Playtime

I was never into video games (I was never that good) but last night's video game session sparked my interests in them. There is no doubt that the Wii was the most popular of the night. I think its because of the innovating controls, cartoon-like graphics, and the fun it provides. I have never played the Wii before, but I am amazed how advance these games are now. Contrast from PacMan or Tetris, the video game industry has advance significantly these past years. I still remember when games were on one singular plane, and but now one can go in all directions like in games "Clouds".

There is no question how new games are far more complex today. Yet, could they be just too complex? One of the reasons why I don't play video games is becuase you have to learn how to play them, and that could take a good amount of time considering how games now have missions and objectives, large open planes and such. Plus, now games are longer with multi levels, encouraging people to play for hours and hours-making it almost addictive. The Wii paper on the other hand, had mini-games making it easier to play and caters to all ages.

In regards to the maturity of games today, they are more interactive than when I was a kid. They require more than action from the player than just pressing buttons. For example in DDR, you forget its just a game and gives the illusion that the player is dancing away at a club or something. With the Wii, the innovating remote really challenges the traditional remote. I have a feeling that future consoles would incorporate this.

Time Code- Four Movies in One?

What set Time Code apart from other generic films was the split four-view screen, which was strange to me at first. As the movie progressed, I enjoyed this novel idea, especially since it gave me the option of choice. The four screens had different scenes with characters that all had some relation to each other. The most significant scene would have a louder soundtrack, making the audience focus more on that particular scene. This wasn’t always the case, as I found some scenes to be more interesting than others and I would give my full attention to these particular shots even if the soundtrack focused on another scene. This gave the audience the option of choosing what to watch-something I’ve never seen in a movie before.

I would have to admit that I was confused at the beginning because I was trying to focus on all four screens. This was probably intended so the audience can get a sense of what’s happening on all screens before they developed a stronger liking for a particular story. The characters also migrated from a screen to another screen, which formed bridges between the story lines. Perhaps the most memorable scene of the movie was when the two bottom squares were joined together when Selma moved her finger from the left to the right during the love scene-this unified the whole movie. This cleared up some confusion and set up the plot. In the end, the audience sees the connection between the characters and gets an overall picture of the story.

While the set of the screen was interesting, I think it deferred attention to some of the story plots. For example, I concentrated more on the storyline with Selma Hayak and the lady in the limo, while I don’t remember much about the lady in therapy. Come to think of it, I don’t know what was her significance was in the movie. Though I am sure some members of the audience focused on the lady in therapy more than I did-its all based on personal preference. Since the audience might feel like they missed out on some parts, it makes them want to see it again until they see and understand all four stories. Perhaps an interesting way to raise ticket sales?

The movie itself felt really realistic probably because of the digital recording. In addition, the scenes felt like they were occurring in present time before our eyes, making the audience feel like they are witnessing this in person. It was made back in 2000, but one can definitely see the influence it made on the media. The popular show 24 seems to have adopted the same format as the movie. It definitely transports the audience from the comforts of their seat to some sort of virtual reality in the movie setting.

Technology: Trouble for the Human Race?

Paul Virilio's "The Third Interval" raises the question about the effects on human society from rapid pace of time on space. It relates to other arguments raised in class as well as other works. Well's "The Time Machine" speaks about the negative repercussions from dependency on technology, making us unimaginative, less mobile, and so on, which relates to Virilio's views about the future. I wonder why writers such as the ones before mentioned are pessimistic about the future? Maybe they are less open-minded? Perhaps scared of what may become?

I don't really agree with that Virilio says. Technology has made life easier, but I don't believe it will make us so heavily dependent that we became "terminal". For example, something as simple as the TV remote control has made it easier to watch TV, but we haven't become slaves to the TV where we just can't stop watching. After a few hours, humans will become bored of it and go ahead with another activity. Virilio gives the impression that technology will make life repetitive and mundane, when naturally, humans have an inclination of trying new things and having that pursuit to reach happiness.

When I think of the future, I'm expecting a higher quality of life than I have now and I know technology will be the catalyst for this process. With the invention of new media and methods of communication, practically all the world's information is at one's fingertips. This would only cause a person to think more, be more knowledgeable, more skilled- creating a new advanced human race. But perhaps, I may be too naive and I'm not considering other complications that may rise from technology. I guess we shall have to wait and see.

Shaping the Future.....Now?

The Time Machine by H.G. Wells is revolutionary in the sense of introducing the idea of time travel to the world of literary works. In addition to that, it tackles the problems facing industrialized states of that time with the possible consequences that can arise in the future.

The book looks into the dividing line between the rich and the poor, shining light to the drawbacks of capitalism. When the book was written, Europe was undergoing a heavy transformation to an industrial state. This caused great technological advances, efficiency, and to some- a growing separation of wealth among the working class and the elite. Wells uses the inhabitants of the underground to represent this working class, where they work to keep the Eloi happy and content living above. This was an interesting concept, but I doubt this is possible, even thousands of years from now. Humans by nature are selfish and want the best for themselves. History has shown when the masses are unhappy, they tend to rebel and leave it to the common people to take action. While it is possible for wealth to be distributed unequally, I don’t think it can separate society into two distinct groups especially into an above and underworld. Humans typically know when they are mistreated and they will stand up for what they believe in. Yet, Wells introducing these possible consequences of a capitalistic society was novel and original, especially his time of drastic change.

When the Time Traveler meets the Eloi in the year 802,701, he notices how small, fragile, and unimaginative they are as a result of a sedentary way of life. In the future, everything is going to be done for everyone, needing no work or technological research. This sparked my interests because I believe this is probable. Within the last hundred years, people in industrialized societies have become highly inactive which are causing health problems. In addition, with the rapid pace of technology, one wonders if we will reach a state where we can’t go any further leading to a halt in development and research. I can picture the human race evolving to something that resembles the Eloi, but maybe not so extra-terrestrial looking.

While The Time Machine introduces possible outcomes from capitalism and technological advances, some ideas may not seem so plausible. Yet, it makes the reader stop and think what may happen in the future as a result of our actions today. Especially with the increased awareness of global warming, terrorism, and nuclear weapons, the future depicted in The Time Machine seems more desirable than what we might have in stored.