Columbia Game Culture

The focus of the reading actually opened my eyes to a number of variables that take part in the development of a “hero”, or in this case, cultural model. The ambiguity of what can be perceived as a hero, depending on the motivation of the gamer, is constantly evolving. Depending on the disposition and point of view of a story, there is always a good or bad. The cultural importance of epic characters such as Mario and Sonic has a lot more substance than a number of real historic people that have come and gone. The responsibility put into the hands of a developer when it comes to character design is serious; putting a number of possibilities into the hands of the developer. These digital heroes project a variety of qualities, some of which are either good or bad depending on the point of view.
Despite the seemingly simple designs of such great characters has always been striking to me; how can such a following develop for something so simple? Simple may not be the right adjective for that; I believe it is “Relatable.” The fact that everyone can relate to Mario and Sonic is what makes them so popular. Offering a different view may open the eyes of most gamers, especially if the script was reversed. Despite playing as an evil character; you will put all of your skill into beating the game, simply because of your drive as a gamer. This driving force is what propels the interest that fuels gamers into countless hours of interacting with videogames.