Reporting And Writing Class Fall 2010: gaming

Gaming is Taking Over

Call of Duty Rules Today’s Youth

By Jake Kelly and Zuzka Tomcikovva

The loud sound of artillery fire fills the room. Grenades go off in the distance followed by the sounds of the Russian made AK-47. An AC-130 gunship rains down suppressive fire from above kicking up dust and sand from an Afghani mountain top. Although appears to be some distant battle-field it is just the sound of the video game Call of Duty (C.O.D.). This is the most played and highest grossing video game to date and portrays very vivid and realistic war simulation game play. The game is so realistic that it was dubbed a necessary battle simulation program for the United States Military. This “simulation” however, depicts real combat scenarios and some students can't get enough it.

“I would say I probably play C.O.D. a minimum of two hours a day,” said sophomore football player Brian Leonhardt. “There’s nothing better to do in between classes, or to pass some time, then to log on and start poning.” “Poning” is one of many new slang terms common among these types of first person shooter games. It is meant to describe a player’s domination on the virtual battlefield over other gamers. This is done through an online network where one can log on and instantly be connected to people from all around the world. These people can all play together in online matches where actual battle scenarios are simulated and each person is responsible for their own “icon” or character.

This game is so riveting amongst today’s youth that some people will wait for hours in line to get a copy of the game. “When Call of Duty Black Ops came out I waited outside Wall Mart for three hours before the game was released at midnight,” said sophomore business major Brian Renkes. “I wanted to be the first one of my friends to have it. Plus, I heard this was supposed to be the best one yet.” Black Ops is the latest in a series of C.O.D. games succeeding Modern Warfare 1 and 2, as well as, World at War.

“I like all of them but I would say that Black Ops is the best probably because it’s the most recent,” said senior business major Derek Edholm. “The night Black Ops came out I played it the entire night until about six in the morning when I just couldn’t keep my eyes open any longer.” This type of all night gaming is not unheard of in fact it’s actually somewhat common. Out of 50 BSU students surveyed 19 reported they had been guilty of playing through the night on several occasions. “I get so mixed up in the game sometimes that I completely lose track of time,” said junior history major Cory Immerman. “It almost becomes personal when I’m not doing well in the game and it has definitely caused me to miss a few classes.”

MTV's True Life did a special episode on addiction to gaming and in that episode the characteristics, and habits of the people portrayed were not unlike many gamers at BSU. The virtual world of modern video games allows players to escape reality and be part of a fantasy world that some people like better than the real one. “Honestly when I’m sitting in class or working all I think about is gaming,” said junior marketing major Tyler Chaple, “even if I have homework or something important to do I just game until at least three in the morning almost every day.”

This amount of television exposure could prove to be detrimental as many studies have shown how television and gaming have adverse effects on the mind. The excess game play can cause some people to skip meals and develop irregular sleeping habits which can be very harmful over a long period of time. “I would say I skip at least three or four classes a week due to gaming,” said Immerman. “Sometimes I do feel a little dizzy after I’ve played for a few hours straight, and it’s not uncommon to get a small headache either.”

Gaming is only going to get more realistic and provide an even more interactive medium for gamers. Technological advances in modern gaming systems have made it possible for gamers to use their own body movement, instead of a traditional controller, to relay commands to the system. “I love systems like the Wii and the Kinect where you use your whole body to play,” said freshman nursing major, Alexa Schillenger. With these advances in interactive gaming, the realness of the games themselves will continue to captivate and occupy gamers.