Black Ops!!

The new Call of Duty: Black Ops video game has finally been released and is just as good as it was expected to be. It offers gamers a new way to play this first person shooter. The new way to play online gives players a way to play with their friends that are sitting right next to them. The game also offers a new way to get new weapons to use in online play. The gamers must now earn money to buy new weapons and the peaks that come with them. I like this new feature because it gives players something to play for other than just rank and bragging rights. I would give the new call of duty black opts an 9 out of 10 overall, because it is a great game, but could do a little better in the overall graphics, and game play.

LinkedIn Account

Here is a link to my LinkedIn Account. Check it out. http://www.linkedin.com/pub/jeremy-buckson/28/278/633

Video Game Sites!

Online sites that cater to the video games and the players are really something that has taking the web by storm. These sites have so much information that is available to the gamers. “GameFAQs” is “acting as a hub for gamers and hosting many thousands of gamer-produced walkthroughs, FAQ list, and discussion forums” (Newman 479). This is a great way for gamers to stay in touch to the gamer world, and always be updated on the latest games and information from the mouths of other gamers. I myself have used this website and got some good tips and information about different games that I have been playing. I think it is nice to get information from people that are playing the same games I am playing, around the same skill level. There are also video game sites like “Eurogamer” that give “professional review, previews and news and replicate many of the features of print magazines” (Newman 479). This is also enormous for those gamers who like more of an expert point of view of video games. This is something that is normally only offered in print, and sometimes can be hard to come by in my eyes. I have never used a video game site that was made and ran by professionals. A site like this would be very nice because you would know that everything that was taken from the site would be quality information and facts. Sites such as these are very important to the game world; it is a way for gamers to stay social within the games that they play, to meet people that have the same interest as them, and sometimes to take their gaming experience to the next level with tips and clues that they may have never had the opportunity to get otherwise. Some may see this as a bad thing because maybe they think it is too much put into video games, and that kids and young people already spend too much time on video games themselves. The people that feel this way should be happy about sites like these, they allow an outlet for gamers to connect to others and to see what else is going on around them and around the world of gaming. I myself may even go to check out other gamers ran sites, and one of the professional ran sites just to see if the information can better my gaming experience, and to see video games from more of a social view.

Brian Sutton-Smith vs. George Herbert Meads

Educationist Brian Sutton-Smith and Social psychologist George Herbert Mead have very similar views when it comes to play and games. They both look at them as a social thing. A measure of social growth or maturity, but Mead in addition believes that games a social activity “is all about communication” (Mead 160).

Sutton-Smith looks at games to be a measure of a society and how much it is developed. Stating that “the more complex a social system, the more advanced its games” (Sutton-Smith 159). This view makes one think of the games of today, and wonder if this could be true. Games in today’s time are very complex, and take on many different challenges that must be overcome. This is much like the society that we live in filled with challenges that must be conquered to continue on to the next stage of society’s growth.

Mead states that “play and games, also being symbolic, are a clear precursor to adult communication” (Mead 160). He ties games into social growth, but in terms of communication. As if, games were some kind of training for kids to prepare them for the real world, so they will be able to communicate on an adult level when the time came. Meads also says that “to go from play to game requires the individual to integrate himself into a higher level of group organization” (Mead 160). This is immense in the terms of society because it is important for people to be able to come together, and work for one common goal.

Sutton-Smith definition for game is “an exercise of voluntary control system in which there is an opposition between forces, confined by a procedure and rules in order to produce a disequilibrial outcome” (Sutton-Smith). These views of games takes on a whole new look on things when it comes to society, and its rules. That the rules of society must be followed by everyone involved to achieve the general aspiration. This is similar to Mead’s view that games are a form of preparation for life, and that are must be prepared to be able to communicate on a higher level, while always heading in the same direction.

Both Brian Sutton-Smith and George Herbert Mead have interesting views on play and games. Although they may see things a little different in terms of the intention of games, they both see them as a way to evaluate or determine what is going on in society. Sutton-Smith and Mead also agree that games are a way to learn the rules of life. A way to indirectly teach people to work, and think together to obtain a complete society.

How Do You Learn?

Knowing your learning style can be very valuable information for lifelong learning. It can make learning a much easier task, if you already know how things will stick in your head. Learning styles is simply different approaches or ways of learning. I took a learning styles test and found that I am a kinesthetic learner. That just means that I learn best through a hands-on approach, and actively exploring the physical world around me. In addition that it may be hard for me to sit and learn for a long time, because I would like to be more practical. I have taking a lot from learning what my learning style is. Now when I need to gain knowledge of something, I know that it would be best if I could take the hands on approach to it. Becoming more interactive with the material to better allow me to retain the information, compared to sitting at a desk listening to a lecture.

Television and Video!

The television and video over the years has really opened up the doors for different ways to inform people about information. “Rapid technological advances have expanded the uses of television and video in all sectors of society” (119). So much money has been put into the industry over the year as well. “Spectacular images to audiences at the cost of investing millions” (121). There are many hot spots all around the world for television and video but “New York and Los Angeles are the headquarters for most companies that specialize in production” (121).

Visual Communication

Visual Communication is one of the easiest ways to communicate with other. It just seems like when we see something we tend to remember it. As time goes on there are several ways that humans can communicate and visually is the most common method to do so. If it’s T.V, movies, a letter, email, or even a text. If we see it enough, we don’t forget.