Cats – logbook 7

The final log in CATS for now, this time delving into more what I expected the lectures to be about and that is the Critical Perspectives of the world around us.

This involves the links between users to video games and the web, introducing the concepts of critical perspectives, looking at significant theories and theorists and analysing our culture within this field.

Critical perspectives is useful for game designers as it allows us to get an understanding of what is happening with the interaction of a gamer and the end product. The 2 theoretical perspectives we looked at were Psychoanalysis, developed by Sigmund Freud and Feminism, something I have touched on in the past. Having studied Feminism, the psychological aspects and even Marxism I had an idea of what we were going to be discussing.

Watching a video on Silent Hill and it’s new hand held version, something that I had a fairly strong biased opinion on considering the advert was meant to show how scary the game was, it only highlighted why it actively kicks itself when thinking about it’s predecessors. Nevertheless points that were made consisted of a personal avatar, some thought this elevates the fear factor as you grow attached to your character. A clothing option, believed to be aimed at a younger audience since it is far easier to frighten a child than appeal to an adult gamer who followed the series.

Feminism was something I was more excited about as it’s usually a fairly jolly topic to discuss. Again watching a clip of Tomb Raider, the character Lara Croft being shown as I have put in previous logs, an unrealistic perfect female role model. Though she doesn’t quite hold a candle to Bayonetta when it comes to gaudy outward appearances, the character was clearly meant to be appealing for someone who raids tombs for a living.

Psychoanalyses was first used as a way to diagnose patients with mental problems, when using it to analyse Silent Hill, earlier in it’s history the player would follow the story of the character progressing through their own versions of hell and fighting their inner demons. An example would be the “Abstract Daddy” boss that symbolizes by hanging over the player on a bed to show the way the character took abuse from them. While now it’s simply, how fleshy and spider like can we make things look which lacks any form of symbolism.

As for feminism, it can be summed up with the perfect image idea I mentioned, or the massive strives in gaming such as being able to now play as a woman online in Call of Duty. As much of a controversy this caused, I really don’t consider it the next step in equality.