Video Games Today

     In today's society, video games tend to get a bad rep. Video games are always blamed for younger child being violent, obese, lazy, and even illiterate, but this is not always the case. Games can actually help younger children and even the elderly. First, let's define what a video game is. A video game is “a game played by electronically manipulating images produced by a computer program on a television screen or other display screen.” Adding on to this definition, video games can be on a rewards based system, which gets the player hooked making them want to play more.


     The ways that video games can help everyone is in how the game is presented. Strategic games have been proven to increase cognitive flexibility in the brain, like the game “Starcraft”. Fast paced games can help younger children that have an issue with dyslexia. In other cases games have proven to be a help to the elderly, in cases with stroke victims, as a pain reliever, and even slowing the aging process. These aren't the only benefits video games provide us.

     The Narratological perspective is that games should be looked at for their stories, like movies or novels, while the ludological perspective says that games are not like these other mediums due to the fact that a player is actively taking part in the experience and should therefore be understood on their own terms; there is a third party however that says separating scholars into different camps is not a good idea and can hurt the field as a whole.The idea that a video game is "radically different to narratives as a cognitive and communicative structure" has led the development of new approaches to criticism that are focused on video games as well as adapting, repurposing and proposing new ways of studying and theorizing about video games

     “That Dragon, Cancer” is designed to have the player experience the low and high moments of this period in the style of a point-and-click adventure game, using the medium's interactivity and immersion to relate the tale in ways that a film cannot. It was initially developed to relate Ryan and Amy's personal experience with Joel when they were uncertain of his health, but following his death, they reworked much of the game to memorialize and personalize their time and interactions with Joel for the player. What makes this game good is the emotional responses it draws from the people who play the game and the connections the players form with it.

     In conclusion, video games are far more positive than how they are commonly perceived. The use of video games can be very beneficial in many different aspects. Video games can also offer new methods and topics of study. Their interactivity, different perspectives, and design can positively impact health issues, mental disorders, and cognitive flexibility.