Blogging the experience of gameplayhttps://www.gamelog.cl/gamers/GamerPage.php?idgamer=929https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=3657Play #3 During my third play of Columbine Massacre RPG, my frustration continued to grow for the game. I felt like I was not given the option or the ability to perform any other task but one. Unlike other video games, I was not even given the option to choose a different player. The game seemed to be more focused on narration then play. This is evident in the continuous dialogues between the player Eric and Dylan. However, the dialogues did help create the mood of the game. In attempting to compare it to another video game I am familiar with, I was able to notice that the game design is similar to those in the game Pokémon. Other than being similar in the game design, I do not think the game Columbine Massacre RPG and Pokémon have much in common. In regards to the game play, I found a particular dialogue between Dylan and Eric significant to the game’s narration. The dialogue between Dylan and Eric on the hill appeared to be a moment in which they attempted to justify their actions. “My” player, Eric, suggests that it is their only choice when he states, “It’s kinda depressing but it has to be like that.” In a way, as I mentioned earlier, the creators only allow the player to be involved in the crime and leave them with no other choice. As a result, the creators did not give the player the ability to choose between doing a right or wrong action. Moreover, it makes the game less realistic in reference to the actual incident. On the overall, I cannot say I found this game entertaining but I am glad I was able to experience a different type of game play. It is a game that illustrates the way the creators can impact its players through its game content. Personally, I was more emotionally affected by the game because it was based on a real life event.Mon, 23 Feb 2009 10:15:42 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=3657&iddiary=6883https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=3657Play #2 Playing Columbine Massacre RPG for a second time allowed me to explore its game content better. Nevertheless, my weird feeling towards the game remained consistent. In part, the background music helped create an eerie mood. I could not stop thinking of the actual event that had occurred and how it was being portrayed in the video game. Similar to the gruesome feeling I got when I saw the players, I also found it disturbing in seeing the actual guns, knives, and bombs displayed on the screen. It was then that I realized that the creators wanted to give the most realistic portrayal of the event through the means of the video game. As mentioned in the game’s information, it is evident that this game has resulted to be controversial because it has exploited the massacre in Columbine High School. As a player of the game, I found it difficult to approach Columbine Massacre RPG as merely for entertainment. I found it somewhat informative, regardless if the portrayals were accurate. I do not believe the best way to inform people is through video games, but I do believe the creators had the duty to portray their plot in a factual way since they based it on a real event. Stating this, I do not wish to suggest that I support the creator’s artistic intent to portray the plot of the massacre. While playing the game, I felt as I had only one mission and that was to place bombs and kill people. The only impediments were the hall monitors and the lunch monitor. In a sense, in order for me to get into the cafeteria and out to the parking lot required that I become deceitful. Otherwise, I would have never been able to proceed to the next steps. This often caused me frustration because I would get caught by a monitor and have to start from the beginning. That resulted in me having to pass through all the monitors once again.Sun, 22 Feb 2009 17:58:36 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=3657&iddiary=6847https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=3657Prior to playing the game, Super Columbine Massacre RPG, I had a set mentality about it. I found the concept of the game creepy and disturbing. More specifically my mood about the game developed after becoming informed about the actual incident that occurred in Columbine High School. On the other hand, I realized that the concept of the game is not uncommon amongst other video games: violence. In relationship to the actual game play, I did not find it hard to get started and move around. I read the game controls before playing the game and that made my starting experience much easier. Moreover, the game controls are more basic in Super Columbine Massacre RPG in comparison to those in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. Also, playing the game on a PC rather than on another game platform made me feel more confident since I use a PC daily. Then again, I think the availability of a map would have helped me get further in the game. I felt like I needed a sense of guidance of where each specified place was located. For example, I was informed that I needed to plant the bombs in the cafeteria before gearing up but I was given no clue of where the cafeteria was located. As a result, I ended up walking around and trying to find an entrance to the cafeteria. For the most part, I was denied entrance and moved back once again to the school parking lot. Nevertheless, as ridiculous as it may sound, I eventually found my way into the cafeteria about ten minutes after. Besides being affected by the game play, I was also affected by the graphics and visuals of the game. The fact that the actual Columbine killers are displayed in the game, gave me a gruesome feeling. Moreover, the things said by the “players” were disturbing but somewhat true. For instance, Dylan indirectly states that violence is popular in U.S. media when he mentions that directors will be fighting over their story. This is unfortunate but true. More so, that even a game was made from the actual Columbine Massacre incident. I believe that this game has had a higher effect on me than other games involving violence because it is based on a true story and real individuals. My gruesome feeling towards the game would not be as bad if the game was not so realistic as to the players and the plot.Sun, 22 Feb 2009 11:19:11 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=3657&iddiary=6832https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=3552  3rd play- Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas Although I managed to get around by myself the first two plays, I thought it would also be valuable to have some guidance from a more experienced player the third time. My younger sister of the age of thirteen took part in helping me out. She had never played San Andreas but she has played other versions of Grand Theft Auto. This time I found myself experiencing the game more as a player rather than attempting to analyze it. I realized that the only way I was ever going to get through a mission was by submitting myself to the hostile environment of the game. As a consequence, I learned more about the game and the results that arise from particular violent or criminal actions. For example, I found out that it is possible to steal money from the prostitutes or gain a fare through taxi services. In some sense, I was getting rewarded even though I had to beat up the prostitute and steal the taxi driver’s car. On the other hand, I also realized that the game not only involved gaining money but also gave me the opportunity to spend it in local fast food restaurants and tattoo parlors. Moreover, even the depiction and the types of fast food restaurants promote stereotypical ideas. One of the fast food restaurants I encountered included a chicken place, which further embeds the idea that all African Americans favor chicken. Also, the inclusion of the tattoo parlors in the game suggests that body art is common amongst poor and violent groups of people. By the end of my third play, I did not get much further in the game as the previous times. Nevertheless, I did learn more about the game. As I mentioned above, I learned that it is in the player’s best interest to combat against the violent environment he or she is presented with. In saying this, I mean that it is impossible to get through the game without making unethical decisions. The videogame is contextualized in the theme of violence and revenge. The characters face punishment by going to jail or the player ends up in the beginning of the game, but the violence does not end there. Involvement in criminal activities is essential to the survival of the character. The character either dies as an effect of a shootout or ends up beaten to death by gang members. Before playing Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, I thought it was absurd to think a video game can have an impact on a player’s ideology. However, after having the chance to play this particular video game, I find it questionable whether video games have a negative effect on individuals by promoting racism, stereotypes, and violent activities.Tue, 20 Jan 2009 19:51:17 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=3552&iddiary=6654https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=35522nd play - Grand Theft Auto: San Andrea After having played Grand Theft Auto: San Andrea for the first time, I felt more comfortable playing it for a second time. I no longer had to worry as much about controlling my driving and creating wreckage to the city’s property. As a result, I became more aware of the scenario and the tips provided throughout the game. I was actually able to keep up with the map and understand where I was supposed to be headed. Although not remarkable, I felt a sense of accomplishment when I was able to get to my first assigned location: Big Smoke’s home. It served as an inspiration for me to keep on going. Moreover, I was able to recognize several stereotypes and gender ideologies present in the game which I had not identified the first time. Since it was pointless for me to save the first game because I did not complete any missions, I started from the beginning of the game the second time I played. This time I paid close attention to the characters, the background music, the buildings, and language of the game. For instance, it became more apparent to me how most of the characters in the game consist of minorities in America: African Americans and Latinos. Furthermore, these characters are presented in ways that enforce several stereotypical appearances of these groups of individuals. Most African Americans are presented as thugs with flashy chains and baggy jeans, while the Latino characters are depicted as Homies with the “typical” stripped shirts and sunglasses. Moreover, the surrounding neighborhoods, or their hoods, illustrate life in the ghetto. The game includes an environment full of loud music, shouting, abandoned buildings, and reckless driving. In addition to the presence of several stereotypes, the game also holds gender ideologies in its context. The male characters in the game are depicted as strong and powerful figures; they are the ones who run the streets. On the other hand, the female characters are portrayed as sex objects to the point in which the game includes female prostitutes. For the most part, the women are dressed in scandalous attire. Having mentioned the previous stereotypes and gender ideologies present in the game, it becomes more apparent to me that not only am I learning to play a video game but I am also learning about what society tolerates and finds entertaining. On the other hand, it is important to distinguish between what society tolerates in video games and in everyday life. (I am particularly referring to American society)Tue, 20 Jan 2009 12:39:58 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=3552&iddiary=6639https://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=3552 Playing Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas for the first time was quite an experience. Moreover, it was one of the few times I have played a video game; I often find myself just being the observer. However, on this occasion I was able to realize that playing a video game requires that one acquire several skills or tactics throughout the game. Moreover Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas exemplified how video games can help promote or illustrate racism and violence. As I mentioned above, the necessity of acquiring several skills or tactics is essential to surviving or completing the missions of the game. I learned this as soon as I began the game. Having played the game on my own, I found myself experimenting with the control buttons and figuring out what each ones function is. For example, in the beginning of my first mission, I simply learned how to get onto a bike, steal someone else’s car, swim, and fight. I found it particularly difficult to handle and maneuver my driving with the control. As a consequence, I was involved in many car wrecks and created damages to the city’s property while driving. In addition, I did not get very far in my first mission. I actually ended up on the outskirts of the city and could not find my way back to the location I had to get to. Also, it was hard becoming familiar with the map partially because I was so caught up in learning how to simply get around and avoid any fights from surrounding thugs or gang members. On the other hand, besides learning how to play Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, I also became more aware of the racism and violence which is induced in video games. This was evident as early on in the prologue of the game. In brief, the prologue formulates the context of the missions of the game and demonstrates its tolerance towards profanity, racism, & corruption. For instance, the police officers are characterized as being corrupt and involved in vulgar ways of speaking. Moreover, the acknowledgment of racism was evident in the mentioning of the word “Nigga” and “stupid Mexican” by a police officer. Nevertheless, the violence and racism was not narrowed to the prologue but was present throughout my playing of the game. If it was not me stealing someone else’s car and cursing, there were gang members attempting to kill me. As one can imagine from my novice skills, it took me a while to become orientated with the game. I was unable to pass the first mission and advance to the second. (This entry has been edited2 times. It was last edited on Tue, 20 Jan 2009 08:26:48.)Tue, 20 Jan 2009 08:24:44 CSThttps://www.gamelog.cl/logs/LogPage.php?Log_Id=3552&iddiary=6636