Fix #9-10

Fix 9: Fun with Strangers

This week we return to the concept of gaming with strangers. As my opinion has not changed on the idea of embracing the interaction with stranger, I unfortunately do not agree with Fix 9.  As I believe there is true value in working together, I don’t believe McGGonigal gives reality a fair shot with the comment, “compared with games, reality is lonely and isolating” (2011, p.172).  I disagree.  As I can be very pessimistic, life is certainly not isolating.  In fact, getting out and moving around in life is certainly more rewarding than being buried in a PDA.  As games do help us to band together, I don’t believe life needs a fix here – but certain individuals may seek games to fill a void they may have in their reality.  

The discussion this week begins with the concept of “Comfort of Strangers”. As the developer of the game, Simon Johnson states “ We set the game up to create a degree of uncertainty in players as to who was and was not playing.” (McGonigal, 2011, p.171).  As many may find the uncertainty to be intruding, I often am discouraged about uncertainty in a game.  As I do not have a direct citation, I do recall on the travel channel a show that discussed the impact of casino environments on the comfort level of players.  One belief was that if a gambler was not comfortable in a certain casino, they did not do as well as they would if they were in a place they felt comfortable.  Building design, theming, and other factors led to this study.  No as we are not discussing casinos, we are talking about games.  I believe the effects are similar for me personally.  If I am uncertain or uncomfortable, I simply am not engaged.  However, many may welcome this as a new challenge, so I will not discount it for the majority of people, but will exclude myself from this type fix.

Now, with that said, under a controlled environment, a game like “Comfort” could be a benefit to education.  Perhaps a campus wide version, or even a particular class may find interest in such an endeavor? For that, I would consider it. As McGonigal (2011) states, “Community feels good”, and I believe this sense of community may help strangers in the class room to connect.  Hence, the concept of “Ghosts of a Chance” utilizes the sense of community in a game to merge education with a certain and comfortable environment found in a museum.  Unlike Comfort, I think the Ghosts is an innovative and keen way to have patrons interact.  As this form game does not seem to incorporate competition or leveling up, a clear goal and obvious rewards would make this a valuable game to many. 

Fix 10: Happiness Hacking

Perhaps one of the most interesting chapters so far, McGonigal ventures into the psychology of happiness.  Prior to getting more than a page into the chapter – I asked myself how games add to my happiness in life.  As it is a vital part of my everyday routine now to log in and fix the mines, I have always looked forward to gaming in my spare time.  Perhaps the daily routine of logging into Plants vs Zombies on my phone while waiting for my children to be released from school when I pick them up has been one of those Zen moments, I also recall a time when Minion Rush was enough to kill the battery on my Surface.  I laugh every night when I come up stairs from my office to see my wife playing some version of Farmville on her phone.  We laugh – and happiness is evident.

To reflect upon Lyubormirsky’s comment, “Why do many of the most powerful happiness activities sound so. . .well, hokey?”, I recall a course I took in my Master’s program called “The Effective Teacher”.  As it was a summer course, run 8 hours a day for 5 days, it was jam packed with the most corny activities you could do in the classroom to create an energetic and engaging learning environment.  As the activities made sense, they were not necessarily geared toward adult education, but for younger crowds. Never the less, I listened and took note of some of these activities that would encourage a smile in the learning environment. Now I think to the current situation, and realize that it is once again an issue of security or comfort.  

As we move further into the reading, a common theme is found in strangers.  Apparently, happiness cannot be accomplished alone, and it is through games that people can be brought together to weather the storm of unhappiness.  Unfortunately, I do not find McGonigal’s Tombestone Hold’em to be ethically appropriate. As a reminder of death may aid some, the loss of loved ones should respectfully done with silence, not games.  I do not agree with this approach, but to each his own. 

Settlers

As mentioned in previous posts, the sense of community that arises from guild members and friends adds to the reward of doing well.  As adventures have been the main source of experience, I have sought the experience of fellow guild members to accept higher level challenges, not just to complete, but to do it swiftly.  As the sense of community is evident from the conversation in the chat, I still don’t feel as if I belong at times.  Many play for pure enjoyment, while I still have the sense of accomplishing the goals in the game for more than myself, As this is not a bad thing, participating in a game on your won is different than a requirement for a class.  Again, not a bad thing, just a small variable in the entire process.

As far as common interests, I have not reached out to anyone in guild on a personal note.  I decided not to do this.  As McGonigals words can be inspiring and motivating in the sense that strangers are needed, I still am reluctant to share personal thoughts with strangers.  With all of the hype centered around cyber stalking, I would rather not open that can of worms.  

Happiness has come from the leveling up process. I have found some excitement in trades, and even a few gifts given by lead guild members to help out.  At first, the game moved so rapidly that it was difficult to track experience with all of the random experience point opportunities.  Now that the numbers are higher, it is obvious when the next level is within reach.  The excitement is not as suspenseful, but more of strategy.  The happiness still is there when the level is reached.

McGonigal, J. (2011), Reality is broken, Broadview Press.