Sunday 20 May 2012

Guns and Video Games

Within the last two decades, the genre of 'shooter' has increasingly become the most popular type of game to play. Whether 3rd person shooters or FPS, the military concept is used as a structure to produce the most successful titles we see today. To name a few, Call of Duty, Gears of War, Halo and Mass Effect are all titles that include a militant element with the inclusion of the shooter format, with obvious use of firearms.

The concept of being able to use an object that has significant power in reality, within a virtual world makes it easy for a gamer to feel superior. Guns within reality are the strongest, most protective piece of equipment that is used to bring order and control. However, using them isn't really favoured amongst those who play games on the basis of their realistic intent, to physically harm. That is why the application of firearms in games are exciting, as they still act as they would in reality, minus the concept of actually causing damage. In the shooter genre, you the play are in control of a vast amount of weaponry that you used to your aid in order to succeed. In our generation the most popular way of playing shooters is through the online element of the game, usually cooperatively or competitively. Depending on how much you play, how skilled you are will determine the strength and ability of the gun you possess (in most current shooter titles) The shooter genre, generates a lot of competition for the player to be the best, the strongest and the most skillful, so having the better weapons makes it efficient for the gamer to be at his/her best. This is where the importance of firearms comes into play. Now that our gaming experiences are becoming more sociable, we often like to discuss amongst one another what skills we utilize in order to succeed. Guns are discussed primarily within the shooter genre, as they now play a vital role in the player's success. This is the inclusion of customization, where a lot games now include the function to make weapons agile, stronger, faster or more equipped, even the colour and texture of the weapon can be customized entirely to the player's demands.

With all these new assets, the prospect of firearms is desensitized to gamers because of the customization element. Player's are now encouraged to change the set up of weaponry within shooters in order to make them play better. With the inclusion of reward schemes, such as EXP, leveling up, unlocking new guns, attachments, perks and features, player's are more interested in the design of their guns.

Here are some examples of how games implement the customization feature, which is becoming the most appealing asset in the shooter genre:



 Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3



Borderlands



Gears of War 3

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