Jason Chan
English 199
Heather MacLeod
28 January 2015
A New Paradigm: The Evolution of Video Games From the introduction of Pong to the launching of Destiny, people around the world have dedicated much of their lives to video games. As video games become more accessible and realistic, many gamers are becoming further engaged into the virtual realm. In David Perry’s Ted Talk “Are Games Better than life?”, he presents the idea that gaming is not just “simple entertainment”. Instead, advances in technologies have allowed developers to create immersive worlds that bring elements such as emotion and meaning. This paper examines the optimistic and insightful tone in David Perry’s talk which embraces the expanding virtual world in video games. This is demonstrated through the displays of constantly improving audio and graphics, the endless possibilities in the virtual world, and the emotional attachment to the games. First, the exponential growth of technology and computing power has allowed developers to create video games with drastically improved audio and graphics. The first video games were created with 1 bit graphics, and according to David Perry, “To play a game in those days you had to have an imagination”. In a playful manner, Perry mocks the lifelessness of this old generation of games. Next, Perry presents a video which captures the evolution of graphics throughout different genres of video games. These genres range from sports to shooters to sci-fi. By displaying a diverse variety of games, it allows Perry to create a mood of admiration for the continuous effort dedicated to improving these visuals. “I want you to try and think about what games could look like 10 years from now… Think about that's where we are right now, and the curve that we're on means that this is going to continue to get better” Perry confidently suggests, directing his audience to the idea that the virtual world will expand beyond their imaginations. By showcasing audio and graphics as a model that continuously evolves, it is evident that David Perry’s attitude toward this subject is optimistic. Furthermore, video games allow people to encounter experiences that they would not be able to in the real world. Again this is shown through a proud tone in the presentation of Perry’s video of the evolution of graphics. Players now are able to embody a basketball player shooting 3-pointers, a race car driver drifting through the streets, or even a super soldier fighting off aliens. More importantly, Michael Highland, whose film As Real as Your Life was starred in Perry’s Ted Talk says, “Play enough video games and eventually you will really believe you can snowboard, fly a plane, drive a nine-second quarter mile, or kill a man.” From his introspection, Highland suggests that although these are in-game experiences, encountering them in a growing virtual world is like encountering them in real life. This dramatic shift of tone that Highland offers proves that as video games become more immersive, gaming is no longer just a pushing of buttons, but instead an experience that can be transferred to reality. By including these videos, Perry uses two very different tones to convey the idea that video games are not limited to the bounds of the virtual world, but can