COMM 410: New Media and Community Life (Fall 2006)

» The Story of Online Gaming & Its Effects on Children from New Media & Community - t11
This week’s readings discuss the effects, misconceptions, and research related to “Gaming.” Much of the information known to the general public about playing video games is based on anecdotal evidence where emotions often skew facts. In the first readi... [Read More]

» Not Childsplay Any More r17 from New Media & Community - r17
As a member of my generation, I have been at ground zero for the explosion of videogames. This is not to say that I consider myself a veteran gamer or an authority on the field. However, I have been able... [Read More]

» Gaming - The Good And The Bad from New Media & Community - r16
In Chan and Vorderer’s chapter on Massively Multiplayer Online Games, one of the most interesting points they brought up was the idea of persistent worlds, and the fact that action continues even if a player leaves their computer or turns... [Read More]

» What came first? Demand for Videogames or Supply? from New Media & Community - y30
Currently, with the exponential development of technology, video games are multifaceted and are complicated to define. According to Chan and Vorderer, there has been an explosion of both the number and variety of games in the industry. Videogames can b... [Read More]

» Aren't Games Supposed to be Fun? from New Media & Community - r4
Video games have firmly planted themselves in our lives since the early 70s. Games like Pong developed into home systems like Atari, NES, Playstation, and Xbox along with the PC becoming a prime platform for gaming. One of the most... [Read More]

» Gaming: How Does It Affect Us? from New Media & Community - g42
The effect of gaming on users has been a controversial topic discussed both in the media and in academic writing. Positive effects of video games have been stated by some authors, such as by Lee and Peng and by Jenkins... [Read More]

» Alternative Communities: Virtual Games from New Media & Community - g34
This week’s articles discuss online gaming and its effects on society. In Chan and Vorderer’s chapter on Massively Mutliplayer Online Games, the authors claim that most MMOG players prefer “diffuse competition,” this is, they do not like head-to-head c... [Read More]

» Of Video Games and Martians from New Media & Community - y42
Even before the high school shootings at Columbine High School, people criticized video games and felt they were harmful to developing young minds. After Columbine, the band-wagon rolled forward with heightened zeal. In Henry Jenkins “Testimony Before ... [Read More]

» I'm Still Not Too Sad About Never Playing Video Games from New Media & Community - g45
When I was growing up my mother forbid us to play video games. By the time I was ten and could go freely to a friend’s house to play, I was no longer interested. I missed the time period where... [Read More]

» videogames... an adicction from New Media & Community - g2
Based on the 'South Park' video we saw in class this week, it becomes obvious that once people start spending time online playing games, their interaction within their social circle decreases. In the South Park episode that we saw, the... [Read More]

» Diachotomy of Online Gaming Effects from New Media & Community - g31
Massively Multiplayer Online Games, or MMOG, are a recent phenomenon argued by Chan and Vorderer to be a modern innovation for increasing social capital. Most people think of online gaming as a solitary activity for the technology savvy, but recent... [Read More]

» Addicted to The Fantasy from New Media & Community - g44
The Chan and Vorderer piece provided some provocative statistics regarding the MMO demographic. I found this piece to be a particularly good starting point since terms were explained in detail and differentiations were made between simple online play a... [Read More]

» New Movements, New Media from New Media & Community - r16
Jonah Peretti stumbled upon an incredibly creative and powerful tool for communicating important issues to mass numbers of people. In challenging Nike and their “sweatshop” morals, Peretti thought he only played a funny joke he would share with his fri... [Read More]