20 Mark Essay response

Discuss how far young people's use of media technology deffers from that of their parents:There are a vast number of different technologies out in the 21st century, all appealing to different target demographics, and all with a specific purpise; to entertain. The diverse range of new media technologies provides the consumer with constant updates and new products. Young people tend to use media technology on a much larger scale than the older, more traditional audience. But how do you define "young" in this modern day and age. Anyone upto even their 40s is influenced by new media, for example; the brand new mobile handsets, gaming consoles, even cars are "iPod" compatible. Most of the modern day gadgets are aimed at the youth audience, for example, in the gaming industry most of the games are aimed at kids around the ages of 20 and lower.
One company which has changed the way in which we consume gaming is "Nintendo". With the release of the Wii and the DS lite, now families can also enjoy the delights of gaming. The Games on the Wii are mostly aimed at young children and families, and the whole interactivity and way in which you play it is especially unique, as it gets everyone off the sofa and involved.

Beware the dark side: The perils of New Media Technologies

1. The way in which we consume to media is constantly changing, and this becomes central to the subject that i am studying; gaming.
2. Privacy is always at risk when using the internet. Personal details can be distributed freely, and accessed by any ISP, for example BT. They track the history of websites and time spent online. Portable devices can be used to 'hack' into others and may be used to steal valuble information. Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags are another innovation that could have consequences for civil liberties, they cannot be seen by the eye but can be traced to the exact loction.
3. The idea of Peer to Peer (P2P) networks such as KaZaa and Gnutella, have forced millions into commiting copright violations and inevitably stealing. This file sharing is aparent to be harmless, but in reality it is a serious illegal jurisdiction. Entertianment such as gaming have also been criticised heavily, regarding violence and topics of a sexual nature.
4. New Media technologies often contributed heavily to environmental problems such as, in the UK one million tonnes of electronic waste is generated each year, and this is aso very hazardous.

Useful Articles (Unfinished)

Grand Theft Auto: http://www.lrb.co.uk/v29/n14/lanc01_.html
Second life and Religion: http://www.lrb.co.uk/v29/n14/lanc01_.html
Wii TV BBC: http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article3713281.ece
Kane and Lynch: http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/tech_and_web/article3708696.ece
Why gaming will survive an economic meltdown: http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/apr/24/games.microsoft1
SpongeBob is the real threat to our kids online: http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2008/apr/10/games.news
Women in the gaming industry: http://www.independent.co.uk/student/student-life/technology-gaming/abroader-platform-women-in-the-gaming-industry-804794.html
Retro delights: Video games: http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/features/retro-delights-video-games-789734.html

MANHUNT

"The decision by the BBFC probably headed off a moral panic. The first Manhunt game was denounced by the parents of Stefan Pakeerah, a 14-year-old who was murdered in Leicester in 2004, as a factor that contributed to his death. The police disagreed: they said that the game had not played any part in the murder, which had been a robbery motivated by the need for drug money, and pointed out that it was the victim, not the killer, who owned a copy of Manhunt. Not to worry: questions were anyway asked in Parliament by the local MP, Keith Vaz. When Seung-Hui Cho committed his murders at Virginia Tech, there was an immediate fuss about the contributing part that might have been played by video games. (MSNBC headline: ‘Were video games to blame for massacre?’) It turned out that Cho didn’t own any video games, and according to his roommate never played them (nor did he own a TV), which must have put him in a tiny minority of 23-year-old American men."

http://www.lycos.com/info/moral-panic--moral-panics.html
The website above shows a number of moral panics reflecting the attitudes towards gaming in the 21st century

Curbs on computer games to protect children

"Curbs on computer games to protect children" by Toby Helm, Public Policy Editor, 28/03/2008.

"Video games must be given cinema-style age classifications to stop children accessing graphic images of sex and violence, a Government adviser will announce today."

"Her proposals for a strict and legally-binding classification system for video games, similar to that used for films, form the centrepiece of a 224-page report to help parents prevent their children buying and watching unsuitable material in the home."

"Sources close to the Byron inquiry told The Daily Telegraph the report would stress the need for parents to realise that "just because a game is called a game does not mean it is appropriate for children".

"At present, the only video games with age limits printed on their packaging are those showing "gross" violence to humans or animals, sex scenes or material that may help criminals commit a crime."

"Dr Byron is expected to recommend a system combining the cinema-style rating of U/PG/12/15/18 with parts of the PEGI system, which she says is easy to understand and accurately reflects content."

"Dr Byron is expected to warn against what she describes as a "MORAL PANIC" about the internet and the march of technology that has gripped parents and teachers."

"She will emphasise that if society can educate itself better about the dangers it can offer young people opportunities to advance their education."<

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2008/03/27/ncomputer127.xml The article can be found here and it really highlights the main issues and debates regarding gaming this year.

Articles regarding gaming controversy

The Guardian Thursday February 14th 08: “Gadget that hopes to boost mobile gaming” by Keith Stuart GAMESBLOG
What its about: Zeemote JS1, a Bluetooth joy pad device designed for mobile games. Californian start up; “Zeemote”. Light device measures 95mm x 35mm x 20mm and houses a small analogue stick. Zeemote wants to bring genuine mass appeal to the underachieving mobile games industry. Supported by: “Sega”, “Eidos”. See Tomb Raider and Sonic.

The Guardian Thursday January 31st 08: “How to fight those foxy forces of evil effectively” by Keith Stuart GAMESBLOG
What it’s about: Fox report on XBOX 360 game “Mass Effect”. Critically acclaimed sci-fi epic was dubbed as sexually explicit, and filled with nudity. Referred to as “Luke Skywalker meets Debbie”. Game developers are exploring more adult themes with a more accurate representation of the human form.

The Guardian Thursday January 31st 08: “How hardcore gamers are being pushed aside by the soft surround” by Charles Arthur.
Whats it about: How Nintendo have beaten both Microsoft and sony in the gaming market. In the Europe: 6MWiis ans 20M DS consoles. PS3 8.5M worldwide. Xbox 16.8M in total. Wii is 20M in total making it a clear winner. Sony’s PSP sold 30M, and DS sold 66M. The hardcore consoles have been beaten by the “soft surround”

Case study feedback #2

Well done Tom, this is a solid start. You now need to add depth by reading some broadsheet articles on current issues like online gaming, second life, and think about the moral panics surrounding gaming at the moment.