Video games today not just child’s play

Walking down the halls of Hedrick, it might be surprising to find that most residents are accustomed to the sound of echoing gunfire. “Counter-strike,” an online computer game that pits teams of armed terrorists against equally well-armed counter-terrorists, has become the “killer app” for a generation enjoying the perks of T-3 lines and exceedingly ample amounts of time.

While some people would dismiss this “fad” as a glorified waste of time, the influence of this cyber-trained generation will be felt for years to come. Besides the obvious cultural impact, video games represent a misunderstood art form, a viable sport and a valuable educational tool in the study of society. This ain’t Pong anymore – video games deserve respect as being more than child’s play.

A recent study from the University of Illinois found that two-thirds of college students said they played video games “at least once in a while.” That’s an awful lot of students buying video games. Overall, video games are a $10 billion a year industry.

It is this prevalence that allows video games increasingly to be used as a lens through which we can observe human interaction. The stereotypical view of a wide-eyed nerd at his computer, locked in a dark room for hours on end is a remnant of the past. The major systems are a bastion for social interaction and a common sight in any house in the United States. Any computer game worth its monthly fee connects users to thousands of other players in a fully interactive online world. Games such as Everquest act as complete worlds where the story is written by the players as they go along. Players can freely choose to wander off on their own or join a group of friends to advance to higher levels. “Towns” are commonly busier than a weekday in Westwood and filled with traders, merchants, fighters and even the occasional nut talking to himself in a corner.

This very-human interaction is the focus of new fields of study that combine aspects of communications, sociology and political science. Already, there is a full four-year video game college, DigiPen, that trains a generation weaned on Mario to help create the next generation of online worlds. This technical application is now being matched by social explorations as colleges begin to realize the test lab can extend to the online world.

A new proposed minor here at UCLA involves observing these “artificial realities,” perhaps hoping to gain a glimpse into our anthropological beginnings. This is life imitating art, all while just playing around.

The newest games sport picture-quality graphics and are programming marvels that require years of development and Hollywood-style budgets. For those who have seen a sunset in Hyrule (reference to Legend of Zelda, Nintendo64) or the physics-accurate gunfire and injury models from the latest first-person shooter, there is no denying the presence of artistic perfectionists behind the code. The lack of a brushstroke is more than made up for by the eye-candy of games such as Metroid. The development of these lush environments and seamless animations can be called nothing less than the premier digital art form of the 21st century.

But to call video games merely “art” would be an insult to the medium. The interactive nature of games and the increasing multiplayer focus warrants more. The better definition might be “sport.”

While it may be hard to believe for some people, mouse-clicking games require just as much practice as your traditional round-ball, round-hoop, rocket-science sport. Hand-eye coordination, reflexes and mental awareness are just as relevant in Madden 2003 and Warcraft 3 as it is in your Saturday morning intramural game.

In other countries, gaming has already been accepted into the mainstream as a skill-oriented profession. Korea is an extreme example of a place where games such as Starcraft are played by millions, with the best as famous as star actors.

And Americans, never satisfied with a close-second, are closing in on Korea’s fanaticism. The Cyberathlete Professional League holds regular tournaments, where the best from all over the world compete for a chance at hundreds of thousands of dollars. Television networks such as the Gameshow Network have started broadcasting games nationwide. Slowly but surely, gaming is gaining ground as more than just a fun diversion. Like it or not, the next time you turn to ESPN, instead of your usual boxing fiasco or news of a 49ers loss, you may be seeing the likes of Tillerman (Warcraft 3 champ) and Johnathan Wendel (Quake 3 god).

Even with these social, aesthetical and “physical” attributes, to some people video games will always be considered a child’s diversion, and “Doom’s” greatest influence has been Columbine, and “Counter-strike” is the wasted potential in the world.

But for the rest of us, video games are much more: a social gauge, a technological marvel, a skill sport and even a good time.

Moon is a second-year psychology student. E-mail him at jmoon@media.ucla.edu.