Maria's Definitional Argument Ideas

McCloud Chapter 1

This is book is quite fun to read. It’s different and the medium it uses, a comic book, makes it feel a little less like work. In this chapter he tries to debunk the common definition of a comic. The popular view is one of a juvenile cartoon. McCloud expands this to include all sorts of genres and styles. Actually there is no set genre in the definition. That is his whole point. Whether we have realized it or not, we’ve been viewing comics for eons. From the pre-Columbian picture manuscript telling the tale of 8 Deer Tiger Claw to Frans Masereel’s woodcuts even to the pictures we take in today’s little carnival photo booths. It takes comics from being something mainly for children to a more serious work of art and story-telling.

Being a manga reader (Japanese Comics), I can certainly understand what he is talking about. Some have wonderful stories with plot points that can take you totally by surprise; others have innovative art, some still just plain suck. Comic books in America, I’m sure are no different. Perhaps they should have more coverage. On that note, I can’t really say for sure if there are any awards given out. I believe there are but can anyone really say they hear about it?

(Just for laughs: I actually began reading this from right to left. The Japanese read from right to left so naturally their comics follow that same format.)

McDs

The game itself can be fun but the novelty wears off. It was like playing Sims all over again, someone just had to be complaining about something that I could barely do anything about thanks to the limitations in the game. At first, I lost. I kept going bankrupt, diligently trying to be the bigger corporation so to speak. After the third time, I kicked that goodwill crap out of the window and focused on trying to actually stay in business. I managed to remain alive for a good 10 minutes, before I began to grow weary of the complaints and repetitiveness. So what was the trick to it? Do exactly what the game tells you. You need more cattle, then destroy that village, get those people out of the way! Need more food for the cows? Add some waste, corrupt a mayor to let you steal some land, or add some extra parts to that beef. Is an employee or anyone for that matter, giving you lip? In that case, shush them up with a little hush money or a stern warning. True to its roots, the game rewards you for being irresponsible and uncaring. Money is the only concern here.

It truly is an exercise in management and an example of corporate social responsibility. You manage from the farm to the headquarters, each presenting challenges from a world unhappy with the way the company is doing business. This is where the corporate social responsibility kicks in. Or should I say it leaves the arena entirely? Corruption, mass advertising, and unsafe additives are among the options given to address those pesky activists.

I do enjoy how the creators are flipping the script. They are using the same medium that those companies at times use to advertise. However, the creators use it in order to promote a different side of the tale. With that I decided to check what was being said about the game. Working my way through different gaming sites and reading the comments on the game, I was a bit dismayed. Either people are focusing more on the game itself and commenting on that, or they are missing the point entirely. I surely hope it’s not the latter. However, I did come across a few blogs that understood it as it was meant to be, more of a message than a game.

Yet, I do wonder if McDonalds will use it as part of their training program. XD

Links:

*Article about the rising “anti-advergames” genre. Linked through the actual main site for the game (Coverage-Links). Not surprisingly, Bogost, the author of our book, Persuasive Games, makes an appearance. The game about Kinkos caught my eye. I knew someone that worked at Kinkos and he complained often about how the company was run and the high employee turnover rate was an example of that. The makers of these games really must have done their research. I do like how they wrote in about the developers have a hard time living off these kinds of games so they are forced to “forced to walk a thin line between what they feel are socially responsible and economically viable projects” (Terdiman, Games that stick it to the Man).

http://news.cnet.com/Games-that-stick-it-to-The-Man/2100-1043_3-6035028.htm

*Developer’s site, featuring plenty of other fun games to play!

http://www.molleindustria.org/en/games

Who Am I?

Who am I? As someone else pointed out, quite the loaded question. Statistically, I can say a good number of things: Hispanic, female, Cancer, twenty-two, international business major, and etc. Interest wise: I love animals, the arts (mainly a drawer – doodler really >.<), movies, and food. As a child I was referred to as, “the mature, quiet one.” I believe it’s mainly because of my introverted nature. It’s quite funny, I look like my mother but I take after my father while my brother is the exact opposite. Nevertheless, all that is merely a quick response to a question constantly asked.

The real answer is much more complicated. As well it should be. How can you truly explain the depth of a person in a paragraph or two? The world would be far too simple and boring if that were possible. I tend to think of the answer as more of an endless journey. You travel along and with each “boss” you come across, you can confirm your strategy or you get beaten, re-evaluate and try again, adapting and (hopefully) winning. So like many others my age, I’m still walking that path and we’ll see where I end up.

Gaming Experience

With respect to gaming, I can’t say I’m a novice nor can I say I’m an expert. Having a tendency to pursue multiple interests at once certainly doesn’t help a person specialize.

I had already enjoyed card and board games, but without a doubt, my elder brother started my video gaming affliction. No one tore him away that Christmas from the deadly combo of the Nintendo game system, the television, and a little game about a plumber (Mario). Not surprisingly, we were both hooked and we both tried in vain to shoot that smirk off that dog’s face in Duck Hunt.

The addiction grew, progressing to other platforms and genres. I still remember feeling like a hacker typing commands in DOS just to play Doom or Lemmings. Street Fighter was a big hit in our family. A tournament among the cousins was held at almost every reunion.

With my brother leaving home, I was left to continue the “gamer” role and naturally, I ventured into my own interests. Role playing games and platform style games drew me in. The Final Fantasy series, Zelda, and Sly Cooper are examples. Still, my brother’s influence never left, and Street Fighter remains one of my favorite games.

Thus, whenever anyone brought the game to school I was among the flock migrating over to the TV set. Needless to say, I stuck out. One of the few girls that shouted, “I got next!” When I finally managed to get a turn in, the same thing would always happen. The boy I was playing against would switch from his usual characters to one’s he rarely used. In a word: ouch. No matter, since I managed to surprise a few and warrant a couple rematches.

As a gamer, I’ve gotten lost in fantasy worlds, even learned a couple things (from vocabulary to technical information). I’ve explored interests and found the courage to go against the mold a bit. It’s a pastime I adore and will continue to, probably even discussing with my children why throwing in a fighting game is a cheap strategy.

Commenting peer links - Amanda Anseeuw

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 United States License

Creative License Argument

Having dabbled in the arts through fanfiction and drawings, I understand the need for wanting to protect one’s work. Toiling over minute details of a drawing to get it “just right,” spending hours editing a story, traveling from conception to creation, it is a process that should be acknowledged. Give credit where credit is due.

Nevertheless, works can be built upon or twisted in new ways. Both of which have the potential to attract new audiences, influence a new way of thinking about an old topic, and inspire others to do the same. I can think of two excellent examples of this. The Peanuts by Charles Schultz has been revived by the artist gNAW on deviantart.com, however, the gang is all grown up and in manga style. Cassandra Claire’s Draco Trilogy, a fanfiction of the popular series Harry Potter, has inspired many artist to write their own stories of her own story. Moreover, that was how I found out about this emerging author. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

Ultimately, it is up to the artist to decide how, why and what can be done with his/her work. This is why I have chosen the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 United States License. It allows for distribution, editing, parodies and etc., but keeps the commercial aspect out of it. Why should someone else make money of your own hard work or be allowed to take advantage of fans that are paying for something when they can obtain it for free? At least, that is what I believe.

Side Notes for the interested:

This is a link to the artist, gNAW's site, where you will find all his pictures of Charlie Brown and the gang plus more!gNaw Peanut Revival

Cassandra Claire has recently been published (or is in the process of being published) for her own original stories. As a result, she has had to take down her works. I do have a copy of the Draco Trilogy, if anyone is truly interested. However, there are torrents and other websites in which you can download her stories (I'm pretty sure).