Final Blog Entry for Sem 1

Final Blog Entry for Sem 1

For me, genres are Experiences, creations from our feelings and emotions. Perhaps, they also influence us too, creating unique and different emotions in us. This cycle in turn also churns out more genres, creating newer genres and Experiences for us. These genres mirror the human archetypes, revealing our true selves. For example, when watching horror and gore films, your friend who looks timid on the outside may actually sit through the entire thing without being scared or disgusted. You have experienced a side of your friend you don’t know! Experiences can be different, for example, physical, spiritual and others. The Experiences are part of our everyday life, so genres affect us greatly, our Body and Soul, our Existence.

Genres can also be seen as our Existence. Existence is to live. If we do not have feelings and emotions, won’t our life be a boring and plain one? I suppose genres give us a chance to explore our Body and Soul. How will your Body react to the laughter? How will your Soul understand laughter? Through understanding genres then we can understand ourselves. I think genres give us meaning in our life, something to continue and have living on, to Exist for a purpose, that is to Experience.

Experience and Existence are greatly interlinked. Experience’s purpose is to give meaning to Existence while the purpose of Existence is to Experience. If either one of them is lost, there will not be Life anymore. So, genres are very important as they affect our being in and out.

I think that genres can be explained in form and content. The genre form is like a long balloon while the content is the air inside. As a long balloon, it does not seem like something interesting. However, if you twist the balloon into an animal, it will certainly be more interesting. What I’m trying to say is that the genre name is just a word. Fantasy is just a word and does not mean anything. However, once you watch movies or play games related to Fantasy, you will understand what Fantasy means. Also, a long balloon animal can be changed into something different, like a sword, just by using the same balloon. This means that the content of a genre can be presented in another form or perspective, and it will be an entire genre altogether. It is like how Fantasy stories can be represented as a Science Fiction movie. Crossing over different genre forms is what makes the content unique too.

The future of gaming certainly looks bright. Technology has allowed more interaction with the player and game. In the future, the player might be ‘teleported’ into the game dimension or vice versa, playing with his mind, emotions and body instead of using the controller. Hologram images might also be invented then, and players have more choices on how to ‘play’ the game. Certainly, the form and content of the media will change. Presently, there is a limit on the balloon on the amount of air being pumped inside, which means that there can be some great ideas and content that has been thought of, but because of the current limitations of the form, the form is unable to contain the content. However, gradually, the material of the balloon (form) has been strengthened so that more air (content) can be added. In the future, the material of balloon (form) can withstand any amount of air (content) without bursting. Also, there is a possibility that the balloon can think for itself and twist itself, without using our hands, meaning that the forms in the future do not necessarily be our creations but the forms perhaps can think and learn like an AI, creating more forms on its own. Play will be part of our life and our life will be part of Play.

I think a creativity game is a generator which can spark off initial ideas. A wild and random idea is still an idea nonetheless, but it is still at the initial stage. At this time we have to use our creativity to crystallize the idea, get it into shape. I think creativity is trying to be new and unique, creating something that is fresh and something that will be imprinted in people’s mind. Ideas can be created from scratch, or created from another idea. However, it is easier to get ideas from other ideas, and that is where the creativity game helps in creating the initial idea. To be more creative about creativity, we have to let go of all our current perceptions and start from a blank slate. In this way, a different perspective and meaning can be given to an idea instead of the typical current one. Using SCAMPER and other methods, we can also twist and modify ideas. Being creative is to be sensitive and flexible.

New Gaming Revolutions

New Gaming Revolutions

The uses of games have grown over the years. In the past, games were used for passing time, or to relax after a hard day’s work. The main use is still present now, but games are having more uses now.

One of the uses is to mimic games through the movies. Games are much like an interpretation of Society. The avatars in the games, or the magic circle, will exist in the virtual world itself, similar to how we live in our real life. Since the relationship between us and games are so similar, movies tend to use games as ideas in the movies, so that we can easily feel for the actors and immerse in the movies. Games often have random and surprising events to fuel the players’ interest, hence, utilising the surprise factor also helps in making movies interesting. Movies spur the mind’s imagination, and imagination is the key to evoking the audiences’ feelings.

There are other uses for games, like pervasive games for example. They break the conformity of games, introducing a new way of playing as opposed to playing behind a screen. These pervasive games merge social interaction with the play factor, allowing players to utilise human wits and skills as a form of competition.

The future of gaming looks bright. With advancing technology now, it has given birth to motion sensors and controllers which allow greater interaction between the player and the game. This opens up to more uses of gaming, be it as a simulation or a teaching tool. Our life will also be more ‘game-based’, as play is gradually appearing in all sorts of places. Life will certainly be more interesting and fun. Perhaps, like the systems in MMORPGs, we can utilise them in real life. For example, the longer we work, the more EXP we have, and the higher our LVL are. With higher LVL, we can ‘access’ more job opportunities. The possibilities are endless.

Mars, Aries, and friends

Mars, Aries, and friends

Are war games violent in nature? Do they influence our inner violence? The recent example is Cho, who killed 32 people in his school. He said it was due to the games he played. So, do games actually make us killers, or will it help us understand what true violence is like?

WoW (World of Warcraft) is a popular MMORPG, with over 11 million players in it. The game creates an engaging fantasy world, where players explore and battle in the world. Players usually play games because of boredom or to find purpose in life, an answer to nihilism. However, after playing, they still realize WoW is still meaningless too. Yet by playing, they subconsciously are affirming their own existence, in a virtual reality. They engage in wars, theft and even scamming in WoW. Morality comes into question. Does competition in games make us more vulnerable to becoming a heartless person? Personally, I believe there is some influence to a certain extent. However, most people can control this outburst of behaviour, since reality is still different from the virtual world. It is those who let violence overcome their rationality then they will be killers in real life.

War, the manifestation of our animal-like soul put to play. The urge and hunger to end your enemy regardless of how innocent he is to you. Is this part of the cruel cycle of nature? The subconscious mind acts up without us knowing. The subconscious mind records everything that we have experienced. We experienced violence hence we become the manifestation of violence ourselves. Idealogy is illogical, but because of the extreme absurdity of the idea that people believes in it. Extreme idea means extreme promise for the greater good. The irrational idea of war overwrites the rational part of us, brainwashing us to go end each other’s life. War coexists with Love. Lovers do quarrel. War is also bred from nature and nurture. Imagination plants the seeds of war. The enemy is the illusion of the mind. Thoughts transcend into actions. The stronger the belief, the more we are driven to act.

In relation to Games Design, I think war questions the human morality. If games are able to reach beyond the notion of play and have the player think what they are playing games for, it will give a whole new meaning to just plainly playing games and that is games teach players to think for themselves.

Alchemy in the Renaissance

Alchemy in the Renaissance

The Renaissance was the time of Discovery. Due to the studies of Plato and Aristotle prior to the Renaissance, the people during the Renaissance were interested in the relationship between Man and the Divine. Each role in the society had to think in account on how they could use the energies from the Cosmos in their studies. For Architects, the design had to be made in relation to Geometry and Symbolism, so that the people in the Architecture can experience the Cosmos in their Souls. Through seeing the Cosmos with the eyes, the Mind and Soul can experience it, and with the Body absorbing the Cosmos through the skin, the entire Body and Soul will be cured physically and mentally. By imprinting and memorizing the images in the Mind, the Third Eye can be opened, with which bringing the Soul closer to the Heavens.

When designing games, like how people from the Renaissance try to involve the Body and Soul in their designs, we have to immerse our players in the game ‘physically’ and ‘mentally’. Symbolism and images must play a large part in the game as it gives meaning to the game. Perhaps, the player can decipher the symbols and discover the secrets to the end prior to finishing the game. It makes the game more mysterious and enables more Discovery for the players.

The current Scientific way of thinking has lost the link with the Divine. Traditional Chinese Medicine has always been compared with Western Medicine. Western Medicine just subdues the symptoms at hand but is unable to cure the root of the problem. Traditional Chinese Medicine treats the Body by balancing the Yin and Yang, curing the root illness. Traditional Chinese Medicine, like Alchemy, uses the knowledge of the Divine and merges it with Science. The emphasis of treating the Body and the Soul is also shown through meditation and breathing. However, Science now denies that the Heavens relate to us as well. I think what Science lacks now is Belief. Belief is to trust and accept. I think that Belief can be a cure for anything, be it illnesses, relationship and others. If Scientists understands the importance of Belief, they can create cures that not only heal the Body, but Soul as well.

Cross-Cultural Exchanges

Cross-Cultural Exchanges

The Internet has pulled the whole world together. Cheaper airfares have also enabled people to travel the world quickly and easily. They break the distance barrier, enabling people from different places with different cultures to come together. Different cultures mix, evolving the older cultures to newer ones.

Anime and Manga are prominent in modern Japanese culture. Manga is a form of comic in Japan, and they emphasizes on exaggeration of physical features like big eyes and pointy noses. Manga has spawned off animations too, which are called Anime. Western cartoons and comics work the same way but the styles they portray are different from the Japanese. Western cartoons and comics emphasize on heroic acts and most of their characters are masculine. However, in recent times, there has been appearance of Western Animes. Shows like Avatar: The Last Airbender and Animatrix have blurred the contrast between different cultures, even going as far as to merge 2 different cultural styles together. Cultures are mixing. So hypothetically, will there be only a single culture in the future? Will the culture turn out good or bad for humans?

Other emerging and growing trends are spies, crimes and violence in mass media. Movies now portray crimes and violence as normal and acceptable. Gore and mutilation in horror games has also been regarded as an ‘art form’ now. Dangers of spies are regarded as heroic acts and spies are thought to emit sexiness and hotness. Influence of the mass media has shaped children’s minds. Physically, they can look innocent but psychologically, they are killers. The violence in mass media, because it’s mimicking reality, in turn gets mimicked by people watching them. This bad cycle may continue on for years to come.

In relation to Games Design, I think that merging of cultures does generate some interesting and fresh ideas. However, we must not forget our roots too, since they are what brought us up. Also, as time passes, violence seems to be gradually ‘accepted’. I think a certain amount level of violence is important in bringing out the action, but overdose of it is unacceptable. Balance is important.

Daimonic Realities and Root Metaphors

Daimonic Realities and Root Metaphors

Numbers make up this world. Number gives Order. Numbers is also the language of God. So, numbers play a significant part in our life. However, numbers alone mean nothing. Hence, Man regards numbers as a form of symbolism. 13 is supposedly an unlucky number for Westerners. 8 is a lucky number for Chinese. Our forefather associate numbers with mysticism, giving numbers a whole new meaning. Tarot cards are something that is created from the association. Numbers, patterns and words are the basis of Tarot, and they are used to gain insight of the present and future, also known as fortune-telling. By ‘calculating’ the choices we have made, we are able to predict the present and future through Tarot. We look up to the Perfection of numbers, trying to be Perfection ourselves, since Perfection is beautiful. God made us Perfect, so through Perfection than can we become as close to God as possible.

Fringe Science explores beyond the concrete facts of Traditional Science, and tries to find a gap in those concepts. Through associations with mysticism and the study of the inner mind, Fringe Science change the facts to an impossible theory. Impossible now, but possible in the future? Everything is just the illusion of the mind. Through manipulation and perception of time and space, Fringe Science attempts to intelligently guess how far the relationship between Science and Nature can go. Perhaps, through understanding the limits of the world, we can attempt to understand our world better, or in more severe cases, control the forces of the world.

Secrets Societies are the organizations that no one from the outside knows. Some say they control important aspects of the world, like the economy and politics. Others say they are hidden in the media, influencing the world the teachings of the organizations. The uncertainty of their location, masterminds and motives are what make these secret societies so hard to be found. One of the prominent Secret Societies is the Illuminati. The founder of Illuminati, Adam Weishaupt, dabbled in the mystic arts of secret cults. He tries to ‘educate’ the world their ways through the Illuminati. Illuminati aim to gradually gain more followers, controlling the minds of the world bit by bit, and eventually taking over the world. Will the rise of a single world order manage the world better than the present? Will that be for the greater good or will cause the downfall of Man?

In relation to Games Design, we must design something symbolic or of meaning to the objective, or else we will just be designing for the sake of designing. By making sure there is Perfection in a design (Golden Rule etc.), then will the design be beautiful. Ideas, no matter how irrational or crazy they are, are still ideas. Like Fringe Science and Secret Societies, an idea so minute and illogical takes time to prove it worthy. Hence, a good idea usually starts small, and then develops itself to be one that is important and eye-catching.

Genre Tropes: The Technological Singularity & Enchantments of Technology

Genre Tropes: The Technological Singularity & Enchantments of Technology

Technology is ever-changing and ever improving. The advancement in technology has also spawned off new ideas and new genres. Science Fiction and Space Opera are some. We imagine and create or modify current ideas to fit into the future. In these genres, prominent ideas like aliens, time-travelling, and artificial intelligence have thus sprouted out.

Aliens are other forms of life other than us, humans. They are always thought to be more advanced than us. The different assumptions made on extra life forms have made them more mysterious and creates much curiosity in people. Movies like E.T. and Star Wars has also created intelligent and advanced life forms that exist together with humans. Games like Mass Effect has also bridged the differences in different life forms, even going as far as love relationship across life forms. Mass media plays quite an important part in portraying aliens.

Time-travelling has long been an unproven theory in Science. It is the ability to go forward or backwards in time instantly. Albert Einstein proposed a theory that if an object travels faster than light, time will go slower and eventually reverse, therefore, going back into time. The Butterfly Effect is another concept created from time-travelling. If someone goes back in time and change the past, the effect will ripple itself into the present and future, changing the course of history itself.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a thinking mind which is made artificially and not naturally (By birth). By using numbers and algorithms, the artificial mind is ‘programmed to think’. AIs are very important in games as they perform tasks of interaction with the human players. The scary part of AIs is that if they are programmed to think like humans, will they surpass humans? Also, if they are ‘humans’, will they actually create more ‘humans’?

Space Opera and High Fantasy are genres which take on the futuristic and mystic part of fiction. Space Opera and High Fantasy takes our current society and way of living, and transform it into a different world and setting. However, the different world still emulates our current life. Space Opera fast forwards our city into the future, putting societal problems and civilization in a futuristic environment. High Fantasy merges our world with Fantasy and Magic, creating societies with magical powers, and like Space Opera, usually has societal problems or the archetypal good versus bad.

Through time, human has questioned their own Existence. Where do they come from? Why are they here? The Existence of humans has been answered by some religions, but no one knows the truth, because no one existed before humans. Perhaps, all the above genres are answers to all these questions. The human mind creates, therefore we create. We try to answer all the doubts about humans by creating other Existence, so that it mirrors us and tell us for whom we are. It is similar to having friends who point out who you are rather than yourself. We also try to be become God, by creating Existence. It is human nature to create. One day, through all these creations, we can eventually find out about ourselves, and eventually be enlightened and understand the Truth of the World.

In relation to Games Design, I think that Existence gives the game a reality to work on. Technology certainly gives Existence a whole new perspective, since it influences different ways of how the reality thinks and works. The future certainly leaves much to speculate about, and leaves much to create.