Comments on: Video game interfaces for real-life war http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/games/2009/05/05/video-game-interfaces-for-real-life-war/ join the quest for morally deep games Sat, 28 Nov 2009 02:14:03 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Video Game Reviews and Ratings http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/games/2009/05/05/video-game-interfaces-for-real-life-war/comment-page-1/#comment-2178 Video Game Reviews and Ratings Sat, 28 Nov 2009 02:14:03 +0000 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/games/?p=126#comment-2178 I think there's gonna be more wars if that happens. PEACE I think there’s gonna be more wars if that happens. PEACE

]]> By: Chris Monty http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/games/2009/05/05/video-game-interfaces-for-real-life-war/comment-page-1/#comment-1564 Chris Monty Fri, 24 Jul 2009 19:26:10 +0000 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/games/?p=126#comment-1564 This is the age of the video game generation. Now that you can play Doom on your iPhone, I'm convinced that the apocalypse is here. This is the age of the video game generation. Now that you can play Doom on your iPhone, I’m convinced that the apocalypse is here.

]]> By: Edward Popko http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/games/2009/05/05/video-game-interfaces-for-real-life-war/comment-page-1/#comment-380 Edward Popko Thu, 07 May 2009 04:29:20 +0000 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/games/?p=126#comment-380 Some of the most successful genera in video games have been military themed and thus many designers have pushed for realism in depicting their flight simulator or first person shooters. I see this almost as an inflection point between who has taken the lead here in innovation and design. You mention crosshairs but HUD's first showed up in flight simulators and have now become standard fair in most first person shooters. So much so that it becomes refreshing when you see a game like Dead Space and how they moved away from that. The design of the controller is also interesting. A dual axis configuration was first mimicking a controller for an RC plane and now has been readopted for more sophisticated RC planes. I think the training these soldiers get is the key element. Learned skills during adolescence certainly help these pilots but an emotional investment comes from good training hopefully giving a full understanding of what is happening on the ground as well as the comradeship towards fellow soldiers that they may be watching from afar. I think the stresses seen with these Predator pilots may be similar to those felt by 911 dispatchers. Both are separated from the seen by a technological interface. EMS dispatchers have certain tools at their disposal to help someone in distress but they still need to bear witness to some very disturbing situations and have limitations in how they can help due to distance. A predator pilot may feel the same if unable to use weapons because of of the situation but still needs to watch a dangerous situation for his fellow soldiers from remotely. Singer is right in seeing the difficulty of being a "cubical warrior" and needing to transition to civilian life quickly and daily. I think professionals will always understand the stakes involved but the challenge here is in making sure there is a distinction between the real and virtual. A real challenge for a media that strives for realism. Its funny I know a number of people who find playing Air Traffic Control to be very relaxing but isn't that supposed to be one of the most stressful jobs? Some of the most successful genera in video games have been military themed and thus many designers have pushed for realism in depicting their flight simulator or first person shooters. I see this almost as an inflection point between who has taken the lead here in innovation and design. You mention crosshairs but HUD’s first showed up in flight simulators and have now become standard fair in most first person shooters. So much so that it becomes refreshing when you see a game like Dead Space and how they moved away from that. The design of the controller is also interesting. A dual axis configuration was first mimicking a controller for an RC plane and now has been readopted for more sophisticated RC planes.

I think the training these soldiers get is the key element. Learned skills during adolescence certainly help these pilots but an emotional investment comes from good training hopefully giving a full understanding of what is happening on the ground as well as the comradeship towards fellow soldiers that they may be watching from afar. I think the stresses seen with these Predator pilots may be similar to those felt by 911 dispatchers. Both are separated from the seen by a technological interface. EMS dispatchers have certain tools at their disposal to help someone in distress but they still need to bear witness to some very disturbing situations and have limitations in how they can help due to distance. A predator pilot may feel the same if unable to use weapons because of of the situation but still needs to watch a dangerous situation for his fellow soldiers from remotely.

Singer is right in seeing the difficulty of being a “cubical warrior” and needing to transition to civilian life quickly and daily. I think professionals will always understand the stakes involved but the challenge here is in making sure there is a distinction between the real and virtual. A real challenge for a media that strives for realism.

Its funny I know a number of people who find playing Air Traffic Control to be very relaxing but isn’t that supposed to be one of the most stressful jobs?

]]> By: Anderkoo / Video game interfaces for real-life war http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/games/2009/05/05/video-game-interfaces-for-real-life-war/comment-page-1/#comment-378 Anderkoo / Video game interfaces for real-life war Tue, 05 May 2009 23:17:06 +0000 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/games/?p=126#comment-378 [...] Cross post from Valuable Games. Share and Enjoy: [...] [...] Cross post from Valuable Games. Share and Enjoy: [...]

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