They're finally here! Check out the most current video blog for Consoles in the Classroom by clicking on the following link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dj9TTHjx0SY
Happy holidays. We'll see you next year!
Friday, December 24, 2010
Sunday, December 19, 2010
The Thin Red Line – Call of Duty in the Classroom
Call of Duty: Black Ops has undoubtedly become one of 2010’s best selling games. Treyarch and Activision have created an exciting, albeit brief, solo campaign and a stellar online multiplayer platform that will keep gamers coming back for months. They’ve even thrown in some zombies for good measure! But with all this aside, I wonder if Black Ops should occupy a corner of my classroom?
As I’ve said before, not a day goes by that I don’t hear a conversation about Call of Duty: Black Ops in one of my classes, in the hallways, or at the lunch table. From a societal standpoint, there’s always something that people need to talk about around the water cooler. In this case, Black Ops seems to be that something. But from an educational standpoint, there is a thin red line between what should and shouldn’t be discussed in a classroom.
There is no doubt that Black Ops, along with other war games such as the new Medal of Honor and Bad Company all satisfy a niche in the video game market. They all put the player into war-like situations and force him or her to fight to the end. I remember playing Medal of Honor: Frontline on the Playstation 2 and being in awe at having to fight my way up the beach in Normandy. I actually pictured myself alongside my grandfather shooting and ducking for my life. But is this educational?
In a military history course, for sure! I can see the obvious benefits to having a group of students work their way up the beach in Normandy in a video game while they are discussing D-Day in class. I can see the obvious benefits to have students work their way through a Vietnam landing zone while discussing the Ho Chi Minh trail. In one sense, there seems to be no better way to immerse students into the history. And believe it or not, these games are mostly accurate.
Additionally, while students play games like Black Ops online in multi-player matches, they may gain certain benefits from playing socially with other people. Group communication, establishing roles, and compromise are all parts of these online experiences. And certainly in moderation, this type of online communication could help students to communicate outside of the online world.
In the end, it’s still important for educators and parents to remember that some games have a mature rating because they incorporate mature themes. While I do agree with the current rating system, educators and parents need to be cautious about using video games in the classroom or home just for the sake of using a video game that is popular and exciting. Moderation is key! Too much of anything isn’t always a good thing. And even though there are some benefits to playing games like Call of Duty: Black Ops, it ultimately becomes a choice of the teacher or parent to step behind or across that thin red line.
As I’ve said before, not a day goes by that I don’t hear a conversation about Call of Duty: Black Ops in one of my classes, in the hallways, or at the lunch table. From a societal standpoint, there’s always something that people need to talk about around the water cooler. In this case, Black Ops seems to be that something. But from an educational standpoint, there is a thin red line between what should and shouldn’t be discussed in a classroom.
There is no doubt that Black Ops, along with other war games such as the new Medal of Honor and Bad Company all satisfy a niche in the video game market. They all put the player into war-like situations and force him or her to fight to the end. I remember playing Medal of Honor: Frontline on the Playstation 2 and being in awe at having to fight my way up the beach in Normandy. I actually pictured myself alongside my grandfather shooting and ducking for my life. But is this educational?
In a military history course, for sure! I can see the obvious benefits to having a group of students work their way up the beach in Normandy in a video game while they are discussing D-Day in class. I can see the obvious benefits to have students work their way through a Vietnam landing zone while discussing the Ho Chi Minh trail. In one sense, there seems to be no better way to immerse students into the history. And believe it or not, these games are mostly accurate.
Additionally, while students play games like Black Ops online in multi-player matches, they may gain certain benefits from playing socially with other people. Group communication, establishing roles, and compromise are all parts of these online experiences. And certainly in moderation, this type of online communication could help students to communicate outside of the online world.
In the end, it’s still important for educators and parents to remember that some games have a mature rating because they incorporate mature themes. While I do agree with the current rating system, educators and parents need to be cautious about using video games in the classroom or home just for the sake of using a video game that is popular and exciting. Moderation is key! Too much of anything isn’t always a good thing. And even though there are some benefits to playing games like Call of Duty: Black Ops, it ultimately becomes a choice of the teacher or parent to step behind or across that thin red line.
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Alan Wake "tops" Time Magazine Top Ten Everything 2010
Time Magazine released its Top Ten Everything 2010 list and Alan Wake, the Xbox 360 exclusive title, is hailed as the #1 game of the year.
Red Dead Redemption, Halo: Reach, Super Mario Galaxy, and Mass Effect 2 are also on the list.
Interestingly enough, Time says Alan Wake's "biggest triumph lies in turning metaphor into game play." Wait, isn't talk like that only allowed in English classes?
Check out the list of everything at http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/completelist/0,29569,2035319,00.html
Red Dead Redemption, Halo: Reach, Super Mario Galaxy, and Mass Effect 2 are also on the list.
Interestingly enough, Time says Alan Wake's "biggest triumph lies in turning metaphor into game play." Wait, isn't talk like that only allowed in English classes?
Check out the list of everything at http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/completelist/0,29569,2035319,00.html
Monday, December 13, 2010
"E-views" and Video Blogs - Coming Soon!
Yeah, I tend to be wordy. I guess it's my curse as a teacher and writer. But I'm changing it up.
"E-views" are short, email interviews with professionals in the video game and edcuation industries.
Video Blogs are primarily my way to re-cap the week in education and video games, but will also serve as a spring board for you to "hear" my opinions on these two topics.
Stay tuned for more info! They'll be up and running very soon.
"E-views" are short, email interviews with professionals in the video game and edcuation industries.
Video Blogs are primarily my way to re-cap the week in education and video games, but will also serve as a spring board for you to "hear" my opinions on these two topics.
Stay tuned for more info! They'll be up and running very soon.
Academic Success in a Digital World
Education Weekly recently posted on its website an article discussing the need for k-12 schools to implement more technology into the classroom. While there are many concerns, most of which I will not discuss here, it seems to me that teachers are simply behind their students. In fact, I feel as if most schools simply do not allow access to technology because they are afraid or don't understand it. It just seems backwards to me to have a world where every person (more often the young people) is connected at all times, but when a student steps into a classroom he or she is forced to disconnect. Maybe it makes sense that they disconnect from learning as well.
With that said, I feel as though classes designed to teach students how to productively and responsibly use current technology to reach educational goals would be a great first step. And with that said, wouldn't it be fantastic to design a class that would infuse the use of video games into a stagnate, novel driven curriculum?
Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying let's burn books and start playing games. I'm simply saying, let's meet our students where they are. It seems to me that for our students to reach academic success in a digital world they need to see that teachers and classrooms embrace the real world, not shut it out.
Not a day goes by that I don't hear a group of students discussing Call of Duty or Halo. So, why not turn that conversation into learning? Honestly, I don't hear them talking about Of Mice and Men or the Odyssey while sitting at the lunch table!
Just a thought! Take a look at the Education Weekly article at: http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2010/12/08/14digital_ep.h30.html
With that said, I feel as though classes designed to teach students how to productively and responsibly use current technology to reach educational goals would be a great first step. And with that said, wouldn't it be fantastic to design a class that would infuse the use of video games into a stagnate, novel driven curriculum?
Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying let's burn books and start playing games. I'm simply saying, let's meet our students where they are. It seems to me that for our students to reach academic success in a digital world they need to see that teachers and classrooms embrace the real world, not shut it out.
Not a day goes by that I don't hear a group of students discussing Call of Duty or Halo. So, why not turn that conversation into learning? Honestly, I don't hear them talking about Of Mice and Men or the Odyssey while sitting at the lunch table!
Just a thought! Take a look at the Education Weekly article at: http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2010/12/08/14digital_ep.h30.html
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Welcome to the Metro!
"So, you're sitting there on watch. You're warming yourself by the fire. And suddenly you hear it: from the tunnel, from somewhere in the depths, a regular, dull knocking rings out – first, in the distance, quietly, and then, ever closer, and ever louder. . . And suddenly your ears are struck by a horrible, graveyard howl, and it's coming closer. . . And then complete mayhem!"
Dmitry Glukhovsky wrote Metro 2033 to describe a dark, ominous, and treacherous post-apocalyptic Moscow in which the citizens who managed to survive the nuclear fallout have fled to Moscow's metro tunnels. With suffocating ceilings and dank, mutant filled tunnels, the metro stations of Moscow are no longer the preferred method of travel for citizens. Instead, the stations are considered home and the tunnels are only passable with ample ammunition and a little bit of luck; not to mention some friends along the way.
And it is exactly these elements that make this novel a perfect choice to adapt to a full-scale blockbuster video game.
Though the novel begins with some background information about the protagonist's upbringing in the Metro system as an orphan who lost his parents in an attack by mutated, killer rats, the Metro 2033 game establishes the player's role as Artyom by using a flash-forward to the end of a story that will unfold over the next ten hours. This flash-forward proves to be the player's opportunity to become familiar with the controls of the game more than to establish the storyline of the game because it seems to end all too quickly. And though my initial perception of Artyom in the novel was one of a weak-willed tunnel dweller who gets pushed into making a promise to protect the metro, the game finds a way to establish the protagonist as a strong-willed, gun yielding tunnel mercenary that is afraid of nearly everything and nothing at the same time.
Eventually, when Artyom leaves the safety of his home station, he must trust a series of strangers to help him navigate the ruthless tunnel system. Though he truly has no other choice, the reader finally finds Artyom making decisions that affect his future rather than reluctantly following the path of the leaders. He begins to question his surroundings and begins to question the decisions his new "friends" are making. In this sense, Artyom is familiarizing himself with the metro system that he has never seen. The new tunnels, people, and stations each have their own identity and Artyom must determine how he fits into each of them. In the game, on the other hand, Artyom has no other choice than to continue through the path that is laid forth by the game designers. Unfortunately, choice is not necessarily a part of the game's story. In fact, the player has very little choice over his path through the game other than choosing whether or not to loot dead bodies for ammunition. In this respect, the game fails to capture the personality of Artyom's character and the personality of the novel.
With characterization aside, 4A made an ingenious choice in regards to plot progression when they decided to present excerpts from the novel on the game's load screens. As the game progresses, the player sees these specific parts of the novel while waiting for their current checkpoint to load. These small passages add to the player's game experience as they add a bit of back story and voice to Artyom's otherwise voiceless character. The excerpts also provide an easy opportunity for the game developers to advance the plot without adding new elements to the game play. Additionally, they also serve as a welcomed diversion to waiting impatiently to blast more mutated, tunnel dwelling rodents.
The Metro 2033 game also succeeds in maintaining the dark settings and themes that the novel so passionately establishes. In both the novel and the game, I couldn't help but get chills when Artyom stepped carefully into a dark corridor or came face-to-face with throwback communist soldiers. And though the game is favorable in terms of action as Artyom's main priority is to shoot at pretty much anything that growls or scurries in the darkness, the novel, through the various character interactions, establishes a certain level of suspense that had me turning page after page.
In the end, 4A games should be proud of its choice to bring Metro 2033 to life on the Xbox 360. As an English teacher, I would certainly agree to my students reading the novel and analyzing the text in relation to the game. With so many choices of analysis in regards to character development, plot, theme, and setting, students could find themselves deeply immersed in the post-apocalyptic world of Metro 2033. In fact, they might not be able to find their way out!
Check out the game website at www.metro2033game.com.
Dmitry Glukhovsky wrote Metro 2033 to describe a dark, ominous, and treacherous post-apocalyptic Moscow in which the citizens who managed to survive the nuclear fallout have fled to Moscow's metro tunnels. With suffocating ceilings and dank, mutant filled tunnels, the metro stations of Moscow are no longer the preferred method of travel for citizens. Instead, the stations are considered home and the tunnels are only passable with ample ammunition and a little bit of luck; not to mention some friends along the way.
And it is exactly these elements that make this novel a perfect choice to adapt to a full-scale blockbuster video game.
Though the novel begins with some background information about the protagonist's upbringing in the Metro system as an orphan who lost his parents in an attack by mutated, killer rats, the Metro 2033 game establishes the player's role as Artyom by using a flash-forward to the end of a story that will unfold over the next ten hours. This flash-forward proves to be the player's opportunity to become familiar with the controls of the game more than to establish the storyline of the game because it seems to end all too quickly. And though my initial perception of Artyom in the novel was one of a weak-willed tunnel dweller who gets pushed into making a promise to protect the metro, the game finds a way to establish the protagonist as a strong-willed, gun yielding tunnel mercenary that is afraid of nearly everything and nothing at the same time.
Eventually, when Artyom leaves the safety of his home station, he must trust a series of strangers to help him navigate the ruthless tunnel system. Though he truly has no other choice, the reader finally finds Artyom making decisions that affect his future rather than reluctantly following the path of the leaders. He begins to question his surroundings and begins to question the decisions his new "friends" are making. In this sense, Artyom is familiarizing himself with the metro system that he has never seen. The new tunnels, people, and stations each have their own identity and Artyom must determine how he fits into each of them. In the game, on the other hand, Artyom has no other choice than to continue through the path that is laid forth by the game designers. Unfortunately, choice is not necessarily a part of the game's story. In fact, the player has very little choice over his path through the game other than choosing whether or not to loot dead bodies for ammunition. In this respect, the game fails to capture the personality of Artyom's character and the personality of the novel.
With characterization aside, 4A made an ingenious choice in regards to plot progression when they decided to present excerpts from the novel on the game's load screens. As the game progresses, the player sees these specific parts of the novel while waiting for their current checkpoint to load. These small passages add to the player's game experience as they add a bit of back story and voice to Artyom's otherwise voiceless character. The excerpts also provide an easy opportunity for the game developers to advance the plot without adding new elements to the game play. Additionally, they also serve as a welcomed diversion to waiting impatiently to blast more mutated, tunnel dwelling rodents.
The Metro 2033 game also succeeds in maintaining the dark settings and themes that the novel so passionately establishes. In both the novel and the game, I couldn't help but get chills when Artyom stepped carefully into a dark corridor or came face-to-face with throwback communist soldiers. And though the game is favorable in terms of action as Artyom's main priority is to shoot at pretty much anything that growls or scurries in the darkness, the novel, through the various character interactions, establishes a certain level of suspense that had me turning page after page.
In the end, 4A games should be proud of its choice to bring Metro 2033 to life on the Xbox 360. As an English teacher, I would certainly agree to my students reading the novel and analyzing the text in relation to the game. With so many choices of analysis in regards to character development, plot, theme, and setting, students could find themselves deeply immersed in the post-apocalyptic world of Metro 2033. In fact, they might not be able to find their way out!
Check out the game website at www.metro2033game.com.
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
PS3 in the Pentagon? It's True!
A recent story on the cleveland.com front page presented an view of the Pentagon that many people, including a gamer like me, would never have expected: they're a bunch of gamers too! Well, not really. The story paints a picture of a government that is spending money wisely-instead of frivolously-on PS3 consoles because of their massive computing capabilities with faster speeds than anything they could purchase today.
Please don't misunderstand this, government workers are not going to sit around their offices playing multiplayer Call of Duty. At least I don't think so. Instead, with all the consoles linked together the Pentagon will have one of the most powerful supercomputers available.
On one hand, though, I do wish they would all sit around with controllers in their hands shooting zombies. It might be kind of fun to jump online with a couple of CIA agents to take down some of the walking dead.
Check out the story for yourselves:
http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2010/11/defense_department_is_using_pl.html
Please don't misunderstand this, government workers are not going to sit around their offices playing multiplayer Call of Duty. At least I don't think so. Instead, with all the consoles linked together the Pentagon will have one of the most powerful supercomputers available.
On one hand, though, I do wish they would all sit around with controllers in their hands shooting zombies. It might be kind of fun to jump online with a couple of CIA agents to take down some of the walking dead.
Check out the story for yourselves:
http://blog.cleveland.com/metro/2010/11/defense_department_is_using_pl.html
Monday, December 6, 2010
Adapting Novels to Games?
It’s not a new idea to take a best-selling novel and change its delivery to suit a wider audience. Film makers have been doing it since the beginning of the modern film era. You probably notice as you drive by any movie theater that nothing is off limits when it comes to adapting the written word to film. Most recently I remember watching the films The Road and Angels and Demons, both best-selling novels. Though both films achieved varied success, it was interesting to watch them having also read the novels.
In the classroom, it seems to be standard practice to view the film version of a novel as an end-of-unit assessment or just for fun. As my own students are reading Of Mice and Men, at the end of our discussion of the novel we will watch the film and discuss the various differences and similarities between the two. Additionally, we will discuss why the director made certain choices to omit or change parts of the novel that, upon first reading, seem very important.
However, with all of this in mind, can the same ideas be transferred to games?
Though it also seems commonplace for film companies to cut out a quick, easy, usually pathetic video game based on a blockbuster film, it is not so common for companies to roll out games based on novels.
In the recent past, Dante’s Inferno was released by EA and Visceral Games as an adaptation of the poem The Inferno by Dante Alighieri. THQ and 4A Games released Metro 2033 on the Xbox 360 as a direct adaptation of the novel Metro 2033 by Dmitri Glukhovsky. Both games will be the focus of future blog entries as I delve into their worlds of adaptation and determine if these games would be useful games to use in the classroom if used simultaneously with their written partners.
I pose the question to you first: Do you think a novel can be adequately adapted into a game? Let me know your comments. Happy gaming!
In the classroom, it seems to be standard practice to view the film version of a novel as an end-of-unit assessment or just for fun. As my own students are reading Of Mice and Men, at the end of our discussion of the novel we will watch the film and discuss the various differences and similarities between the two. Additionally, we will discuss why the director made certain choices to omit or change parts of the novel that, upon first reading, seem very important.
However, with all of this in mind, can the same ideas be transferred to games?
Though it also seems commonplace for film companies to cut out a quick, easy, usually pathetic video game based on a blockbuster film, it is not so common for companies to roll out games based on novels.
In the recent past, Dante’s Inferno was released by EA and Visceral Games as an adaptation of the poem The Inferno by Dante Alighieri. THQ and 4A Games released Metro 2033 on the Xbox 360 as a direct adaptation of the novel Metro 2033 by Dmitri Glukhovsky. Both games will be the focus of future blog entries as I delve into their worlds of adaptation and determine if these games would be useful games to use in the classroom if used simultaneously with their written partners.
I pose the question to you first: Do you think a novel can be adequately adapted into a game? Let me know your comments. Happy gaming!
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Characters of the Decade
I was eager to open the latest issue of Game Informer magazine when I saw that it featured articles on the most definitive characters and storytellers of the last decade. Of course, as an English teacher, I love telling my students about memorable characters in literature and push them to research more about them even if we don’t read about them in class. Characters in video games, I believe, have as much value and impact our world view as much as literary characters like Holden Caulfield, Atticus Finch, and Jay Gatsby.
A character such as Kratos, from the God of War series, defines strength, power and revenge but is ultimately a product of the exceptional, mythological story found within the series itself. Andrew Ryan, the ominous voice in Bioshock, is also featured for his vision and power in Rapture and his death at the hands of the protagonist. Master Chief, from the Halo series, is highlighted for his leadership and reliability on the battlefield. All in all, the thirty characters that grace the pages have in some way or another shaped how characters are developed in video games and prove that great video games, just like literature, have memorable characters.
It would be a fun activity to ask my students what makes a character memorable. Is it his influence on other characters? Is it his influence on the reader? His impact on the plot? Well at the very least I’m sure they could tell me their own favorite characters in both games and literature!
In the end, the article is excellent and worthy of more than one read. I can’t help but remember Jason, from the NES Friday the 13th, tearing through the woods with a machete trailed by frightening synthesizer music. He is definitely a memorable character in my book!
A character such as Kratos, from the God of War series, defines strength, power and revenge but is ultimately a product of the exceptional, mythological story found within the series itself. Andrew Ryan, the ominous voice in Bioshock, is also featured for his vision and power in Rapture and his death at the hands of the protagonist. Master Chief, from the Halo series, is highlighted for his leadership and reliability on the battlefield. All in all, the thirty characters that grace the pages have in some way or another shaped how characters are developed in video games and prove that great video games, just like literature, have memorable characters.
It would be a fun activity to ask my students what makes a character memorable. Is it his influence on other characters? Is it his influence on the reader? His impact on the plot? Well at the very least I’m sure they could tell me their own favorite characters in both games and literature!
In the end, the article is excellent and worthy of more than one read. I can’t help but remember Jason, from the NES Friday the 13th, tearing through the woods with a machete trailed by frightening synthesizer music. He is definitely a memorable character in my book!
Saturday, December 4, 2010
Fallout: New Vegas - The First Hour!
Fallout: New Vegas has been touted as the most anticipated title of 2010. With the success of Fallout 3 on the PS3 and Xbox 360, Fallout: New Vegas has very big shoes to fill. After one hour of game play, does this new title live up to the hype?
Through a foggy, white haze, I am finally able to see a rough faced man sitting across from me. His name is Doc Mitchell and he has stitched me up after Victor, a robotic cowboy, saved me from being buried alive. After a series of questions from Doc, I am able to create my character. I chose a shallow beard and long hair, though the combinations of facial hair and hair styles seemed endless. After completing my character, Doc pulled me to his therapy couch and ran through a series of psychological tests. Though the outcomes of the tests yield different abilities for the character, I was ultimately able to change the settings to my preferences.
Walking down the dilapidated streets of Goodspring, I run into Sunny Smiles who, with a rather deep voice, talks me through some of the finer points of surviving the post-apocalyptic Nevada desert. Collecting a few flowers and roots prove to be a good way to create some healing powder. Who would have thought?
Sunny leads me to one of the clean-water wells that provide water to the town of Goodspring where I get my first shot at some mutated Gecko lizards. While they run at me with a frenzied, wild-eyed scurry, my varmint gun proves effective in dispatching these lizards with little trouble.
After my first hour of Fallout: New Vegas, I must say I can’t wait for more. I’m intrigued to find out who left me for dead. I’m intrigued to find out which of the warring factions, New California Republic or the Legion, I will ultimately befriend. In the end, I guess I’m ready to search deeper into the post-apocalyptic wasteland again. Bring on the mutated geckos!
Through a foggy, white haze, I am finally able to see a rough faced man sitting across from me. His name is Doc Mitchell and he has stitched me up after Victor, a robotic cowboy, saved me from being buried alive. After a series of questions from Doc, I am able to create my character. I chose a shallow beard and long hair, though the combinations of facial hair and hair styles seemed endless. After completing my character, Doc pulled me to his therapy couch and ran through a series of psychological tests. Though the outcomes of the tests yield different abilities for the character, I was ultimately able to change the settings to my preferences.
Walking down the dilapidated streets of Goodspring, I run into Sunny Smiles who, with a rather deep voice, talks me through some of the finer points of surviving the post-apocalyptic Nevada desert. Collecting a few flowers and roots prove to be a good way to create some healing powder. Who would have thought?
Sunny leads me to one of the clean-water wells that provide water to the town of Goodspring where I get my first shot at some mutated Gecko lizards. While they run at me with a frenzied, wild-eyed scurry, my varmint gun proves effective in dispatching these lizards with little trouble.
After my first hour of Fallout: New Vegas, I must say I can’t wait for more. I’m intrigued to find out who left me for dead. I’m intrigued to find out which of the warring factions, New California Republic or the Legion, I will ultimately befriend. In the end, I guess I’m ready to search deeper into the post-apocalyptic wasteland again. Bring on the mutated geckos!
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Exploring Dystopian Worlds in Literature and Games
On October 21, 2008, Bioshock was revealed to the world as an immersive, morally challenging video game that not only tests a gamer’s abilities to yield a heavy weapon but also his ability to think about the consequences of his actions. Bioshock 2, a sequel to the first game, was released on February 9, 2010 with much excitement. Both games provide a first person point-of-view at the dystopian society of Rapture, a city where art, science, technology, and intelligence should have thrived. However, the experiment was not so successful.
Similarly, novels like George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four and Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged display dystopian societies where art, science, industry and culture are also all too oppressed. In both cases, the characters are forced to flee (physically and mentally) and express themselves in private where the watchful eyes of the government cannot hurt them. And in both cases, just as in Bioshock, the end is not expected.
As an educator, I believe Bioshock is an entertaining and educational lens through which my students can analyze and discuss dystopian elements in literature. Hopefully, by the end of this article, I will have provided some practical ideas and connections to implement Bioshock in your classroom while reading novels with dystopian themes.
Dystopian literature presents to the reader fictional societies in which the idea of a perfect world and existence has instead lead to an imperfect, miserable existence. In most cases, inhabitants of a dystopian society are often paranoid and live in extreme fear because of a constant oppressive, watchful eye. These inhabitants have usually lost their independence and individuality and instead lead a life of conformity. In some cases, the hero or protagonist in dystopian literature often questions the society in which he lives (dystopiainfo.com).
Bioshock puts the gamer in the role of Jack, a plane crash survivor who is sucked into the underwater dystopian society of Rapture. Jack quickly notices that Rapture was once an exciting, vibrant world full of intelligent scientists, talented artists, and powerful leaders who have fled the oppression of the world above the water. However, that once exciting world has all but crumbled. Atlas Shrugged, similarly, though three-quarters of the way through the novel, puts the reader into the shoes of Dagny Taggart who survives a plane crash only to wake up in the secluded mountain world of Atlantis. In this world, the most intelligent minds of society have retreated to strike out against an otherwise oppressive society.
George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four depicts a society of workers in constant paranoia of Big Brother. At every turn, in every room, the watchful eye of Big Brother is constantly beating down the people in the province of Oceania. Winston Smith, the novel’s protagonist, also lives in constant paranoia that his thoughts and existence is under constant surveillance. Eventually, he rebels against Big Brother in an attempt to regain his freedom, but submits to the idea, after torture, that “two plus two equals five.” Bioshock, similarly, presents the people of Rapture as citizens paranoid of the overwhelming power of Andrew Ryan. Jack, the protagonist, finds himself in the middle of this paranoia as he is being led around by a strange voice called Atlas who begins and completes all his sentences with “would you kindly.”
Characters in Bioshock also present some striking similarities to characters in Atlas Shrugged. Atlas, the voice leading Jack through Rapture, is lifted directly from the novel. However, both the novel and the game directly allude to the mythological titan name Atlas who carried the world on his back. Andrew Ryan has striking similarities to John Galt. Both characters are visionaries who want to strike out against an oppressive society that has oppressed the greatest minds of the world. However, in their fight for freedom, they both demand a certain level of control that ultimately controls them.
With these obvious connections aside, a teacher and student can reach the true connections that make these novels and games worthwhile. In Bioshock and dystopian literature, morality plays a major part in the development of the characters and character interactions. Bioshock forces the player to make moral choices during game play by choosing to save or harvest Little Sisters who are carrying large amount of Adam. Adam is absolutely necessary to survive in Rapture and the more a player has the better his chances. However, to what lengths is he willing to go to get it? Murder? Nineteen Eighty-Four presents similar moral choices as Smith must choose whether or not to defy Big Brother in order to save his individuality. However, his choice has consequence. And to what lengths is he willing to go to save himself? Ultimately, these moral choices are what drive the plot forward and provide readers and gamers with a humanistic element to which they themselves can identify. There is more than a choice of guns or ammo, it’s a choice between good and evil.
In his review of Bioshock for the Xbox 360, Gamespot.com analyst Jeff Gertsman says, “BioShock's real strengths are as a compelling work of interactive fiction, and as a unique ride through a warped world with some great payoff built into its mysterious plot.” It is rare, I believe, to so distinctly define a video game as a “compelling work of fiction.” Played simultaneously with the reading of dystopian novels such as Atlas Shrugged and Nineteen Eighty-Four would allow students to find connections and meaning deeper than they had ever thought possible.
Similarly, novels like George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four and Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged display dystopian societies where art, science, industry and culture are also all too oppressed. In both cases, the characters are forced to flee (physically and mentally) and express themselves in private where the watchful eyes of the government cannot hurt them. And in both cases, just as in Bioshock, the end is not expected.
As an educator, I believe Bioshock is an entertaining and educational lens through which my students can analyze and discuss dystopian elements in literature. Hopefully, by the end of this article, I will have provided some practical ideas and connections to implement Bioshock in your classroom while reading novels with dystopian themes.
Dystopian literature presents to the reader fictional societies in which the idea of a perfect world and existence has instead lead to an imperfect, miserable existence. In most cases, inhabitants of a dystopian society are often paranoid and live in extreme fear because of a constant oppressive, watchful eye. These inhabitants have usually lost their independence and individuality and instead lead a life of conformity. In some cases, the hero or protagonist in dystopian literature often questions the society in which he lives (dystopiainfo.com).
Bioshock puts the gamer in the role of Jack, a plane crash survivor who is sucked into the underwater dystopian society of Rapture. Jack quickly notices that Rapture was once an exciting, vibrant world full of intelligent scientists, talented artists, and powerful leaders who have fled the oppression of the world above the water. However, that once exciting world has all but crumbled. Atlas Shrugged, similarly, though three-quarters of the way through the novel, puts the reader into the shoes of Dagny Taggart who survives a plane crash only to wake up in the secluded mountain world of Atlantis. In this world, the most intelligent minds of society have retreated to strike out against an otherwise oppressive society.
George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four depicts a society of workers in constant paranoia of Big Brother. At every turn, in every room, the watchful eye of Big Brother is constantly beating down the people in the province of Oceania. Winston Smith, the novel’s protagonist, also lives in constant paranoia that his thoughts and existence is under constant surveillance. Eventually, he rebels against Big Brother in an attempt to regain his freedom, but submits to the idea, after torture, that “two plus two equals five.” Bioshock, similarly, presents the people of Rapture as citizens paranoid of the overwhelming power of Andrew Ryan. Jack, the protagonist, finds himself in the middle of this paranoia as he is being led around by a strange voice called Atlas who begins and completes all his sentences with “would you kindly.”
Characters in Bioshock also present some striking similarities to characters in Atlas Shrugged. Atlas, the voice leading Jack through Rapture, is lifted directly from the novel. However, both the novel and the game directly allude to the mythological titan name Atlas who carried the world on his back. Andrew Ryan has striking similarities to John Galt. Both characters are visionaries who want to strike out against an oppressive society that has oppressed the greatest minds of the world. However, in their fight for freedom, they both demand a certain level of control that ultimately controls them.
With these obvious connections aside, a teacher and student can reach the true connections that make these novels and games worthwhile. In Bioshock and dystopian literature, morality plays a major part in the development of the characters and character interactions. Bioshock forces the player to make moral choices during game play by choosing to save or harvest Little Sisters who are carrying large amount of Adam. Adam is absolutely necessary to survive in Rapture and the more a player has the better his chances. However, to what lengths is he willing to go to get it? Murder? Nineteen Eighty-Four presents similar moral choices as Smith must choose whether or not to defy Big Brother in order to save his individuality. However, his choice has consequence. And to what lengths is he willing to go to save himself? Ultimately, these moral choices are what drive the plot forward and provide readers and gamers with a humanistic element to which they themselves can identify. There is more than a choice of guns or ammo, it’s a choice between good and evil.
In his review of Bioshock for the Xbox 360, Gamespot.com analyst Jeff Gertsman says, “BioShock's real strengths are as a compelling work of interactive fiction, and as a unique ride through a warped world with some great payoff built into its mysterious plot.” It is rare, I believe, to so distinctly define a video game as a “compelling work of fiction.” Played simultaneously with the reading of dystopian novels such as Atlas Shrugged and Nineteen Eighty-Four would allow students to find connections and meaning deeper than they had ever thought possible.
Monday, October 18, 2010
Finding Perspective
With Fallout: New Vegas hitting shelves tomorrow and a long list of first-person shooters taking aim at consumers in 2011, it may not be difficult for gamers to find a fresh perspective while rifling through these new titles. With tough, new weapons, gripping storylines, and memorable characters, there’s no question that gamers will be faced with opportunities to interact with these new titles in very unique ways. But, in the end, will they see the world through a new set of eyes? And, if they do, does it really matter?
For years, high school students have been asked to take on the role of a character in a novel and try to see the world through his or her eyes. In fact, Atticus Finch, in the famous novel To Kill a Mockingbird, explains to his daughter that “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view…until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.” All of this is an attempt to realize the world of the novel through a unique set of eyes. It’s an attempt to formulate a new perspective.
With his quirky, unpredictable attitude and his obsessive use of “goddamn,” Holden Caulfield is one of the most widely recognized characters in American Literature. Even though he points out in his first words that he really doesn’t care to tell us about himself, he proceeds to recount his life though a series of scattered thoughts about school, New York, and his little sister Phoebe. In the end, though, the reader can’t help but see the world from Holden’s perspective. We just can’t help but see life through his depressing, suicidal eyes, no matter how much we try to turn away.
On the other hand, video games can and do reach the same heights as those well-known novels but are often overlooked because they haven’t been checked out of the local library or beaten through lockers or analyzed by old, grisly English teachers. Games like Bioshock and Bioshock 2 have proven that finding perspective takes more than just putting the gamer in the “skin” of the protagonist. Trudging through the dilapidated, underwater metropolis, gamers are hyper-aware that their surroundings are more than just set pieces used to fill the screen. They constantly fight the oppressive and often times drowning feeling that Rapture asserts on its inhabitants. Through realistic sound effects, stunning graphics and small, confining spaces, the gamer can’t help but feel as though the walls are literally about to crumble around him. Moreover, the storylines in both games provide enough momentum for the player to feel as though his movements and missions are not just thrown in but have significant meaning. With each completed mission and each new upgraded plasmid or weapon, the player feels as though he is growing within the confines of Rapture. And with the growth, he feels the potential to escape.
Fallout 3 is another award winning title that found the right combination of game play mechanics, storyline, and character development to immerse the gamer in a world in which he could feel at home. From birth through adolescents, Fallout 3 allows the gamer to fully realize the first-person perspective by a customization platform to create the protagonist’s appearance. And though it becomes more of a hindrance, switching between the first person and third person perspectives allows the gamer to fully see his own creation. Additionally, with creative missions, a rewarding level-up system, and an explosive storyline, Fallout 3 provides the gamer with an opportunity to grow with the game.
Listening to students discuss video games that they’ve spent hours playing and hours more subconsciously analyzing, one can’t help but wonder if these games have a place in the classroom. Referencing games like Bioshock and Fallout 3 could allow a new generation of students to prove that they don’t have to read a novel by a dead white guy in order to understand perspective and point-of-view. In its very basic form, a gamer could write letters, create audio recordings, or even write a narrative from the point of view of his or her character in a game. In one of those simple activities, he or she can prove a clear understanding of point of view. Though, in some cases, games may require us to turn the other cheek in regards to violence, it would be wrong to downplay the power of seeing a world unfold through the eyes of a character manipulated by a wireless controller.
In the end, does it really matter? Well, with this generation’s reliance on technology and digital media, teachers may eventually find it difficult to push a student into flipping through the pages of a 300-page novel to learn about perspective. It just won’t be as exciting! Navigating a video game might be just as valuable. And, what’s more, it might be more enjoyable.
For years, high school students have been asked to take on the role of a character in a novel and try to see the world through his or her eyes. In fact, Atticus Finch, in the famous novel To Kill a Mockingbird, explains to his daughter that “You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view…until you climb into his skin and walk around in it.” All of this is an attempt to realize the world of the novel through a unique set of eyes. It’s an attempt to formulate a new perspective.
With his quirky, unpredictable attitude and his obsessive use of “goddamn,” Holden Caulfield is one of the most widely recognized characters in American Literature. Even though he points out in his first words that he really doesn’t care to tell us about himself, he proceeds to recount his life though a series of scattered thoughts about school, New York, and his little sister Phoebe. In the end, though, the reader can’t help but see the world from Holden’s perspective. We just can’t help but see life through his depressing, suicidal eyes, no matter how much we try to turn away.
On the other hand, video games can and do reach the same heights as those well-known novels but are often overlooked because they haven’t been checked out of the local library or beaten through lockers or analyzed by old, grisly English teachers. Games like Bioshock and Bioshock 2 have proven that finding perspective takes more than just putting the gamer in the “skin” of the protagonist. Trudging through the dilapidated, underwater metropolis, gamers are hyper-aware that their surroundings are more than just set pieces used to fill the screen. They constantly fight the oppressive and often times drowning feeling that Rapture asserts on its inhabitants. Through realistic sound effects, stunning graphics and small, confining spaces, the gamer can’t help but feel as though the walls are literally about to crumble around him. Moreover, the storylines in both games provide enough momentum for the player to feel as though his movements and missions are not just thrown in but have significant meaning. With each completed mission and each new upgraded plasmid or weapon, the player feels as though he is growing within the confines of Rapture. And with the growth, he feels the potential to escape.
Fallout 3 is another award winning title that found the right combination of game play mechanics, storyline, and character development to immerse the gamer in a world in which he could feel at home. From birth through adolescents, Fallout 3 allows the gamer to fully realize the first-person perspective by a customization platform to create the protagonist’s appearance. And though it becomes more of a hindrance, switching between the first person and third person perspectives allows the gamer to fully see his own creation. Additionally, with creative missions, a rewarding level-up system, and an explosive storyline, Fallout 3 provides the gamer with an opportunity to grow with the game.
Listening to students discuss video games that they’ve spent hours playing and hours more subconsciously analyzing, one can’t help but wonder if these games have a place in the classroom. Referencing games like Bioshock and Fallout 3 could allow a new generation of students to prove that they don’t have to read a novel by a dead white guy in order to understand perspective and point-of-view. In its very basic form, a gamer could write letters, create audio recordings, or even write a narrative from the point of view of his or her character in a game. In one of those simple activities, he or she can prove a clear understanding of point of view. Though, in some cases, games may require us to turn the other cheek in regards to violence, it would be wrong to downplay the power of seeing a world unfold through the eyes of a character manipulated by a wireless controller.
In the end, does it really matter? Well, with this generation’s reliance on technology and digital media, teachers may eventually find it difficult to push a student into flipping through the pages of a 300-page novel to learn about perspective. It just won’t be as exciting! Navigating a video game might be just as valuable. And, what’s more, it might be more enjoyable.
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