"The Game Mode"

A Note for Dr. Greh, posted earlier but made changes due to a bad HTML Code.
So whats up gaming world, welcome back to another edition of "Video Games and More", for this edition I would like to start off with a familiar topic, that I'm sure most of you know about...I'm talking about "The Game Mode". Now I'm sure that half of you all out there, (which would probably make 3 of you who follow my blog) probably just went went "oh yea", for those of you  who didn't I will explain. 

"The Game Mode" is a commonly used term for the moment a player of a game enters into their own world during a game. 


Warning: If you have ever played a game only to find you are being alienated from everything and everyone because of the way you react to every single action in a game...Then you have a type of Game Mode...seek medical attention (just kidding :) )

I however reach this point, when I play Capcom v. SNK 2 for playstation. According to Wikipedia (the best source of all time) 

"(Capcom v. SNK 2) was a sequel to the fighting game Capcom v. SNK. This game was released on NaOMI hardware in the arcade. Itt was later released for the sega dreamcast (japan Only) and playstation 2, with the GameCube and XBOx receiveing an updated version titled Capcom v. SNK 2 EO."

Now whenever I play this game, I almost sync myself with my avatar (RYU) and in my mind become him (creppy...right...I know). At this moment I become more agressive, I yell, scream and make a fuss. I say terms like "come on", "lets go" (and some terms I won't say here since my blog is rated PG. (see look I was rated). 






But why do I and so many others like myself get this way with games. Well my theory is that games have a way of tugging on the emotional side of game players and that depending on the game can warrant different feelings and emotions. Fighting Games, naturally have an adversarial approach, so in our minds we come into these games with the logic that we want to beat the game at all costs. In addition with the effect of the uncanny valley which, according to Wikipedia, is the concept that an artificial being which looks almost human but not, can evoke an empathic response from humans.  Therefore since most characters we play with in fighting games look almost human and not to overtly human, they in a sense cause use to feel connected to them in some way without turning us off to them, completely. 


So what do you think? Does a Game Mode exist? Well I decided to give it a shot, so check me in this video, becoming one with the game.




This is Kevin "Crazy" James signing off.  

 

References:

 
The Uncanny Valley, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Uncanny_Valley, accessed 10/7/10
 

Capcom vs. SNK 2, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capcom_vs._SNK_2, accessed 10/7/10