Dream Machines, By As Will Wright

“Just One More Game” by Sam Anderson is an article about the history of gaming and how it relates to reality. Throughout the text, Anderson argues how destructive, yet self-improving gaming can be to us. He supports his analysis on games by going to show how heavy video game usage can lead to obesity and shorter attention spans in children because they get so distracted by the games. Anderson is trying to make us aware of what videogames can do to our brains. He also wants us to understand that while video games can be a great experience for the brain, we need to learn how to play video games at a reasonable time and not just to distract us from our everyday life.

The children’s book, Just a Dream by Chris Van Allsburg explains the importance of having a clean environment and what the consequences will be if you do not take care of it. The story opens with Walter eating a jelly doughnut and throwing the empty bag it came in at the fire hydrant. This displayed how Walter did not take littering seriously, but at the end realized how important it truly is to keep the environment pollution free. Allsburg takes us on a journey through Walter’s dreams explaining what you should and should not do to the environment through words and the detailed illustrations.

We’ve looked at work from many different views in this class. From the bottom in Mike Roses book, Mind at Work which looks at the, on the jobsite skills and intelligence needed in the work force. Along with the way our society and education play a role in that. And then there was the middle working class view by journalist and author Barbara Ehreinch and her book Nickel and Dimed, which saw a middle class person look at the low wage lifestyle of Americans, and her failed attempt to live off wages. It ended up very one sided and controversial since it was a wealthier person trying to look in on a subject they could never understand. But one thing that I never really felt or saw either one really look at is the connection between work and life balance they only looked at the different aspects of work and those factors. But I feel there was a factor left out and it is life, family, personal aspects.

Using persuasive writing, Wright begins to influence his audience that game play is a beneficial source of entertainment not a wasteful one. Playing video games increases creatively, self esteem and improve problem solving skills of the players. Video games are becoming test runs that appear or feel close to the real thing. Where you can control everything with added effects like magic or future technology. Games have the potential to exceed almost all other forms of entertainment media. They tell stories, play music, challenge us, allow us to instantly communicate and interact with others. Encourage us to create things, connect us to new communities, and let us play with people across the world. Unlike most other forms of media, games are inherently tangible. According to Wright young children spend their days in imaginary worlds, substituting toys and make believe into the real world that they are just beginning to explore and understand. Wright states that games are the result of imagination and that they consist of rules and goals. Generation of teenagers has grown up with different set of games. Teenagers use the scientific method rather than reading the manual first. Games today maybe a person’s only place to express a high-level of creativity and growth. Older generations have a lot of criticisms for games, the games can help a person learn to think on his or her own.

"Perpetual Motion" by Tony Hoagland discusses the same idea of desiring an escape from reality and it becoming compulsive over time. As a result, it may lead to a permanent separation from reality as the need for separation, rereferred to as, a contagious disease, takes further refuge inside a person's mind. The narrator of the poem initially desires a destination beyond their reality, which, in their case, is Saturn. This need for an escape is beyond their control and has become compulsive in a similar way to how my anxiety dictates my life apart from society. The narrator has no control over it and their separation has now become subsequently linked to a disease that they have contracted.

In his essay “Dream Machines”, Will Wright emphasises the benefit of video games in modern society. He thinks that video games can teach players to solve problems, be more creative and interesting person overall. Will Wright is trying to tell people that we can all benefit from playing and exploring the worlds of gaming. “Watching someone play a game is a different experience than actually holding the controller and playing it yourself”. These words mean that people who never played video games themselves should not judge and critisize gamers, because you could not know the flavor of an apple only by looking at it, right? I am going to to agree with what Will Wright said about video gaming and gamers themselves, because I myself played

In the story “Fly Away Home”, by Eve Bunting, Andrew does not want to get noticed, his dad tells not to and makes him do certain things not to get noticed, Also Andrew knows that if he gets noticed he will get moved out by security.

“I sleep sound” (Glaspell 619). These are the words of a woman defending herself against a horrific crime. Sound: it is a word that strikes us as something that might keep us up at night. In the correct context, it obviously implies noise. People often say, “That is an annoying sound,” or, “that sound is deafening.” These are what we think of when we hear the word, sound. Susan Glaspell’s play, “Trifles,” covers a crime scene that includes one witness, Mr. Frank Hale, who quotes the only suspect in a case involving the murder of the accused’s husband. When used in the context referring to sleep, however, sound is a magical and refreshing descriptor, mostly considered to mean ‘like the dead.’ In a small town, not too far from Omaha in the

When Coates speaks of the “Dream,” he is referring to a suburbia characterized by paradise and innocence, separated from the violence and corruption of the cities. America’s success was built upon the plunder of black bodies, and those who live in the “Dream” feel justified of this act; in the eyes of the “Dreamers,” the stealing of black bodies started as something noble, and the rape, pillaging, and murder of African Americans became part of their cause. Social classes became divided “not [by] rich and poor, but white and black” (Coates 104); both poor and rich “white” belonged to the upper class, equaled by their “right”to break the black body. Black inferiority became a tradition of America.

Jane McGonigal's Ted talk video told me 3 things never give up, don’t be so easy to write off a media, and always find another way through the issue. This video pretty much tells me that video games can be a tool to save lives and not just for being for fun. I want to also add that she starts her conference by her saying “I’m a gamer” a perfect way to gain my attention because I’m a gamer also. She then briefly talks about how other people see video games rather “it’s a waste of time” or “it’s just for kids” I hear this a lot from people who never really even held a game controller. An Interesting part of the video is that she explains how some games can be a relationship tool which I couldn’t tell you how many times I’ve heard someone that

According to Jane McGonigal in “Be a gamer, save the world”, video games have the ability to provide gamers with an opportunity to live a happy meaningful life by offering the hope of success with strong social connection and a satisfying work environment with a chance of becoming a part of something bigger. McGonigal believes that video games give gamers a sense of self and allows them to reach outside of who they are and empowers them to tackle real-world problems. Typically gamers are looked at as being escapist, someone who tries to get away from reality, but the reality is playing video games has helped players to become the best version of them self. In McGonigal's article, she makes some good points. For example, by the evidence provided

Many video games use visuals to mentally immerse gamers into a virtual world filled with seemingly living, breathing people, animals, or cities. According to Michael Samyn and Auriea Harvey, game designers for Tale of Tales, video games increasingly develop into a true medium of artistic expression (Lamb). In just forty years, video games transformed from an abuse of the new computer for entertainment purposes into a sophisticated form of popular art. The development of video games recently produced results that arguably equal other similar, representational arts. Video games share many qualities with other forms of art, but they are also artistically significant in their own way. “This seems to be something

In the essay, “Dream Machines” (211), Will Wright explains the diversity of the minds of children in this generation whom are interested more in the modern day media rather than the simplicity of children’s lives without the media. He compares the games that children used to play in the days before media and games that used manuals for instructions, like board games. In the years before the 21st century kids use to follow the rules and instructions before playing the game, but now they skip through them. Although the new generation of kids are not like children in the olden days, they are learning new information, and different ways of thinking. Their minds are becoming more intelligent by experimenting with other strategies and technology.

They’re learning to learn.” (Gee, 399) Gee might be correct that there is potential to learn through video gaming, however, it is more the content of these games that should be held up to scrutiny. Specifically, the depth of violence and unrealistic virtual worlds involved in many of these games should indeed hold cause for concern. There are no long term studies to draw from telling us that video gaming is either a good or bad thing. But we do have common sense to draw from and we should consider what is known to date from both ends of the spectrum. The popular television show Dr. Phil recently aired an episode when a young man was so addicted to video gaming that it overtook his life. He no longer ate, showered or brushed his teeth and only slept when it physically overtook him. He mentally transformed himself into the video game, ignoring everything else. While this may be only one case, it should not be ignored. When considering the theories both Carr and Gee present, both essays are alarming and brings one not only to the conclusion that education is definitely in crisis in this country, but if were intending on video games to fill some kind of educational void, we are likely a country in

“Be a Gamer, Save the World,” written by Jane McGonigal, is an article found in the Norton Reader 14th Edition. Video game critics are often quick to dismiss playing video games as brain numbing and a waste of time. McGonigal challenges critics of video games by discussing the benefits of playing video games. She makes a valid point by stating that video games make players more optimistic and help create better social bonds. These emotions can encourage people to desire working for the betterment of the world. McGonigal believes we can solve some of the world’s most difficult issues with the use of video games. The author makes a valid point, especially considering the advancements in technology and the