#44 CP Article

Student: Fan Yang

Video games, just for fun?

      Have you ever thought that video games can help people lose weight? Have you ever thought that you can almost learn how to play bowling at home? These thoughts that people ten years ago could never imagined have come true. Nowadays, with the fast development of technology which gets used in video games, the function of video games are quite different from previous editions children played just for meaningless fun. Talking about video games, many parents think they are just machines that rob their children from daily life; many children spend abundant amount of time sitting in front of the scene and holding the remote controller connected by wire. However, this thought should be changed. Video games nowadays like home consoles are not just simple tools for fun, they are also good methods to gain knowledge, keep fit and develop friendship.

      The first game console was released in 1982 and was called Magnavox Odyssey. According to the Video Game Console Library, there were no processors in this system – just a series of transistors, resistors and capacitors; and the plastic colored overlays were providing to put over television screen to enhance the graphics a bit. However, the video console was still a big hit and kept on developing. During the 40 years, video game console has experienced 7 generations; the most recent generation are Xbox 360, Sony PlayStation 3 and Nintendo Wii, released around 2005 and 2006, which have become the three biggest video game consoles in today’s video game console market.

Take a look at Wii: Wii had sold 7,526,821 units as of December 28, 2008 in Japan, and sold 376,000 units in the first seven months of 2008 in Canada, and led in current generation home console sales with 4.9 million units sold as of January 3, 2009 in the United Kingdom. These data shows the popularity of Wii throughout the whole world and displays people’s enthusiasm on video games. Wii’s success is due to its involved high-tech. For example, Wii owns a specialty in remote control which uses a combination of built-in accelerometers and infrared detection to sense its position in 3D space when pointed at the LEDs within the Sensor Bar. This design allows users to control the game using physical gestures as well as traditional button presses.

     Home consoles bring a lot of new experience to people because of those new kinds of technique. First of all, it contains the educational meaning. It’s easy for children to learn basic knowledge and rule of life. Such as sport event, it’s obviously a lot of difference between learning sports in realistic and on home console; but players can gain a lot of main information from video console. We can learn a lot about how is the game carry on and get familiar with those complex rules by experience it personally. Since those consoles need players’ systemic motion and the 3D technique makes scene vivid, players always feel that it’s themselves play on the field. What’s more, the game can also improve the ability of both competition and cooperation.

      Secondly, home console is a really good way to keep fit. Doing sports game in home sole can produce the same result of losing weight and keep fit as doing exercise out-door or at the gym. Games like boxing, tennis are efficient at burning off massive calories and strengthen the muscle. Thanks to the Wii dance mat, half an hour of exercise within a month made me sweated off 7 kilograms last summer. Last year, Wii also released the series of Wii fit, which allows people practice yoga by themselves on a small board instead of teaching by coach.

      Thirdly, video game console are also good catalyst to develop friendship. Because of lacking of technology skills, video games ten years ago just allow about 2 persons to play simultaneously, and they can’t move freely since the remote controllers were connected with hardware by wires. Video games these years are much more advanced. Four people can play concurrently and due to the wireless devices, players can stand far away from the scene and move without restraint. I went my friend’s host family this Thanksgiving, and there are also some international students get invited. At first, the atmosphere is relatively awkward, since we all didn’t know each other and felt nervous to chat in English. Everyone just sat on his or hers spot with silence. But when the host recommended us to play the wii, the atmosphere became more and more friendly. Since there are four remote controls, only four people can participate in the game concurrently. The game we played was called Rayman Raving Rabbids; players represented rabbits in the game, and compete with each other about how they finish the task in every section. It’s really funny and interesting to finish the task like playing the musical instruments, shooting the target, moving the stuff all by a magic control contains Bluetooth, infrared ray, vibrating and G sensor. Sooner, almost everyone were attracted by the game and wanted to have a try. We played the game alternately and still stand behind, watch the TV and discuss about the game actively when others are playing. All of us become familiar with each other very sooner. The Thanksgiving day is impressing, not only it’s the first time for me to celebrate the thanksgiving day in America, but also I made a lot of new friends this day. Wii really save the awkward situation and improve the friends’ relationship.

      With the fleet development of technology, video games have become much more different from former styles; there are more and more positive functions of video games. Video games consoles will still regenerate continuously in the future and more and more people will discover the benefits. Have you thought about try this new kind of game, experience some special feeling, not just for fun?