Play time?

I believe that video games are a form of passive consumption in many ways. The biggest one is related to my topic of essay. Video games, especially those denoting the idea that you are free to do what ever you want in the virtual world (that's you second life!), are a form of passive play. How are they passive? Well, I believe they are passive because although players are moving their avatars around the virtual world at their own discretion, they are doing so under the terms and conditions set out by the programmers, in a created world, representing themselves and thus representing true agency and doing all this through the control interface of a personal computer. In fact, personal computer is somewhat of an oxymoron. It is your own computer yes, but you are connected to a company which built the computer, which is connected to the internet, which is connected to everyone else on the internet. You had to learn to control the computer, not the other way around. Your agency is dictated by your knowledge of the systems involved in creating that agency.

The most obvious element that permits users to watch is the cut scene. Cutscenes are small snippets of movies in video games that often help move the story line along. With the advent of improved graphics and HD television screens, a lot of gamers I have talked to suggest that seeing a game on a big screen in High Definition is sometimes what is important. Watching a game being played and taking in the high level of detail in the graphics is a reason some enjoy watching video games. One of the most rewarding things for me growing up was beating the game and hoping there was an interesting video to watch. Super Mario World for the SNES is the best example. It was a difficult game to fully beat, and then resulting end game scene was a chance for me to kick back and watch the fruits of my labour on the screen in the form of a end game movie. Mortal Kombat is another example of video games where it is enjoyable to watch or passively enjoy. A lot of the special moves like fatalities and babalities are exceedingly difficult to execute. However, waiting for the demo movies to start up enabled me to watch some of the moves I was not able to perform.

I have watched people play video games, and I have only really enjoyed games where I can appreciate the skill involved in playing them. Grand They Auto 4, Need for Speed Underground, Street Fighter 3, Super Mario Kart (SNES and Wii), and Forza 2 are the games that I really can enjoy watching other people play. Most of the games are ones which I have played or actively play. 

The wii is one bright and shining example where you can watch almost anyone play. More specifically, Wii Sports. It's entertaining to watch people itnterpret the movements involved in bowling or tennis. Their reactions are always entertaining too. Since the game is so easy to pick up, it makes watching anyone play an enjoyable experience. 

One game specifically don't enjoy watching people play is WoW. This is simply because I don't know what is going on half of the time. It's too complex for me to jump in and try to understand spells, mages and orcs (if that even makes sense). I would have to start playing in order for me to appreciate the skill and therefore be able to watch someone play.

I there are some similarities and differences between other media we consume. There are similarities with the development of new media such as video games and digital cultures that are shared with the development of film.  Although we are engaged in physical movement and exert our own will into the control of others on screen, I think it is passive in that we don't recognize the control the medium exerts over us as we play. There is a strong focus on the idea that we are in control of the games we play, but I think that video games share that control in at least equal measurement. The medium is the message, and video games contain a lot of messages left to be understood.

I believe the difference between active and passive play is the amount of information you have and understand about the media you are engaged in. Television may be viewed in an active manner if we understand all that is happening when we watch TV. On the same idea, video games may be played passively if we are playing without knowing a lot about what is going on between us and the medium. The difference between active and passive play resides within the audience, not the medium.