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.