Question: Explain at least two uses and gratifications of video games using Blumler and Katz's theory. Refer to the Lego Movie Video Game to support your answer.
Using Blumer and Katz's theory for playing video games, helps most people to escape from reality and stress, and just focus on the games that they are playing. For example, the Lego Movie Video Game lets you destroy and break building which can release a lot of anger in a nonaggressive way because you are doing it inside a screen. Using different levels of difficulty and challenges helps the player become more focused on paying and achieving the different levels. Entertainment also is helpful for playing video games because if someone has had a long hard day they need something to entertain them and help them forget what they have done throughout the day. I t is also a happy, fun way to end or start your day putting you in the right mindset for the rest of the day or week. Stress can cause hair loss, headaches, bad skin, and many other things so by releasing yourself and letting go you won't be experiencing all of the effects. Diversion is also another reason why playing videos are such a help for your everyday life, by just forgetting all the bad activities of your day and just focusing on playing the video game.
Another way why some people play video games is by connecting to a character and creating a bond with them. By creating these connections with the characters of the video game or movie will help you understand their life story and feel sad or happy for them at certain points. In the Lego Movie Video Game, you are aware of which characters are bad and have horrible personalities and what character characters are good and have nice personalities. For example, email is a liked character but when no one believed in him the people played the game they felt sad and upset for him and wanted the better for him. Another example is when Lord Business walking into the room everyone knows that he is bad and they should like him or have a loving feeling towards him or his army. So the reason why some people would play video games is to connect and feel closer to the character and get to know them better to see their understanding of how they should feel about the character and react when they show up on the screen. By creating a relationship with the characters you can relate to them on a personal level. For example, Lord business has an army of boring businessmen but all the men look exactly the same that they wear the same suits and all have the same personality. Wich is relatable because when adults work they all have the same personality.
Mark 10/10 Excellent understanding!
ReplyDeleteBlumler and Katz argued that there are many uses and gratifications that audiences gain from the media and these make the media successful. Personal identity, social integration and integration, entertainment, and surveillance are four types of uses and gratifications.
Video games offer entertainment: The Lego Movie Game, like most games, allows the player to enter a fictional world that means they can escape from their everyday life. It allows players to re-experience entertaining aspects of the original film, such as its humour and silliness. As players work their way up the levels they can feel the satisfaction of becoming an expert player.
Video games offer social interaction/integration: many multiplayer games enable a worldwide community of players
to come together in the game and communicate with each other; many gamers use online forums to discuss games with fellow fans. The Lego Movie Game is not a multiplayer game, but it does offer a set of characters that the audience already knows that they can interact with – this can give them a sense of belonging as if they are a member of a real community. Video games also allow people to escape from the people that they live with, if necessary, which may make it easier for them to live together. The more entertaining a game is, the better it can serve this purpose.