Does Reality need fixing?
In her book Reality is Broken, author Jane McGonigal outlines the ways in which game culture possesses the capacity to repair the social structures of our reality. She argues that contemporary games offer a means of fulfilling genuine human needs that are currently left unsatisfied by the real world. As she states in her introduction, “Games are providing rewards that reality is not. They are teaching and inspiring and engaging us in ways that reality is not. They are bringing us together in ways that reality is not (McGonigal, 4).” Throughout her book, McGonigal attempts to persuade her reader in adopting the mindset of a game developer. From this perspective, McGonigal demonstrates the ways games can augment our most essential human capabilities and as a result positively impact the world around us.
Furthermore, McGonigal posits that game culture has more to offer than solipsistic retreat. McGonigal’s emphasis on alternate reality gaming attempts to reinforce this point: ARGs are presented by the author as ‘anti-escapist’, encouraging the user to get more out of reality rather than escape from it. McGonigal argues that ARG developers want to motivate us to participate more fully in whatever we’re doing, whether that entails the tasks we face in our everyday lives or in our ‘game’ lives. Overall, McGonigal’s book suggests the enormous potential gaming culture possesses in reshaping the way society thinks and acts in everyday life. In providing insight into the development and design of games in today’s society, McGonigal strives to convince the reader that gaming culture goes beyond the simple function of entertainment, facilitating a level of engagement between the user and reality that is more meaningful and engrossing.
Although McGonigal provides some fascinating examples of the way games are being targeted to improve and revitalize many social structures in the real world, I feel many of her arguments appear flimsy. The author’s optimism impacts the book in a negative way, causing McGonigal to carelessly pass over the potential threats of gaming culture (i.e-violence, addictive nature, lack of intellectual stimulation, etc.). Furthermore, McGonigal’s conjectures are not followed up with any evidence that fortify her arguments; her over-simplifications detract from her claims about the solutions gamification can offer our society.
The questions I would like to pose after reading McGonigal’s book are:
- On page seven, McGonigal asks “What if we decided to use everything we know about game design to fix what’s wrong with reality?” By adopting this perspective, what affect does it have on our cognitive faculties? In other words, by implementing gaming mechanisms into our daily lives are we conditioning ourselves to think and act one dimensionally?
- What game mechanics does McGonigal mention in her book that could be regarded as facilitating flow?
- While McGonigal illuminates the psychological effects produced by gamification, what function does technology serve in gaming culture? Does it facilitate wider social involvement or target the individual user’s engagement?
Nick