Making that money $$$

There are many different jobs to choose from in the video game world that most people would never even think of. Of course you have your designer who creates the layout of the game. They are the ones who draws the characters, comes up with the plot, the environment in which to place the character, and even the props the character uses. You have to be very creative to be in this position, and you need to be able to come up with ideas that have never been heard of to satisfy the growing market. Video game designers usually make $70,000-$90,000 annually, which is a pretty good chunk of change. Another career in the video game industry that a lot of people do not think about is a composer of music. Most video games in today’s society resemble movies, and they all have some sort of soundtrack to go along with the theme of the game. They are generally paid $1,000-$2,500 per minute of music played in the game.

If you are the kind of person who is not artistic and cannot play music to save your life, then there is another career you can have where you just play the game and get paid. This career is called a tester but it is not all fun as it is made out to be. A tester has to be very good at paying attention to close detail and make sure that nothing is wrong with the game. They need to be very good at playing video games and they have to play every level. Testers also have to play the very bad games that no one would want to play, but they also get to play the super fun games before anyone else. A tester usually makes about $8.00-$10.00 an hour, an if the tester is very experienced they can make $14.00 an hour.

When the tester has finished playing the game and says it is good to go then starts the process of getting the game on the market for consumer to purchase. A marketing director has to come up with ways to get people interested in the game, whether that is having a preview of the game for people to try it out, or coming up with an advertising campaign. They need to be skilled in marketing and have a background in Public Relations. With so many different careers to choose from in the video game industry, there is a job for everyone.

References: Gotto, C. (n.d.). Exploring Different Career Paths in the Gam ndust. Retrieved April 20, 2015, from http://venturebeat.com/community/2013/08/10/careers-in-the-video-game-industry/

Interactive video games.

When most people think about working out they think of going to the gym surrounded by a bunch of people or running alongside the street for miles, but there is a different way of working out without having to leave your home. Interactive video games such as Wii and Xbox 360 allows you to play video games while working out. Having played these games I can personally say that they really do make you work out and apply a lot of energy. Studies show that these interactive games are actually good for your health and reduce cholesterol, diabetes, and obesity in people who play them weekly. Most children in today’s society love to play video games and they do not get the change to go outside, which increases their chance of becoming overweight. If children play these games they can still be active while doing what they enjoy.

Interactive video games can be used for more than just exercising and having fun, they have been used to help rehabilitate children’s upper body strength who have cerebral palsy. These interactive games make a challenging situation more fun and exciting. This video shows how these games help with rehabilitation.

References: Newton, & Russel. (2008). Short-Term Pstchological Effecs of Interactive Video Game Technology Exercise on Mood and Attention. Journal of Educational Technology and Society, 11(2). Retrieved April 16, 2015, from http://www.jstor.org.proxy.lib.fsu.edu/stable/10.2307/jeductechsoci.11.2.294?Search=yes&resultItemClick=true&searchText=interactive&searchText=video&searchText=games&searchUri=/action/doBasicSearch?Query=interactive+video+games&prq=art+and+creativity+in+video+games&group=none&fc=off&hp=25&acc=on&so=rel&wc=on

Art and creativity in video games.

What defines art? Most people think that art can only be found in a museum or on a stage performing a dance routine, but what about video games? Most people do not stop to think how much creativity goes into making a video game. An artist has to design this whole virtual world and all of the players in it, which takes a lot of time and creative thinking to satisfy people’s expectation for something new and original. This kind of art form is different from most because it requires computer programming, developers, design, project management, and a substantial amount of testing (Tschang, 2007). The artist has to draw out every single character, the props the character will use, and even what environment they will be in. Not only do they draw this with pencil and paper but they also have to transfer it over to a computer which is probably a lot harder than we might think. The MoMA Museum recognizes that video games are in fact art, and they were one of the first museums to put video games on display. This video gives more detail about why MoMA decided to put video games in their collection of art. 

Reerences: Tschng, F. (2007). Balancing the Tensions Between Rationalization and Creativity in the Video Games Indtry. Organization Science, 18(6). Retrieved April 7, 2015, from http://www.jstor.org.proxy.lib.fsu.edu/stable/25146154?Search=yes&resultItemClick=true&searchText=art&searchText=and&searchText=creativity&searchText=in&searchText=video&searchText=games&searchUri=/action/doBasicSearch?Query=art+and+creativity+in+video+games&prq=%28video+games%29&group=none&fc=off&acc=on&wc=on&hp=25&so=rel&seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents

Relationships in video games.

Each and every one of us has a relationship with another person, whether it is with their parents, a best friend, or a significant other. Most of us form these relationships in school, at work, or even by joining a club of some sort, but what if you meet your best friend or the person you want to spend the rest of your life with through a video game? In todays society 67% of United States households play video games, which is well over half. With this many people playing video games, I think that it is normal to have a relationship with someone in a virtual world. When you log into a game there are thousands of other people playing the same game you are, so it is quite easy for you to come into contact with another person who may be in a different country but is right in front of you in this virtual world. In these games you can have a full conversation with someone without ever seeing who is on the other side of the control stick. You are able to get to know each other and disclose as much information as you would like to the other person. When we form a relationship with someone in life we are looking for shared values, beliefs, characteristics we find appealing, and shared interest. This is the same when it comes to forming a relationship with someone in a virtual world.

These relationships can be helpful to someone who may not have healthy relationships in real life. If someone has a lot of friends in a virtual world it can make them feel as though they are connected with society in their own way. This can also be quite damaging to someone if the other gamer decides they do not want to play anymore and log off for good. Not every video game requires you to interact with another player though, you can play for months and never come in contact with another player. It is solely up to the gamer if they want to form a relationship with someone in a video game. When I play a video game it is usually with my friends who are there in person playing the game with me. I have never formed a relationship with someone in a virtual world but I find it very interesting and maybe next time I play a game I will strike up a conversation with someone.

References: Video Game Industry Statistics. (n.d.). Retrieved April 2, 2015, from http://www.esrb.org/about/video-game-industry-statistics.jsp

Creating your avatar.

When we look in the mirror most of us see the flaws within ourselves and wish that we could change them to seem more perfect to society. What if there was a way that you could pick out every detail about yourself? You could decide how tall you want to be, how skinny or fat, and even your skin color. In the world we live in this is not possible but there is a world where creating the “perfect” person is.

An avatar is a picture that represents a computer user in a game or on the internet, according to Marrim Webster dictionary. A user creates an avatar so that they feel as though they are actually in the game. They feel as though they are the ones actually bowling or shooting the bad guy. When a user creates their avatar do they randomly pick traits or do they consciously think about how they want their avatars to look. If a user is consciously thinking about how their avatar should look, how do they pick out their avatar and why do they pick out the traits that they do? According to Nick Yee, who worked at the Plato Alto Research Center, most gamers make glorified avatars based on themselves. He also says that “people with a higher body mass index – likely overweight or obese – create more physically idealized avatars, [which are] taller or thinner. And people who are depressed or have low self-esteem create avatars with more idealized traits, [such as being] more gregarious and conscientious.” When a gamer creates an avatar that they like, it makes them more involved in the game and makes them want to play more often. They feel a stronger connection to the world in which their avatar lives and research showed that when a gamer thought their avatar was “attractive” they were more likely to interact with other players avatars.

A user can literally become a different person through their avatars which might actually help them in the real world. If a user is shy in real life but more outgoing in a digital world, and they see the effects of how people positively respond to outgoing avatars, that might prompt the user to become more outgoing in everyday life. There are some negative effects of creating an avatar though. A major effect is that when a person creates an avatar they like so much they may not want to leave the digital world and could become anti-social. They could become so fixated on their avatar because they can change every detail but in real life we cannot fix our flaws as easily.

References: Madigan, J. (2013, November 29). The Psychology of Video Game Avaars. Retrieved March 28, 2015, from http://www.psychologyofgames.com/2013/11/the-psychology-of-video-game-avatars/

Gamer Culture

Hello my name is Ashley and I am a Student at Florida State University and I am majoring in media communication. This blog is for a project in my com3332 class. over the next several weeks I will be discussing the growing world of online gaming. I will be addressing several different points in the gamer culture.