Well since I already just tried to post this and lost it all it wont be in as much detail as I had previously written and ill just give a basic overview of the whole.
Pretty much we discussed Online Gaming and the benefits that there are with the systems.
The Differences with online gaming and normal PC games and positive things that stem from it.
The online gaming systems are different to the normal PC gaming systems due to the fact that they don't have an end or pre set agenda. With a regular PC game the user has to get through certain levels to get to the end and then that's it. The whole game is over...Where as in online gaming there virtually is no end. The system is programmed by the users that are subscribing every month (this helps with programming costs and for the game to continue), through the use of community development the people in the game work together against pre programmed computer generated characters that are the rivals of those playing in the system. One such game is EverQuest where the person takes on a role and becomes that person in the virtual online world. They all have characters with certain duties and positions in the program. In this world the person must fight, hunt and gather and build guilds and social communities with the other players. Through these communities they work together to get further up in the ranks of the game.
Some people feel that the only people who play these games are nerds, geeks and those without a life, when in fact this is not true.
In fact most of the people playing these games have a very social life and there are infact a growing amount of women who play as well.
People from all over the world are able to get together at any one time and play, socialise through chat and build relationships. Many people have met through these games and even married.
The good thing about these games is that people are able to experiment with roles that in reality would not be able to. People are able to take on areas that may be harder to achieve in their own lives offline. Sal Humphreys who was giving us the lecture gave us an example of this. A woman who held a very high ranking position in the online gaming world as a social organiser and was in fact a guild leader...(organised for groups to meet up at a certain place at a certain time to conduct raids on the rivals homes etc) and held a very high status in the virtual world, when in fact offline she was very quite different. She was infact a disabled lady who relied greatly on other around her for support and to do things in her everyday life.
I found this really interesting.
I know a few people in my own life who participate in online games, well actually quite a few-but its never really taken to me as an interest. Alot of my friends and work colleagues play WOW (World of Warcraft) and well it seems to be very interesting as that's all they talk about when they are offline and even talk about raids and situations that have occurred the night before, which to me all sounds like another language. But it would be great to get involved...Only thing is that I wouldn't be able to afford it.
Its really interesting also how people aren't just sitting at their homes alone-they are infact also a lot of the time in the rooms with other people playing WOW and interacting offline as well as online...or in other situations go over friends houses to go online to play together...Which kind of sounds sweet...*giggle*
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well that's all from me now.
I think ill go and check out what other people have written on the subject and hopefully wont loose all I have just written now...*copies*
will get back to you later about other goodies for KCB201
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