Video Games Have On Culture - 1708 Words

The Far Reaching Influence Video Games Have on Culture All you can see on screen is a pair of arms holding a gun as you proceed down a poorly lit, grungy tunnel. Looking down, you can’t see your own feet—not because of the gloom, they simply weren’t included in the design. A heads up display shows ammo, health, shields, and a motion tracker in the corner while an aiming reticule sits in the center of the screen. The graphics are shoddy at best by today’s standards, but at the time it was released this was considered to be the cutting edge of video games. This is Halo: Combat Evolved, released in 2001, not even two decades ago. Now known as the first in the Halo series, at the time it was an example of how far video games had come; today it†¦show more content†¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"In books, everything is laid before you,† he says. â€Å"There is nothing left for you to discover. Video games are the only forms of artistic expression that allow the authoritative voice of the author to remain true while allowin g the observer to explore and experiment.† This is especially true when looking at older creations, when the graphics and narratives were limited by the current technology, forcing players to draw heavily from their imaginations, becoming what Melissinos calls the game’s â€Å"third voice,† the first voice being the designer of the game, and the second voice being the mechanics of the game itself (Tucker). One of the most memorable parts of any game is its main theme, the song that plays during the title screen . Originally simple 8-bit tunes meant to draw attention at arcades, a video game’s soundtrack was handled by the programmers, limited to whatever space was left over after the game itself was complete (Hsu). As a result, early games such as Tetris had a single short, repetitive song that would loop constantly in the background, eventually becoming embedded in the player’s brain. As technology developed to allow for more efficient data storage, companies were able to add longer and more complex songs. Eventually, as games became more immersive, the soundtrack became a way to emphasize what was occurring on screen (Hsu). With video games becoming an increasingly competitiveShow MoreRelatedWhy Video Games Have Made A Shift Into Mainstream Pop Culture6550 Words   |  27 PagesThe term pop culture can be defined as ‘The culture of the people’ a culture th at flourishes through social interaction and mass media that is most actively involved in by the public. Pop culture can cover a wide range of materials and as such should be looked at as a topic open to discussion, interpretation as to why it is popular and what makes it popular. Since pop culture includes an expansive spectrum of subjects I am going to be focusing on one of those and that is Video games. In this essayRead MoreThe Positive and Negative Aspects of Video Games in Society968 Words   |  4 Pagesprominent in our culture is video games. As it is becoming more prominent, it is also evolving throughout the years. Video games now are becoming more complex and influential in our society. People can use this type of entertainment was a way to relieve stress or a way to socialize with others online. Video games is almost available everywhere, from video consoles to cell phones, most Americans have played a video game before. The American myth is that Americans mostly view v ideo games as a way to passRead More Video Games in Popular Culture: an Exposition Essay1282 Words   |  6 Pagesdie!† As you walk through the gate to the outside, and as your eyes slowly adjust to the sun you have never seen, a wasteland emerges before you. 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Today artist use different styles and modern technology to improve coloring, modeling and drawing in their work. Over decades of technological advancements video games have taken a life of their own considering them to be a new form of art. Generally critics may disagree on video games to be consider art due to its more known genre games in this particular entertainment industry that is their â€Å"shooter games† and their â€Å"sport games.† When getting passedRead MoreThe Effects Of Video Games On Pop Culture1116 Words   |  5 Pages Around the middle of the 20th Century man cultures started to grow beyond what they previously were thanks to different mediums (such as television and music) helping to push boundaries; with this came the birth of pop culture. Considering pop culture is a shortened version of popular culture it’s clear that many of the things in pop culture would be short lived. The short lived trends and happenings are labeled as â€Å"fads†. Strangely enough, some fads are made to transform and actually become a mainstayRead MoreHow Video Games Changed Throughout History1373 Words   |  6 PagesFrom Fad to Phenomenon: How Video Games Changed Throughout History Around the middle of the 20th Century man cultures started to grow beyond what they previously were thanks to different mediums (such as television and music) helping to push boundaries; with this came the birth of pop culture. Considering pop culture is a shortened version of popular culture it’s clear that many of the things in pop culture would be short lived. The short lived trends and happenings are labeled as â€Å"fads†. Strangely