Video games have evolved significantly since the first game in the 1950s. They were initially seen as only for teenagers and nerds but are now a $74 billion industry and part of mainstream culture. Virtual worlds allow people to take on new roles and identities and interact in online communities. While some negative effects like game addiction have been seen, games may also provide cognitive benefits and teach new skills when used for education. As technology continues to advance, the line between virtual and real worlds will likely become more blurred.

1. Social, Cultural, and Future Effects of Video
Games and Virtual Worlds
Stewart Smith
CE502

2. Games!

3. Why Do We Play Games?
Stress relief? To achieve something? To compete for dominance?
(Lazzaro, 2004)
Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs (bottom right)
Micheal from Vsauce talking about why we play games – Worth checking
out for an in-depth look at human behaviour
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5jDspIC4hY

4. The First Game
There seems to be some debate over what the
first video game actually was, but it precedes
the 1950’s. Simple flashing lights and computer
coding allowed single player games like chess
or tic-tac-toe to be played.
The first shooter, however, is called Spacewar.
(Bellis, year unspecified)
Eisenfunk's song called Pong.
Check it out!

5. How Games Have Changed
In 1972, a company called Magnavox released
the Magnavox Odyssey, which
was the worlds first home
entertainment console. The
console supported 12 different
cartridges with a total of 27 games.
Technology quickly developed after
this first generation console,
incorporating increasingly large
processors and RAM space, and
supporting more complex graphics
and frames per second.

6. Games Are for Teenagers and
Nerds!
(Chant, 2013)

7. Becoming a Part of Life
The “gaming industry” is worth over 74 billion
dollars.... Which should clear up any confusion
you may have had about gaming's popularity.
(Hinkle, 2011) $$$

8. Changing Culture
MLG = Major League Gaming/Gamer
(Abuhadid, 2009)
Burnout Paradise – Obama's Presidential Ad

9. Role Playing!
Not all video games are called role playing
games, but for the majority of them you are
playing the role of somebody else… even if you
create your own character, that represents your
real self, you’re still in a situation that you
wouldn’t be in otherwise.
(Juul, 2003)
(Childs, 2011)

10. MMORPG – How To Be Alone In A
CrowdMMORPG – Massively Multiplayer Online Role
Playing Game
World of Warcraft = Abbreviated to WoW.
(Kuranda, 2012) – Taiwanese teenager dies after
a 40+ hour gaming session.

11. Virtual Worlds
Companies and institutes can use space in Second Life to meet with
each other quickly and easily rather than spend thousands of pounds
flying to see each other – perhaps they could just use video calling
technology, but Second Life also has many tools that enable you to
present work and communicate easily with a large group of people.

12. Future Effects
Not only can games help to teach, but the way our
brains work during these “lessons” may in return
teach game developers what is happening
inside our minds when we play certain parts of
games – this may then help them develop
better, more satisfying games.

13. Level Complete
We are getting closer and closer to making things real that were concieved from
science fiction. Suddenly, not so much is out of our grasp as we continually improve
and design and remake and improve again.
Just look at Moore's Law of computer hardware. Every couple of years the power of a
device doubles and its size halves... think about that...

14. Abuhadid, T (2009) Video Games Are Changing America, Available at:
http://group20project.wikispaces.com/Video+Games+Changed+America (Accessed: 13/05/13)
Chant, I (2013) Old People Who Play Video Games Are Happier, Higher Functioning Than Non-Gaming
Peers, Available at: http://www.geekosystem.com/elderly-video-games-happiness/ (Accessed:
13/05/13)
Childs, M. (2011a) ‘Identity: A Primer’, in Peachey, A. & Childs, M. (eds.) Reinventing Ourselves:
Contemporary Concepts of Identity in Virtual Worlds. London: Springer.
Hinkle, D (2011) Report: Game Industry Worth $74 Billion in 2011, Available at:
http://www.joystiq.com/2011/07/05/report-game-industry-worth-74-billion-in-2011/ (Accessed:
13/05/13)
Lazzaro, N (2004) Why We Play Games: Four Keys to More Emotion Without Story, Available at:
http://www.citeulike.org/group/596/article/436449 (Accessed: 13/05/13)
Maslow, A.H. (1943). A theory of human motivation. Psychological Review, 50(4), 370–96.
Available at: http://psychclassics.yorku.ca/Maslow/motivation.htm (Accessed: 13/05/13)
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http://blogs.reuters.com/mediafile/2011/04/06/how-video-games-have-shifted-the-culture/ (Accessed:
13/05/13)
Hong, J; Tsai, C; Ho, Y; Hwang, M; Wu, C (2013) “A comparative Study of the Learning effectiveness of a
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Jesper, J (2003) "The Game, the Player, the World: Looking for a Heart of Gameness" Digital
Games Research Conference Proceedings, pp.30-45, Available at:
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Kuranda, S (2012) 18-Year-old Dies After Playing Too Many Video Games, Available at:
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12/05/13)
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