The Analytics of “Gamer"

                    

In “Gamer”, the film follows a corrupt individual changing and revolutionizing the way society looks at video gaming. Castle, an extremely wealthy madman enjoys his riches while bringing down society and individuals making them into his mindless puppets. To explore “Gamer’s” society, we have to first take into consideration society’s involvement in their virtual worlds. Individuals are immersed in their second lives as society changes drastically into somewhat of a dystopia. Humanz is an organization created to stop these changes, and their legacy lives on with the help of the main character Kable.  Death row inmates in the film have an option of literally living in a virtual world and being controlled by people around the planet in a gruesome death match called Slayers. This is a worldwide phenomenon and is considered to be morally correct with the people of Earth. Kable is a part of this game as he is forced and tricked by Castle into becoming a prisoner that is watched by millions. Society and the prison system are obviously corrupt in this world. Although these seem to be gruesome and disturbing points, the issue of having death row inmates participate in these games is disputable regarding its matters on morality.

Prisoners who are death row inmates are the worst of the worst. They are on the line for Capital Punishment, or in other words the Death Penalty for acts which include murder, rape, and other forbidding adultery. I would like to look more into this disputable question as I feel as if “Gamer”, acts as a commentary and tries to warn its viewers. The film tries to caution its viewers of not just how we treat our prisoners today, but what will become of society if we do not take a different approach to how we go about using our technology in such ways where it is not abused. It also shows the viewers on what could happen if people take the word of manipulative individuals and use their teachings as the way of the world. I am in favor in regards to Capital Punishment because of the fact that there are just some sociopathic and mentally corrupted individuals that should not walk amongst the Earth with other human beings. Having said this, I would like to add another point regarding death row inmates being a part of “Slayer”. It is true that inmates on death row have nothing to live for in terms of the heinous crimes they have committed, but having them controlled like puppets by society is not only disgusting but it shows that society quickly gives in to inclinations made by certain “powerful” figures. Society is disregarding the fact if it is appropriate or fitting for human beings to experience and be a part of such brutality.

Humans have a difficulty thinking independently. I say this with no sources but with knowledge of historical events. If one takes WWII into consideration, and thinks about the motives of Adolf Hitler, what made Germany justify his actions? It is true that individuals living in Nazi Germany did not have a say regarding whom they could elect for office, but it is absurd on all levels when people get attached to these inclinations and start believing the word of these so called “powerful” figures. This film warns its viewers not too get caught up in such irrationality and to think logically. While thinking logically, one cannot justify the actions of Castle in this film. When one disagrees with why prisoners should not be given the option to be controlled in this game, or to play this game in general, they should take obvious factors of corruption in society into consideration. When individuals are exposed to such violence in their lives, it is accepted as normality in their minds to perceive violence in everyday life. There is a reason why movies and video games have a rating system, but considering the extreme brutal aspect, even “Slayer” won’t be fit with a rating system. If this game was to be accepted in our society, corruption would flood the United States of America. Most violent crimes would be accepted into our everyday lives and society would have an extreme reaction to this game. It disgusts me to say that people would indeed play this game if it was accepted in our society. This is why technology should not be abused early on in our lifetimes, to avoid these “controversial” decisions on if it is morally lawful to have a game like “Slayer” accepted into our society.

  Watching death occur in a live telecast or a television is wrong at all costs. This would be a devastating act and murder would be more common in our society. Horror would overcome this world and the beauty and innocence would perish. We as humans need to be vigilant and wise in our choices and take precautions to all new technological developments. This is basically the same as thinking before an individual speaks accept that the world advances quickly, so we need to think twice as much before we act. This world has enough issues, and violence should definitely not become the leading factor of the problems that surround our society. In my eyes, this film taps into a fear of social decline, and individuals dehumanizing each other. While this film serves as great entertainment, the thought of this unfolding into a reality is haunting. This film is indeed a social commentary and we should make aware of its signs. “Gamer” does an excellent job of painting these haunting images in your mind. The viewers are put in a sense of fear and apprehension after watching this film, and some individuals like me, try to justify the actions of the characters in this film by overthinking the scenarios in my mind. Therefore, I enjoy writing about this topic just because of the fact that I would like to urge individuals to think logically and not too get caught up in the trends and inclinations of society. If something like this ever occurs in our world, we should have the decency and power to be able to put an end to it. Unity is a powerful force that should not be ignored especially during difficult times. Gamer as a piece of fiction does include elements of satire. For example, naming the main character Kable while he is watched by millions as he plays through “Slayer” pokes fun at society as this is one of the few signs Gamer utilizes to send a message to its audience.

Conclusively, this film shows its audience what could happen to our society if we indulge ourselves into a corrupt technological world with no morals. It’s an excellent wake up call for not only heavy gamers but society itself. I would recommend it to viewers of all ages to watch this film and pay close attention to what type of message “Gamer” is trying to convey.

The Performing Arts Center

Last week, our group visited the Performing Arts Center and truly had a great experience. At first, we had difficulty getting inside as we were rejected by a couple of individuals who were in charge of this building. Luckily, one of the event coordinators had the heart to let us inside and gave us a legitimate full tour of the building. This building was extremely spotless. Our “tour guide” even mentioned having workers and the janitors constantly cleaning the windows or any dust that builds up. The Performing Arts Center was built in 2010 and is a 120 million dollar building which was funded by private donors. This center is for students to express themselves both artistically and as a learning experience. It is almost isolated on the outside during the days because it mainly functions at night. I think the Performing Arts Center suits our campus ideally as it gives a sense of mystic and artistic value to our campus. There is definitely a spiritual feeling when you walk through the doors of this building. The tour guide mentions that it is built somewhat like a giant guitar. The wood used for the building is the wood of an acoustic guitar and has an extremely beautiful spacious sound as echoes can be heard from the hallways. The building is also visible by both the CSUN community and the public as it faces both our campus and the outside. This building is a tremendous addition to our campus. To be honest, as soon as I saw inside the performance center, I immediately felt the urge to play on that same stage. Just that feeling itself made me proud to be a student at CSUN, and the thought that one day I will definitely play the Performing Arts Center, which holds 1,700 + people. This experience was also great for the students because it held a change of scenery from the everyday classroom scenario. I urge everyone to visit this building on campus, or to be able to go see some musicians/plays at the beautiful Performing Arts Center.

Essay Proposal-Gamer Analysis

For this essay I would like to analyze Gamer and further explore my post regarding the analysis of my blog regarding the film. In Gamer, the film follows a corrupt individual changing and revolutionizing the way society looks at video gaming. Castle, an extremely wealthy madman enjoys his riches while bringing down society and individuals making them into his mindless puppets. To explore Gamer’s society, we have to first take into consideration society’s involvement in their virtual worlds. Individuals are immersed in their second lives as society changes drastically into somewhat of a dystopia. HUMANZ is an organization created to destroy this corruption, and their legacy lives on with the help of Kable. Slayers and Society are the worlds created by Castle. I will add on to this analysis and get deeper into the examination of the world of Gamer. 

Gamer

In the film Gamer, “Society” was a game very similar to “Sims.” In “Sims” users basically create a world with fictional people and make them function as a society. Society is the keyword in this scenario, as the film Gamer took the functions of the game and escalated them to a whole new level, naming the game “Society.” In the film, users can create ideally create their world of individuals and make them do absolutely whatever they desire. However, there is something truly disturbing about this version of the game as it involves real human beings. Ken Castle, the creator of “Society” in the film, created a world where humans would not be able to think for themselves anymore. The users of “Society” are controlled like puppets by users from Earth. Once they are in the game, their actions, words, and emotions are controlled by others. To be honest, I do hope I’m wrong, but I feel as if some individuals in present times would take this opportunity to have their decisions made by others in this world. It is a disturbing thought but this issue goes far beyond laziness into a pathetic phase which no one should undergo. “Slayer” on the other hand, took a more extreme violent approach to the film. “Slayer” was a game in the film that literally took death row inmates and gave them the option to play in this gruesome video game rather than to face their death penalty in other various ways.  Users then control these inmates as the inmates are transformed into the virtual world. The question here is if it is morally correct for this situation to occur. In my eyes, watching death occur on a live telecast or television is wrong at all costs. This can emotionally disturb people and can severely mentally damage individuals for years to come. Televising death is the same as murder to me. If there comes a time where society allows this to occur, then it will be a chaotic world filled with horror. No one should have the opportunity to witness such horror in their life time. 

Realism VS. Fantasy.

RPG games have revolutionized the video game industry. I myself play the newest game from the Elder Scrolls series entitled Skyrim. RPG’s are a refreshing way to get your mind off of your worries in the real world. However, the question some of the users in Waggoner’s forum should ask themselves is that where exactly can they draw the line between reality and their fantasy world. I treat video games as a stimulating experience that is able to almost completely get rid of any stressful situations that are surrounding me, and I am sure that millions over the world do exactly the same. The key here is how to apply moderation in your life. It is not a crime to absorb yourself in these epic fantasy worlds and to lose yourself in these games from time to time, but psychologically these games can definitely cause a significant amount of damage to the users nervous system.  I was appalled at people’s reactions in Waggoner’s forums. Some actually felt guilty about killing a certain character in a game. This action affected their lives in a negative way. When I read stories similar to Waggoner’s article, I realize that there is no other way for some of these users to get help unless they stop playing once and for all, or to significantly cut down the amount of video games they play by finding different hobbies. Coming from a once extremely avid gamer, I speak from personal experience that an individual needs a more healthier way to pass time than indulging themselves with video games for hours and days. Heavy RPG can indeed blur one’s ability to distinguish their lives with fantasy and reality. These users need drastic changes in their lives and need to preoccupy themselves with something of greater value. Love, happiness, and excitement can all be acquired with broader interests that have more depth. An individual needs to realize this and come to terms with themselves while understanding that moderation can be the most helpful thing in their lives. An excess of anything will almost always harm you, and moderation is in fact in my mind, one of the major keys to happiness in life. 

Facebook vs. Myspace

After I read this article, I realized that there is in fact a very distinct line between the two social networks. At first, MySpace was the prominent social network for teens especially when Facebook was only limited to college students. As time progressed, I felt as if younger teens who were using MySpace wanted to gain a certain level of maturity. They wanted to join the world of the college kids and wanted knowledge of what these college students were experiencing. I had this exact same mindset when I had just entered high school. Facebook was the next big social network, and as a result, Facebook had a good amount of MySpace users switch to their site. As for me, there are two main reasons on why I’m on Facebook and not MySpace. The first being the obvious that all my friends have switched social networks a while back and MySpace feels almost inexistent. The other reason is that I am in a rock band. At first, MySpace was the most outstanding site to promote your band, but ever since Facebook came into play, its users slowly started to die down. In my opinion the buzz is going to stay on Facebook for at least another 5-7 years. That same buzz revolves around my band because of the fact that we have a band page on Facebook. For example, in three days, my band “WhiteHorse” got 273 “Likes” on Facebook. Since we are also talking to record labels, A&R representatives say it’s one of the most essential factors that a band promotes their music on this social network. Facebook is where the online word of mouth takes place, and it’s crucial for our music to be up there. It also lets us create event pages when we have gigs, and it sure as hell beats putting up flyers all over the valley. Facebook is our best tool, and quite frankly has helped us in a countless number of situations. I do hope the buzz on this website never slows down, and continues to reinvent itself to keep their users interested.