Video game culture
A popular method of accomplishing this is a LAN (Local Area Network) party, which is hosted at a home and involves family and friends,[6] creating a social event for people-friendly with each other.
Shapiro also stresses the possibility of "Using technology to enhance one's social life",[9] as friendships no longer have to be structured by physical proximity (e.g. neighbors, colleagues).
[10] One of the most groundbreaking titles in the history of online video games is Quake[citation needed], which offered the ability to play with sixteen and eventually up to thirty-two players simultaneously in a 3D world.
Clans also allow players to assist each other in simulated combat and quests in-game advancement, as well as providing an online family for friendly socializing.
Gamers can often develop sub-communities in-game clans and may use third party VOIP programs to communicate while playing games such as Skype, Ventrillo, TeamSpeak or Discord.
[12] Likewise, these same places become key locations for game developers to communicate with their fans, were often dedicated employees act as liaisons as a bridge between the company and the community.
Some of the most advanced networks take place with massively-multiplayer online gaming where servers of tens of thousands can be present simultaneously in the same instance or environment.
David Marshall argues against the rich source of "effects" based research, finding that games are "deliberating and anti-social forms of behavior".
Exemplifying 'The Sims Online', he states "has built up entire political and social structures in given communities' that provide an elaborate game life for participants".
[20] Additionally, multiplayer and online games can promote social connections, especially with player interaction either in cooperative or competitive settings potentially developing teamwork abilities.
[21] In particular, multiplayer online games may encourage players to work as a team, solve problems, and build virtual communities, creating a space for socialization in the digital world.
[21] In more extreme cases, addiction to video games has been linked to developments of antisocial behavior and separation from real world interactions.
William Siu argues that video games have the potential to disrupt the development of critical social skills, as children become more immersed in their virtual worlds.
Research has also proven that video games, specifically that require strategy, critical thinking, or complex decision making have the potential to enhance cognitive ability.
Players of action packed video games have additionally been shown to exceed at tasks which require visual processing speed and selective attention.
It has been proved that students who are addicted to video games often show decreased attention spans and diminished impulse control, which can result in many negative effects in their lives.
[21] Due to the addictive nature of video games, it has been found that it results in more time spent playing online than in real world social scenarios.
For LGBTQ+ gamers, sometimes referred to as "gaymers," video games provide a unique space for sexual expression, identity exploration, and community building, offering a degree of freedom and acceptance not always found in the real world.
The marginalization of women and other non-dominant groups within gaming culture and the industry underscores the need for more inclusive representation and opportunities for all gamers.
Other video games labeled as pop-culture phenomena include Final Fantasy, Halo, Metal Gear, The Legend of Zelda, Tomb Raider, Grand Theft Auto, Call of Duty, World of Warcraft, Fortnite, Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat, Pokémon, Guitar Hero, Sonic the Hedgehog, and the Mario games.
"[34] Due to Grand Theft Auto's extreme violence and mature themes, the games throughout the years would create a variety of different controversies.
The character is portrayed as a foul-mouthed, short-tempered retro gamer who reviews old video games usually sarcastically and negatively with frequent use of profanity for comical effect.
The earliest example was the electronic music band Yellow Magic Orchestra's self-titled album, released in 1978,[39] which used Space Invaders samples as instrumentation.
[47] Aphex Twin, an experimental electronic artist, under the name "PowerPill" released the Pacman EP in 1992 that featured a heavy use of Pac-Man sound effects.
An entire music genre called chiptunes, or sometimes gamewave, have artists dedicated to using the synthesizer sets that came with past video game consoles and computers, particularly the Commodore 64 and the Nintendo Entertainment System.
The influence of retro video games on contemporary music can also be seen in the work of less purist "Bitpop" artists, such as Solemn Camel Crew and Anamanaguchi.
Full orchestras, such as the Symphonic Game Music Concert tour North America, the United States, and Asia performing symphonic versions of video game songs, particularly the Final Fantasy series, the Metal Gear series, and Nintendo themed music, such as the Mario & Zelda Big Band Live Concert.
Examples of films based on video games include Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat, BloodRayne, Doom, House of the Dead, Alone in the Dark, Resident Evil, Silent Hill, Tomb Raider, Assassin's Creed, and Warcraft.
Until 2019, films based on video games generally had carried a negative connotation for lackluster quality, typically attributed to the difficulties of translating an interactive work to a passive form of entertainment.
The first interactive movie game was Dragon's Lair, originally released in the arcades in 1983, making it the first game to use a laserdisc and animation by Don Bluth, a man who worked for Disney on features like Robin Hood, The Rescuers, and Pete's Dragon, but later worked for other film companies like United Artists (All Dogs Go to Heaven) and Universal Studios (The Land Before Time).
