tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2041401714407470668.post8628378055857049862..comments2023-10-23T10:59:43.634-05:00Comments on J676: Video games and mass communication: Origins of an Industry: Cold Warriors, Hackers, and Suits 1960-1984Greg Downeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09154543464555817869noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2041401714407470668.post-35127138105974703172008-06-22T14:48:00.000-05:002008-06-22T14:48:00.000-05:00One of the things I wonder is what Adrian is getti...One of the things I wonder is what Adrian is getting at a bit, which is how many folks in the class know about the origins of the Internet (Adrian has namechecked it in his comments; it was called ARPANET and was the direct result of Cold War military funding of academic research). Is this common knowledge among undergrads? Among people in general? I don't know...Sarah. R.https://www.blogger.com/profile/13495338005089494192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2041401714407470668.post-7160613701915230952008-06-20T16:09:00.000-05:002008-06-20T16:09:00.000-05:00This article is crucial for this course as you pre...This article is crucial for this course as you pretty much can't have a technological breakthrough in the last 50 years without the Cold War. From packet-switching for the internet to avoid a system shut down in the case of a nuclear war to simulating the possibilities of a nuclear attack or any number occurrences of the imagination, the innovation of video games ties thoroughly into the overall narrative of Cold War technological advancement.<BR/><BR/>I like the part where they talk about the networking of games working to accelerate the "confluence of war and games." It is interesting to compare the original networking of computers as a conduit for game play compared to the internet today in role playing and shoot-em-up games.Marlon Heimerlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16038436219563339071noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2041401714407470668.post-19816018878023058622008-06-20T14:22:00.000-05:002008-06-20T14:22:00.000-05:00I was completely oblivious to the origins of video...I was completely oblivious to the origins of video gaming. Previous to this class all I really knew was Pong and anything before that was irrelevant to me. I had no idea that the military and goverment played such a role in the development of necessary technologies for video games. Also the word "hacker" was finally presented to me with its primary intention instead of today's connotation. I also play a bunch of Call of Duty 4 and while it has increased my curiosity about guns and weapons, I have no desire to use them to harm other people. Nor does it put me in the mood to rampage.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2041401714407470668.post-83694859197830857902008-06-20T13:59:00.000-05:002008-06-20T13:59:00.000-05:00I actually played a lot of Call of Duty: Frontline...I actually played a lot of Call of Duty: Frontline on the PS2, and the reason was, as you said, not because "wow, war is cool," but actually because - in part - I thought it was a really interesting way to explore WWII history. I was also just coming off a junket of watching Band of Brothers at the time. Finally, it made me feel closer to my grandfather, who was a WWII vet. I never did tell him about that game, though, because I didn't want him to find it offensive or belittling of what his experience was like (he was actually in the Pacific Theater, just to be pedantic about it), but when I played it, I actually viewed it as an homage, as strange as that may sound.Sarah. R.https://www.blogger.com/profile/13495338005089494192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2041401714407470668.post-65487956067359140752008-06-20T13:56:00.000-05:002008-06-20T13:56:00.000-05:00I'd have to say that this was one of the more inte...I'd have to say that this was one of the more interesting articles I've read for class, if only because I play a lot of Call of Duty 4. One arguement that I've heard a lot lately, and one that I don't put a lot of stock in, is that cames like Call of Duty are made specifically to desensitize kids to violence and make them think the military is good. I find that while I play games like COD all I usually think is, "Wow, isn't war screwed up? This is a fun game, but I would never wish this upon any actual human being." <BR/><BR/>But I liked that this article shows that military funding can lead to (sometimes unintentionally) advances in areas of pure creativity. As Downing said in class the other day, the military doesn't just hand out money to MIT anymore. I can't help but feel like the world would be a better place if they still did.Jonathan Gelatthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04401389126033117427noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2041401714407470668.post-61952945851812235512008-06-20T11:45:00.000-05:002008-06-20T11:45:00.000-05:00While the early days of the video game boom may ha...While the early days of the video game boom may have been driven by the military/industry/hacker complex, I fear those days may be over. As the law has raced to catch up with the technological innovations, the hacker sub-culture has been even further marginalized. Hopefully I will be proven wrong, as having the hacker sense of "fun" seems to be a driving force of creativity within the field, but given the ever increasing legal barriers and ramifications the future may be a bleak place for video games and innovation.Jasunhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09678999861981038638noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2041401714407470668.post-3801205544632731032008-06-20T00:22:00.000-05:002008-06-20T00:22:00.000-05:00I enjoyed reading about the vast historic informat...I enjoyed reading about the vast historic information on video games in this article. The military factor was also very interesting to me. I was oblivious before this past semester in J201 that the military had anything to do with the beginning of video games. You've got to think they have some insane new invention that we can't even imagine right now.Nick Shttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01905187886343516157noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2041401714407470668.post-90333674429081711082008-06-19T20:55:00.000-05:002008-06-19T20:55:00.000-05:00I think I mentioned earlier how I would have been ...I think I mentioned earlier how I would have been more interested in a focus on ARPANET and the Cold War stuff. Obviously, it delved into that, but I was totally hoping that the whole article was going to be about the topic. I wonder, for example, how much current Army/US Military involvement in games/simulations is intertwined. We got into it a little today in the PBS video, and I'd be curious to see more there...Adrianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05838262810164443856noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2041401714407470668.post-46459236977098167412008-06-19T18:54:00.000-05:002008-06-19T18:54:00.000-05:00This article is really cool because it paints a pi...This article is really cool because it paints a picture that I didn't think about regarding the origins of video games. The idea of a tripod of military, academics, and industry is an interesting idea. Would the video game industry have skyrocketed like it did without one of the legs of the tripod? It certainly doesn't seem like it could have according to the author. The military leg is often left out of the picture when giving credit to the rise of video games, which is sad.Eric Mhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00198361987589659236noreply@blogger.com