Jane McGonigal, blog author of Avant Game, and co-creator Evoke, is on a mission to create games that will directly influence if not wholly change our future. Jane is obviously a very brilliant mind, and has been working extremely hard to push gaming and missions towards a path that would ultimately lead to a better future for everyone.
I applaud Jane for her work in this realm, it really is an ingenious path and, while presenting an extremely difficult goal, should be sought after by more industry leaders. The goal associated with this game is mostly derived for the need for a solution in Africa in order to end suffering, hunger, poverty, disease etc… It’s based on a 10-week course, 1 mission and quest per week, striving to complete the game and show the ability to come up with a solution. This game comes neatly packaged with a $1,000 USD reward and an invitation to the Evoke conference in Washington D.C.
“All your base are belong to us!”
Most serious gamers understand this Motto. Whether the gamer is an addict of MMORPG’s or First Person Shooters, or simply your soloist. All game types extremely different in style and technique, however the fundamental mentality and gamer inducing addiction always remains the same. It’s always about the individual, not the team.
First Person Shooters
The picture really speaks for itself, but the “halo teabag” or other such victory humiliation dances are very common among FPS gamers. It may be childish, but it’s done in all age ranges of gamers no matter how much class they may have outside of gaming. FPS’s can both be team oriented, or a death match arena, with one standing winner. Either way the players fight to be the top of their class, obtain the most fame for themselves, and defile the reputation and character of any that oppose them. “Teams” generally consist of either friends, foes that have a greater common foe, or randomly selected members, but that never gives a player a sense of companionship, and the best of the best are always out to prove their just that.
Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games
MMO’s are mention to be Team/Guild based games, most bigger name MMORPG’s usually require you to have a decent size guild or “raid party” in order to even complete an area, and several hours of dedication. As you can see from the video though, that doesn’t mean that the guild has to get along. Each player is in for the loot, money talks. There is also heavily play on Player vs Player in MMO’s a lot of that comes from higher level, better equipped players literally slaughtering lower level and/or less armed players. This video is an over exaggeration of true guild and raid parties, but many times the conversation get very heated, lots of arguing and plenty of blame to go around if the raid or mission fails. The online voice and character is always an over exaggeration one the actual person’s persona. It’s truly a new form of theatre and the darker side of people show through above anything else in online games.
The Soloist, Single player games
Grand Theft Auto – Just as the name suggests, this franchise is based on highly criminal activities. Over the years since the Original GTA was released on Playstation and ported to PC, this game has increased it’s crime ridden blood bath of sex drugs strippers and cop killing. From stealing military fighter jets to running over innocent pedestrians, this game has it all and Rockstar Games does a very good job and keeping the series at the top of the sales charts.
Many other high selling, popular titles, of the single player market bring with it death destruction, and in some cases a moral system. Fallout 3, for example, includes the ability to play an evil or good character, showing differing paths and story layouts based on in game decisions. Taking an evil path can lead to nuking an entire city and being rewarded heavily for it. But, no matter what path you take in the game, Blood, violence, drugs, and a large array of destructive devices are always with you.
The highest selling, most popular titles among all types of gamers usually include a fend for yourself, do it for yourself, ultra violent mentality. Sex and Violence sell, and that’s exactly what gamers want, otherwise the market would not be flooded with them. If gamers were not releasing their stress and escaping reality with their darker side, these games wouldn’t do well.
Which brings me back to the original topic. Evoke. Creating a game based on solving the worlds problems is a great idea in theory, in practice however, trying to draw in this large audience of violent, narcissistic, and somewhat childish escapists may very well be detrimental towards the ultimate goal of the project. It doesn’t matter how solid or ethical a game may be, in the end gamers WILL find a way to drive it towards their needs. I remember playing King’s Quest as a child, which housed very little violent and was a very G rated game, but that didn’t stop me from typing “kiss girl” or something a bit more profane.
Our society of gamers have traditionally been taunted, teased, and bullied. Now that gaming is far more mainstream those emotions are coming out, and coming out hard. When you are playing against Vets online, you have more competition and angst then Tonya Harding, and when your online alias gets involved it will drop humanity for self-righteousness.
I truly do hope this project is far more successful then McGonigal and her crew are hoping for, but the if the reality of the gaming world has any tells, it may not be as epic as planned.
Leave your take, do you believe gamers have enough good in them online to help this project meet and exceed it’s goal?
