Turkle: Video Games and Computer Holding Power

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Summary

In this article, Turkle basically covers how video games represent computer technology as a whole and human relationships with them.

Video games are often not looked upon kindly, especially by adults. Really, what people fear is computer technology as a whole. Turkle says we are on an “eve of a new era...and we don't know where we are.” For people for whom technology is something new, it is also something scary. It is rapidly changing, which can be disquieting, but for children, it is not something new, it is something that is part of their world, and it is not abnormal to be proficient at operating. Video games are an easy target for people to pick on because they have more control over what video games their children play, and where, than they do over the other forms of new media they are forced to use everyday.

The relationship between children and video games is one that resembles addiction, in that it often seems they are not played because they are “fun” but more because of a desire for domination, ranking, testing or proving oneself. Video games provide a level of control, when “real” life is out of control. Because of their nature, one also has to be constantly attentive, the game will not wait for them, thus providing a sort of meditation, or relief for the player. It is impossible to think about other stressors in daily life while paying constant attention to a video game.

Video games also provide a more complete immersion experience than television. In video games, the player actually “is” the one doing the actions. They identify with the characters on a different level. This is dangerous, however, because it can lead to infatuation with simulated worlds, causing the player to prefer them to reality. The player's relationship with a simulated world influences the players relationship with reality.

Some quick facts that Turkle provides about video games are here:

• Unlike the pinball machine (which she compares to video games quite often), video games are not subject to physical laws, and mechanical limitations. They are logic technology, programs made up of tens of thousands of computer instructions. Things are not made, but written.

• Computers are considered “metaphysical machines” and have emotional power. Games provide the promise of infinity (the game can/will never end) and the promise of perfection (it will provide you with perfection, as long as you play it perfectly.

• Like Dungeons and Dragons, games are rule-based. Once rules have been defined, they must be adhered to.

• Video games are not mindless, but require interaction, learning how to learn what it can do, assimilating large amounts of information about structure and strategy, and muscle memory.

Inquiry

I am particularly interested in what Turkle says about infatuation with video games. One of my best friends fits exactly into what she is saying, and I believe he almost views video games as not only preferable to reality, but frighteningly similar. Among other games, he plays World of Warcraft, which has an entire culture embedded into it. He actually has made friends that he talks to frequently in the “real world.” Xbox live, and interactive games provide a new dimension to video games and with it a whole new level of infatuation. My questions are:

• Does the danger of infatuation the same as the danger of transparency?

• Given that games rely upon perfection, and striving to be better, can they be the new form of meditation like the article says, or just a different form of stress?

• Turkle also questions whether or not the players will continue to be users, or if they will become programmers. With the abilities to customize so many things in video games already (looks, powers, weapons, names, etc.), do you think we're already on our way to wanting more control over our games, becoming closer to programmers and farther from users?