Video Games: Virtual vs. Reality

College Students are addicted to Call of Duty
By Brandon Miles

Word Count 650

The loud sound of a chopper gunner fills the room as you annihilate the opposing team. After the chopper wreaks havoc, the attack dogs are called to action. These dogs are trained man-killers and will attack on first-sight.  It might appear to be from a scene in a war movie but it is the environment of a video game, Call of Duty.

According to Game Informer magazine, Call of Duty Black Ops is the highest grossing video game to date selling a total of 50 million copies in the first week of the release. This dramatic game is known to be a war simulation used in military training programs. Employee Ron Starks of Game Stop said, "The vivid images of today's video games are so realistic that it creates a hypnosis effect, sucking someone right into the game making players feel as if they were actually in the game." The game is so addicting that people drop all of their priorities in order to get some, "Crucial COD time" said BSU student-athlete Jake Schmitt.

Call of Duty Black Ops

Video games have been placed at the top when it comes to technology innovation, offering various kinds of first-person shooter games ranging from futuristic concepts to real-life war simulations. Consumers also have the opportunity to play the Xbox kinect, a video game that reacts with the body as a controller.

The New Xbox Kinect

So what do we do with all these cool video games, drop the real world and live in a virtual fantasy world? That seems to be the trend and according to grabstats.com a whopping 65% of college students play video games 5 hours or more per week."I think I play between two and three hours a Call of Duty a day," said BSU student Andrew Eagan.

 The television show True Life did a special episode on addiction to video games and in that episode the characteristics and habits of the people portrayed were like many gamers at BSU. The virtual world of modern video games allows players to escape reality and be part of a fantasy world that some people like better that the real one, "When I am bored in class, thinking about playing video games always puts me in a better mood," said sophomore marketing major Matt Larson, "even if I have homework or something important to do I just would much rather game."

Excessive amount of television exposure could prove detrimental as many studies have shown how television and gaming have adverse effects on the mind. The excess game play can cause some people to develop irregular sleeping habits or even skip meals, which can be harmful over a long period of time.

Call of Duty is so mesmeric amongst today's youth that some gamers will wait in line for hours in order to be the first one with the game. "The night that Call of Duty: Black Ops was released I waited two hours in line and every bit of the wait was worth it because COD is the best game out." Said senior design technology major Mitch Minardi. “Now that I'm almost done with school I have more free time, so I don't know what I would do without the my Xbox."

Senior Design Technology Major Mitch Minardi

Playing video games has become a way of life for some people and the re-actions to this lifestyle decision will have harsh consequences if continued in the long run. Video games are entertainment not a lifestyle.

Virtual War