As long as I can remember, I have played video games. What attracted me the most about video games, is their visual side. Stunned by the graphics and their detailed storylines I kept playing. Until writing my thesis not once did it occur to me
that there is a huge dimension of psychology present in gaming, one which can impact players’ lives. I never thought about how gaming could improve or impair the quality of my life. So for my thesis I asked myself the question: what kind of problems and solutions reside in the medium of video games?
Playing with Realities is paired with my own views and past experiences with gaming. In each chapter I will guide you through positive and negative aspects which I found are present in the medium of video games, aspects such as visual, technical, social, psychological, political and cultural. The discussion of these different layers will be accompanied by personal stories from my past in relation to gaming and showing the relationship between videogames and the real world. By doing so, I aim to reflect upon the possibilities I have found to be present in the medium; what I envision gaming is and what it could be. My research consisted of creating 3D work, looking into written papers, news articles, talking with fellow gamers, reading books, watching series and listening to podcasts.
When you are encountering a lot of unknown technical gaming terms, I strongly advise to have a peek at the glossary: Easter Eggs, in which I explain these terms.