As I write this blog entry, I have a game of Words with Friends open in another tab on my browser and a game of Hanging with Friends going on my phone, and I usually play these games throughout the day. Remember when Farmville first came out? I can remember that feeling of having to go online every 2 hours to harvest my crops or plant new seeds. In the excerpt from her book Reality is Broken, Jane McGonigal explains her belief that instead of molding virtual games to real life, we should formulate real life to go hand in hand with virtual games. McGonigal is a well-known game designer, researcher and author.
As McGonigal explains, there is not one single gamer identity. People from all walks of life are gamers, from businessmen to teenagers to soldiers serving overseas. She also discusses what draws so many people to virtual games in the first place: the challenges, the interaction with others, the ability to put yourself in a role that you would not normally be in. According to McGonigal, the reason that people first play games and continue to play them is because reality is flawed and lacking that things that people find in the virtual gaming world. McGonigal then goes on to explain a list of ways she forsees the world when it comes to gaming. In my opinion, the list is very unimaginable and unrealistic.
Overall, I think McGonigal’s tone is condescending, as she implies her distaste for people who put off gamers. Essentially, McGonigal is bashing reality, saying that it isn’t as fun or satisfying as video games, which is why reality should be altered to mirror virtual games rather than the other way around. While I think that McGonigal makes some interesting points and surprisingly makes me think about my own virtual game experience and use, I think that her hope for the future is unnecessary and juvenile. Afterall, aren’t some of the most popular virtual games war games like Halo and World of War Craft? I don’t think we would want to model reality around raids and warfare.
I agree with you that Mcgonigal can sound condescending in her excerpt, however, I do think that she also presents a useful point that video games can be used for doing real things in an innovative way. However, I agree with you that the virtual reality does not equal or take place of real life.