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Are All Games Created Equally? What Constitutes a Serious Gamer? And Why Do We Make These Distinctions?

Discuss why some people consider some games more "serious" than others. For example, games such as Animal Crossing and The Sims are often considered lower tier entertainment than more "difficult" games like, say, Call of Duty. Why do you think that is? How do sports games fit into the mix? Is it a problem of quality or is it subjective?

  • Might be an interesting topic, but it needs a bit more fleshing out. Start with writing a title which will point towards a specific angle from which the argument will develop. – Kaya 5 years ago
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  • The "seriousness" of the content in question is something that applies not only to video games, but just about every artistic creation. There are "serious" works of literature versus pulp fiction or "beach reads." With movies, there are gripping "Oscar-worthy" performances in comparison to light blockbuster fare. By sticking to the topic of video games, it would be good to narrow your topic's focus a bit more. In what ways do video games really illustrate people's perception of "serious" works versus those taken less seriously? – aprosaicpintofpisces 5 years ago
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  • This has the potential to generate a really interesting piece. I would recommend looking at how gaming has been portrayed in past decades, how it's portrayed now and how access to games has changed over the years. Were boys really the only players when video games first gained popularity? – Ryan 5 years ago
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  • This is a very interesting topic that will generate very good conversation, however it needs a bit more direction by which the writer can go towards.. what also needs to be considered is the link between the types of games played and those who play them. – abbeyferrer 5 years ago
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Envisioning VR: A wider look at the uses of Virtual Reality

Most of what we see to see in the media relating to VR technology seems to all come back to videogames. Certainly it's one of the most obvious applications for the technology, having been brought up in numerous futeristic sci-fi scenarios, but what about outside of that? What are its other uses, perhaps in museums, cinema, or even the classroom? The 'Scotland VR' app might be a good place to start.

  • I know Concordia University's been working on VR and its multiple uses, Google as well. It could be worth a look. – JennyCardinal 8 years ago
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  • I think there's massive uses for VR outside of video games, or even general entertainment purposes. VR has massive potential in the education field, and I have seen some really interesting AR applications that allow people to examine anatomy/physiology in 3D space. I think I also saw something about using VR to explore battlefields during history lessons. Any kind of visual information seems like it could be more efficiently studied in VR/AR, especially as it adds an interactive third-dimension. I wouldn't be surprised if the military started using it for training purposes (if they aren't already). It's definitely a fascinating topic. – Ben Woollard 8 years ago
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  • Not only, I am using VR for presentations in design, to show the space, to immerse people in it and to actually be in the space, not just to see it on paper. – aichabrinley 8 years ago
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  • VR has been used in aerospace industry to visualize simulated airflow around the aircraft. Due to the time-dependent and 3D nature of the airflow, VR is a perfect technology to visualize the it. – yigu8115 8 years ago
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Feminism in Video Games

Are video games getting better or worse at depicting women? What should they do to change it? How can they find a balance?

  • I don't have a lot of knowledge on this subject because of my limited experience with video games, but I think it could make for an interesting article. The first female characters that come to mind are the tough warrior types (female knights in medieval fantasy games) or, on the other hand, the overtly sexual types (such as Cortana in the Halo series). This article would need many examples to form a complete argument. – AlexanderLee 8 years ago
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  • There's also the tropes of the damsel-in-distress (re: plot device) or the naive/innocent girls who are really there to be love interests (or to be killed off to spur the protagonist onward in his journey). I think the topic might be difficult when considering the amount of female representation across many genres of games. It might help to narrow it down to specific genres or even specific series, or high-selling games with notable female characters. You can even discuss the seeming absence of female characters in certain games. – Karen 8 years ago
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  • Could you suggest some thought-provoking video games that could compliment the topic? Some suggestions with a strong female protagonist or sidekick could be helpful. The only one I can think of now is Bioshock Infinite with Elizabeth as the sidekick. Other than that, I think this is a promising topic. – AbeRamirez 8 years ago
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  • I would suggest looking into Elizabeth from Bioshock Infinite and the damsel in distress trope and how it confirms and breaks from this trope. Also, you might possibly examine Ellie from the Last of Us. She is a very interesting female character. – SeanGadus 8 years ago
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  • At least people aren't hating on what they did with Mei in overwatch – TBNRronic 8 years ago
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  • In my recent experience I have had the choice to be male or female in many games. In some games, it makes more sense to be male but in other if you were anything but female you would lose. Logically, it no longer makes sense to have just one gender and big companies are seeing that. – Angel1014 8 years ago
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  • Better in some, worse in others – ZekeAnthony 8 years ago
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