RIB chapter 6 (Rachel)

In this chapter, McGonigal uses Halo as an example of how games can give people that are part of them a larger meaning in life. Gaming does have the ability to bring people together who normally wouldn’t be. They give people everywhere a common goal which unites them. Some people typically think of video games as games of isolation, where the people playing don’t experience the real world and are always alone playing video games. However, with improvements in technology this may not be the case anymore, people can be united by games. There are many multiplayer games and forums where people all over can connect through games.

In the book they discuss the fact that the larger the group the bigger the meaning it can bring. I see the point of this because with a bigger group, they can complete very large-scale goals and accomplish more together. But I also think that sometimes a large group is not the only way to give people meaning. Sometimes an individual in a large group can get lost among the group and feel like they can’t contribute anything in such among such a large number of people. In my opinion sometimes a smaller group where people are closer and individual voices can be heard can also bring a lot of meaning to people as well. While they use halo as an example in the book I think it is very rare to find a game that has so much meaning on such a large scale.

Towards the end of the chapter, the book compares Halo 3 to very extraordinary human achievements (the great wall of china) and natural wonders (Grand Canyon/great barrier reef). I personally think this is a very extreme comparison. Those two are not comparable. Halo is just a game, while it may give people meaning it really isn’t accomplishing anything and well it doesn’t have a legitimate purpose and its not real. People may be productive and accomplish things in alternate realities but what is it really doing?

Posted on by Rachel Helbling
Categories: Uncategorized

3 Responses

  1. Carson Clark says:
    September 18, 2018 at 12:36 pm

    The sense of togetherness in games is real. Playing online with friends can bring you closer together as you work as a team to achieve the common end goal, which could last for hours on end. However, in the pursuing months you probably won’t remember a single thing about that night. Real life experiences, on the other hand, are remembered for a life time. You can’t really compare the virtual world and reality when it comes to experiences. When we do something in a video game, usually it’s something we’d actually never do in real life (ex. flying a helicopter, saving the world, clicking a cow). This is why moments in reality stick with us, because WE ACTUALLY DID THEM. I don’t really remember the first time I played on my xbox, but I do remember the first time I ever drove a car. It’s the real things that matter, not the virtual ones.

  2. Jaclyn Kemly says:
    September 18, 2018 at 2:45 pm

    I agree with your point about people not always being able to find meaning when they are part of such a large group. I think in reality, when people really think about themselves and their role as one of over 7 billion people on Earth, they can easily feel lost and meaningless. One of the reasons people feel so special as part of a large group in Halo is because they have access to the facts and figures of their contributions in the game. However, its hard for people to see what their actions contribute to a larger picture in reality. Take recycling, for example. A person is never going to see directly how their efforts to recycle help protect the environment, which would make their efforts seem meaningless overall.

  3. Wogan Snyder says:
    September 18, 2018 at 10:48 pm

    I agree with your point that McGonigal’s comparison of Halo 3 to the Great Wall of China is not much of a comparison at all. Not just is she comparing apples to oranges, she is, as you said, comparing a game to a tangible thing with tangible benefits for people. Outside of the satisfaction one gets from playing Halo 3 and taking part in its community events, it doesn’t do anything substantive for people. The Great Wall of China while not currently much more than a tourist and cultural destination, used to protect ancient Chinese civilizations from invasion. I’d love to see Halo stop nuclear warfare.