Gee’s studies has shown us how video games can help us learn through research on how human beings respond to phenomena. What was so interesting about this article, at least for me, was the fact that phenomenology looks at the lived experience of phenomena as opposed to theories regarding the play of the effects / meanings a player gets regarding reflection. Phenomenology is interested in the immediate reactions through the body, its senses, and how it corresponds with the game.
The embodiment that Gee speaks of is pivotal to games. When looking at embodiment through film or novels, there is no control (interactivity). For lack of a better term, there is a sense of “immersion” when we control something in these virtual worlds. There becomes this connection between the real world and the virtual world when we play games, according to Gee.
I enjoyed this reading because it was looking at another aspect of games that we haven’t really discussed before. I’ve taken Game Industries, so last week’s discussions regarding the crunch wasn’t too much new for me. How the player corresponds with the virtual world was something I was looking forward to in this class.
Game Studies 