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VIDEO GAME OBSERVATION

Video Game Observation

Adrienne Hill
Rhetoric and Video Games
Oakland University
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VIDEO GAME OBSERVATION

Introduction
The kind of observations I decided to look at is the personality of gamers and their

attitudes toward the video games they play. Whether it be a G-rated game like Pokémon or

Animal Crossing or a horror genre like Juon: the grudge haunted house simulator or Silent

Hill. Regardless everyone who plays video game of any kind will have some certain feelings

or reaction to them even if they are bored. Here, I have observed two gamers, Jacob as

always, which consists of a guy name Jacob and his friend, Alex. This duo did a split screen

of the popular world-wide game from Nintendo, Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire, Jacob was

playing the Ruby Version playing as the female protagonist naming himself, Jacob. Alex was

playing the Sapphire Version playing as the male protagonist naming himself, Alex. Playing

either as the same or opposite sex role playing characters (RPG) did not affect the game play

at all and the story line is the same except the being the daughter/son of either the professor

or gym leader. Their RPG character is the daughter/son of the gym leader while the other sex

(the other RPG character that was not selected by the gamer), will be the child of the

professor of the Hoen region. Psychadelicsnake, a soloist played a horror genre game that is

based off the horror movie that is popular in Japan, Juon: the grudge haunted house

simulator. His RPG characters are a family which he plays each member one at a time

through five scenarios called episodes. These three have different attitudes when they play

these games. Here, we can analyze the personalities they have through their attitudes and

socialness through the observation.

Background
The observations took place in their houses for Jacob and Alex as they stated during

their game play on a Nintendo DS through camera recording. Sometimes they play the game

at Jacob’s house and sometimes they play at Alex’s. Usually, it will depend on the noise level
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at their house. They are good friends and played video games using split screens all the time.

In the past I watched them playing other games on split screen. They do these while sitting

side by side, associating either with each other, about personal life, the game they currently

playing, or just about whatever. Psychadelicsnake did not mention where he played, so, this

piece of information is unknown. It is commonly that he is either playing at his house, a

relative’s house, or at a friend’s. While these are the common places to play video games, this

guess can be accurate or not. Another person’s voice is heard something during game play, so

the possibilities could be in a home. He played the game on the Wii through camera

recording too. He has been playing games since earlier in the 2000s since he kept his account

active from time to time of new entertainment for viewers as mention in his account

description.

Method

I watched through YouTube on their account pages on my lap top. While I watch,

sometimes I only listen wearing headphone while doing other task like other homework. This

is not a disadvantage as I am good at multitasking. I am able to still draw attention to their

walkthrough by hearing. While watching, I carefully took notes mentally and kept a close

attention on their voice tones, the way they talked to their audience, the viewer, and their

reactions. I make close important notes of what stands out when listening to their voices and

tried to find any sudden changes in tone, formality, and sense of feelings. Also, I was able to

make measures of their personalities as gamers from this. I wrote this down on paper since it

was important. I clicked the like button, so it will go in my “like” section if I ever needed to

go back. Psychadelicsnake, is whom I observed first, then Jacob and Alex.

Observation
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All three players were very outgoing, it says this as gamers their personality is easy

going and not afraid to speak their minds. While being immerse with the games they were

indirectly communicating to the viewers. One thing I notice that make the two versus one

stood out was their own personality. Jacob and Alex, who were playing Ruby and Sapphire

have positive, kind, talkative, and helpful based personalities. Here is why, one, Alex and

Jacob give advice to viewers who are watching currently for the next time they play Ruby

and Sapphire or any Pokémon game. An example, is when Alex was trying to catch a wild

Pokémon, Jacob gave a suggestion that it was better to use a certain move to make a critical

hit that is affective to weaken so it would be easier to catch it. Second, they are very talkative

throughout the gameplay. As they are playing, they are communicating with each other, they

talk about their process and current actions of playing the game.

At the same time, they drift off to discuss non- Ruby and Sapphire related things.

They would talk about school, work, anime, friends, etc, what interesting or annoying events

that had happen to them. While playing Alex was ranting about irresponsible drivers that do

not put on their turn signals around the holiday season. They fall into the subject due to the

fact it was the holiday season around that time. Alex who at beginning had a cherry, neutral

tone went to a loud, frustrating one due to the situation he experienced that frustrated him. It

is a possibility that he was stressed and would feel better talking about it. They like to

entertain their audience, so they would tell funny stories that happened in their lives. They

don’t seem to care who is watching their gameplay and listening to their stories, they might

assume that the audience who watched the walkthrough are young Pokémon fans since the

franchise is very popular to children, teenagers, and young adults around college-age. Jacob

and Alex show their kindness to their viewers such as saying, “See you later and have a

goodnight, we love you” when the closed their videos and when they open, they greet their
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viewer with a cheerful voice. They are courteous and want to make their viewer feel

welcome, important.

Psychadelicsnake was completely opposite from Jacob and Alex, on this side he on

the verbal aggressive side. He swears a lot even to the audience, however is was not in a

negative mood. Even when the antagonist, the vengeful, unforgiving spirits in Juon” the

grudge game messy with head and pop up to scare the player (this is a part of the courage

test, to test the level of courage when going through individual challenges as the family

members). He does not greet or say hi to his viewers as he just moves on to the next process

of the game. His voice is neutral, but, confronted by the spirit he screams very loud even if

the volume on a lap top is low. It is highly suggested not to wear headphones to prevent

deafness. He screams often in the game play as he is immersed in the horror game. His voice

is loud even when speaking in a neutral tone.

He does not seem to care who his audience is, as a gamer he openly uses vulgar

language (swearing) to express his frustration, being startled, or just in neutral often of the

game play. He sometimes makes inappropriate sexual comments when he is frustrated due to

being unable to do something certain to move forward in the scenario or when the Wii remote

makes it hard to move around. He makes inappropriate sexual comment towards the game

and once to the viewers. Sometimes he would insult the main antagonist every time she

interrogates him by using foul words. He does not guide the viewer of playing the games as

he wants them to learn on their own as he stated that his viewers requested him to play the

game.

Jacob and Alex ‘s attitudes overall are friendly, considerate (toward the viewers) by

keeping their negative attitude under control just not to make the audience feel uncomfortable

and careful to avoid use vulgar language to keep it family friendly. Social wise, they were
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active throughout the whole gameplay interacting in a three way which is each other directly

and with the viewers, indirectly, as the audience cannot oral engage due to viewing via

computer screen. Their immersion when playing is very active, their cherry, exciting

attitudes make us feel as if they were really inside the game itself or that Pokémon was real,

and they are really on a journey catching Pokémon.

In contrast to Psychadelicsnake he is loud, vulgar mouthed, and slight rude. He

expresses himself any way he is pleased without consideration for those who are watching

nor seem to think about the ages of viewers who watched him. His immersion in the game is

very active as well, he makes it feel he is haunted by ghost and that he is the next victim to

the killed. His screams and repeatedly swears show his stressfulness of countless encounters

with the spirits.

Analysis

After observing these two on a social level, it is not difficult to realize that playing

video games no matter what kind they are can bring other gamers and new gamers together.

Whether it be through the internet on a social platform like You Tube through their account

page or in-person setting like school or work. When two or more people have a game they

like that will lead to similar commonalities such as about the game they like the most, it is

highly likely that they will form social relationships. This can also be the possibility that

these social relationships can occur further outside the world of video games like hanging out

and doing non-game related activities like going out to eat or shopping or just talk.

People can come to realize that video games connect people over the world. Like in

class where one classmate said they have friends through the internet because they like and

play certain games that meet their interest and continue to keep in touch through social chat

rooms. According to a blog called entertainment software association (EBA) thirty-sex

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percent gamers have reported that they have made a new friend through networked video

games. ESA’s 2015 Essential Facts About the Computer and Video Game Industry found that

fifty-four percent of frequent game players felt that video games help them connect with

friends. A self-professed video gamer name Chris Wiseman have developed a relationship

with his fiancée through playing Halo 4 together. He stated to the blog that “It’s a team-

building and relationship-building experience where you can really learn about the other

person”. For decades there have been observation for this kind of trend, prompting the

academic world to accept the online game environment as a “third space” away for home and

work place, where people can come together to support a sense of community regardless of

different back grounds. A student who from a university in Texas stated he it was difficult to

meet up with friends that go to other university in Texas whom he played video games

together. So, they will only chat without playing video games on a normal day.

Common interest of similar video games not only create social relationships, but, the

personality of gamers can form social relationships. If two people have similar personalities

such as being kind, generous, lively, and like to entertain people then it is likely they will

keep a friendship that last long out side of the video game world in contrast to a gamer that is

lively and the other is rude or vulgar. Two or people stay in lasting relationships if the other’s

personality meets their satisfaction. No one would want to have a relationship with someone

who is either rude, inconsiderate, or selfish. All of this kind of is similar to Jacob and Alex

who are friend outside of the game life. Because their attitudes are more on the outgoing side

they cater to their viewers making them important not only for updates of their new

walkthroughs but, also their current walkthroughs in process.

A person’s attitude is mostly influenced by the environment and genes not from only

playing video games. From observing these three, it seems that here attitudes and personality

are influenced from outside resources like their genes, environment, experiences, and the
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VIDEO GAME OBSERVATION
quantity of people they have been around that help shaped them to outgoing gamers. Also,

this can also influence their politeness level.

Personality attracts viewer to their walkthroughs, not everyone will be attracted to the

same or only one personality type. A viewer will be searching for a gamer who personality is

similar to their own and satisfy their needs and be able to enjoy the walk through as

entertainment. Jacob and Alex have a fair number of viewers on their walkthrough but,

Psychadelicsnake has twice more views than them. Because of his hyper and let-go attitude

including always speaking his mind without holding back his viewers continue to come back

around for more video game walkthroughs from him. He does not seem to care what people

think of his opinions or his feelings when reacting to games. It maybe that people like gamers

who are themselves without trying hard to impress and be very relaxed. According to Jordan

Maison from Youtuber magazine (2017) he too says how you play the and the personality

you bring will just keep them there (keep watching in the future). Even though you are

instructing of how to play the game or just playing for fun it does not mean that you unable to

throw in elements of your own. What Maison means is by element is that you can find a way

to be entertaining in your own way, create your own fun. An example is another You Tube

gamer named Purple Rodri who associates with playing with many Nintendo video game,

whether it be a RPG character or NRP character he makes different, funny voices for each

when narrating the storyline and reading their dialogues. Purple Rodri as well has the same

number of viewer as Psychadelicsnake. From looking at these, we could understand that

gamers have different personalities and various social interactions with the audience while

being immerse with the game. We also could see gamers personality though games when

they create their own amusement in walkthroughs that attract people.

Conclusion
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From the analysis, gamers come in various form of attitudes not limited to how they

interact with viewers and their reactions during game play. From the observations we can see

that even if a gamer who uses swears words does not mean they have a negative attitude it

could be their real personality outside of games and they are a non-negative person. Another

thing learned is gamers attract other gamers and create social relationship through not only

personality but through similar games that is popular or entertaining to them. By this they

could continue to keep lasting relationship like with Jacob and Alex, and Chris Wiseman and

his fiancé. People who watch walkthroughs can choose a favorite gamer based on observing

and making analysis about that gamer. There are certain things that make a gamer stand out

to the viewer whether is be making various voices for characters like Purple Rodri, or just

being your-self no matter what game you’re playing.

Reference

Theesa blog. Video Games Help Make Lifelong Friendships (2015)

Masion, Jordan. Youtuber magazine. How Walkthrough Videos Can Grow Your Gaming
Channel (2017)