Withstanding Field Observation... (3-9)

As of now, my field observation is chosen and finalized. If the date for the Communication Arts Program is within this month I would still like to go to enrich my mind. Depth would be great enough to solidify an argument for this paper.

So here is the copy below for futher analysis... Comments and concerns are welcome!

John Ott

Mrs. Noguera

English 1520

09 March 2006

Field Observation: “A Study on Video Games and Behavior”
Using the primary source and a documentary which will be later named, I have come up with field research that will allow me to further explain what video games actually do to the brain. Most of the research I have found was going against video games due to the amount of subjective behavior that was being demonstrated while playing the game. However, I feel that the information isn’t carrying enough value to totally designate video game playing as a negative activity. America is excited when something new comes out because it is revolutionary. When that particular item turns out to be a failure the human anatomy can still be happy because it has cleansed the immediate want over a legitimate need, and received an experience that is emotionally connected to them. It is clear that people will inevitably do what they can to get what they want.

For the past two weeks I have come up with a synopsis that follows the procedure that everything is good in moderation. I have documented myself along with a group of enthusiasts playing video games. I wasn’t surprised to notice certain trends in these people that I have rarely seen before. Documentation includes wants over needs, emotional reactions, time management skills, generalizations, and personal attitudes. To help establish information I will be using the 2006 Tribute to the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) entitled “Flashback NES.” If this piece of the paper is done well, I will be able to show the reader that the views of the games of yesterday are similar to the views of today.

The life of the system and video gaming in early 1985 was about to begin with the release date of the NES fast approaching. This had allowed many to establish a want over a need for the very first time. The goal of the Nintendo Corporation depended on others to react as though they needed this product, little did they know history was about to be made on October 18, 1985. Nintendo’s launch had resounding success which leads to my analysis of people’s moods toward something new. Nintendo had compared the NES to a robot toy. Accessories shipped with the NES were called “Zapper”, and the “Power Glove”, to implement the robotic approach. Nintendo was smart; the corporation used marketing strategies to make their product likeable and valuable to their target audience.

As soon as gamers around the globe played the NES for the very first time they experienced emotional reactions. Duck Hunt for the NES became a staple because it became physically possible to shoot ducks with a gun on the screen. Gamers became emotionally disturbed when a brown dog would appear on the screen to laugh at them every time they missed shooting a duck. Upon witnessing this experience I realized I was a victim of classical conditioning. Every time I would see a shade of brown I found myself becoming angry because I associated the dog to failure, I associated a shade of brown as a note that failure was inevitably coming to me. Behavior was not tied to just Duck Hunt, it was continued through the skewed methods of returning games. Return polices were less sophisticated then. It wasn’t uncommon for gamers to buy a new game and sat they didn’t like it a week later. Polices allowed gamers to return games as long as they adhered to the same receipt. This meant the two ways for a gamer to stop the process of a “long term rent” was by losing the receipt, or canceling the policy. Gamers also figured out the ways of the rental stores as well because video games weren’t tracked on computers then. The rented game would be traded by peeling the label off of that game and replacing it with a game of lesser emotional sentiment. Friends at school would also “borrow” games to others only to never see them again. Time management of other activities wasn’t a key component back then. Time was spent on keeping the NES working, going to school only to talk about NES games, and staying home from school sick to play them. This became a monument of 3rd graders everywhere with the release of Super Mario Brothers. Game play was unlike anything ever seen before because of the amount of depth that was in the game. Students told each other rumors about hidden levels, jumping the flagpole at the end of the stage, and future ideas for the series.

Generalizations would also occur due to the amount of people in the world that weren’t exposed to the aspect to games itself. I wasn’t surprised to hear NES games labeled as “tapes.” How can a cartridge be a tape!? There are no moving parts, and it isn’t possible to rewind the cartridge. Those who didn’t grow up with a NES didn’t understand the effect of the system had on those that experienced it early. It will never be possible to recreate that experience for others either. From what I have noticed I was always yelled at for pursuing my interests. However, I never regret what I did back them because that would mean I would have lost part of the outlook I have on life now.

Personal attitudes of gamers everywhere are not different from other people. Gamers could think about studying, or bathing, but they would say it was all worth the sacrifice just to play that one video game. Gaming on the NES is still addictive as it ever was. Whether the gaming is used casually or religiously only means one thing, creativity is involved in gaming so it is best to let that creativity out.

I have found this field observation to be very worth while because I have been able to find attributes in myself that I thought were unique to me. This experience has opened my eyes to understand why gaming is important. When ideas are fresh and innovative those interested wants to understand what the hype is all about.