Video games have become a key element of popular culture, because they have attracted players from many different cultures and age groups. Video games have come a long way since Pong and Spacewar. Since the first video games, there have been innovations in this industry nearly every year, always striving to defy the impossible. Today, the newest generation of gaming consoles are extremely powerful, and with this comes the ability to make games that are increasingly realistic and advanced. Because of this advancement in video game technology, video game genres have expanded to include racing, shooting, adventure, horror, and so many more. Many of the games today even feature a historical element. To the outside viewer, it may seem as if these …show more content…
In Holtorf’s work he writes that, “a monument may be considered authentic not only if it closely resembles an ancient structure in form and design but also if its spirit and feeling are those of an ancient building […] authenticity is arguably the single most import property of archaeological finds and exhibits” (114). Although Holtorf is writing about authenticity as it pertains to archaeology in museums, his argument can still apply to authenticity in video games, as both are experiences that help one to connect with the past. Authenticity is important because it is what truly connects people to the past. Just because a person goes to a cultural heritage site that is accurate does not mean that they will be drawn to it. However, since authenticity is subjective, as long as the person feels like they are getting an experience similar to that of those that they are connecting with, they will have a greater experience with the past than if it were simply accurate. Because authenticity is subjective, two people who encounter the same historical element may not have the same experience. A great example of this is a case study that was written by four scholars titled, Assassin’s Creed: A Multi-Cultural Read. In this case study, the four scholars wrote about their experience playing Assassin’s Creed, a stealth video game that takes place during the Crusades. They argue that playing video games, such as Assassin’s …show more content…
Historical inaccuracies can show up in the invention of characters, dialogue, and events, which are created to make the history more entertaining. This is a great concern for historians, as these inaccurate mediums of entertainment misrepresent history and give people a different idea of what the past was like. In Fagan and Rose’s work they write that, “media have a simple motivation: They want something that will capture eyes for newspapers, magazines, websites, and televisions and ears for radio. The profit motive and an ignorance about archaeology can easily lead media astray” (173). Archaeology, for example is a field that has been subject to a myriad of generalizations in contrast to war video games, due to the inaccuracies of video games, movies, and television. The key inaccuracy is the centralization of treasured objects in pop culture. Mark A. Hall, a history officer at the Perth Museum and Art Gallery in Scotland, wrote an article on archaeology in popular cinema. Hall spends a good amount of time talking about the issue of treasure in archaeology. He writes that, “the quest for treasure as an archaeological motivation is common in films” (164). We see this quest for treasure in films such as Indiana Jones and National Treasure. We also see this quest for treasure in video games such as Uncharted and Tomb Raider. In these games, players
He does this with a sizable group of characters and various viewpoints from different groups to engage the reader and bring his story to life. The author’s use of primary sources adds another element to the reader’s ability to understand the factual happenings of the real life experiences the characters underwent. This method of engaging the audience is ingenious because it creates a consistent level of interest. Edsel is right to call it the ‘Greatest Treasure Hunt in History’ because of the brutal and burdensome work that when into this stringent mission and the primary sources used demonstrate exactly what the Monuments Men had gone through and the level of commitment that was put into what they were doing. However, despite it being a non-fiction narrative, Edsel elects to include small scenes of dialogue. This invention was not effect because these various passage did not offer a different dimension to the story. It was clear to the audience that these scenes were inauthentic because of their unorthodox placement in the middle of a facts-driven passages. Edsel shows an interesting part of a World War that claimed millions of lives and ruined entire cities, with artwork surviving, and the investigation into who saved these makes it engaging for the reader with different perspectives and
In Steven Lubar’s book, Inside the Lost Museum: Curating, Past and Present, the recurring idea that museums are “more than the sum of their parts” plays a critical role in the overall argument (329). Lubar notes many aspects that make up a museum, the collection, for example is an essential part of any museum, but the community, as well as the experiences of the patrons create a lasting museum experience. Additionally, Lubar aptly utilizes real-world examples, contemporary and historical, highlighting the work of individuals in museums and establishing a connection between past and current events. Central to this narrative is the example of the lost Jenks Museum. Lubar uses this museum to argue that museums of the past can educate museum goers
When we study old cultures we learn how people adapt to their environment and cope with natural disasters. We learn how patterns of immigration affect languages and why civilizations thrive or die out. Studying the remints of culture, help us understand how people lived long ago, and helps us understand our own civilization. However, not all of the world heritage sites are ancient ruins; also included are Australia’s modern Sydney Opera House, the Tower of London, in England, The Statue of Liberty, in New York Harbor, and other recognizable structures. These are all impressive places of outstanding value to people around the world.
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
“With greater intelligence came imagination and the ability to create images in both painting and sculpture”, Carol Strickland discussed in her book “The Annotated Mona Lisa” (2). Over time, people break out and discover additional information and ways to create objects. Objects that is created may become an artifact over time. An artifact is an item created by humans, that usually has cultural and/or historical interest attached to the item. Some artifacts have been discovered, were created decades ago. Throughout the centuries, there have been very meaningful artifacts discovered, that could have helped inform society of the past. Two artifacts, I found interesting were the Lascaux and the Stonehenge. The Lascaux was painting on walls of caves, while the Stonehenge was an astronomical calendar. Since someone has
Artifacts are not just important to where they came from. It is also important for other societies to gain knowledge about the culture the artifact is from. Countries would be fueled by ignorance if they didn’t have knowledge of the past and of other countries cultures. This is supported by a claim that James Cuno made in “Returning Antiquities to Their Countries of Origin.” Cuno believes that museums should collect art from the world’s diverse cultures through purchase or loans and work in collaboration with museums and nations around the world.
The term pop culture can be defined as ‘The culture of the people’ a culture that flourishes through social interaction and mass media that is most actively involved in by the public. Pop culture can cover a wide range of materials and as such should be looked at as a topic open to discussion, interpretation as to why it is popular and what makes it popular. Since pop culture includes an expansive spectrum of subjects I am going to be focusing on one of those and that is Video games. In this essay I will be exploring the ideas and theories of why I believe video games have made a shift into mainstream pop culture.
Video games; a pastime for many people across the world, a form of entertainment, and, of course, a way to destress yourself from the outside world. Video games have been around since October 18, 1958 and have been evolving rapidly through the years. “ More than fifty years ago, before either arcades or home video games, visitors waited in line at Brookhaven National Laboratory to play “Tennis for Two,” an electronic tennis game that is unquestionably a forerunner of the modern video game” (“The First Video Game” 1). Since then, you can play video games at a local arcade or buy a copy of a game you like at a store like Gamestop! There are several companies and millions of titles of games to play from and, definitely, a wide variety of platforms to play on. Video games have a plethora of genres and types of games to play. For example, one could embark on a new journey in a role-playing game like Fallout 3 to playing an american football game in the Madden series. The options do not just end right there! Since video games are advancing so if there content! Specifically, in their action and shooter genre. In a modern action/ shooting games, one can see the blood and even characters get their head blown off. Some video game titles have mass murder scenes and even sexual themes. “As the level of violence in video games has increased, so has concern for the effects on those who play - especially those who play a lot” (“Video Game
Museums are in a showdown with other countries over art, artifacts, and even culture. They are fighting over repatriation,the return of artifacts and other antiquities. One expert explains, “There are those in favor of repatriation who say it is unethical to keep these artifacts. Others contend that such artifacts should remain in museums because they are part of a universal human history”(Art and Cultural Repatriation). Having better more fair laws on cultural property and repatriation could lower looting and increase archeological dig sites to find even more antiquities. The individual country the artifact comes from, and the museum researching it, should be the only ones that can claim whether the artifact
Recently I have interacted with public history issues common in an archival and museum settings such as the interpretation of objects and historical displays. Regarding previous coursework, in Historical Methodology, I learned that the interpretation of exhibits could provide a special atmosphere on a subject in history that can influence an audience’s opinions on an event. At the historical society, I came across this issue when setting up an exhibit describing the Los Alamos community during the Manhattan Project. Such artifacts as the original iron gate to the laboratory’s processing building in Santa Fe during World War II provides tourists with a sense of heritage allowing them to form their questions and views of the community’s history. With the presentation of the gate and several other objects allowed those that visited the historical society’s museum with a connection to the past. Regarding this, I encountered questions about the community’s connection to the Manhattan Project and opinions on the use of the bombs on Japan by the museum’s visitors. Also, I have experienced how interactive exhibits have taken the place of actual objects. The new addition of the museum features several interactive displays on the Cold War. Though
Video games in today’s society have become very popular. Every new game that comes out to be played and conquered by the average gamer has its own category. There are several other types of genres of games that people play but because of big hit titles and the new popular game systems like the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3, people become more interested in a game that is well known than a game they have never even heard of before. Every game has its own storyline and own way of how it unfolds and where the game ends according to game play. Some of the biggest reasons people sway to certain genres of games is because of the game titles released under them and the demand of people who want a good game under that category. The top three most
Throughout history man kind has always searched for ways to entertain himself, each time developing new activities and games. Video games have become a very popular way to spend time and have fun from the 1970’s up to now. With new developments appeared different video game genres from adventure to racing, but the violent video games appear to be the most popular ones (Shin, 2003), for example: shooters, fighting and video games where you have to eliminate, destroy, or kill your enemies.
The resurrection of former prisons across the world has equally captured the awareness of tourists and scholars alike. While prison museums, as a result of their bleak and in some cases disturbing subject matter, invert the “Disney” experience, they proceed to exploit a phenomenon known as dark tourism,” . . . in which people gravitate to sites associated with war, genocide, and other tragic events for purposes of remembrance education, or even entertainment,” (Welch, 1). Generated in order to convey the aforementioned purpose, the “museum effect” subjects visitors of the prison museums to a multilayered encounter with objects, images and space. Utilizing models such as The Clink, Alcatraz, Eastern State Penitentiary, and Seodaemun prison, this papers purpose is to illustrate the success of the museum effect in achieving its desired ends of remembrance through memorialization, education and culturalization through use of images and space, and entertainment through the use of objects.
In writing about the role of real objects in museums Rainey Tisdale mentions, “ While not everyone agrees, many museum professionals have come to believe that the increase in digital versions of objects actually enhances the value of in-person encounters with tangible, real things” ( Tisdale 2011). Similarly, the institution expects its audience to understand that the use of these devices will contribute to the development of a clear and successful connection with the historic site and the actual artifacts and objects that one can see when exploring the museum
Stories told in Requiem for the Living and In the Absence of Reliable Ghosts indicate that historical stories may hold more significance than by simply being factual. It is debatable to say that objective and factual historical stories even exist, as “historical truths” in texts are constantly met with counter stories. Arondekar proposes that historical archives are valuable not in their factuality, but in their salvific impact and implications to its historical setting for why they came into being. Suresh P. Thomas supports a similar belief, stating, “What matters is not whether this or that nugget of information is historically precise, but whether it is aesthetically valid.” He argues that the sense of authenticity in historical fiction