Wednesday, January 29, 2020
Investigating The Causal Natures of Chance and Spontaneity Essay Example for Free
Investigating The Causal Natures of Chance and Spontaneity Essay After introducing the principle causes (efficient, formal, material, final), Aristotle talks about chance and spontaneity in Book II, (Physics) for the purpose of investigating their place among the said causes. Aristotle bases his enquiry on the observation that in history, these terms are conflictive in their interpretation. Some people say that everything that we consider luck or spontaneity really has some underlying definite cause. Yet there are other people, such as Empedocles, who invoke chance when describing the physics of air; or some, who â€Å"ascribe this heavenly sphere and all the worlds to spontaneity†(196a 25). In setting out to elucidate the nature of these terms and their place among the causes, Aristotle contends that chance and spontaneity are not explanatory causes of their own, but concurrent causes. By drawing from Aristotle’s view on nature and deliberate intention, this essay sets out to develop a clear understanding of the term concurrent in relation to chance and spontaneity. Aristotle begins his account with the basic observation that some things always occur in the same way and some things occur for the most part in the same way. Yet some occurrences are exceptional-this third category, according to Aristotle, is the class of chance and spontaneity: â€Å"†¦as there is a third class of events besides these two-events which all say are ‘by chance’-it is plain that there is such a thing as chance and spontaneity†(196b 12-14). He continues to state that events that occur, but that do not occur as a direct result of intent (thought) or nature, but rather incidentally, â€Å"are said to be ‘by chance’†(196b 24). Here, we can identify what constitutes an event of chance or spontaneity. It seems that when the specific cause does not yield the intended result always or for the most part, then the result is produced by chance or spontaneity. Conversely, when the cause does yield the intended result always or for the most part, then chance or spontaneity has not affected the process. At this point, it is necessary to distinguish chance from spontaneity. Clearly then, when events directed towards an end â€Å"do not come to pass for the sake of what actually results, and (3) have an external cause†(197b 18-19) we ascribe this to spontaneity and chance. Chance follows this same structure, but differs only in that the external cause is the deliberate intent of rational beings. In other words, chance exists only for â€Å"agents that are capable of good fortune and of moral actions†(197b 1-2); for rational beings that are capable of â€Å"intelligent deliberation†(197a 2). Spontaneity, on the other hand, â€Å"is found both in the lower animals and in many inanimate objects†(197b 14-15). Before analyzing the way that chance and spontaneity are concurrent causes, it is necessary to understand Aristotle’s example of the house and house builder. The efficient (and determinable) cause is that which can build the house, while the concurrent cause (the builder’s skin tone or musical ability) is infinite in range, (and thus is indeterminable). By ‘concurrent cause’, it follows that chance and spontaneity are indeed some form of cause, for ††¦just as a thing is something either in virtue of itself or incidentally, so it may be a cause†(196b 25-26). Aristotle further states that they (chance and spontaneity) come â€Å"to pass among events which are for the sake of something†. 196b 30-31) Thus, chance and spontaneity are causes by virtue of concurrence with a principle cause, and occur concurrently with events directed towards an end. Yet, what does it mean to say that chance or spontaneity occur concurrently with a cause directed towards an end? First, we will investigate chance as a concurrent cause. In the example in chapter 5, a man goes to the market with a specific purpose (to buy fruits for example), and by chance, he meets his debtor and collects subscriptions for a feast. According to Aristotle, if â€Å"he had gone of deliberate purpose and for the sake of this [to collect the money]-if he always or normally went there when he was collecting payments-he would not be said to have gone ‘by chance. ’†(197a 4-6) We have established that, for this event to be one that occurred by chance, it is necessary both that the man travel to the market with a purpose other than to collect the money, and that the man not frequent the market with this purpose. It follows that collecting the money is not â€Å"a cause present in himself†(197a 1) because it is not his intent at the time. Thus, we only invoke chance when the event is not intended to occur by the rational agents involved. It seems that the event can be explained by the coinciding of each of the individuals’ efficient causes. In the case of chance, and not spontaneity, we are dealing with â€Å"those actions for the sake of something which involve purpose†(197a 6); implying intelligent reflection. This is important to note, as the individual causes of each person stems from their own â€Å"intelligent deliberation[s]†-the haracterizing difference between spontaneity and chance. In Ethics (III), Aristotle argues that humans have control over their own actions, that they are able to choose the means to their end in view. Applied to this scenario, the act of going to buy fruits (the efficient cause) by the collector, and the separate efficient cause of the debtor, intersected to produce an unintended encounter. Yet exactly how chance occurs concurrently is still ambiguous-for it seems that chance is just an observation of the unlikelihood of the two events coinciding. Clearly the conclusion here is that chance does not provide the true cause of the meeting, â€Å"it is not the cause-without qualification-of anything†(197a 14). Aristotle’s example in chapter 5, in which â€Å"the pale or the musical†(196b 27) are incidental causes of the house builder, seems to be analogous to the example of the market place. By this, it seems that chance occurs concurrently with any or one of the 4 causes in the same way that musical talent is a concurrent cause of the house. Plainly, the house builder’s skin tone or musical ability does not provide an explanatory cause for the construction of the house. There are an infinite number of accidental traits that the builder could have which would be irrelevant to the construction of the house. Thus, the only way to see this chance as concurrent is to conclude that it is simultaneously present in the builder (who is an efficient cause). By equivalence, â€Å"the causes of the man’s coming and getting the money are innumerable†(197a 16), (for he could have gone to the market for many reasons). Yet, it is clear that only one intended action could cause the unintentional result of the meeting. Given these assertions, it seems correct to say that events occurring by chance are unintentional (the agent had no intention of this result at that time). The reason for this is because the primary causes are intentional. In the building of a chair, for example, Aristotle would agree that all 4 causes are intentional: for the creator intends a final purpose for the chair, builds it purposefully with a certain material, builds it according to a form which he has chosen, and knows that he is the cause of its’ existence as a chair. Thus, the causes of events are always intentional, while chance events are unintentional (on the part of the rational agents); and like the accidental traits of the builder, occur simultaneously with the primary causes. Given that there are an infinite number of acts that a rational being may choose, it is clear that only some of these actions can result in an event of chance. As Aristotle puts it â€Å"some incidental causes are more relevant than others†(197a 24). It follows that we invoke ‘chance’ only when the purposeful actions of a rational agent coincide with other actions and produce an unintended event. Thus, it now seems reasonable to say that only a specific chance ‘cause’ (going to buy fruits) could produce the event deemed chanceful (the meeting). Since only some intentional acts will result in an event of chance, (an event unintended by the person’s actions), it makes sense to say that a chance cause occurs simultaneously in the individual with the efficient cause, for it is this cause in him (the efficient cause) that leads him to the improbable result. It is at this point that we turn to spontaneity, which according to Aristotle, is in the realm of lower animals and the inanimate-things incapable of deliberate intention. Aristotle views natural things as those which, â€Å"by a continuous movement originated from an internal principle, arrive at some completion†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (199b 18). He uses the example of the doctor doctoring himself to illustrate how natural things have within them a final cause, by which form guides material to achieve this end (Physics II:8). So while man can deliberately choose a means to an end, and in doing so may accidentally intersect with another individual and deem their encounter chanceful, natural things do not deliberately chose. The natural motion is â€Å"seeking an end†(199a 5)- but this final cause within the natural thing is not a deliberate choice of intelligent deliberation. Unless impeded by a chance natural event that is irrelevant to the end in view, the natural process will realize it’s end; for nature does nothing in vain, nothing superfluous (On the Heavens). The rain clouds forming and dropping over the crops for example, are not the result of chance of spontaneity (198b 19). All natural things have a function in a greater whole and within their being have a final cause to which they form. It is for this reason that Aristotle says that when a natural process does not attain it’s end according to it’s final cause, the means to this accidental result were â€Å"in vain†(197b 24). How does spontaneity occur concurrently then? Since natural things have a â€Å"cause that operates for a purpose†(196b 32), it must be when this end is not attained, as we have seen, that spontaneity has occurred concurrently. In the case of chance, as we have seen, the event of chance occurs because humans have an infinite number of actions to chose from. With nature, however, Aristotle does not suggest that nature itself has a deliberate intention. Necessarily then, it is when a natural process is affected by another natural process or human deliberation that it diverts from it’s final cause, and in doing so, can produce events of spontaneity. Thus, while a human may chose the way in which he achieves his end, and in doing so may unknowingly chose an action which will lead to an improbable event, natural things change from potentiality to actuality in strict accordance with the final cause within them. Spontaneity occurring concurrently with another cause of a natural thing does not constitute a fifth cause, but is only an indication that the process did not follow completely it’s natural course (it’s final cause) and was impeded by an external event (either natural or a result of intelligent deliberation). Conclusively, chance occurs concurrently with the efficient cause of the individual in the sense that it is a simultaneously present, for only this specific efficient cause could lead to the chance event. Chance is however not an explanatory cause of it’s own, and the event considered chanceful can be explained solely with the individual efficient causes of the persons. Spontaneity occurring concurrently is thus identical to the way chance occurs concurrently, yet natural processes have specific inherent purposes-they are not events resulting from deliberate intent. As a result, spontaneity is said to occur when natural processes do not attain their end (the process was ‘in vain’), and are affected by an external event (deliberate or natural), thus producing an improbable event.
Tuesday, January 21, 2020
Holgraves challenges Essay examples -- essays research papers fc
Challenges and changes are a part of life. Many people, especially elderly who have set views can very easily resent changes and anything that can be seen as a challenge to their ideas and the tines they remember. Magic has always been part of life but sometimes the magic life takes on a maliciois spirit when manipulated by those who seek to bring about ruin. Society is built on traditions and revolutions to challenge others. These seemingly unconnected ideas come together in the character of Holgrave ans the plot of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel The House of the Seven Gables. Holgrave works as a force of change and challenges conceptions through his profession as a daguerreotypist. But at the same time his ideas ans actions are based on his identy os a Maule, a family, which meet its downfall by the work of a Pyncheon in Puritan days of settlement. Holgrave affects changes in the novel and works to help others see the truth of the sitution. Holgrave himself and his views on th e past are changed by his actions in marrying a Pyncheon.      Hepzibah is scarred by the chllenges to her own conventionally and sees what holgrave stands for as a threat to her ideas but he does not frighteen her. She had orginally seen him as a â€Å"well-meaning and ordwely young man†(Hawthorne 63). This orginal assesment, based on his appearance, is what caused Hepzibah to grant him permission to take out a room. But as time went on â€Å"she hardly knew what to make of him†(63). She observed that his friends all desired new ideas , particularly those of dress. Hepzibah also tells Pheobe that he challenged many ideas in a speech that he had made annd that she believes hinm to be involved as a practioner of the black arts. Pheobe becoms very frightened and inquires as to why Hepzibah allows such a â€Å"lawlwss person†(63) to stay and Hepzibah’s response is â€Å"†¦ he has a law of his own†(63). Even with all these conserns Hepzibah has about holgrave she â€Å"has to admit fro m her own contact with him that even by her formal standardshe is a quiet and orderly young man†(Matthiessen 371). So even though she voices all her suspicions about holgrave’s morality to Pheobe, Hepizbah, in the end, still believes in the truth of her orginal feelings about Holgrave. Not only her acceptance od Holgrave but her dependence on him as shown in the chapter entitled â€Å"The First Custemer†. She... ...;      Hawthorne. Ed. Bruce Leone. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1996. 132-138 Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The House of the Seven Gables. New York: Banntam Books, 1981. Marks, Alfred. â€Å"Hawthorne’s Daguerrotypist: Scientist, Artist, Reformer†. The House of the Seven      Gables: An Authorative Text, Backgrounds and Sources, Essays in Critism. Ed. Seymore L.           Gross. New York, Norton and Company, inc, 1967 330-350 Matthiesses, F. O. â€Å"the House of the Seven Gables American History†The House of the Seven Gables:          An Authoritive Text, Backgrounds, and Sources, Essays in Criticism. Ed. Seymore L. Gross.           New York, Norton and Company, inc, 1967. 364-375 Von Abele, Roudolph. â€Å"holgrave’s Curious Conversion†. The House of the Seven Gables: An          Authoritative Text , Backgrounds And Sources, Essays in Criticism. Ed. Seymore L. Gross. New      York, Norton and Company, inc, 1967. 394-403.
Sunday, January 12, 2020
A Study of Aesthetics in the Call of Duty Franchise
Different but the Same: An Analysis of Aesthetics in the Call of Duty Franchise First Person Shooters (FPS) is one of the most famous genres within the gaming industry. It started with titles like Doom, Counter Strike, and now Call of Duty. Nowadays, console and PC gaming is a billion dollar industry. Multiple corporate and independent developers are working day in and day out to supply the market with better, bigger games. However, there are some titles which stand out from the rest, titles that always seem to be churning out one more instalment.One of these stand-out titles is the Call of Duty Franchise. Call of Duty is a series of games that at present, have nine main instalments, and another nine â€Å"lesser†titles to which the only difference is the console on which they are played. By â€Å"main†instalment, this means that the game was released on multiple platforms, which primarily includes PC, Playstation and the Xbox. It all started in October 29, 2003 with the release of Call of Duty. Since then, there has been a Call of Duty release every year, with Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 being the most recent adaptation, which came out November 12, 2012.The researcher will limit the discussion to the Call of Duty franchise, on the PC platform. To be specific, the four most recent games which include: Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, Call of Duty: Black Ops, and Call of Duty: Black Ops 2. The researcher aims to answer the question: Is Call of Duty overrated as a franchise? To answer the question, the researcher will analyze each game on eight components of aesthetics which include: Sensation, Fantasy, Narrative, Challenge, Fellowship, Discovery, Expression and Submission (Hunicke, LeBlanc and Zubek).In answering the question: â€Å"Is Call of Duty overrated as a franchise†, the researcher aims to educate both himself and his reader(s) on the importance of proper video game analysis. Nowadays, it is common to s ee a game receive a large amount of hype, such that gamers, who expected so much from a game, get disappointed and end up feeling like they wasted their money. It happened to Diablo III, where a sequel was created for the highly successful Diablo II, twelve years after it was released. Many gamers ended up disappointed with Diablo III, where changes to the core aesthetics of the game changed the way the game was going to be layed. These kinds of mistakes by the game industry, although excusable, could have been avoided. Likewise, the researcher will use Call of Duty as an example for this method for proper video game analysis. Hopefully, this will shed light on the matter, allowing both gamers and game developers to better understand the manner by which games should be measured. By analyzing on the different components of aesthetics, it would be plausible to define the franchise as â€Å"overrated†if they do not significantly improve in any one aspect and at the same time, d eliver the same kind of performance in each instalment.Before going into the full â€Å"meat†of the analysis, the researcher would like to delve a little into the components of Aesthetics that will be used in the analysis later on. The researcher wishes to stress that most of the analysis on each aesthetic is based on his opinions, based on the fact that he is a dedicated gamer himself. The nature of the analysis of game design using the MDA format is that it considers both the perspectives of the game developer and the player. A key concept of MDA is that the developer and player perceive the game through opposite ends of the spectrum (Portnow).The player would first experience the aesthetics of the game, the general reason that they are playing it. The developer on the other hand, due to the nature of his work, sees the mechanics of the game, and how they influence the dynamics, and eventually the aesthetics. In understanding the definition of these mechanics, dynamics, an d aesthetics, it could be said that a game is overrated when it may be different in mechanics but deliver the same performance in aesthetics. The First Aesthetic: Game as Sense PleasureThe first aesthetic is defined as the game’s ability to stimulate the senses (Portnow). Be it sight, sound, touch, taste, or smell, as long as the game is able to stimulate the senses of the player, this could be considered an aesthetic. For Call of Duty, the senses that are (if at all) stimulated are sight and sound. As a breakdown of sight, the most important parts is the gun itself, the enemies and the â€Å"set†or location. A breakdown of sound would be the general tone, and sound effects. For all four instalments of the game included in the research, the graphics were generally the same.Advances in technology, greater processing power of consoles as well as computers allowed game developers to create richer, more detailed and crisp visuals for the game. However with this in mind, t he modelling and texture of Black Ops 2 with respect to Modern Warfare 2 is significant. However, visuals are much more than the quality of the image, and have more to do with content. Content wise, there is no difference. The gun itself and other equipment are the same. Why? Because they use guns that actually exist in real life, which means that there is no deviation in model and texture.Since all four instalments are set in around the same time frame, the guns present inside are the same. The enemies inside do not differ as well. Generally speaking, enemies are dressed up to characterize them. This is obvious, but this also means that most enemies will be the same. For example, there are multiple instances resent in all four games that require the player to kill people from the middle-east. Scarves, light clothing and the trademark AK47 have become the definition of the terrorist. Sound, also does not differ since it is highly unlikely for the â€Å"sound†of a certain gun to change, because they are based on real-life guns.In multiplayer, the element of music is not as present as in the single player option. In the single player, key plot points and tense moments are always supported by a musical score, and this helps to set the mood. Be it the sad death of an ally or the intense run-and-gun moments, there is the right music for the right time. This would be a reason for a gamer to enjoy the game, but it is hardly different from one instalment to another. Therefore, Call of Duty does not change in this aesthetic. This is in fact due to the basis on real-life elements which actually help the game perform in the next aesthetic.The Second Aesthetic: Game as Make-Believe The paper on MDA defines the second aesthetic as fantasy. That is, the ability of the game to immerse the player in a role that normally he/she would not be able to partake in (Portnow). Call of Duty excels in their performance under this aesthetic. The paper on MDA explains that good g ames would be able to deliver on maybe one or two â€Å"core aesthetics†while great games deliver on three or four. These â€Å"core aesthetics†can also be defined as the primary emotive reasons that a player would want to play a certain game. Fantasy, is one of those core aesthetics when it comes to Call of Duty.Whether it’s being a marine, being a stone-cold killer or a patriot, there is a role that the player is immersed in, and the experience is fed to them in pieces during the experience of play. How this changes from game to game, is another matter altogether. Call of Duty excels in the immersive aspect of play, because of the authenticity of the places, and items inside the â€Å"Call of Duty Universe†and because that the first person point-of-view. Call of Duty Modern Warfare 2 in itself is already very good at this immersive aspect, and the experience does not really change from one instalment to another.The game itself, and the developers of the game, seem to have found the magic formula for the immersive aspect. Some would argue that better graphics are part of the immersive aspect. Things that break the immersive aspect are things like bugs, or errors in shading. These break the player away from the experience, and remind him/her that they are only playing a game. In the opinion of the researcher, this is not true. Games predating Call of Duty prove that good graphics does not equal a complete immersive experience. They may help, but it is not the most important thing.Games like Counter Strike, Half Life, Halo, and even some Doom games manage to immerse the player in another role without â€Å"life-like†graphics. In terms of the second aesthetic, Call of Duty shines. Even in the multiplayer where the immersive aspect is not as great (due to the lack of context), the game play alone is enough to make the player feel like a soldier surrounded by enemies, armed only with his gun, and his skill. All in all, the ex perience remains the same. But since it has been said that graphics help marginally to improve it, each game could still be said to have been better than the last, even if it is just by millimetres.The Third Aesthetic: Game as Drama The third aesthetic is narrative. This means that the player is playing the game for the story. In the terms of Call of Duty this means one thing: the single player. Plot wise, the stories of all four instalments covered in this research are practically the same. A soldier is taken out of the â€Å"regular army†to join an elite, top secret team to undergo a save-the-world mission, against an extremist, usually Russian, or Middle-Eastern. That being said, narrative is not one of the core aesthetics of the Call of Duty franchise.However, it is interesting to say that narrative may be one of the reasons for the game developers to create another instalment. Just like movies, the story where the previous game left of, is picked up by the next game. Th e plot in itself is not great, however anyone who played the previous game could be interested in knowing how the story progresses. The narrative in the first three games, Modern Warfare 2, Modern Warfare 3, and Black Ops are player driven. In the game itself, the story will not progress until the player decides to move forward. Also, the game is linear and lacks depth.The player is given the â€Å"illusion of choice†through the tactical action of moment-to-moment decision, however in the end he/she has to kill their enemy to progress. Therefore, the player’s role as the main character is not to â€Å"make decisions†but to â€Å"stay alive†. This in my opinion can get old fast. A person who played Modern Warfare 2 and will play Modern Warfare 3 will know all they need to know, and have seen almost some variation of every part of the campaign. This however, changes in Black Ops 2. The campaign in Black Ops 2 is different from the first three games, and i s significantly better for doing so.Although still not having the â€Å"freedom of total choice†there are still moments in the game, subtle and otherwise, where the player is given the chance to change the plot. To go above ground or below, whether to spare a life or not, these are some of the examples of choice that the player will experience, and will feel a greater depth than ever found in the first three games. Having made an actual choice, a contribution to the plot, the player is excited to play on, anxious to see how his actions impacted the greater scheme of things. When it comes to narrative, the last game is improved significantly.The possibility of choice for the player is no small thing. With choice, came the aspect of â€Å"multiple endings†. In each ending, the player sees how he/she affected the world, and is given an overview of everything that has happened during the campaign. For this aesthetic, Black Ops 2 showed greater depth, and was better for do ing so. The Fourth Aesthetic: Game as Obstacle Course The fourth aesthetic is challenge. From the nature of the genre, First-Person Shooter, to the setting of the game, which are the Cold War and a fictional World War 3, it is obvious that the fourth aesthetic is a core aesthetic of the game.For the analysis of the fourth aesthetic, the researcher will divide the game into two categories: Single player and Multiplayer. This is because that the â€Å"enemy†of both is different, and highly changes the dynamic of play. First, the Single Player, where there is a focus on the one against many. The computer does not use tactically superior moves, but focuses on overwhelming the player with numbers. The â€Å"bad guys†hide in obviously tactical positions: behind the counter, around the corner, against the wall, always facing the player.This creates an obstacle course that the player has to go through, and although is a challenge, can get monotonous and repetitive. In the mu ltiplayer, there is more depth. Since other players online differ from one another, use different weapons and different tactics, this creates a dynamic that the player will require more skill to follow. The multiplayer in Call of Duty did not change much from game to game, if only in mechanics. In this way, it could be said that although challenge is a core aesthetic to the franchise, Call of Duty has already found its niche and no longer needs to change a large aspect of it.However it is still no progress, on the part of the developer. Insight would say that the challenge comes from the other players, and it would be logical to buy the new game if everyone is going to be playing it too. That being said, this is a special aesthetic where the game developer is not the one responsible for challenge, the player is. The Fifth Aesthetic: Game as Social Framework The fifth aesthetic, fellowship, is any game that allows the player to work cooperatively with others (Portnow). In the Call of Duty franchise, this is present in both the single and multiplayer.In the single player, the player is in a sense, part of the team. He/she may even form a connection toward other members, especially when the main character they are playing as holds them in high regard. The pair of Alex Mason and Frank Woods from the Black Ops series is comparable to a Han Solo and Chewbacca, and the player will cherish that bond. It is worth mentioning that the voice acting in Call of Duty is some of the best voice acting in the gaming industry, and this helps the player humanize the fictional characters in-game.In the multiplayer, as a flip side of the aesthetic challenge, bonds are formed in between team mates. Team work is always required for objective-based play, and for people with a good enough gaming set, people in game can talk to each other over the net. The players who experience this aesthetic most are people who enter the game as a group, and have friends with them to share the experie nce in. In this aspect, the game developer does not control much of it, and the players are responsible. For example, why would a person play Modern Warfare 3 when all of his/her friends are playing Black Ops 2?His/her friends are reason enough to but the new game. The Sixth Aesthetic: Game as Uncharted Territory The sixth aesthetic is discovery. Any player who plays the game to see what was previously unknown is a player who plays for discovery (Portnow). Again, this can be divided into the single and multiplayer, as the aspect of discovery is different for both. For the single player, discovery is not a large role to play. There aren’t many things to â€Å"unearth†and most things about the narrative are given to the player as a reward for beating the previous mission. This is true for the first three games, until Black Ops 2.With multiple endings, as well as the option to reset the story to a particular mission, the player was left with some sort of replay value: th e option to discover the alternate endings. This forced the player to do things differently to achieve them, and offered more depth. In the multiplayer, discovery comes through the form of a levelling system. Higher level players can use more things, and has access to more powerful guns and equipment. This made it so that the multiplayer experience was more of a journey than an arena, and kept the players interested longer.In a way, the multiplayer did not change from game to game. However, there is a significant improvement on the part of the single player in Black Ops 2. The Seventh Aesthetic: Game as Self-Discovery The seventh aesthetic is defined as expression, or the ability of the players to express themselves through the game. In Call of Duty, this is limited to the multiplayer. In the single player, the player is thrust into the shoes of a fictional character and therefore does not express himself. Expression in the multiplayer however, comes from the â€Å"Create your own Class†system. In other words, load out.The player gets to choose the primary weapon, secondary, as well as buffs to their character by way of â€Å"perks†. Whether the player is the run-and-gun type, or the silent sniper, these are all forms of expression. In terms of expression as an aesthetic, the game itself does not improve. Expression is something that is player driven, and can only be helped by more options for customization. As this game does not offer more customization from game to game, it could be said that it did not improve. The Eighth Aesthetic: Game as Past-time The eight aesthetic is called submission.This means that the player plays the game as a way to tune-out; much like reading a book or watching TV does (Portnow). It is difficult for the researcher to judge games on this aesthetic, seeing as the developers have no way to control this. People playing Black Ops 2 now, played Modern Warfare 2 before, and played Counter Strike even before that. Older g amers would be able to relate more games to their experience, and the researcher is speaking out of his own experience from playing first person shooters. Interestingly enough, the eighth aesthetic is aided not by the difference in games, but the similarity of them.People who have been playing the FPS as a genre for a long time would be able to enjoy this aesthetic more when the new games holds more similarities to old ones. In this way, developers are aiding their players by keeping the game relatively standard. In this, the game could be said to be the same for all four instalments, and does not improve. Of the eight aesthetics discussed, six are actually controlled by the developer. Of those six, the franchise as a whole has been seen to improve in three. That is half of those supposedly developer-induced aesthetics. Because of this, the game is judged to be not over rated.Small or big, there have been changes to the franchise with respect to the last four instalments with regard to the aesthetics. Whether these changes actually merit the game being â€Å"worthy†of being purchased, is in the opinion of the buyer. But as said before, there are another two aesthetics which are not developer-controlled. Which are the fourth and fifth. The players aid each other in these aesthetics by playing the game itself, and people seeking competition must go where competition lies. However, as said before, these games at most times changed marginally, and whether this deserves a $60 price tag is the player’s choice.As a researcher, the game is sound, and it is apparent that a lot of work went into the creation of these games. As a gamer, the researcher must implore other gamers to demand quality from their games. We as a culture, a society who enjoys this form of media have to be specific with what we want from the game developers. Do some small, arbitrary changes to the system deserve our money? If the next game is really the previous one with better graph ics, we should think about where we put our money and whether these games are worth buying. To conclude, Black Ops 2 picks up the slack of where the first three left off.Individually, these games deserve their standing, since all of them perform excellently in at least 4, maybe 5 aesthetics. As a whole, the franchise has found its niche. People are inherently intelligent, and will only buy when the price is right. It is the responsibility of the developers to improve, however their greatest responsibility will always be to satisfy the needs of the customers. Bibliography Ahearn, Nate. â€Å"Call of Duty: Black Ops Review. †9 November 2010. IGN. 10 January 2013. Bozon, Mark. â€Å"Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 Review. †10 November 2009. IGN. 0 January 2013. Gallegos, Anthony. â€Å"CALL OF DUTY: BLACK OPS 2 REVIEW. †13 November 2012. IGN. 10 January 2013. â€â€. â€Å"Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Review. †8 November 2011. IGN. 10 January 2013. Hu nicke, Robin, Marc LeBlanc and Robert Zubek. â€Å"MDA: A Formal Approach to Game Design and Game Research. †2004. 3 January 2013. . Portnow, James. â€Å"Extra Credits: Aesthetics of Play. †17 October 2012. Extra Credits. 3 January 2013. Ryckert, Dan. â€Å"Call of Duty: Black Ops II. †13 November 2012. gameinformer. 10 January 2013. Sicart, Miguel. â€Å"Defining Game Mechanics. †December
Saturday, January 4, 2020
Teenage Suicide Essay - 1404 Words
Teenage Suicide Each day 86 Americans take their own lives and another 1,500 attempts to do so. Even more disturbing is that suicide among a young people nation wide have increased dramatically in recent years. In fact thousands of teenagers each year commit suicide. It is the third leading cause of death among young adults aged 15-24. With the first two leading causes being unintentional injury and homicide. There are many reasons why teenagers feel the need to take their own life. They are at a time in their life where they are strongly feeling stress, confusion, self doubt, pressure to succeed, and other fears while growing. Among the probable causes of teenage suicide are family problems, stress, drug and alcohol abuse, and†¦show more content†¦Violence in the home itself is worse. The home to adolescents is a place of comfort, if something is wrong at school, then home is where they can forget about it. But if there is violence occurring at the home, then children will not want to go t here. This is the start of the buildup of pressure. Teenagers feel the pressure of maintaining good grades during school. If the adolescent is doing poorly in school, then he or she will feel the pressure to succeed and to do better in school work. Stress is a basis for most of the problems teenagers will encounter during high school and college. School work can be overwhelming especially for young adults. Schools are now issuing more assignments than usual to prepare students for the real world. Some teachers and Professors, however, do not realize the extremity of some of these assignments and projects. Most students, especially highschool students, have a full schedule. These students are in school from about eight in the morning to three in the afternoon. College can be just as bad. Even though most of the students are now in class for about a third of the time, the school work is probably more than doubled to that of a high school student. Many problems begin to occur at this stage in the life of the student. Since the pressure is on more then ever, many adolescents take comfort in the company of their friends. Friends during this time are extremely crucial for many reasons. The best being thatShow MoreRelatedTeenage Suici de2112 Words  | 9 PagesTeenage Suicide: The Fallen Ones Introduction: Teenage suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death for young people between the ages of 15 and 19. I. Causes of teenage suicide a. Bullying b. Problems at home c. â€Å"heartbreak†/ low self-confidence II. Bullying a. Verbal b. Physical c. Internet III. Problems at home a. Divorce b. Grades dropping c. Acceptance IV. â€Å"Heartbreak†/ Low self-confidence a. Breakup b. Death in family c. Depression Sherrill 1 Jessica Sherrill Mrs. Lee English III 28 April, 2011Read MoreTeen Suicide And Teenage Suicide1371 Words  | 6 PagesGutierrez Concepcion Gutierrez-Yanez Mrs. Gallos English 3 Honors April 6, 2017 Teen Suicide Brandy Vela, an eighteen-year-old high school student, committed suicide right in front of her family. Due to all the bullying over her weight, and especially in social media, she pulled the trigger and ended her life. It is said that her sister had heard a noisy disturbance and when she went upstairs to her sister’s room, she found Vela holding a gun pointing at her chest. â€Å"She is just crying and cryingRead MoreTeenage Depression and Suicide1246 Words  | 5 Pagessomething else had seized control of my mind.†â€Å"The darkness was spreading inside me like a cancer.† These descriptions are how Cait Irwin, who suffered from depression as a teenager, described it. Teenage depression is a common but serious illness that can ultimately send some on a downward spiral towards suicide that can be averted if recognized and given the proper treatment. Countless teenagers experience some type of depression in their lifetime, but what exactly is depression and just how commonRead MoreTeenage Suicide On The Rise Essay1521 Words  | 7 PagesTeenage Suicide on the Rise: In 2011, James Rodemeyer, a 14 year old junior high school student from Buffalo revealed his bisexuality via the World Wide Web. The weeks following Rodemeyer experienced taunting, name calling, assault and isolation from his peers. Even his close friends refused to sit with him at lunch. Later that year, James Rodemeyer committed suicide.This case is just one of many where an adolescent feels that their is no other solution than to end their life. It is estimated thatRead MoreEssay Teenage Suicide1191 Words  | 5 Pages Teenage suicide has become a critical, national problem the extent of which is mind boggling. From 1980 to 1992 the rate of suicides involving persons from the ages of 10-14 years old has increased by 120 percent, and has increased 28.3 percent when involving persons from the ages of 15-19 years old (Suicide 451). More recently in a poll of 3,210 high-school honor students, a stunning one-quarter have seriously considered suicide (Eaton 15). Suicides have been p roven to be one of the leading causesRead MoreTeen Suicide And Teenage Suicide1357 Words  | 6 Pagestake a more proactive step to prevent teen suicide by giving their students and staff more of an education. For example the Ontario Shores Mental Health Science wants schools to be more aware also; â€Å"Last week the Durham school boards announced a new curriculum to teach teachers about mental illness in youth, funded by the Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences in Whitby.†( Scallan and Chantaie). A town in Ontario brought this issue of teen suicide up to the school board. The school boardRead MoreRisk Factors of Teenage Suicide1217 Words  | 5 PagesTeenage suicide is a major national public health concern facing America today. Thousands of teenagers commit suicide each year. Many experts believe that teenage suicide is often due to unpredictable circumstances and can be contributed to hormonal impulses. However, recent case findings and statistics p rove that this is not necessarily true. Although some teenage suicides may be the result of youthful and impulsive actions, certain risk factors, signs, and symptoms can contribute to self-inflictedRead MoreThe Factors And Effects Of Teenage Suicide1912 Words  | 8 PagesJanuary 6 2015 The factors and effects of teenage suicide as the result of bullying There has been an unfortunate increase in the news about teenagers killing themselves as a result of being bullied. With the increase of social media bullying is now easier and faster to do. Even if someone doesn’t live in the same area as their bully they can still be bullied and taunted. One of the reasons why teenage suicide has gone up with the increase of social media use is because bullyingRead MoreTeenage Suicide : A Devastating Event1509 Words  | 7 PagesTeenage Suicide When I was undergoing my journey through high school, there was a devastating event that affected the entire school from that point on; one of my fellow classmates had committed suicide. It was heart breaking to hear what had happened to someone at such a young age. A teenage boy drove to a spot in North Carolina where his dad had committed suicide just a few years ago. In that same exact place where his dad committed suicide, he decided to take his own life. According to WorldRead MoreTeenage Depression - Teen Suicide1399 Words  | 6 Pages Teen Suicide Over the past few years’ teenage depression has drastically increased due to multiple factors such as peer pressure and bullying. According to Linda Lamb’s article Young People Can Suffer From Depression, Too,†The suicide rate among teenagers [today] is about 10 per 100,000†. A handout from the Health and Human Services Department and National Institute of Mental Health stated,†in the last 25 years, the rate of suicide among teenagers and young adults has increased dramatically.â€
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