Video gaming and Media uses

When you talk about media consumption, there are few industries that immediately come to mind. Movies, books, music.

But there is a new one floating around, and its called Video games.

How has the rise of video gaming affected the consumption of media? Has it impacted it at all?

Lately I’ve seen more Video game commercials on TV than ever before, These are not just small out of eth way spots, either, but full on advertisements during peak viewing time. These even show up during things like sporting events, as evidenced by Final Fantasy 13.

This is but one demonstration of the growing strength of the video game industry and the rise of the casual gamer. The gamer with kids, the family with the wii’s and the party games, and the just occasionally play attitude. Video games have moved beyond the hardcore gaming crowd into the every day life of millions of Americans.

And with that rise has been the advent of new and interesting was for people to interact with things that they had previously just watched.

I’ve seen games that tackle issues such as the environment, and simulations that are used to train people and prove points. These video games are starting to explore the realm of becoming an legitimate tool.

You have Edicational, songs, movies, books, and now video games. Video games that teach skills such as typing, reading, math, to school age children that may not have been interested otherwise.

I’ve heard of Schools using Games such as DDR, a dancing game, in Gym class to keep kids interested and healthy.

And how many movies have come our lately that have been turned into video games? Video game are quickly become a part of the Franchise packet. Books, Movies, and Videos games. And this changes the way people intersct with their favourite franchises. Not Only can you watch it, or Read it, but not you can interact with it, play it out your self.

Won’t it be interesting to see what new uses for video games that people come up with in the future?

Duirwaigh Studios

I discovered a really great graphic art company online. It is called Duirwaigh Studios and can be found at http://www.duirwaigh.com. You can also find some of their work on my newest favorite website http://www.imagekind.com. Imagekind is a great website that you can showcase, create, sell and buy original unique art from the artists themselves. Imagekind is an online art community. You should really check it out. I’ve found so many awesome original art there. The duirwaigh website defines Duirwaigh as 1)the door on the human heart which, when opened, causes one to remember one’s magical origins 2) the entryway to impossible things happening every day 3) the portal contained with the human psyche that transports dreams into reality. Duirwaigh is a portal to inspiration. The company begins with the imaginative creations of husband and wife team Angi Sullins and Silas Toball. Duirwaigh delivers products and services that inspire creativity. They specialize in the 3 E’s: enchantment, enlightenment and entertainment. They sing, dance, act, paint, create, write but most importantly inspire. They delve to remind us that impossible things happen every day and life is too good to be true. They implore that we remember those ever so imaginative daydreams of our childhoods and bring them back to life. ‘When inspiration knocks on the door…answer.’ They may seem quite far-fetched and a little off their rockers but all of what they say is true and to me a breath of fresh air. Here are some of my favorites from the website.

Imagine is so simple. The colors work so well together. Most importantly it sends a message to the consumer. It sends a visual message and then reinforces that with a written message. Never let reality get in the way of your dreams. The visual and written message is so simple yet striking and sincere.

God Bless the Freaks looks really cool. The colors pop. The composition is cartoonlike. It is reminiscent of Spongebob graphics yet very elegant. The written message is just great. God bless the freaks. It’s a fantastic composition.

Still Life in Motion is so cool because it is so strange yet it is nostalgic and reminds us of something really old and traditional.

Dandemouselings is awesome! It is so whimsical and silly and sweet. The mice are so happy and free. Opposite of how we see them in our day to day lives. It makes me happy.

What You Think on Grows is a nice composition. The written message has an anatomical implication that ties the graphic to the text. It’s smart.

Humpty Dumpty is really cool. It would be great in a kids nursery. The colors are so light and pastel yet warm an inviting.

Twirl is so loud. It’s awesome though. The colors scream. I can hear the big band music and the bass drums in this parade. It’s very teenage girly.

The Circus Just isn’t the same without You is sad and sweet. It makes me think of when I’ve gotten in a fight with my boyfriend and I try to function and forget about him but I can’t.

Impossible things happen every day is awesome. The composition is nice and suiting but the message is the best part about it.

I’m Possible is freaking fabulous! Graphics are great but what a message!

The Work Industry and Digital Media

Digital media has opened so many new doors for the world, especially in the work industry. It has provided the world with more jobs, and has made older jobs more efficient. Today most of the jobs in the work industry need digital media to survive. The entertainment industry is dependent on digital media for various reasons. First, the entertainment industry simply would not exist without digital media. Without digital media, the first cartoon or film would never have been invented. Also, it relies on digital media to spread the word of their movie, song, or new television show. Actors and actresses can use digital media to find auditions or post their resume online making it easier to find work. Through magazines, newspapers, blogs, and other ways of communicating, people can share their thoughts on a movie, song, show, etc. that can either affect it positively or negatively. Publicity is still recognition whether good or bad, and the entertainment industry would not be able to continue without it.

In the beginning of the business industry, it was all about bartering, and the idea of global trade was outrageous. However, today, thanks to digital media it is as simple as ever. Digital media has allowed the business industry to grow to its greatest. The more technology developed the easier it is to import and export goods. Also, contacting partners across the world can be done in a few seconds and it will seem as if the partners are in the same room. Advertising is more exact in targeting the group that the product affects, and franchising in other states and countries is possible. Budgeting, forecasting, and other inner activities in the business industry are less stressful with the technology of today. Although, everything about the business industry is simpler due to digital media, the same effect that it has on the entertainment industry can happen to the business industry. Bad publicity of the company, owners, employees, costumers, etc. can ruin the business.

Digital media not only affects those industries but every other job as well. The medical field relies heavily on technology. The more technology the easier it is to research cures and diseases to save more people. Also, it has made the medical field more efficient. Today, filing systems are more efficient, and a large amount of doctors are putting their practice online so people can schedule appointments online. Teachers have more and more resources available to them as technology progresses. Look at any type of workforce, and you will see the impact of digital media and the way it has advanced the work industry today.

Where Did the Oil Go?

We all live in or around the Panama City, FL area, so I don't really need to go into all the details about what happened at the Deepwater Horizon oil platform.  It has affected our beaches, tourism, and for most in this area our total way of life.  I worked out at the Gulfcrest tiki hut as a bartender by the pool this summer and can tell you firsthand of the loss in sales, profits, and tips.  Beyond those things, even the overall attitude of the guests and employees declined.  The owners who rent out there units would come down asking me about business and the oil, along with even people visiting from Canada.  Everyone had different political views and even some were from different countries, but one thing was for sure; the main thing on everyone's mind was where did the oil go?  Was it on it's way, or had the oil giant, British Petroleum, really done what they said they were going to do and cleaned it all up.  The coverage for the biggest environmental catastrophe ever on United States soil could be seen 24/7 online, and on several different television channels.  It was all they were talking about, so why did it take eighty some odd days for the greatest minds in the world to cap this gusher?  Why did our government not immediately take action to give a helping hand?  Was there some kind of political agenda behind this whole charade?  It's not like the most powerful nation in the world could not help and be reimbursed for their troubles.  It seems like they would want to protect the beautiful gulf coast.  Our little speck of this world might not have been affected too badly by the oil as far as the eye can see, but what of the future.  It doesn't make sense to me that as soon as the well was capped there was very little media coverage.  This is especially confusing; being that most of the media is supposedly very liberal.  I don't know where all the politicians who are supposedly environmentalists are now but they don't seem to be helping.  I was watching a documentary by Spike Lee, "If God is Willing and Da Creek Don't Rise", and these fisherman were using three five gallon Shopvac's to suck the oil off the top of the water in the bayou.  The boat captain said they were out there from dawn till tusk working every day.  When one of the vacuums filled up they would empty them into these fifty-five gallon drums on the boats deck and this sludge looked thick as molasses.  If a hurricane were to come near Louisiana right now all of that sludge would be pushed further up on the land by the storm surge.  Once the water receded all the land as far as the water got would most likely wash away because the oil would kill the vegetation.  The vegetations root systems are what hold the land in place, so bye-bye to a good portion of the state.  That's just one of the state's problems.  The boat captain said that the BP workers wouldn't even get out on the water until around 9:00, losing precious daylight hours every day.  We see BP commercials on the TV and hear them on the radio about them doing everything possible, and when they see the oil they are cleaning it up. They’re not doing to good a job.  I know one thing; I see them on their Polaris all-terrain vehicles five or six deep, not doing a darn thing but driving up and down the beach all day.  So why are they not paying some of those same people to go to Louisiana and suck up this poison that is ruining some of the most precious spawning grounds for marine life in our country.  The people in Louisiana know where a great deal of the oil went but BP doesn't seem to be holding up their end of the deal in sticking with it until all the oil is gone.       

Movies and Television and How they follow us

Movies and Television follow us in our daily lives just about everywhere we go. Today's technology allows it. from mobile devices like our cell phones and ipads we can stream live tv events like football and basketball games, to movies like Avatar and Transformers right to our phones. We no dont have to rush home to catch the game or to catch our weekly programing we can see alot of those programs right in the palms of our hands. just like i have the game pulled up on my cell phone while im typing up this blog, brings a new meaning to couch potatoe. Movies and television is a big part of all of our lives its one of the biggest sources of our daily entertainment. everywhere we go theres something on the televisions from sitting in a dr's office waiting room to sitting at a table waiting on our burgers and fries. I took my son to McDonalds a couple months back and he was even able to catch a new episode of spongebob while we ate. Another example was last month my wife and I went to the philadelphia eagles and jacksonville jaguars football game. We rode the water taxi from our hotel to the landing and during the ride we watched the pre-game on my cell phone and when we got to the landing we watched espn at the bar while we had a few beverages. After that we took another taxi over to the stadium and while we stood in line we watched highlights of the games that have been played earlier in the day. Movies and television is an even bigger part of our lives now than what it was when i was a child and it grows more and more everyday!

Children and Digital Media

The world is full of technology and in this generation children are growing up in a digital media influenced environment. Even before birth technology is an influence we now have at home prenatal heart monitors, music player devices made for the belly so that the baby can hear the different music while in the womb and 4d ultra sound with this amazing technology you can now view what your child is going to look like before they are even born. Once the child is born the fun begins starting with all the new tech toys that are now available starting with the new baby digital image baby monitors allows you to not only listen to the baby but see the baby also there is iPhone app that allows you to track diaper and bottle feedings throughout day. In this day children from birth have access to computers and TV on a daily basics and as they grow look at the toys that are geared towards children in this environment game consoles for example the Xbox, Wii ,and PlayStation 3 are devices that offer so much more than just the ability to play a game. Look at the PlayStation 3 has a blue ray player build in the ability to connect to web and amazing realistic games that you can emerge yourself in and the Wii and now the new Xbox Kinect gives you the ability to feel like you are in the game now with the Xbox Kinect you are now the controller gives you a reason to get up and move. I believe that this is a good thing because with past video games children would just sit and get lost in the game and have limited physical activity with the new system it calls for you to be physical which can be a workout especially with some games I personally like the dancing games. All of these systems offer games in all different age category’s so children and children at heart all have something they can enjoy. Other toys that are digital influenced for young children include some devices that fisher price made like the digital cameras, video recording devices, personal DVD players that are kid made to be tough for little hands and falls and even kid friendly cell phones. All of these devices are good tools that children are getting to learn at an early age so as the digital media environment and technology grows the children of today will be the be the engineers of the future.

Movies and Entertainment: A medium for "Shock Babies"

First off, let me just explain what i mean by the term "Shock Babies". These are the people that love and crave attention, whether that attention is negative or positive. Most of the times, these people will do things that are offensive, arrogant, disrespectful, or outside the "norm" in order to get famous or recognized. They like to push the envelope so to speak. There are shock babies in all walks of life, from politics, to religion. But most times, they are at their best and most creative in the entertainment industry. Here are some examples: remember Kanye West at that award show. Or how about Ms. New York from the Flavor of Love reality show? Classic examples of shock babies.

Not to age anyone here, but does anyone remember back in the day where you could turn on the T.V and see some quality shows? You know, shows that sent a positive message or at the very least, TV shows that don't use profanity. These days, as far as the use of bad language, you can't tell the difference between a made for TV movie or a theatrical release. Now i don't know who the blame should fall upon: do we blame society for the lack of moral standards? Do we blame the producers who make these shows? I am not sure. However, it is very baffling to me that in today's society, every TV show that is produced seems to need a certain quota of ridiculousness (not sure if that's a word)in order to get ratings or even get aired. Case in point, look at every single reality series that is out now, 99% of those are horrible. You have the New Jersey Shore, Kardashian show, Housewives (name one), and a list of others. Now why is it that these shows seem to be so popular? The answer is simple, these shows push the envelope, they encourage drama, and they are often full of shock babies who are willing to make themselves look stupid just to get a name for themselves. I really believe these producers have long ago made up their mind that there is no real entertainment value in "moral" TV, so they create this stuff you see every day. Don't get me wrong though, there are a handful of shows that are not that bad, and that still have a good solid message behind it. One show in particular that comes to mind is the Tyler Perry show Meet the Browns, House of Payne, but even they can have their moments. All in all i suppose entertainment is what it is. It will be used to invoke some sort of emotions, negative or positive. I guess it will continue to evolve as our society evolves; the crazier our minds get, the entertainment has to conform, or is it vice verse. As the old adage goes art imitates life.

Wave of the Future.. Digital Media will Change Over the Next 5 to 10 Years?

Today I can drive down the road and notice electronic digital message boards for road construction or information about detours, I see digital electronic signage posted by the airport informing travelers of delays, arrivals and departures and several other travelers information. Civic centers, sports complexes, hotels, and casinos are now displaying huge digital jumbotrons advertising upcoming events and specials to lure consumers inside and how can tourists miss the 12 story digital message board located at 42nd St and Broadway in New York or the extra large lighted maquis located in Tokyo and Japan advertising and promoting anything that is hot, hip and new in the cities. Will this information be delivered to us on a daily basis?

 Halloween eve I took a trip to Florida's Capitol to attend FAMU's homecoming celebration. I attended a concert at the AL Lawson Convention Center and during a section of the entertainers performance he asked the audience to pull out their cell phones and flip them to the lighted screen and wave to him on stage. I turned around to see the cell phone light show and the entire arena was lit up by hand help portable devices, I think the days of holding up lighters is over. The concert engineers also have different tasks. Throughout the performance the engineers changed light shows, back drops, and digital effects and images as well as fog machines and laser lights. The Back drop featured the entertainers name at one point, his initials at another and song titles then various backgrounds like space, stars and clouds. The digital visual effects were awesome! Can we get this at home? Will we soon have concert access at home?

I attended Church one Sunday and during praise & worship the lyrics to the devotionals are displayed on a screen so everyone can participate and sing. If you forgot your Bible, no problem when the Pastor announces the scripture and the passage is also displayed on the screen. If you were moved or blessed by the service and you want to hear it or better yet see it again, then audio CD's and DVD's are available right after service for a small donation. How many people attend virtual church or watch service from home?

Wal-Mart, K-Mart, Winn-Dixie and Publix all have DVD movie vending machines where you select a movie and pay a rental fee. Blockbuster and the movie rental bussiness are almost all gone. Netflix allows you to order movies from your PC or phone and have them delivered to your mailbox. Will we be able to order movies from our living rooms?

Today is election day, and voter ballots have been replaced by computer touch screens. This addition to the ballot process eliminates lost ballots, manual counting, and toting of heavy boxes filled with voter ballots. Soon will we be able to vote online? or from a home office?       

I think within the next 5 to 10 years people who purchase entertainment will have the option to view it live or view it from home. Some mediums are already in effect. Sporting events, concerts and select movies are already available for "pay-per-view" on cable networks. Most networks offer "movies on demand" that allows the consumer to pay to watch a specific movie of his/her choice at the time they choose. I also think voting, advertisements, religious services, concerts and public information digital media networks will expand.

With the advancements of technology, digital media, flat panel TV's, high definition, surround sound, dolby stereo and 3-D innovations I see this medium becoming more interesting and entertaining and growing to wider audiences. Music, movies and gaming can be seen and heard in audio/visual standards that are vividly rich and crystal clear to see and hear. I see the high def resolution in some movie theatres now, combined with Dolby surround sound. This combination provides an exciting formatt for movie watching, Many phone carriers are offering these features on cell phones, one even promoting a 4.5 inch screen with a stand to view movies and media. Over the next 5 to 10 years I think IMAX theatres will expand, movie theatres will have a 3-D option with some kind of virtual reality movement and viewers input for alternate endings. The Ipad will grow enormously along with the Ipod, cell phones, pc's,and gaming devices. All these formatts will expand to bigger and better titles, while machine, and player performance increases.

I think people who spent serious cash upgrading their home entertainment systems will have the option to purchase a new unreleased movie through their cable provider and watch it in the comforts of home or on a plane or train. Advertisements will be more creative and computers will be operating at much faster speeds and loaded with more memory and quicker drives. Home phones will improve and begin to re-claim its share of the verbal communication market again by adding better audio and video to its services. Conference calls, instructional classes, and personal conversations will have the added feature of viewing the person your speaking with. Computers already have this feature with web-cams so this internet feature should only improve to higher resolution and quicker buffering and "video is loading" speeds.

Gadgets, technology, machines, computers, audio/video, cell phones, televisions, electronic devices and space aged innovations for the future are all exciting new avenues for us all to venture down. I look forward to window shopping as I browse through all the new exciting products designed to make life easier, intelectual, simplified, organized and exciting. The wave of the technological future is upon us and I want to ride the informative jet ski to keep up!

How Digital Media Affects Society

Digital media has become an integral part of society in every way as the age of information is coming up with newer and more life-changing technologies every day. For example, the speed at which an event that happens anywhere in the world, uploaded to an online news website, and read by thousands of people at a time is being more easily done and closing the gap to immediate every day. How this affects society has been debated long before this blog post. The free flow of information and it's accessibility is becoming overwhelming to the point of being intrusive to the lives of people. With sites such as facebook, myspace, twitter, and so on, coupled with the technology of miniature cameras installed in cellphones and other technologies puts anything and everything you do to potentially being permanently posted on the internet. Things like this can be humiliating to anyone who has the ability to access to the internet, costing you a job in the future, or how anyone really views you.
Nonetheless, in my opinion which can of course be argued, digital media has had an overall positive affect on the world. The archiving of information on millions of servers and computer networks around the globe that are readily accessible by literally anyone and everyone is a powerful aspect when you think about it, and provides anyone with the ability to research the world around them including any topic whether is be history, politics, online discussion and debate, etc. The use of a library is nearly to the point of having no use if they didn't install their own public computers with internet access next to the bookshelves. These are but a few of the resulting effects of Digital Media on society as a whole.
Digital media constitutes almost everything we do during a regular day. You wake up to the sound of a news broadcast on your radio, check your facebook, update your blog, and play video games. Some would say that we've become addicted to the digital world as we know it and would be lost without it, and this is true to a certain extent. Could you really imagine yourself not using a cellphone to text anybody, living life without sitting in front of a computer for an hour or two a day, or god forbid checking the twitter of your favorite starlet every five seconds to see if they've finished washing dishes yet?! Even though it seems infantile and pretentious, I see the answer to those questions as a definite "yes". Along with any age in time, there will always be addictions to anything society deems legally and morally satisfying, and in our age, it's one of the constant free flow and access of information regarding anything that can be digitally written to a hard drive.