My Reactions to Video Games as a Literacy/Arkham City
An interview with my brother on video game strategies can be accessed here
Oh and here’s an alternate ending to the game!
Inspired by the linguist James Paul Gee’s studies in observing video games as a learning style, I decided to conduct my own research on this particular matter. Like Gee, I found that playing video games, especially by myself, is particularly difficult. As Gee describes the experience, it is both frustrating and life enhancing (Gee 3). He also discovered that gamers enjoy a challenge. What makes a worthwhile game is in fact the learning principles, making video games a process. Marx calls this the “creativity of capitalism” (Gee 4). It is amusing how in school, if a subject is long and challenging, students aren’t enthused to learn, but it works just the opposite when learning a video game. Gee acknowledges this type of learning as the best in cognitive science.
Studying Gee’s work last semester in a literacy acquisition class, I learned that he is focuses mostly on social discourse. How we learn is all through our previous experiences with those who share a common social and cultural group (Gee 6). Therefore, any specific way in which we think is connected to our identity. Gee also relates “real life” to a massive player game such a World of WarCraft because of the interaction of multiple identities and in which we view the world (Gee 7).
How does this all relate to learning through video games? Learning is not general, as mentioned through our social experiences that develop our identity, but it is specific. We learn how to play a certain type of game (shooter game, fighting game, adventure game) and we associate games that are similar to figure them out. Gee also mentions that the subtopics we learn are specific types of “games”; they all have their own vocabulary, tools, and values as well as their own specific way of learning them.
One way in which gamers familiarize themselves with the game is through reading material. Go figure, in order to play something that seems like it is all controls and graphics, we need to understand them through literary materials. Growing up watching my brother play all sorts of games, his favorite were usually the fighting games such as Mortal Kombat (which in turn became my favorite) as well as adventure games that ranged from Area 51 to Resident Evil to Jurassic Park. I also remember my brother going to the supermarket to pick up the latest edition of a gamer’s magazine called Tips and Tricks. Today, there’s other resources through social media where strategies about the game are shared. Gee mentions even the schoolyard being a trading ground for the game Pokémon (definitely remember that!)
A website that has been particularly helpful is http://www.ign.com/wikis/batman-arkham-city/General_Tips. If I didn’t have someone to guide me, using the internet source is a great alternative to learn the game. The game contains a few different modes such as Detective Mode which allows Batman to see his surroundings through a special lens where enemies and interactive environments are highlighted in an orange color. This mode tells me how many enemies there are, whether or not they are armed, and information about the enemy. It is particularly helpful if I am stuck somewhere. It can tell me if there’s a special way out.
Some of these games are a remediation. TV shows are created from video games and vice versa, as well as movies or comic book series. The game that I examined for my research: Batman: Arkham City is derived from the comic book or perhaps it came soon after the latest Batman trilogy came to an end (my favorite of all the Batman genres). Being a huge fan of the movies, the comics, as well as growing up with the cartoon, I was indeed intrigued to play. Plus, the game got very good reviews. Good reviews mean that the game is challenging and long, two features that avid gamers look for.
Gee explains that there are two reasons to examine literacy more broadly other than in the reading and writing aspect. Firstly, besides from language as a communication system, images, symbols, graphs, artifacts, and many other visual symbols are noteworthy (Gee 17). Secondly, both words and images are more oftentimes combined. This is proven to be true when playing the game Batman: Arkham City. While playing, there are symbols above attackers’ heads that indicate I have to get ready to block which is also indicated as a symbol for me as the green triangle button. Entering doors, I am signaled to hit “x”. I suppose too that Batman’s weaponry that is displayed when hitting “select” is an example of artifacts that I can choose from in order to help me complete a mission.
Not being a video gamer, I put the video game’s setting on easy so I can leisurely learn the game. When beginning the game, there is a background story to follow about Dr. Strange and how he is the man in charge of Arkham City. The scenes are very movie-like, with subtitles on the bottom of the screen. Before I am Batman, I am Catwoman, fighting off thieves in order to get to a safe, because Selena or Catwoman is characterized as a crafty thief herself. As I fight off the villains, there are pop-ups telling me what buttons to hit in order to fight them off. After they are all on the ground, I have to locate the safe in the room. For me, I was not clear where in the room to go. Though the room is small, I felt as if I had to do a little exploring. When I found the safe (after a minute), there is an icon that pops up telling me to hit “x” in order to open the safe. This was only the first few minutes of the game and I realized there was a lot to figure out on my own. Luckily, the suggestions to hit what button facilitated this process. I’m sure because I had it on an easy level, that I was assisted with these clues.
To note more about the first few minutes of the game, I am viewing the game in a different point of view, Catwoman, before I am the main character, Batman. I wonder why the creators of the game decided to do this. It is interesting to be these players who are different genders and different roles in the game. Perhaps the designer had in mind that the player needs to see the two outlooks because their stories do intertwine. There is a romance between these two characters who are viewed in an opposing manner. We view Catwoman as a villain, but Batman as a hero. Yet, he does come to her rescue at times in the game. Perhaps too, they both have an “alias” as Bruce Wayne and Selina Kyle. As I continued to play, there were more short movie-like segments showcasing the relationship between Batman and Catwoman. As it seems, Batman is helping Catwoman in some way since she is not favorable by other villains such as Two-Face.
The first few minutes of the game also have video game credits as one would see in a TV series. The last time I really played video games, I remember the credits being at the end of the game, when it was all over and you won. I suppose the creators decided that instead of waiting until the several weeks it can take to complete a game, the creators are known from the start.
From being Catwoman, I am Bruce Wayne, captured by those who know my alias, Batman. I am locked and chained in a room and have to find a way to escape. The screen keeps telling me to go left. How can I go left? I’m stuck. I play around with the directional controls. At points, I’m staring down at the floor, seeing my surroundings through Bruce Wayne’s eyes. Finally, I understand by hitting left several times that I’m supposed to knock myself over onto the ground to break the chair or break the way I’m tied up. To relate this to a literacy approach, perhaps I am rereading over and over again the direction I am given in order to make clarity.
From the room where I was chained up in confinement, I am walking through a sea of inmates. I have to fight some of them off, being facilitated again by the buttons that I am told to hit in order to create special moves. Trying to find a way to escape from the prison, I do the same as I did as Catwoman, I explore the room. This time, the room is bigger, so it is harder to determine where I am supposed to go. I decide to walk down a hall of prisoners to find the exit. Once I am out of the prison, I am suited up as Batman and I now have more exploring to do with the entire city.
I feel the most difficult part of the game thus far is figuring out where I am going and for what purpose. As I continue to play, there are new buttons to hit that are designated for a certain reason. Hitting R1, I am able to shoot my batclaw and climb buildings. But again, where am I going? I finally realize that at the top of the screen are directions. There is a Riddler symbol (?) that I must follow. The directions guide me to the location I am supposed to find. It was not an easy task to figure out the building or the people I am supposed to discover. The city seems like a huge playground for me to jump from one spot to another. I figured out by playing around how to glide, how to dive, how the climb up, how to duck, how to hang off buildings. These are tools that I will need to understand how to use for the rest of the game. So even if it took me a while to find where my next action scene is to take place, I needed the time to play around to discover the controls that are the basics of how to work the game.
Another researcher that has worked with Gee to understand video games as a type of literacy are Mary Leigh Morbey and Carolyn Steele in their essay titled, “Student Mastery in Metamodal Learning Environments: Moving beyond Multimodal Literacy”. They mention that strategies learned in video games cannot be found within the confinements of the classroom. Young people between the ages of thirteen and thirty are spending an average spend about 40 hours a week with interactive, Internet-based gaming (Morbey and Steele).
When I finally arrived at the building I’m supposed to enter, I had to go through halls once again to find Two-Face talking to his crew. I’m supposed to approach a gunman from behind to sneak attack him during Two-Face’s speech.
I notice when I’m being attacked or approached by an opponent who is about to attack me, there is a symbol above their head that either looks like waves or lightning. This is called the counter-act cue. This tells me to prepare to act. To relate this to a literacy approach, it’s as if I am being prompted. We see prompts in classroom discussions when we are prompted to answer. Reading material, we could be prompted or hinted to what is to come next. As a strategy, teachers will oftentimes ask at the end of a chapter, “What do you think will happen next?” Instead of seeing something such as this in the video game, we need to act fast instead of dwell upon, “What should I do next?” Opposed to reading where we have as much time as we like to think, there are times in a video game where we have to react fast. I think this is an excellent learning strategy to think on your feet and look alive. Some opponents will sneak behind me, I have to immediately turn around to fight them off.
Through my understanding of the video game, I definitely could not get past certain areas. After I entered the building and fought off the villains, I had to scan the room to figure out where a gunshot came from. At the top of the screen in bold green lettering was a suggestion, “Level Up!” with the select button next to it. I had no idea what this meant exactly. Batman kept saying that he needed a certain suit/gear to scan the room. When clicking “select”, there were numerous things to select from. I connected from the type of gear Batman was talking about, which suit to select. When I finally had the suit, I had to hold down on L2 to get an x-ray vision of the room. I discovered the gunshot, but what do I do from there? I got so frustrated on what to do next that I killed myself by jumping into the acid pool. On a literacy level, this is when the learner gives up due to lack of comprehension.
This was the first time playing the game. The next time I play, I want to see what happens if I change the difficulty level. Will the suggestions on the screen not appear? Will I die faster? With questions such as these, I am utilizing the strategy of asking myself questions and perhaps predicting what the outcome could be. I lasted over an hour the first time playing, but it is because I spent most of my time trying to navigate the city which seemed like my own personal jungle gym to play around with. Changing the level in reading terms would be to read a piece of literature with more complex vocabulary or with literary elements that may be difficult to decode.
Playing the game such as this is almost like reading the comic book, except I now have auditory functions and characters are alive. It is like watching a movie, but I don’t have time to drift off to think of other matters; I have to concentrate on what I need to accomplish. I am acting in the movie instead.
When continuing with the game, I had my brother, someone who is proficient with the game and level that I’m on, help me out. He instructed me with where I should go and how to use the two controls that direct the camera and the way I move. This, for me, was one of the most challenging things when learning how to play a video game. My brother was a good teacher though and did not get too frustrated with my new learning ability.
From the level where I gave up and jumped in the acid pool, my brother showed me how to get out of the room and find the door that lead me out. Without my brother’s help, I don’t think I would have found it on my own. I thought I looked all over for a way out, but apparently, nothing I did was working. To relate this to literacy, when one is learning how to read or make strategies for themselves in order to comprehend the literary work, sometimes assistance or modeling is needed. How does one find their way on their own? A teacher or someone who has the necessary experience can show a learner how to navigate in order to gain some success.
With the site, there is more information about how to deal with the aggressor’s counter-act cues which lets the player know when Batman can subdue an attacking enemy and prevent damage to himself. I’ve only experienced the counter-act color (the squiggly lightning lines above the aggressor’s head) to be blue. But there is also red, green, and yellow. For instance, green suggests that the aggressor is on the ground and is ready to be finished off.
One of the best tips my brother gave me was when on a perch, use the controls to view down on my enemies. As simple as this concept may seem, I did not use it when I was on my own. The IGN website suggests in a certain sequence with Mr. Freeze:
“The first step to this process is finding a nice high position on top of a vantage point or rooftop where you can easily see your two enemies. Next is to temporarily eliminate one of the enemies this is best done with the use of the freeze blast given to you by Mr. Freeze, it can be accessed by double tapping the right trigger. Now press “X” to glide click the other enemy, press and hold “RT” and the bat symbol above their head will begin to turn yellow. Once your attack is fully charged you will take out the enemy as soon as you hit them. The final step is to casually walk up to the other frozen enemy, who should still be frozen, and perform an ice smash takedown by pressing the “Y” button.”
I did not get up to this level yet, but reading and investigating this site, I can use it in order to complete that eventual level.
This game has a plot to it, characterization, symbols, that undeniably make it a literary piece except in a new remediation, a video game. The IGN site also has mini-movies about the enemies. For example, Hugo Strange Trailer. These trailers tell the player more about the characters that are not mentioned within the game itself. Here are a few more trailers on the characters: The Riddler, The Penguin, and The Joker and Harley Quinn. The videos, like the video game, is so transparent with its almost life-like features. It makes the whole adventure of Batman that much more exciting. You can even listen to the soundtrack to the video game , like a movie. The soundtrack gives the game a vibe that some levels are more difficult than others. In other words, it sets the mood or tone of the video game, similar to how an author’s voice and style does the same effect in a novel.
I have gained so much insight with my new skill of video games. I feel that Batman: Arkham City was not only a challenge, but an exciting video game to play. It’s like when a child is first starting to read, especially on their own, a teacher or parent will hand them something that is entertaining to hold their interest while learning. As of this week, one of my classmates introduced me to a spin-off or a remix of WarCraft called ClassCraft. I feel as though this is an excellent example as video games as a literacy. Students are separated into teams and they need to strategize in order to succeed in the game. This could be an effective way to learn and agrees with Gee’s thesis that video games are not a “waste of time”.
Works Cited:
ClassCraft http://www.classcraft.com/en/
Gee, James Paul. What Video Games Have to Teach Us About Learning and Literacy. Palgrave Macmillian. New York, NY: 2007.
IGN http://www.ign.com/wikis/batman-arkham-city/General_Tips
Morbey, M.L. and Steele, C. “Student Mastery in Metamodal Learning Environments: Moving Beyond Multimodal Literacy.” Multimodal Literacies and Emerging Genres. University of Pittsburgh Press. Pittsburgh, PA: 2013.