1. Clifford Geertz says "every culture loves its own form of violence." In what way do video games confirm this? What forms of violence do they represent? Geertz says the forms of violence are not always the actions that are bloody, but rather the unequal systems and structures that are created by violent means and then perpetuated. Pick a game that reveals not the superficial violence but the deeper structural violence of our culture and explain that form of violence.
One way that video games support violence is through hierarchies and morality choices. Fable three is a good example of this, not only because it is an action adventure role playing game but it revolves around the idea of what you do good or bad effects you later on in the game. It also has the role of a king and nobles and the oppression the force against the common folk.
2. What is arrest and why is it important to art and specifically to game art? Can you describe a moment of arrest in any kind of game you have played?
Arrest is when something stops you and you focus on the object causing the arrest. It’s like when you’re walking in a gallery and there is a piece of artwork that makes you stop and think about it. This happens a lot in games like when you have to fight a boss battle, usually there is a cut scene and the boss makes some grand entrance and usually evokes a strong emotion.
3. What happens when a game breaks out of representations of violence (Grand Theft Auto) and actually engages (executes) violence (Tekken Torture Tournament)? In what way does representation sensitize or desensitize us to violence vs. in what way does play (real enactment) resensitize us? When children play do they ever resort to violence? Can you describe its possible uses?
If the is only engaged in violence like Tekken then that is the only thing the gamer can do, but in a game like Grand Theft Auto, yes it’s a violent game but the open world allows the gamer to explore and they don’t necessarily have to be violent. I think that the more you are exposed to violence it makes you less sensitive to it just because it’s something that is common but I don’t think that seeing violence in video games desensitize us for if experienced the violence in real life. Children will resort to violence if that is their only option. If there are other ways to beat the game without violence then children will do it that way.
4. In what ways to some games reinscribe (ie make it seem natural by so much repetition) rather arbitrary gender roles? Why do games geared to adolescent boys have such strong gender stereotypes? What biological phase are these boys going through? What is the danger if they do NOT adopt gender stereotypes but pursue alternate gender definitions for either women or men? Pick a game that begins to questions gender roles for women and for men (these can be two different games) and describe how they challenge stereotypes.
By taking these gender stereotypes in the games, it makes the experience more believable because it is what we expect from men and women and makes it easier to relate to. This relation to the game opens a sense of realism. One game that begins to question the role for women and men is Metriod Prime, where you don’t find out the hero you were playing all game is a woman until the end of the game.
5.Why do US Army recruiters use games to both recruit and train soldiers? What is being trained or learned? Why is it effective, or is it?
Video games train the hand-eye coordination, reflexes, it gives them experiences so they can have a small idea of what the real situation will be like and it gets them use to the procedures the military has.
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