Holy Crysis
Head over to www.gametrailers.com and check out the videos for Crysis, a new first person shooter (FPS) based on Crytek’s next generation graphics engine, CryEngine2. All I have to say is WOW. I mean, holy crap. The capabilities are so advanced. I played Crytek’s original game, Far Cry, and it was a pretty fun game. I’m surprised more companies didn’t use their original Crytek engine. It was supposedly very good at the time. Anyway, I can’t wait until this game comes out. I don’t know if I’ll even have the hardware necessary to max out the graphics.
Anyway, there was a recent study that showed adults actually play more video games than children or teenagers. And check out these interesting facts. How about that, eh? Video games are just as legitimate as any other form of entertainment like television, movies, etc. I also read another article about certain medical institutions using “video game therapy” to help rehabilitate people with brain damage where the therapy helped them improve coordination, color identification, and other similar functions. Video games can also help cure lazy eye. I hate it when people who have never really enjoyed video games comes down and says they’re a waste of time. I’m literally thinking “YEA OKAY. I just completely and utterly disregarded what you just said. In fact I already forgot what you were talking about.” It’s not like I’m playing 24/7, I do it in my leisure, like any other leisurely activity. In fact I feel sorry some people have never enjoyed video games but instead prefer stuff like watching the 15 bazillion different CSI shows on CBS.
About this Post
Comments RSS feed for this post
2 Comments
Hi Philip,
Interesting post - however, I am one of the ones you refer to that disparages and thinks that video games are a complete and utter waste of time. They are entertainment - of the sort that are rarely life enhancing - do nothing to develop anything except the twitch reflexes and expose you to images and ideations of violence, death. This is especially harmful to younger children - even the Disney channel cartoons involve violence - very F–k up to say the least. Wait till you are a parent and see the violence that your 4 and 5 year olds emulate from TV and video games –> your perspective will change indeed.
1. Lazy eye is typically a condition that parents fix for their babies, when they are babies - by interacting with the infants and helping them develop the muscles around their eyes correctly - focusing on objects. If you are an adult with lazy eye - your parents did not do a good job. Focusing with you eyes on specific objects across your visual spectrum helps fix lazy eye.
2. Of course, if you look at these “studies” they are probably funded by the large game corporations - these studies of course data fit their conclusion that video games are harmless diversions and in fact probably help develop IQ, EQ, hand eye coordination - probably Nobel prize winners - that’s next year’s study in the works. Oh - by the way - they forgot to mention that this biz is huge - surpassing movie ticket sales - so much so that even the Hollywood types are investing in these games - as did Microsoft years ago - when they smelled the money.
3. How does being an expert at single shooter games help one in life? - you get to play with virtual weapons, virtually kill someone, be a snipper - are these the skills that one requires to start up a business, interact with a customer, manage staff, be a good citizen, have good sportsmanship, respect and deal fairly with people?
4. Video games are entertainment - yes they are legitimate - legal because we live in a free society - and as such there are lots of products that we as consumers are able to “consume” like cigarettes, alcohol, etc. that are not necessarily beneficial and can lead to disaster [like higher costs of health care for everyone, DUI deaths, alcoholism, etc.] - but that does not mean that their mere presence means that they should be accepted universally and unquestioningly.
5. The fact that more adults play these video games now than kids may lead to several conclusions - the developers and marketers are making games that adults find entertaining, more adults are finding video games versus other forms of entertainment easy [does the ESA include video games on cell phones, online poker, etc.] to use than before, adults need more distractions than before, adults are fat, obese - and American culture is less participation oriented vesus spectator [ thanks to cable & satellite and endless sports broadcasts].
End of my rant.
Hope all is going well with you. What happens in May when you graduate?
I will continue working on my venture after I graduate.