reading10 — eSports

What do you think of eSports or competitive video gaming? Are you a competitor or a spectator? If so, which games? Is esports something that will reach the level of an Olympic event and should it receive the same level of recognition and support as other types of competitive activities?

While I have never competed in an eSports competition, I lived with a guy who has competed in dozens of Smash tournaments during college. I was able to learn a lot from him about the game through conversation, and when a big tournament was on and his favorite gamer was competing, I would watch with him. As someone from the outside, it was a ton of fun to watch. The community, the “meta”, the scale of competition that was occurring from two guys crouched in front of a CRT television was remarkable. I’m not sure if it will ever reach the level of an Olympic event, but that shouldn’t be the litmus test of success for this industry. Today, there are people out there that are able to show off their skills and make a living off it. There are competitions all over the world where people of the same interests come together to compete. This year, there was even a draft for the best NBA 2k players out there. There is competition flowing and there are people out there enjoying it and loving it. I’d say that what we have now is great for eSports and I only think it’s going to get bigger. The growth of Twitch and other video game streaming services makes it very accessible for people to watch and learn about the games. The commentators in every single match I’ve ever watched were very well informed and entertaining and as the gaming industry grows, I feel like that will just keep improving and get people to join in on the fun.

reading09 — Strikes and Spares

Is there still a charm to arcades? How do these environments and games fit into the modern gaming ecosystem, especially know that we have PC games, console games, and mobile games?

Personally, my day at Strikes and Spares was one of my favorite days of class this semester. There wasn’t any lecture or learning like a normal classroom, but within the context of this class, I feel like I was able to enjoy the arcade more so than before. There was nostalgia in some of the games that I’ve been playing ever since I can remember, but there were also new experiences. For example, I got to play Deal or No Deal. The bright lights and fun music made it a fun experience and I didn’t get rid of the jackpot case until the very last pick (it was sad at the time, but still fun). There was a beer pong simulator game that I’d never seen before and enjoyed trying. There was the classic Hoop Fever and ski ball and countless other machines that I was fine putting my money into. It was a lot of fun.

With that being said, there was one issue I had with Strikes and Spares that I feel is very detrimental to the future of arcades. There were not tickets!! All the money I wanted to play with was preloaded onto an arcade card which was then used to swipe on each of the machines. When the game was done, the tickets were then uploaded onto that card. It might make things easier and save paper, but the fun memories I have of being at an arcade as a kid are just watching more and more tickets come out. The feeling of watching your winning just grow and grow and walking around with a huge bundle of winnings was what made arcades the best. Now, they are still fun, but I hope they find a way to replace that feeling for the kids of the future.

Arcades are much different than the way modern gaming. They are very social as you want to either play with others, compete with them, or just have them watch you win. It’d be very difficult to find a single arcade game that is better than most video games, but the fact that you have dozens of machines all in one building with dozens of people with different interests playing together, makes for a very fun environment.

reading08 — Mobile Games

The rise of mobile gaming has largely been fueled by the growth in casual gaming and social gaming. Do you view this as a positive or negative phenonemon, especially considering that mobile gaming is now surpassing the traditional PC and console markets in terms of revenue? Moreover, how do you feel about the associated business models (ie. free-to-play and micro-transactions) that come with mobile gaming and casual gaming? Is this a democratization of gaming or a debasing of this form of entertainment?

With the addition of mobile gaming in our society, we have more people who claim that they “play” video games. They are extremely accessible, both in price/availability and in the sheer amount of talent or attention that someone needs to play them. Where in the past you had to go to an arcade and spend money on each attempt at a game, now anyone can download a free game on their phone and play endlessly. Personally, I see this as a positive phenomenon. More people are able to enjoy the fun of video games! It might not be the pure form of video games that some people identify with, but the larger the community, the better in my opinion. It could be problematic that traditional PC and console markets are getting overcome in revenue production, but I do not believe that the success of a subset of video games will ever eliminate another portion. For example, just because television shows or streaming services are up and coming and can make more money than the film industry, there is not been a sharp decline in the movies that are being produced.

Additionally, mobile gaming can be seen as a way of supplementing the entertainment of console and PC gaming. Fortnite, 2018’s hottest game, recently came out with a mobile version of their game that allows people on mobile to ability to play with PC and console players. We are becoming more networked, more connected, and the video game community is growing and benefiting from it.

While all of this can be looked at positively, I will admit that Mobile Gaming is not all perfect. I do not love the way that they earn their money. Micro-transactions, whether they are speed-ups, level-ups, or an integrated part of the game like Battlefront II, can be detrimental to my enjoyment of a game. Candy Crush or games like Haypi Kingdom (a personal favorite when I was younger), take advantage of impatient people that can spend tons of money to turn the game from a challenging/strategic competition into a slot machine that plays closer to the lottery than a video game. Especially when you consider that some games just sell you “packs” of cards/upgrades that are completely random, putting money into these games is not much different than gambling.

Finally, I would like to highlight one of my favorite games nowadays. It is simple, straightforward, and easy, and has never cost me any money. It’s Euchre. I have been able to play this game and other games like it (i.e. Spades) for years by myself or connected with others and I find it very enjoyable. Additionally, the only micro-transaction possible is paying $1 to get rid of ads. While it is not a novel game, I very much enjoy the fact that there are always simple and fun games out there that are free to play.