Video Games: Destruction or Construction?

Cody A. Pettit

Video Games: Destruction or Construction?

English 203

Niki Stewart

02/14/2012

Abstract

Video games are no longer just a way to isolate someone from the world and show kids how to kill things; video games have become much, much more. With the introduction of online gaming has come new and invigorating ways of accomplishing teamwork, self-worth, and a way to stay in touch with friends and family.

Video Games: Destruction or Construction?

Before the introduction of online gaming, video games were merely a way of passing time and isolation from the real world. If kids spent hours playing a video game it was frowned upon, often thought to lead to poor social skills and a desire to kill in a non-simulated environment. However with the massive explosion of online gaming, particularly First Person Shooters (FPS) such as Counter-Strike, Halo, and Call of Duty, video games are becoming a tool of teaching rather than a menace to society. Online FPS games are now becoming a way of teaching social skills, teamwork, and competitive spirit among kids and young adults.

Online gaming exploded in the early 2000's with the release of the hit PC game Counter Strike. Counter-Strike revolutionized what is now a multibillion dollar industry in online gaming with its ability to use WAN (Wide Area Network), whereas other games could only use LAN (Local Area Network). Counter-Strike is a simple enough game where terrorists take on counter terrorists on pre made maps, but the teams are made up of actual people playing the characters from all over the world. Teammates were able to talk to one another through the use of in game messaging, and the later add-on of headsets, using voice to talk rather than typing in a text box. Counter-Strike was the first to capture the use of teamwork, trust, and communication in a competitive gaming environment where the players did not have to be at the same location.

After Counter-Strike, the focus for many game production companies went to console games (Xbox and PS3). With this focus, games such as Halo 2 and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare were released. Halo revolutionized the importance of teamwork and well thought tactics due to players having shields, taking much more damage to kill a player than in previous games. Teamwork and communication are two extremely important aspects of achieving victory in Halo based game types such as Capture the Flag, Team Deathmatch, and Oddball. To be able to understand how important communication is, watch a video from the Major League Gaming pro circuit.

Call of Duty's game types such as Search and Destroy give players only one life per round, making every decision they make vital to the success of the team. Games such as these force players out of their