Why Are There Still Boy Gamers?
A game is basically a structured type of interactive play, normally undertaken for fun or entertainment, and occasionally used as an instructional tool. Games are very different from work, which are often carried out primarily for monetary remuneration, and in fact from literature, which often is an expression of personal or aesthetic aspects. Work requires the application of skills and the use of the mind. Games involve the critical evaluation and assessment of skills, an aspect of human development that goes far beyond the conscious level. The mind is considered to be a reservoir of important, hidden potential energy.
A game can be interactive and therefore require players to apply their brain activity in a variety of ways. Some games require no specific skill to play. They are therefore examples of ‘archetypes’ – games that demand no effort on the part of the player. Examples include Sequence, Backgammon and Mentalis, whose mechanics are quite straightforward. However, it should be noted that they are games, where the winner is the one who uses his brain the most and thereby maximizes his utility (as in the case of Sequence, wherein the first player chooses the pattern from a sequence of cards that is selected by him and the second player must follow the same pattern if he wishes to continue playing).
In the context of this discussion, games are therefore not entirely devoid of any logic, however, they are typically structured so that the logic they entail is embedded in the very structure of the game itself. This embedding of logic usually comes about through the use of real world physics, for example, in the case of Space Invaders. Here, the alien invaders who appear to be tiny robots that proceed to smash buildings in the real world, using exclusively physics methods, are using the very same tools that real army soldiers used to fight wars in the battlefields across the world today. Therefore, whatever the logic engine or simulator that lies underneath, the games themselves will tend to incorporate a degree of common experience. This common experience then can be harnessed as means of increasing one’s chances of winning.
Video game playing is also closely tied with the spread of information. Thus, while most modern games are multiplayer online games (usually requiring that gamers log onto their computer to play) it is not uncommon to find a very small portion of the gaming population that actually prefers playing single player games. One reason for this preference is the fact that playing a game requires focusing on the game itself and, to a certain extent, the game’s artificial intelligence. This focus allows players to use the knowledge learned by playing previous games to an advantage to ensure that they win.
One can thus see how the popularity of role-playing games like Final Fantasy has soared over the past few years. On a smaller scale, this popularity can be seen in the rise of a phenomenon that came to be known as Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Games (MMORPGs). In short, MMORPGs are massively multiplayer online games that feature thousands, perhaps even millions, of players at any given time. Popular examples include the world of Warcraft, wherein players take on the role of characters and enter into large, persistent worlds that they can interact with other players and engage in quests, battles, and more.
While most boys enjoy playing video games, what many do not realize is that there are some boys who have found a niche within the gaming industry. boys as young as six or seven years old are having a blast playing Final Fantasy and other MMORPGs. As adults, many of these boys are having just as much fun. Boys love to role play and can go to school and sit in on role-playing games with friends. While these boys may seem like the stereotypical “nerdy” kids, there is nothing really different about them.