In this unit we will be focusing the social and contextual aspects of video games. As we have seen while we saw their history, it is nearly impossible to understand video games' evolution without a context. We find some examples such as the personal computers influence in the 80s or the influence of mobile devices in the end of this 21st century's first decade. So, video games are a phenomenon which receive influences and project them to other parts of the society in which they are being developed. We're talking about social factors, but that also have to do with economical and psychological aspects. All of them have their weight in the video games' industry, and if we want to analyze this industry accurately it is highly recommended to take them all into account. It may seem that if we only focus on making games, these relationships between society elements and video games are irrelevant, as while my products is sold it's alright. It might look as if we only focus on making games, these relationships between society elements and video games are irrelevant, because as long as I sell my product it's OK. But we must take into account that video games are cultural products and as they exist their influence exists and we can't deny or leave out this fact. Another thing would be discussing on this influence's nature which is getting into the moral discussions' field. We will do these analysis based on this scheme. Here we point out various dimensions around the video games concept. Each dimension is about an aspect of the society in which video games play a relevant role. Probably there are more elements that can be added, but we've included the ones we consider more relevant. Don't forget the fact that video games phenomenon is alive and it changes continuously, so this scheme will probably need to be adapted in a brief period of time. Let's talk on each dimension separately in clockwise order. Video games are just another consumable product in the entertainment industry, they are meant to be consumed and later replaced by new games. Each game's lifespan, which is the amount of time each player spends on it, is relative to each video game. We want games to be long enough to make their players like and enjoy them. But they must also be limited in aim to force the purchase of new games and sequels. New business models based on micro-payments try to prolongate the game's life so that the player keeps paying over time. A common phenomenon is most of the developing enterprises launch games with a few innovations and novelties just to make the brand active and keep their loyal audience. Obviously video games are made to earn money, video games industry follows the model of the other entertainment industries. They want to maximize benefits. Due to the big existent rivalry, many products get their content influenced so that they are more worthwhile. It's the case of sages with many sequels we said before or very limited video games which offer a lot of additional purchasable content. Also little important companies want to risk their money on innovation, it's more worth for them being conservative. This makes games quite similar in history and playability, despite their different aesthetics. Independent developers seem to have opened a path different to the traditional, as many of them offer products a bit more personal and risky with a bigger quality compromise towards the final user, and without the pressure of having to sell millions of products like a super production or an AAA game has. However, due to the high maintenance cost of a video games studio, many independent studios end up being purchased by publishers with great impact in the industry. Another dimension we must take into account is entertainment, as video games are just another way of entertainment. Culturally, they already have a status of way of fun at the same level as other ones inside leisure, such as cinema or TV. As we have seen during video games history, for a long time video games have been considered games for kids, but this is changing, especially thanks to the visual detail level. We must take into account that fun is subjective, some games will amuse you and bore someone else, and there is people who looks for fun in a video game's playability and some others look for it in the aesthetics or in the history, to set some examples. A current trend is promoting games which require teamplay, to create a more social fun. Another interesting dimension to take into account is the one of video games as an artistic discipline. Video games require many artistic disciplines, basically they are based in audiovisual language which can be found in cinema and TV. Like in these arts, visual and auditive environment in video games represent a work with a deep artistic value. The trend during last years is looking for hyper-realistic graphics and use them as an argument to attract the player. Apart from this general trend, there are also games which use more figurative and expressionist aesthetics which also should be appreciated due to their great artistic value. The cognitive development which comes from playing video games is also something we must take into account. As we have previously said, video games are learning tools, brain is malleable and somehow gets adapted to the things it is required to do more frequently. The player gets over the game's difficulty through dominating and improving its cognitive abilities application. Almost all video games indirectly work with these abilities. There are games which, using these abilities, have been designed to work on them in a more explicit and direct way. An example is the game Big Brain Academy, which is meant to work on perception, memory and other cognitive capacities. Video games transmit information and knowledge to the player, not only to learn their mechanics. Setting has also a lot of importance while creating an immersing experience, which is one of the objectives of most video games. That's why many games put a lot of effort on creating very intricate settings, with very extensive and complex stories, and with characters with a lot of dialogs and presence. These settings come from already know archetypes, and at the same time they help building new ones. This information given to the player, especially through the setting, isn't a neutral information at a symbolic level. As well as other cultural products, a video game has an approach, that is, a point of view on the symbolic value of what it represents. This point of view is never neutral or objective, as in every approach the point of view used is a result of certain subjectivity. In other words, authors give their own point of view on how to focus on a certain setting. This objective has its roots in the existent cultural models, in which the occidental model prevails on the entertainment industry field. In turn video games help feeding back these cultural models. An example is the hyper-sexualization of some feminine characters, such as Lara Croft. Another example is the naturalization of warfares, as many games set in real and contemporary armed warfares want to be very realistic about the scenario, but refuse any kind of critical reflexion on the moral issues linked to war, reducing them to a simple "good faction fighting bad faction". This is actually a polemical discussion and although there are very polarized stances, we must admit video games have their influence on cultural models just like cinema and TV do. Another very important dimension is the one which concerns the social relationships which are set around video games, which is a dimension that gets bigger every day. Its base is playing and competing against other players but there are also cooperation possibilities. They favor playing with friends and creating social networks with common interests, so that video games encourage communication and certain social abilities, and are used as a way of social bonding, contrary to what some critical voices said in the past, accusing video games of isolating players from real world. It's not just about playing. Streaming or broadcasting and commenting on games is another of the ways in which video games work at a social level. Online communities or exhibitions and tournaments are examples of it, and the players become more and more participatory. Video games are still a young phenomenon which evolves quickly and their possible uses still have to be studied. In fact it has been demonstrated that they are a tool which can be applied to other situations further than an exclusively ludic environment. An example of that is serious games, games used in other environments with objectives such as formation, education or contents divulging. And another example are simulators which train specialized crew on specific tasks such as vehicles driving. Effects of traditional video games on players on society are also being studied. Finally, technology has an important role on video games, as we have seen during video games history it has been used as a sales strategy, promising a more spectacular experience. The control interface is one of the parts of the technology in which there is more innovation, either in the traditional commandments or in the interfaces that use the whole body. Visualization interface also shows innovations such as augmented reality and virtual reality. So technological innovation in video games is a constant characteristic in this enterprise. So, technological innovation in video games is a continuous characteristic in this industry.
