Censorship Online Essay, Research Paper

Censorship Online

There is a section of the American populace that is slowly slithering into

the spotlight after nearly two decades in clandestine. Armed with their odd

netspeak, mouses, glowing monitors, and immediate access to a world of

information, both serious and amateur Hackers alike have at last come out of the

computer lab and into mainstream pop culture. Since I despise pleading ignorant

about anything, I chose to read Mr. McDonalds article because of its minutia

concerning the future of the more amusing aspect of computing: the game. This

article is relevant because whether we like it or not, the PC (personal

computer) is only going to grow in popularity and use, and the best weapon

against the abuse of this new gee-whiz technology is to be educated about it.

It is simply amazing how far gaming has come in the past decade. We have

gone from stick figures on a blank screen to interactive movies. The PC is the

newest way to play because it has the capability to process and display much

more complex games than anything by Nintendo or Sega. Some problems with this,

however, are the enormous cost of s descent system and software and the

technology that moves at lightning speed. The computer you buy tomorrow will

not be able to handle any of the new software two years from now. Owners must

not only keep up with the new trends but must also be well aware of what their

own system can sustain so that they do not overload it and cause it to crash.

This article focuses on interactive video, which is a relatively new field in

the gaming industry. The games that have been on the market have not lived up

to the bombardment of advertising gamers have been subjected to. The video

itself is often choppy and blurry, it rarely enhances the plot of the game, and

has yet to be truely interactive. This is because it is not part of a movies

nature to mingle with the audience. New software consumers should be aware of

this before shelling out $60-$80 for an over-hyped game.

This article offers the titles of the few good interactive games that

have hit the shelves this year as well as a list of ones to avoid. It also

describes several of the video cards (special flat chips that can be inserted

into the back of your machine to help it process data) that you would have to

purchase to play these games. It does a wonderful job of informing the readers

about the games and hardware in terms that even a new gamer (a newbie) would be

able to grasp. Often, many computing magazines will use Hacker lingo (netspeak)

so frequently that the meaning and fact are lost. The article suggests that

avoiding the whole genre for a few years until the industry polishes its product

is the best move. From the experiences I have had with computer games of all

kinds, I would have to agree.