The RISE and FALL of ARCADES
North American Game Crash
For my first Cultural studies project I had to research the North American game crash and explain what happened, why its happened and how it was resolved and improved. This links to the rise and fall of arcades by presenting how new company's , such as Nintendo began making consoles and how children preferred them over leaving their home and constantly playing and paying for 2 minutes of a game. The slides shows how consoles started to take storm but had there many controversy's. It presents how the public opinion changed with games since the ET incident as games fell out of favor until Nintendo sparked the resurgence.
Redesigning Old IP
Simple Animation
The last part of my 3 part task for The rise and fall of arcades was to redesign an old character. I chose Pauline form the original Mario and Donkey Kong arcade games. Add more
PC Master Race
In this cultural studies lesson we looked at the different compents on the works in a computer.
Description
Example Component
Name
CPU
GPU
RAM
Power Supply
ROM
Fans
Network Card
The brain of a computer, containing all the tools needed to process input, store data, and output data.
An arithmetic logic unit ,control unit and memory unit.
Electronic Circuit.
SDP chip and a RAM's burst counter.
A transformer, a rectifier, and filter.
The decoder and the OR logic gates.
Control chips, processors, memory.
Fan blades, motors and a blade guard.
An electronic circuit that can perform mathematical calculations at high speeds.
RAM is your PC's or laptop's short-term memory.
A fan inside, or attached to, a computer case used for active cooling to stop overheating.
Computer storage containing short term, permanent data that can only be read.
A piece of computer hardware made to allow computers to communicate over a network.
An electrical device in a PC's that supply's all the electricity to run.
Steam Overview
How it works
Steam is a platform and app that host many games for download. They take a small cut form purchases from games in exchange presenting games to millions.The app is free for players but you give a small cut to steam once someones bought your game.
How its added people
Steam completely changed the way that developers were able to distribute their games online.Its a secure business that millions use increasing chances to be seen.
Steams impact
Steam revolutionized the way games are distributed, eliminating the need for physical copies and allowing for instant downloads and updates. Steam's open platform has helped indie developers to publish their games and reach a global audience
Pros and Cons
Cloud File Save. Thanks to its own cloud service, game settings, profile stats, file saves, and other Steam data are uploaded automatically, Large digital game library, Security
Multi-device game download and a close online community. However, one con is due to the online community and easy asses to post any game, this leads to discriminatory or shock value games on the app with inappropriate comments on any review.
How to apply?
All you need to do is : go to their website, download Steam for free, create an account name and password and ether start buying games or submitting them to the platform.
Potential competitors
Epic Games Launcher, Origin: EA and Ubisoft Connect
We learnt in this cultural studies lesson the ways people and comapnies adapt their consoles for disabled gamers.
One handed joy-Cons
The Xbox Adaptive Controller is designed primarily to meet the needs of players with limited mobility. The controller features large programmable buttons and various ports that allow players to connect and arrange external buttons or joysticks into a unique gaming setup that meets their needs. People who might use this could be people dealing with paralysis or people who have cerebral palsy. The layout out is big yet near making button presses easier. This is also made by X box -unlike the Nintendo one- showing more care for disability's is their company.
PlayStation adaptive controller
Adaptive Gaming
This adapter made for Nintendo Switch was a custom hand-made by an anonymous Etsy seller. This device is one of the best third-party Nintendo Switch accessories available. The adapter is designed for gamers to place their pre-existing joy-cons in, with a left or right-handed customization option.This device id for any people who have only one hand ether due to an accident or a birth defect.The adapter is designed to hold steady on a lap or flat surface. The device allows gamers to have both joy-con sides in one compact unit that can all be reached with one hand. Using attached handles the adapter is now movable with the arrow buttons and connects the buttons to an extension for easy reach.
Xbox adaptive controller
Just like Xbox , PlayStation has their own adaptive controller.
Similar to the older Xbox one but improved in many ways. Example being a smaller circular base so people with movement disability's don't have to reach as far A joy stick for a cursor so movement is so fluid and precise. The most important part is that this controller is very custom-able , many added parts to change buttons for easier movement show care for many types of people with movement issues. While both Xbox and PlayStation adaptive controllers are expensive its a step in the right direction for controllers for all.
Do games help with people who have physical/non physical disability's
Visually impaired
For the PlayStation 5 The Last Of Us Remake /The Last Of Us Part 2 Remastered, is a zombie survival and horror in a cruel world filled with parasitic fungi. To assist the visually impaired theres a navigation assistant, aim assist, high-quality voice narrator, screen reader, audio description, sound signals, fine adjustments of difficulty and various settings.
Last OF Us Part 2 Remastered
Fortnite
Physaclly impaired
Fortnite is one of the most popular shooters to date which is why them having settings to aid deaf or hearing impaired people,There’s visualization for every essential sound in the game too. Treasure chests, visualization for footsteps, visualization for gunfire. And it all tells you the approximate direction and distance too, along with icons and colors unique to each sound type. Due to its popularity setting like this bring a whole group of people closer and gives them a space they can enjoy.
Learning difficulties
Minecraft is a popular sandbox game where you can build and survive in a huge changing landscape; studys have shown that Minecraft has helped austitic children with growth and liufe skills.Because most autistic people have a kind of sensory impairment, to some degree, Minecraft might encourage them to understand and help autistic children of those colours and shapes, and transfer those skills to the real world.
Minecraft
Methods In Storytelling
In this cultural studies lesson we looked at different ways to convay a story in media.
Explanation
Example Game
Methods in
Storytelling
Enviromental
Storyteling
Branching
Dialogue
Paths
Cutscenes
Environmental storytelling is the art of arranging a careful selection of the objects available in a game world so that they suggest a story to the player who sees them. Examples like, signs, graffiti and certain buildings.
Red Dead Redemption
Dead space
Prey
Unlike linear narratives that follow a path ; branching narratives offer multiple pathways and outcomes, allowing players to shape their own unique experiences. This can make the game more emersive and give the player a more unique experance.
Detroit Become Human
Witcher 2
Fallout 1
A cutscene or event scene is a sequence in a video game that is not interactive, interrupting the gameplay. This can visaul comvay a scene on how the plot moves forward.
Final Fantasy VII Remake
Yakuza
Metal Gear Solid
Detroit Become Human
Technology has evolved to a point where human like androids are everywhere. They speak, move and behave like human beings, but they are only machines serving humans.
Methods used
A mix of cutscences, branching dialogue paths and enviromental storytelling.
How well is it used
The gameplay is a mix of investigation, character development and action that works really well. The three storylines present very different challenges but work together for a very rich gaming and storytelling experience.
Is it positive?
I'd say it's pretty positive since it's story is the most important part of the game and is the main draw.
What if you removed the stroytelling?
I defently feel that without each the method of storytelling was removed it would negitlvlty effect the game due to the world and character building is the main glue to the game.
What method was the best?
I feel like the branching paths method is the best in Detroit to expand on storytelling. Mainly due to how many endings and path you can take to change the story or learn new things.
What method was the best?
While I feel like all methods work well I think the enviromental aspects of storytelling are the most lack luster due to how imersive the other methods are.
Gender history
History indicates that women began appearing in video games around the mid-80s. Sometimes these female characters were barely distinguishable from male characters except for one minor characteristic, such as long eyelashes. Ms. Pac-Man is a good example of that trend.However, in most older media men are hyper masculine and women are hypersexualized. In order to understand the representation of female character, it is important to take into account male characters to understand their opposition.
How does gender representation in video games impact player identification and immersion?
These virtual identities reflect in behaviors and preferences that the users may identify with as far as they are immersed in the game. This makes video games an important source of gender representation that users can adopt and build their gender assumptions around
How have video game developers responded to criticisms regarding gender representation in recent years?
Studies of the prevalence of female characters in video games began to be conducted in sociological, educational, and cultural journals as early as the late 1970s and early 1980s.Lara Croft, the protagonist of Tomb Raider (1996), is among the best-known strong, fictional women in a variety of media.Since her introduction in 1996, the character of Croft has been criticized for her "unrealistic" breast size; Lara was claimed to personify "an ongoing culture clash over gender, sexuality, empowerment, and objectification.In a 2008 Tomb Raider title, Croft was depicted in "hot pants and midriffs" and was said to look like she was "dressed by a male".However, the game's creators maintain that she was not designed with marketing in mind, and have claimed to be rather surprised at her pinup-style adoration.In Tomb Raider: Legend, Lara underwent a radical redesign, ostensibly to make her less sexualized.
Gender Representation
In this cultural studies lesson we looked into the impacts of gender representation in games and how they changed throuout the years
Lara Croft
What role do player demographics play in shaping gender representation in video games?
The majority of gamers in the US are male (55%). In terms of numbers, there are approximately 1.7 billion male gamers. And 1.39 billion female gamers worldwide.Demographics have changed the nature of gaming over the course of time and the industry has evolved above gender, age, and other demographics. Today people of all ages, genders, and backgrounds play and enjoy video games, while their preferences and consumption habits may vary.
How do cultural differences impact the portrayal of gender in video games?
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What impact does positive representation of diverse genders have on player attitudes and behaviours?
Gender diversity is important for several reasons: Inclusion and equality: Gender diversity promotes inclusivity and equality by recognizing and respecting the diverse experiences, perspectives, and identities of individuals beyond traditional gender norms.On the one hand, traditional gender roles can provide a sense of comfort, stability, and predictability in a relationship. An alternative explanation of gender role attitudes lies in stereotyping biological differences between men and women. In general, “men are characterized as aggressive, forceful, independent, and decisive, whereas women are characterized as kind, helpful, sympathetic, and concerned about others.
Myths and Folklore in Games
In this cultural studies lesson we learnt about how myths, floklore and fables are in games and every creature that has been adapted into them.
Term
What it's is
Myth
Folklore
Fable
Mythology is a collection of myths or stories about a specific person, culture, religion, or any group with shared beliefs. Most people don’t consider mythology to be entirely true, but they still take it seriously. Creatures such as : phoenixs, unicorns, bigfoot and hydra's.
Folklore is history that is preserved by the people of the culture, consisting of traditions belonging to a specific culture. These traditions usually include music, stories, history, legends, and myths. Folklore is passed down from generation to generation and is kept active by the people in the culture.Creatures such as: Vampires, mermaids, werewolfs and dragons.
A fable is a story that features animals, plants or forces of nature which are anthropomorphised -given human qualities-. A fable always ends with a 'moral'. Creatures such as : Loch Ness Monster, minotaurs and goblins.
God Of War
God of war was able to incorperate certain characters from norse and greek myths in their own way while also staying true to the myths. For example, Atreus who is also Loki according to the giants and Odin. In myth Loki is Odins blood brother, the son of Farbauti and Laufey, while in the games he is the son of Kratos and Laufey which leads to 2 vastly different characters. In the myths he's depicted as being a charming, mischevious and manipulative, the cause of most of the gods problems including the start of ragnarok. While in the game he's a kind, caring and curious, while still a child he was able to help kratos defeat Baldur, also starting ragnarok.One pro for this characterization is that, it fleshes out a character that many don't know about. On the flip side, people might dissagree with a portral of a character example people wanting his more vindictive side to be on display; but this shows us how the game adapts the myths.
Atreus (GOW)
Sirens
Atreus (myth)
Character Bio
An unamed siren who has lived for around 30 years with her collany of siern folk underwater only going to the surface to feast on nearby pirates in their waters. Using their voices to lure them to their deaths. Doing this for years they have a minset of human being just food (like us with pigs and cows). Until a huge ship stations close and as a collective deside to let them sty as a means of luring some men once a week to eat giving a food source for a couple of month withour trying to much. This should of worked until.. while lerking around she spots a young women writing shes always wondered about human customss but not speaking english well and her low regard for them she never cared. Just some luch. She sings..nothing. For once no human cmes towards her; ots not a case that shes a women shes done this befdor with women so why her.Weeks later, after hiding under the boat they lock eyes again seeing her write normaly when a human sees them in the wild they try to sing again to incopasite them but again. Nothing..Heck she writes more, clear fear in her eyes but a small hint of something. Its clear she sees her as her ture siern gross self, pirates learn about them anyway to keep safe so why if she can resit not run. The siern speaks as well as she can in englis from what she overhears. Instead of a reply the lady moves her hand in weird shapes and smiles. A human who cant hear, a human who wants to learn and a siern who wants to find ways to lure her food, a siern who now has a new intresting predicament.
Mood Board
Rough consept (story) desgins
Design
Eyes: Bold eyes that mimic the nocternal sight of an anglier fish that extrude out of the eye socket;slighty blind.Enlogated eyelashes that are made out of the skin due to lack on knowlege on humans bodly functions.
Ears: Sirens don't understand the human body and don't understand the formation on humans ears even though they have ears due to a slight use of echolocation, they mimic the blocky formation on human ears but they don't have the correct knowlege to make them realistic. Their real ears are a huge hole into their skull that make a groteske flesh like pattern suround it.
Eyebrows: Just as mentioned before sirens don't understand the human body intern eyebrows, so their just lumps that pertrude out of the skin.
Eyelids: A darkish purple as if they mimiced a womens makeup.Intern making the eyes look hollow.
Nose: Sirens do have noses or more so holes to breath out of, however to make them more human they tryed to replicate a human nose yet don't understand the structure and reason they look the way they do. They used exsce skin to form lumps that looks like a formation of a human nose.
Mouth: They have sharp and jagid teeth to eat and tare through muscles and fat on bones.The can unhinge their jaw like a snake to eat human easyer.
Skin: Streachy scaly plae skin that is thin making teeth and bones purtrude out of the skin lines.
Gills: So they can breath underwater.
Collerbones: Again they use their lack of knowledge to attempt to create a human like appearence they make the shape of a colerbone out of their skin.
Visual Mood Board
Human Perspective
In a humans perspective when a siren uses their voice to adapt a humans mind to change their hormoans and visuals. When they do this the human whos mind is in a state of dulusion will see the siren as their ideal man or women. The skin will smooth out, their miss used lumps of skin become realistic ears, collerbone, nose and lips and their eyes will lighten and become soft. It will feel like an "angelic light" blurs their faces as their voice lures then closer until they attack and eat them. Normaly dragging them underwater and eating them alive.
Race And Ethnicity
In this cultural studies we learnt about the diffrent race and ethnicity in diffrent games
Mass Effect
Turians
It seems to me that in many sci-fi stories that contain alien races. We can't help but make them solely off a single part of human society. But I believe Mass Effect has done a really good job at this.
Each race represents a general area of either human nature or human society. Each species follows these patterns fairly rigidly minus a couple of humorous examples in game. The game explains this by saying that its humans that are the special ones. That we have more diversity than other races.For example, the Turians; Turians represent Order. Being a militaristic race they prefer order, law, and strict rigid boundaries in their life. They show what peace can be like in society, while also being ready for war. Because of their order seeking society they choose a Meritocracy as a government where everyone and everything is ruled by a central power, has a strict place, and is fairly inflexible.
Horizon Zero Dawn
Horizon Forbidden West contains an abundance of Ethiopian mythology and culture that is masterfully connected to the game's plot. Players meet mythological characters and legendary creatures from Ethiopian mythology.the immersive incorporation of Ethiopian culture in the video game "Horizon Forbidden West," focusing on visual, narrative, and thematic themes. It explains how the game represents Ethiopian legacy and custom by examining architectural design, landscape portrayal, mythological integration, and character representation.Horizon Forbidden West's visual setting serves as a beautiful example of how Ethiopian cultural elements are brought to life, inviting players with complex details and stunning aesthetics. One of the most noticeable features is the architecture, which is inspired by Ethiopia's rich heritage of building styles, with delicately carved walls and towering structures reflective of ancient landmarks.
Horizon Zero Dawn
Skyrim
Skyrim types
The available races, all recognizably humanoid, fall under three general headings: the Human-like (Nords, Bretons, Imperials, and Redguards), the Elf-like (Altmer, Dunmer, Bosmer, and Orsimer “Orcs”), and the Beast-like (Khajiit and Argonian).Each one possesses its own unique racial abilities and powers. Each race starts with +10 in one skill and +5 in five other skills. However, this doesn't mean that a race is restricted to a certain play-style, as it is possible to develop any skill over time.Many Altmer are horrible supremacists. In the 2nd era, there was an organization called Veiled Heritage that was trying to overthrow the Aldmeri monarchy with their own more racist candidate, because they did not like the open-minded Queen Ayrenn. After the Oblivion Crisis, in the 4th Era, the monarchy of the Third Aldmeri Dominion’s monarchy was overthrown by one of its institutions, the Thalmor, and the members of this Thalmor were supremacists jerks.
Social Change
For this cultural studies task we had to explore how games create social change and analyse the impact they have had on social issues.
Idea mood board
visual mood board
Working With Water
Working with Water, this game teaches people about developing and maintaining a sustainable water supply system along the Central Coast of Australia. The game goes as a community grows, the need for clean drinking water grows alongside it. Therefore, the player is responsible for building new infrastructures that satisfy this ever increasing demand.The developers wanted to create an informative yet engaging platform that taught its community about their water management services. This made people aware of water crisises around the world.
