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Feb 23rd, 2009 at 10:15:42 - Super Columbine Massacre RPG (PC) |
Play #3
During my third play of Columbine Massacre RPG, my frustration continued to grow for the game. I felt like I was not given the option or the ability to perform any other task but one. Unlike other video games, I was not even given the option to choose a different player. The game seemed to be more focused on narration then play. This is evident in the continuous dialogues between the player Eric and Dylan. However, the dialogues did help create the mood of the game. In attempting to compare it to another video game I am familiar with, I was able to notice that the game design is similar to those in the game Pokémon. Other than being similar in the game design, I do not think the game Columbine Massacre RPG and Pokémon have much in common.
In regards to the game play, I found a particular dialogue between Dylan and Eric significant to the game’s narration. The dialogue between Dylan and Eric on the hill appeared to be a moment in which they attempted to justify their actions. “My” player, Eric, suggests that it is their only choice when he states, “It’s kinda depressing but it has to be like that.” In a way, as I mentioned earlier, the creators only allow the player to be involved in the crime and leave them with no other choice. As a result, the creators did not give the player the ability to choose between doing a right or wrong action. Moreover, it makes the game less realistic in reference to the actual incident.
On the overall, I cannot say I found this game entertaining but I am glad I was able to experience a different type of game play. It is a game that illustrates the way the creators can impact its players through its game content. Personally, I was more emotionally affected by the game because it was based on a real life event.
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Feb 22nd, 2009 at 17:58:36 - Super Columbine Massacre RPG (PC) |
Play #2
Playing Columbine Massacre RPG for a second time allowed me to explore its game content better. Nevertheless, my weird feeling towards the game remained consistent. In part, the background music helped create an eerie mood. I could not stop thinking of the actual event that had occurred and how it was being portrayed in the video game. Similar to the gruesome feeling I got when I saw the players, I also found it disturbing in seeing the actual guns, knives, and bombs displayed on the screen. It was then that I realized that the creators wanted to give the most realistic portrayal of the event through the means of the video game. As mentioned in the game’s information, it is evident that this game has resulted to be controversial because it has exploited the massacre in Columbine High School.
As a player of the game, I found it difficult to approach Columbine Massacre RPG as merely for entertainment. I found it somewhat informative, regardless if the portrayals were accurate. I do not believe the best way to inform people is through video games, but I do believe the creators had the duty to portray their plot in a factual way since they based it on a real event. Stating this, I do not wish to suggest that I support the creator’s artistic intent to portray the plot of the massacre.
While playing the game, I felt as I had only one mission and that was to place bombs and kill people. The only impediments were the hall monitors and the lunch monitor. In a sense, in order for me to get into the cafeteria and out to the parking lot required that I become deceitful. Otherwise, I would have never been able to proceed to the next steps. This often caused me frustration because I would get caught by a monitor and have to start from the beginning. That resulted in me having to pass through all the monitors once again.
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Feb 22nd, 2009 at 11:19:11 - Super Columbine Massacre RPG (PC) |
Prior to playing the game, Super Columbine Massacre RPG, I had a set mentality about it. I found the concept of the game creepy and disturbing. More specifically my mood about the game developed after becoming informed about the actual incident that occurred in Columbine High School. On the other hand, I realized that the concept of the game is not uncommon amongst other video games: violence.
In relationship to the actual game play, I did not find it hard to get started and move around. I read the game controls before playing the game and that made my starting experience much easier. Moreover, the game controls are more basic in Super Columbine Massacre RPG in comparison to those in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. Also, playing the game on a PC rather than on another game platform made me feel more confident since I use a PC daily. Then again, I think the availability of a map would have helped me get further in the game. I felt like I needed a sense of guidance of where each specified place was located. For example, I was informed that I needed to plant the bombs in the cafeteria before gearing up but I was given no clue of where the cafeteria was located. As a result, I ended up walking around and trying to find an entrance to the cafeteria. For the most part, I was denied entrance and moved back once again to the school parking lot. Nevertheless, as ridiculous as it may sound, I eventually found my way into the cafeteria about ten minutes after.
Besides being affected by the game play, I was also affected by the graphics and visuals of the game. The fact that the actual Columbine killers are displayed in the game, gave me a gruesome feeling. Moreover, the things said by the “players” were disturbing but somewhat true. For instance, Dylan indirectly states that violence is popular in U.S. media when he mentions that directors will be fighting over their story. This is unfortunate but true. More so, that even a game was made from the actual Columbine Massacre incident. I believe that this game has had a higher effect on me than other games involving violence because it is based on a true story and real individuals. My gruesome feeling towards the game would not be as bad if the game was not so realistic as to the players and the plot.
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Jan 20th, 2009 at 19:51:17 - Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas (PS3) |
3rd play- Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
Although I managed to get around by myself the first two plays, I thought it would also be valuable to have some guidance from a more experienced player the third time. My younger sister of the age of thirteen took part in helping me out. She had never played San Andreas but she has played other versions of Grand Theft Auto.
This time I found myself experiencing the game more as a player rather than attempting to analyze it. I realized that the only way I was ever going to get through a mission was by submitting myself to the hostile environment of the game. As a consequence, I learned more about the game and the results that arise from particular violent or criminal actions. For example, I found out that it is possible to steal money from the prostitutes or gain a fare through taxi services. In some sense, I was getting rewarded even though I had to beat up the prostitute and steal the taxi driver’s car. On the other hand, I also realized that the game not only involved gaining money but also gave me the opportunity to spend it in local fast food restaurants and tattoo parlors. Moreover, even the depiction and the types of fast food restaurants promote stereotypical ideas. One of the fast food restaurants I encountered included a chicken place, which further embeds the idea that all African Americans favor chicken. Also, the inclusion of the tattoo parlors in the game suggests that body art is common amongst poor and violent groups of people.
By the end of my third play, I did not get much further in the game as the previous times. Nevertheless, I did learn more about the game. As I mentioned above, I learned that it is in the player’s best interest to combat against the violent environment he or she is presented with. In saying this, I mean that it is impossible to get through the game without making unethical decisions. The videogame is contextualized in the theme of violence and revenge. The characters face punishment by going to jail or the player ends up in the beginning of the game, but the violence does not end there. Involvement in criminal activities is essential to the survival of the character. The character either dies as an effect of a shootout or ends up beaten to death by gang members.
Before playing Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, I thought it was absurd to think a video game can have an impact on a player’s ideology. However, after having the chance to play this particular video game, I find it questionable whether video games have a negative effect on individuals by promoting racism, stereotypes, and violent activities.
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