to UK newspaper. TechTimes. Retrieved from http://www.techtimes.com/articles/10002/20140713/video-games-are-as-bad-as-heroin-according-to-uk-newspaper.htm
Ludology
King (2012). Candy Crush Saga. London, UK. King.
Rockstar North (2013). Grand Theft Auto V. New York, Rockstar Games.
Rovio Entertainment (2009). Angry Birds. Espoo, Finland. Rovio.
Valve (2012). Counter Strike: Global Offensive. Kirkland, Washington,US. Valve Corporation
Zynga (2009). FarmVille. San Fransisco, California, US. Zynga.
[1] http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/tgm/table.do?tab=table&init=1&plugin=1&language=en&pcode=tin00073
[2] http://www.pewinternet.org/fact-sheets/social-networking-fact-sheet/
[3] Data for US Available at: http://www.zdnet.com/blog/btl/nielsen-smartphone-ownership-rates-clash-over-age-income/69697
[4] Original article:
The Sun, not available anymore
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